#I watched the 2018 gameplay with him and Atreus and it just had everything I love in a story minus the gore im very squeamish kjahsdgkj

[mandersie]

Recently came back from a trip and was having a very tough artblock; had a lot of trouble to work on commissions. So I made this warmup of Dad of War to get back in the drawing zone 

[iidsch]

I'm still like 1/3 into the story of god of war 2018 but damn Kratos' characterization is so good... I was a bit wary because he looked like the average grumpy dad who gets an emotional-support-child but after having watched gameplays of the three previous games in the franchise I realize what a glow up he's had and now I like him a lot, even if I don't find him that unique compared to other dad characters

Like man I can't believe Kratos used to be so badly written. There's literally nothing to his character besides unjustified rage, bloodthirst for the sake of edginess and a stupid backstory that looks like it was pulled from a male mary sue (a johnny sue if you may). At no point did I feel any empathy for old Kratos, and in some battles I would even root for his defeat because he became more and more the villain of the story. Every bad thing that happens to him is entirely his own fault and never seems to realize he's making everything worse, not just for him, but for every living being in the world.

He's very 2D too, and the only moment you see him express something besides anger - the part towards the end when Pandora dies - it feels really out of place. Because why on earth would someone like Kratos, who kills innocent people for no reason, feel the need to protect who seems like a pawn to get his revenge? Why does he take pity on Pandora but not on the woman he ties up to a lever? There was literally nothing in Kratos' journey that pointed at him being a person capable of empathy.

Modern Kratos on the other hand... he still has that stoic and tough attitude, especially towards anyone who isn't his wife and son, but sometimes you see some kindness and empathy slip through his emotional armor, like when Atreus lets his anger get the best of him, and Kratos gives him a lesson. He's stern, but his words come from a place of worry toward his son. This becomes more and more obvious as the story progresses, so when Atreus becomes ill it doesn't ruin his character - it's the result of something we knew was coming. And that's great! There's a subtle buildup toward this moment and it pays off.

Now I'm fully invested in the characters and I can't wait to see how the new God of War games connect the story with the previous one.

[randomfandomimagine]

Games With Trish: God of War (2018)

I had watched the game before, but playing it was a whole new experience. It’s fun, exiciting, emotional and epic. It’s such a good game, with interesting plot, a moving story, great characters, beautiful scenery, breathtaking soundtrack and great mechanics!

The plot is quite simple, but it’s presented in a way that is so emotional! Just the beginning is flaweless, and it only gets better as it goes. It feels almost intimate as we go with Kratos and Atreus to the highest peak in the realm, they’re on a very important personal mission and you feel what they feel. You feel their pain and sadness on their mission, but also their surprise and concern when things get in the way and they’re in danger.

The characters are so cool and likeable, from the tough Kratos to the adorable Atreus to the complex Baldur and the mysterious Freya to the charming Mimir! Not to mention Brok and Sindri, I genuinely got excited whenever they appeared. I’m especially fond of Atreus because I love children and he’s just so cute! Those little moments of him running around and playing with the snow and stuff? Adorable. Kratos is also superb, because while he’s not as violent in this game as he was in the others, I see it as a plus! He’s more human in this game, he’s grieving his wife’s death, taking care of the kid and also having to deal with gods again. He’s still strong as hell and it never ceases to amaze me how much of a beast Kratos is, though.

I also love those little moments between Kratos and Atreus where they learn to understand each other and find a compromise. When Kratos trusts his son to fight, the boy thanks him. When Atreus improves on his fighting, Kratos compliments him. Those moments pulled such a big smile out of me. They might not agree on some things, and they are very different, but they are father and son and they love and protect each other and care so much and that just hits me in the feels!

It also had such incredible narrative moments. That scene where Kratos wants to comfort Atreus and is about to put his hand on his son’s shoulder but doesn’t? He wants to, but is determined on his tough love and ultimately doesn’t because he wants Atreus to be strong. Just, perfect show don’t tell. The plot in general has such good moments, enhanced by the soundtrack, and has a few little twists here and there that are really well done. 

When it comes to gameplays, it’s also super fun. There are so many things to explore, including not just Midgar as big as it is, but also other realms like Niflheim and Alfheim and it’s so cool! Also controling the characters while you do insanely epic things like fighting dragons and such? So so good and exciting! I also really appreciate the RPG side of it, buying and improving the armour and weapons and the skills and everything, it’s all really well done. In fact, I still have to find the valkiries and try to platinum the game.

