God of War has had a superb year. Released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 back in April, the latest installment in Sony’s critically-acclaimed franchise has been lauded for its plot and new setting, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it reel in a few gaming awards at the end of the year. It could have been oh so different for Kratos and Atreus, however, if a report from GearNuke is anything to read into.
Cory Barlog, game director on God of War, was in attendance at Devcom over the weekend and he divulged that the Norse setting for Kratos’ latest adventure almost didn’t happen. Indeed, Barlog revealed that half of the Sony’s Santa Monica Studio were drawn towards the mythology that runs through the heart of –and provides the backdrop for – the game, but half of the development team wanted to explore Egypt’s mythology and their gods instead.
In the end, it came down to a sole vote from Barlog himself that saw God of War focus on the Norse world and mythos. Initial discussions for the next game in the long-running franchise began as soon as God of War: Ascension was released on PlayStation 3 in 2013, and it seems that it took a fair bit of time for anyone to come to an official decision on what new world to explore given the five-year gap between God of War and its predecessor.
Barlog also took the time to unveil two concept art images – one Egyptian, one Norse – at the panel to give a glimpse into a game that we may see some way down the line. He also commented on how some playtesters were unhappy with the direction God of War took, particularly with regards to Atreus and Kratos having to go on ‘fetch quests’. When you see how successful God of War was, however, Barlog seems to have been vindicated in the choices he made.
