“Levity.” It’s the first word that Creative Director Cory Barlog utters when asked what the move to Scandinavian mythology offered to the God of War franchise. First more emotion and narrative, and now levity in a God of War game? It may seem like a departure from the unfettered rage of Kratos past, but it’s actually a natural evolution of a character that is burnt out on being driven solely by revenge.
Greek mythology generally focuses on themes of tragedy and sadness, retaining a much more somber tone. “But Scandinavians, their mythology is weird, man,” Barlog says. “It has their sort of strange, irreverent sense of humor.” The idea of a weird humor really attracted Barlog to this mythology in particular because he wanted to be able to have fun with it. He wanted to avoid having a heavy, somber weight fill the entire length of the campaign, and Scandinavian offered lighter moments. “[We wanted something where] we could be Marvel Universe instead of DC Universe.”
All of this information came from a Game Informer interview with Cory Barlog as they asked him about the new direction they’ve taken in moving Kratos from the Greek region, to the cold and snowy Norse lands. We’ve already heard that God of War’s campaign boasts an impressive 25-30 hours of playtime, and Barlog confirms that their will be a rollercoaster of dark and light moments afforded by the “weird” Scandinavian mythology and the strange kind of humor that they had. What moments with prominent Norse figures are you most looking forward to in God of War?
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 mythology.
[Source: Game Informer]