Overall, a fantastic game that has quickly made its way up to my top 5. The ending made me sad that it’s over, so I was excited about the second game... but then the secret ending? Like I wasn’t already hyped enough for Ragnarok!

[the-desolated-quill]

The Quill Seal Of Approval Awards - The Best of 2018

Hello and welcome, dear reader, to the greatest, most important awards ceremony in the history of entertainment. The Quill Seal Of Approval Awards. The award of recognition that everyone on Earth covets even though they don’t know it. For the Quill Seal Of Approval is a most esteemed prize for hard work and artistry. Better than the Golden Globes, more prestigious than the BAFTAs and guaranteed to be more diverse than the Academy Awards. You know your film, novel, TV show or video game has achieved legendary status when some random nobody on the internet says it’s the best in some obscure top 10 list that’s read by only a couple of people. That’s the true sign of success.

First, a few parish notices. Obviously this is my subjective opinion, so if you disagree with my choices, that’s fine. Go make your own list. (also remember that my opinion is 100% objective, scientific, factual and literal truth and anyone who disagrees is clearly a philistine and a dummy and a poopy-head whose mum smells of elderberries). Also please bear in mind that I haven’t been able to experience everything 2018 has to offer for one reason or another. In other words, please don’t be upset that A Star Is Born isn’t on this list. I’m sure it’s as amazing as everyone says it is. I just never got around to watching it.

Okay. Let us begin.

Inside No. 9 - Series 4

BBC2′s Inside No. 9, written by the League of Gentlemen’s Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, is an anthology series that’s often sadly overlooked, but it’s really worth a watch if you’re into shows like Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone, and this series in particular has been fantastic. We’ve had an episode written entirely in iambic pentameter, an episode whose chronology runs backwards, a live episode that really plays around with the format, episodes containing tragic and biting satire, and one especially twisted episode that brings out a side of Steve Pemberton we’ve never seen before. Series 4 has been a real treat from start to finish, with each episode beautifully written and expertly performed. Inside No. 9 deserves to share the same pedestal as Black Mirror, no question.

Black Panther

I’m sure everyone knows about my less than flattering views on the Marvel Cinematic Universe by now, which is what made Black Panther such a breath of fresh air for me. Stripping away all the convoluted crap, Black Panther has often been compared to The Dark Knight, and for good reason. Like The Dark Knight, this movie uses the superhero genre to tackle real social and political issues. In Black Panther’s case, exploring just what it means to be black in the modern world. Boasting an impressive cast of black actors, strong female characters, an engaging and complex antagonist, fantastic special effects and truly excellent direction from Ryan Coogler, Black Panther represents a new benchmark for Marvel, the superhero genre and the film industry in general. It proves how important and how lucrative diversity and representation in media can be, and it unintentionally shows how flawed the Marvel business model has become. The reason behind Black Panther’s success is simple. It’s because it’s bloody brilliant. And the reason it’s bloody brilliant is because Coogler was allowed to realise his own creative vision without Kevin Feige and Mickey Mouse breathing down his neck. Perhaps they should take note of that in future.

Deadpool 2

Of course Deadpool 2 is going to be on this list. Are you really surprised?

The Merc with the Mouth goes from strength to strength in the rare instance where the sequel is actually as good as, if not better than, the original. The first Deadpool was a great origin story for the character, but Deadpool 2 felt like an adventure ripped straight from the comics themselves. Crass, ultra violent and hysterically funny, Deadpool 2 is the crowning jewel of the X-Men franchise. Fan favourites such as Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus return as well as new characters such as Domino, played by the exceptional Zazie Beetz, Cable, played by the astounding Josh Brolin, and Firefist, played by Julian Dennison who deserves all the success in the world because good God this kid can act!

But of course the star of the film is Deadpool himself with Ryan Reynolds once again proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he understands this character back to front. Not only is he hysterically funny, capturing the character’s irreverent tone perfectly, he also absolutely nails the tragic underpinnings of Deadpool that make him such a wonderful character. In between the f-bombs and gore are moments of real drama and emotional pathos as the film tackles themes such as loss, discrimination, abuse and suicidal depression. All this whilst taking the piss out of 2017′s Logan. 

Oh yeah, and it also features the first openly LGBT superheroes in cinematic history. Fuck you Disney! NegaYukio and Poololosus for the win! LOL! No, but seriously, now that you have the rights to X-Men back, if you try and censor Deadpool in any way, shape or form, I will kick your arse.

