by TC. Harris
Releasing exclusively on PlayStation 4 back on April 20th, 2019, God of War became an instant classic. Sony Santa Monica delivered a tour de force, returning Kratos to the acclaim of his past glory. Where God of War Ascension failed in many ways to resonate with gamers, many took to the more mature and rich storytelling offered in the 2018 exclusive. Gone is the rageful Kratos, and in his place, we have a mournful world-weary father tasked with carrying out the final wishes of his departed wife. We also have a father attempting to do right by his son, as he works to rediscover his humanity. We are also introduced to a son grieving the loss of his mother forced to reconnect with his emotionally absent father, set to the backdrop of Norway and the Norse Patheon. On the surface, there is nothing here that even remotely resembles God Of War, but it is here that Corey Barlog and Sony Santa Monica prove that sometimes you need to abandon what is comfortable and begin anew.
A change in location and game mechanics presented many challenges to Sony Santa Monica over the years of development. They endured many internal hardships to bring Kratos back from the dead, betting on a new direction that could have been rejected by the hardcore fans of the franchise. Gambles that ultimately paid off, as it won the studio the prestigious Game Of The Year title at last years awards ceremony. On May 10th, a new documentary was released on YoutTube chronicling the development of God Of War, and all of the trials and tribulations that went into its creation. Clocking in at just over two hours, the documentary is a must-see for any fan of not only the 2018 release but the franchise as a whole. I think a special edition release of the game with a physical copy of the documentary would be a great move for anyone on the fence with the title, and could honestly see myself grabbing another copy of the game myself. God Of War was also our Game of The Year for 2018, and we couldn’t be happier to read that we’re far from being alone. Congratulations Sony Santa Monica, and let’s cross our fingers for a sequel announcement sometime next year.
Check out the documentary below!!
