When the decision was being made on which mythology to explore next for God of War, the core choice came down to sand or snow. Would God of War head to Egyptian mythology, or would it take on Scandinavian and Norse gods this time around? Obviously we know which one they chose, and Game Informer’s interview with Cory Barlog has revealed some interesting reasons why they went with Norse gods over having Kratos get sand in his beard.
“It was really looking at the mythology, what it had to offer, its geographic location to Greece, and kind of its overall meaning to the story that I wanted to tell. And then saying ‘Alright, what’s interesting,'” Barlog said of choosing the next mythology for Kratos to explore. “It really did come down to two mythologies in the end. Half the team wanted one. Half the team wanted the other. It was very divided. I finally just had to write up a document on why we were going to go with this one, and why the next one is something that we might explore a little bit later.”
Saying that, it seems like Barlog has ideas for Kratos’s story that could take him to Egypt eventually, but for now, he’ll be dealing with the snowy northern realms. He followed up with a little bit of insight on realizing early during development that Assassin’s Creed would also be headed to Egypt around that same time that God of War would be releasing.
“Look man, Assassin’s Creed: Osiris–which was the code name at the time–they’re going to come out right when we come out. I don’t want to have two ‘Armageddon/Deep Impact‘ Egyptian mythology games,” Barlog said, referring to the two impact-event global catastrophe movies that both released in 1998. Obviously there were a few other factors that went into this decision, but it’s interesting to note that behind-the-scenes development knowledge of games can have an impact on the course that other studios might take with their own titles.
Barlog also opened up about Norse mythology offering levity to the series. Don’t forget that the God of War Stone Mason Edition was announced today, which includes a Kratos statue and more bonus goodies for collectors. Have an in-depth look at boats and how they impact the game. Learn why the jump button was removed, why Cory Barlog was chosen to come on and shake things up, and about the additional geographical landscapes and mythological eras that future games could cover. Cory Barlog has also discussed the possibility of moving Kratos into Christian beliefs.
Would you have preferred God of War Egypt, or are you glad that Kratos is giving himself some breathing room away from Assassin’s Creed?
[Source: Game Informer]