God Of War (2018)

“BOY!”

Yes Kratos is back, having successfully destroyed the world of Greek mythology and now has his eyes on the Norse Gods. And he has a son now. What could possibly go wrong?

Seriously though, this new God Of War is simply exquisite. While I have long admired the God Of War franchise for its interpretation and adaptation of Greek mythology, the previous games in the series have never exactly been the most sophisticated when it comes to storytelling (and the less said about the casual sexism, the better. Yes Sony, I promise I understand the thematic reasons behind playing a minigame that allows you to have sex with Aphrodite in God Of War 3, but it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s sexist as shit). God Of War 2018 changes all that with an intelligent and engaging story that allows us understand and connect with Kratos at a more personal level than we’ve ever done before. Taking place years after God Of War 3, Kratos is older, wiser and trying to raise his son Atreus in the hopes that he won’t make the same mistakes Kratos did in his past. Not only is the story amazing, continuing the franchise’s themes of vengeance and the strained relationships between parents and their children, the gameplay is also a ton of fun with many memorable moments and boss fights.

And as an added bonus, we get two strong female characters that aren’t treated like discardable sex objects. That was nice of them.

Incredibles 2

The long awaited sequel to The Incredibles finally arrived in 2018 and it did not disappoint. Incredibles 2 was everything I could have wanted and more. Continuing on from the events of the first movie, we see Elastigirl take the spotlight as she fights the Screenslaver whilst trying to persuade the worlds’ governments to lift the ban on superheroes. Meanwhile Mr. Incredible takes a back seat as he tries to reconnect with his kids Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack and prove he can be a good, supportive dad. 

Continuing to draw inspiration from Fantastic Four, X-Men and Watchmen, Incredibles 2 is... well... incredible. Expanding the world he created, Brad Bird tells a smart, funny and compelling story that stands head and shoulders above the majority of superhero movie fodder we get nowadays. Elastigirl flourishes in the lead role this time around and the kids get a lot more development, the Screenslaver is a great villain that compliments the themes of the franchise wonderfully, and we get to see a whole bunch of new characters such as Voyd and the Deavor siblings as well as the return of old favourites like Frozone and Edna Mode. 

Honestly, the baby alone is worth the price of admission. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another fourteen years for Incredibles 3.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man is an amazing game. But of course you knew that already. It’s made by Insomniac Games, the same guys behind Ratchet & Clank. Of course it was going to be brilliant.

Simply put, this game does for Spider-Man what the Arkham games did for Batman. Not only is it a great game with brilliant combat and fun web swinging mechanics, it also has a great story worthy of the wall crawler. Unlike the movies, which seem to continuously yank Peter Parker back into high school with each new reboot as those the poor bastard were attached to the fucker on a bungee rope, this Spidey has been fighting crime for eight years. With great power comes many responsibilities as we see him struggle to juggle crime fighting, his new job as a scientist, his commitments to helping Aunt May at the F.E.A.S.T shelter and trying to win his ex Mary Jane Watson back after a six month split. It’s a brilliant story featuring many classic villains such as Shocker and Electro as well as lesser known villains like Screwball and the criminally underrated Mister Negative who finally gets to be the central antagonist in a Spider-Man adaptation. It’s fun to play, engaging, dramatic and really emotional at points. I cried real tears at the end. What a punch to the gut that was.

OOOOOH! And we might be getting to play as Miles Morales in the sequel! I sure hope so! :D

The Grinch

At this point I imagine many of you are scratching your heads. 

“Really Quill? The Grinch? Illumination’s The Grinch? This deserves the Quill Seal Of Approval? Are you sure?” Yes dear reader, I’m absolutely sure. Just hear me out.

It’s true that the majority of Dr Seuss adaptations are shit. While the live action version of the Grinch starring Jim Carrey has a cult following and is fondly remembered by some, it’s still pretty crap, and even Illumination themselves screwed up royally with their adaptation of The Lorax. But this new Grinch is truly excellent. For starters, the animation is gorgeous. This is clearly the format that works best for Seuss movies. Benedict Cumberbatch does a really good job voicing the character, giving him depth and complexity beyond just being a big old meanie. The film also has something no other Seuss film has ever had before. Subtlety. Illumination have clearly learned their lesson after The Lorax. They’re no longer bashing you over the head with a moral message. They’re not trying to over-complicate a simple story by adding pointless sub-plot after pointless sub-plot. In fact the bits they do add actually feed into the main core of the narrative, as opposed to The Lorax, which just confused things. And while there are cute Minion-esque sidekicks like there are in a lot of Illumination films, The Grinch limits it to two (Max the dog and a reindeer named Fred), they’re both legitimately funny, serve an important narrative purpose and don’t distract from the more serious and emotional moments.

In all honesty, I was debating between giving the Quill Seal of Approval to The Grinch or to Bumblebee (the first legitimately good Transformers movie), but I decided to go with The Grinch because of how it handles the character and the story’s message. A lot of people scoffed at the idea of giving the Grinch a back story (and to the film’s credit they don’t force the issue or over-explain where the Grinch came from) but it’s honestly what makes this new adaptation of The Grinch so special to me. He’s gone from being a Scrooge-like monster to an anxiety filled misanthrope who associates Christmas with being alone. It may sound like a jarring change on paper, but in practice it honestly works so well and adds a whole new dimension to the Grinch. It’s treated with absolute care and sincerity and the film really earns its emotional moments, particularly at the end when we see the Grinch sit down to have Christmas dinner with the Whos.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you give this new Grinch a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised :)

Doctor Who - Series 11

A woman?! In the TARDIS?! How absurd!

Jodie Whittaker made history as the first woman to play the Doctor and the new series doesn’t disappoint. Whittaker is predictably brilliant in the role, giving the character compassion, charm and wit. We also get a new bunch of companions (including the always brilliant Bradley Walsh as Graham) who all have some great moments in Series 11 and the relationships they form with each other is incredibly touching and fun to watch. But the writing, my God, the writing. Admittedly not every episode has been perfect, but it’s leagues above anything Moffat has given us during his disastrous reign. The majority of Series 11 has been well written and intelligent, tackling important and relevant social issues (something Doctor Who has always been doing and anyone who says otherwise is an idiot) and focusing on likeable and relatable characters rather than convoluted series arcs. We got to meet Rosa Parks, witness the partition of India, and ponder on the dangers of automation whilst the Doctor tries to save the world from bubble wrap. Oh, and the Daleks are scary again! I know! I couldn’t believe it either!

What makes this all the more remarkable is who the showrunner is. Chris Chibnall. A writer I’ve often criticised in the past for being derivative and shit, and yet somehow he’s managed to create some of the best Doctor Who I’ve seen in a long time. Not only has his writing improved dramatically since his Torchwood days, he’s also demonstrated a commitment to having diverse representation both in front of and behind the camera as well as in the scripts themselves. For the first time in what feels like an age, Doctor Who feels like Doctor Who again, and I’m ecstatically happy.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

How come we don’t see many animated superhero movies in the cinema? Considering the medium from which superheroes came from, you’d think it would be a no-brainer. Presumably it’s because Disney have got such a strangle hold on the animation market, but that’s hopefully going to change thanks to Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (or, Sony’s Repentance for The Emoji Movie).

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. The animation is gorgeous. It’s pretty much an animated comic book and it stands out as one of the most unique looking animated films in recent memory. Spider-Verse is essentially a love letter to the legacy of Spider-Man as we see multiple different versions of Spidey, including Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham and Nicholas Cage as Ghost Rider cosplaying as Spider-Man Noir, demonstrating not only the sheer variety of Spider-Men we’ve had over the years, but also exploring what connects them together. With all these different interpretations across many different universes, the idea of Spider-Man comes to the same thing. An ordinary person who experiences tragedy and becomes something greater. It’s hopeful and inspirational in a way Spider-Man films hasn’t been for a while now (Spider-Man: Homecoming sucked donkey balls. Period).

But let’s not forget that while the film explores the Spider-Verse, the main focus is Miles Morales who finally makes his cinematic debut. Not only is it a very faithful adaptation of Ultimate Spider-Man’s origin story, Miles himself is such a great central character for the modern age and arguably has more relevance to today than Peter Parker does. The characters are funny and relatable and the story is expertly crafted and impactful. But then what do you expect from the writers and directors of The Lego Movie? (if only Disney hadn’t interfered with Solo: A Star Wars Story. We could have had it all).

Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle

This one kind of snuck up on me toward the end of December, but I knew the moment I saw it I had to include it on this list.

Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle is an adaptation of The Jungle Book with Andy Serkis making his directorial debut. Yes the same guy who did the motion capture for Gollum in Lord Of The Rings and Caesar in the rebooted Planet Of The Apes movies and who totes deserves an Oscar for Best Actor (fuck you Academy Awards!), and he brings this same motion capture technology to this film. Unlike Disney’s Jungle Book, which merely rehashes the original animated film whilst somehow stripping all the charm from it, Mowgli sticks closer to the original Rudyard Kipling book. This isn’t a cheery musical. This film is often dark and intense as we see Mowgli (played wonderfully by Rohan Chand) struggle to find his place in the world. He knows he doesn’t belong with the animals in the jungle, but he doesn’t really fit in with the world of man neither. It’s an emotional and dramatic character piece brought to life by great writing, great acting and stunning special effects. 

Andy Serkis has expressed a desire to do an adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and after watching this movie, I would love to see that. If you haven’t already, go watch Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle. It’s available to stream on Netflix and it’s truly amazing.

And that’s it for 2018. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Quill Seal Of Approval Awards. Unfortunately we’re on a limited budget here on The Desolated Quill, so I can’t offer any sort of trophy or medal or anything. What I can do though is write the words ‘I’m an awesome cookie’ on a post-it note and stick it on your forehead. Will that do?

[waypointset-blog]

God of War Still Impresses One Year Later

It’s been a year since Sony Santa Monica’s soft reboot of the God of War series blew away critics and gamers. To celebrate, longtime series fan Arley takes a stroll down memory lane in this reflective piece for one of 2018’s most awarded titles.

Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment

By Arley Sepulveda

@sirfonzley

    It’s crazy to think that we’re flying fast into 2019.

     Maybe I’m getting old or distracted by everything going on. I have to stop and think about where we came from.  

     2018 was a monumental year for media of all sorts, and video games are no exception. We had AAA titles being churned out like a strongman contest. Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey; all fantastic games, but if there was a game that resonated with me of 2018: it was definitely God of War.  

     When Sony first announced that they were making a new GoW game, I was excited. It’s one of PlayStation's flagship titles returning with a graphical overhaul that only the PlayStation 4 can handle.

     Needless to say, I was very happy to play as Kratos again. After he murdered the Greek pantheon, where would he go?

     In the first reveal trailer at Sony’s 2016 E3 Press Conference, they showed Kratos with a beard, an ax, and … a son? Fighting Norse gods?

    That was interesting.

     We all knew Kratos as this merciless god killer, fueled by revenge and anger. He was the archetypal angry video game character, bordering on the verge of self-parody. How the hell were we supposed to view him as a parental figure? He was never a three-dimensional character, so it was hard to buy him as an older and brooding man trying to teach his “boy!” to hunt.

    When I had finally got my hands on this game, I knew this was the game of the year immediately.

     Ask my friends.

    I was honestly surprised when I saw GoW had won Game of the Year at The Game Awards in late 2018; especially when put next to Red Dead which also took home a lot of awards.

     What was important was why God of War won. It all starts with the visuals.

     If you played the game, you know how invoking the scenery is. As a film fan, I couldn’t help but admire the continuous camera shot that made the game look like one extremely long take. Not only is this insane on a technical level, but the flawless transition from gameplay to cutscenes makes you feel that you are in the story. That alone created a sense of immersion that made it really hard to put the controller down.

     Then there’s the narrative.

     The main story is simple on paper: Kratos loses his wife, so he and his son Atreus have to climb a mountain to spread her ashes.

     Sounds simple enough, but it is far from it.

     They have to travel different realms, meet (fight) extraordinary creatures, get challenged by the elder forces that feel threatened by them. The story goes through this beat of constantly bringing you down, but in a good way.

     The narrative balances Kratos as a cold and cautious older man. He carries the burden of his past and does not wish for Atreus to follow in his footsteps. This leads Kratos to be very strict and tough with Atreus.

    Meanwhile, Atreus invokes the sense of wonder and innocence who slowly learns that the Gods aren’t always meant to be trusted and that morality is always subjective to the situation at hand.

     As you travel, Atreus is constantly in awe of seeing creatures he’s only read about, whereas Kratos is stubborn and his overly logical ideals of a soldier keep him both sharp in combat, but dull as a person; which the game pokes fun at.

    I haven’t even talked about the combat. It is still cathartic and so much fun killing these mythical monsters. It retains that button mashing, combo building fun that God of War is known for, but adds more layers to it. The ability to throw the Leviathan ax and call it back like Thor’s Mjolnir is honestly one of the biggest flexes this game has.

     You feel like such a badass every time you call it back. Not only is throwing the ax essential in combat but absolutely necessary for many puzzles and challenges along the way. The challenge of the enemies feels very close and very engaging, and little things like Atreus helping you out or calling out when an enemy is about attack lets you know that Atreus does not get in the way.

      He acts as an extension of Kratos.

      All these elements they added give a very unique gameplay experience. It just feels right, but at the same time, it is also difficult enough to make me not get too cocky. It can still be a challenge, especially if you do “Give Me God of War” difficulty. If you played this game, then you should know about how tough the Valkyries are.

     I could go on and on about this game, but I’d be stealing all the thunder.

     The biggest appreciation I have for this game is David Jaffe for creating the series and Cory Barlog for creating this particular vision.

     I’ve watched his interviews and I see how he grew into this project and how he and his team at Santa Monica Studios devoted 5 years of their lives to this and it shows in the final product.

    Seeing the blood sweat and tears put into this game and then seeing the final product really shows the level of quality and attention Santa Monica Studios wanted out of this game. I’m glad that this series got a more mature feel but still grounded to its catharsis that the players enjoy.

     It’s a game about a man and his son killing gods. If that’s not a bonding experience, I don’t know what is.

Arley is a frequent contributor to the Waypoint Set Blog and Podcast. He is a freelance photographer/videographer and occasionally Photoshops himself in fancy cars.

You can follow him here:

IG: @fonzfotoz

Twitter: @sirfonzley

[njawaidofficial]

'God of War': PS4 Game Hinges on Bond of Its 2 New Actors

http://styleveryday.com/2017/09/30/god-of-war-ps4-game-hinges-on-bond-of-its-2-new-actors/

'God of War': PS4 Game Hinges on Bond of Its 2 New Actors

Nearly a decade has passed since gamers concluded the tale of the rage-filled Spartan warrior Kratos in 2010’s God of War 3, in which the son of Zeus finally exacted his vengeance against the spiteful gods of Olympus.

Now, Santa Monica Studio and Sony are bringing the action gaming icon back to consoles with God of War, set for release in spring 2018.

A lot has changed for Kratos since he was last seen hacking and slashing his way through the roster of Greek deities. The new game sees the familiar anithero sporting a bushy new beard, an apt look for the series’ new locale in the frigid wilderness of Norseland; new weapons now that he’s lost his trademark, chained Blades of Chaos; and, most importantly, he has an adolescent son. 

The change of tableau is not simply cosmetic, as the franchise’s Grecian setting was integral to Kratos’ story and was a fundamental aspect of the plot, characterization and even gameplay of the previous titles. The new location opens up the narrative to the wide breadth of Norse mythology, something of great interest to game director Cory Barlog.

“When I came back to the studio I knew I needed to make a big change to the game,” Barlog explained to Heat Vision during a recent visit to the studio. “We had exhausted Greek mythology and kind of started to set up Kratos to be able to connect to more myths. We didn’t know exactly where we were going to go at the time, but we knew we were going to expand it out.”

Barlog has been working on God of War since the first game in 2005, on which he was the lead animator. He moved up to game director for 2007’s sequel, earning a BAFTA for his writing on the project, then served as game director for eight months on the third game before leaving the company. His return to the franchise (and developers Santa Monica Studio) came in 2013 where he put together a team to work on the next leg in Kratos’ blood-soaked journey.

“When I really started forming the seed of this idea I knew it was going to be a massive polar shift for the whole franchise to really reimagine everything we can about it while still keeping the guts of God of War,” Barlog said.

Changing up the setting was not the only shake-up Barlog had planned for the fourth installment, however. To match Kratos’ new look, Barlog needed a new actor. Christopher Judge, perhaps best known for his role as alien military commander Teal’c on the hit sci-fi television series Stargate SG-1, won the role, replacing longtime Kratos voice actor Terrence C. Carson.

“The way we shot all the previous games, we were able to have a different body actor than the voice actor, so the voice actor could do most of their work similar to an animated film where they just did all V.O. work in the studio,” Barlog explained. “Doing what we wanted to do with a camera that was never going to cut away, we had a lot of scenes that required two characters to interact physically on the stage. The size difference between Kratos and Terrence is very great. Offsetting that for the size of a child, it turned out it was going to be almost impossible to try and actually shoot them and go in and redo the animations.”

Luckily, Judge had no such problem. Standing 6-foot-3 with the build of an NFL linebacker (Judge attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship), he had the look of the character down. However, unbeknownst to the veteran actor, his fate ultimately lay in the hands of a 10-year-old: Sunny Suljic.

Suljic was cast as Kratos’ son Atreus very early on in the game’s development, when the actor was only 9 years old. The Atreus character was modeled after the young actor’s stature and appearance, and when it came to finding his co-star, the team weighed Sunny’s opinions about the casting of Kratos heavily. 

“There was an audition and they asked me who I liked the most,” Sunny, now 12, recalled as he took a break between recording sessions at Santa Monica Studio.

He was doing the one-on-one interview with Heat Vision as his mother waited around the corner (“She makes me nervous sometimes during these,” he explained) when Judge showed up. A towering presence even to other grown adults, seeing Judge beside Suljic is an exhibition of true contrast. The massive actor immediately began rough-housing with his co-star, lifting him over his shoulders handily with one arm as Sunny giggled. The familial bond between them is evident instantaneously, a promising preview of the bond their roles require.

The laughter between the two was quick and genuine as they recalled the casting process. “We did a chemistry test, and I didn’t find out until later that they really did ask Sunny for approval,” Judge said with a laugh. “If I had known then that my fate was in the hands of a 10-year-old,” he turns to Sunny. “I owe you a pair of Nikes.”

That relationship is all the more important when considering the amount of time both actors have worked on the project. Suljic has been recording motion and voice performances for over three years while Judge has been attached for two. The duo often perform their scenes together, sporting skin-tight suits covered in white balls, on a stage at Santa Monica Studio. That experience is clearly conducive to bonding.

“My sons now are adults and out of the house,” Judge said as Suljic, beside him on the couch, looks (way) up at him. “The thing you always regret is that you can’t go back and spend more time with them at certain ages. “Being around Sunny just feels good to me. It’s feels like some of the time I missed with my own kids.”

Stepping into a role already made famous by another performer can be daunting, but Judge saw the role as an opportunity to really bring something new to the character. “When I realized it was God of War, I did some background work on it,” the actor said. “Terrence had played it for so long I thought it would just be a huge mistake to mimic his performance. I figured, well, if they’re recasting they’re going for something different or in a different direction. I just started with a blank slate and went from there.”

That new direction extends to most other aspects of the game. Not only is Kratos now a father in a new land, but the gameplay reflects both the relationship between the two characters as well as the new Norse mythology.

“It’s most definitely not an escort mission,” Barlog said, emphatically. To many gamers there are no two words more reviled than the dreaded escort mission. “It’s more like a military leader and a soldier that he’s teaching and taking under his wing,” Barlog continued. “The player has direct command over Atreus and is trying to guide him through the process, but the kid has his own mind and he is able to handle himself even when you’re not paying attention.” A button (square) on the controller is dedicated to Atreus, which allows players to direct him to different objectives which he will carry out on his own. “What we’re trying to do is kind of tap into that ‘teaching your kid to ride a bike as you run alongside’ thing,” says Barlog.

For fans of the series, this is an extraordinary change of tack for Kratos’ character — a man so driven by rage that he toppled the gods themselves to become the eponymous deity of conquest, battle and destruction.

“Kratos’ change in his play style is really this idea that he’s struggling with mastering this rage that he let out of the box in all the previous games. He was an angry monster who walked up to people and just killed them, didn’t even care,” Barlog says. “I think Atreus is offering just this tiny bit of humanity that he lost long ago that allows him to not just kill somebody the first time he meets them and find out a little bit more.”

For Judge, that nuance of character meant a meatier role. “When I first read this it kind of threw me because this was a real script. It wasn’t just a way to get into battles, it was really this great story of this relationship and this crazy mythology,” he said before heading into a recording session.

Watching Judge — a jovial giant of a man who is quick with a smile and a rumbling laugh — transform into Kratos through the thick glass of a recording studio, it’s easier to see how the actor scored the role. It takes him roughly three sentences and a whole bottle of Teavana iced tea to drop his already baritone speaking voice to the bassy thunderous grumbles of Kratos, yet he still maintains a patience in his delivery that was before unknown to the character.

“It’s not a softer side, but a softer side to Kratos,” said Barlog. “He has a very long road ahead of him before he can express the softer sides that we would associate with being softer, but he’s definitely a changed person.”

No official release date for God of War has yet been announced. It will be available exclusively on PlayStation 4.