God of War 4’s Changes Proved a Bit Drastic for Long-Time Fans
The reveal of God of War 4 at E3 2016 surprised many people for various reasons. Some were surprised to see Kratos back, others couldn’t believe he was a dad, and others were surprised by the gameplay. Turns out, Creative Director Cory Barlog faced criticism for changing the gameplay.
New details emerge from the October issue of Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM UK issue #140). Via wccftech, we learn that Barlog faced strong negative feedback after God of War 4 gameplay was showcased for the first time.
“Just a lot of people were very doubtful of what we were going to do. ‘This is not God of War, this is going to fall flat, this is really bad’.  I said: ‘Look, I believe in this and if it falls flat, it falls flat, I’m just going to be fully leaping off the cliff’.”
“It’s not like I begrudge them for having that fear because they are very worried that no one’s going to get this and everyone is going to think that this was just ill-advised. But I think that E3 2016 demo bolstered everybody and ignited their spirit and enthusiasm. I watched some reaction videos and a lot of people had the reaction I was hoping for, which was like: ‘Oh my god, that’s such an amazing boss and…oh wait, that guy’s going to help you…what?’
“What I find fascinating about all of this is really not just playing to what’s expected, but to always give everybody something to think about while they’re walking away.”
In other words, this is the Kratos Barlog and team wanted to make, and this is the story they wanted to tell. Fundamentally changing a franchise is bound to stir some opinions, but God of War 4, it seems, is a soft reboot many might see as an improvement. Time will tell.
Lastly, Barlog detailed a new addition to gameplay, and it’s the ability to influence Kratos’ son, Atreus:
“As you move through the game you make choices about what you, or Kratos, wants for Atreus, about how you’re going to develop each of these characters. When you really extrapolate, it’s like this is about sort of putting loadouts and outfits on characters, but when you divorce it from that, and you’re in the moment, you start to realize it’s very similar to that moment in Mad Max when he’s got the can of dog food and he’s determining whether he’s going to eat all of it and get the energy, or if he’s going to give some of it to the dog, and he’s going to do that because he wants to be able to sleep, and if he has the dog and he’s well fed he can sleep and the dog will warn him if danger approaches.
“It’s kind of like, you know, it’s sort of, again, like parenting. This idea of making choices for yourself and making choices for your kid, how you’re going to sort of load balance.”
The ability to influence Atreus in God of War 4 is just one of several revelations we’ve heard about the game since the reveal. With so many features to look forward to, what are your thoughts? Feel free to comment down below. And expect more news and updates from Sony Santa Monica as we approach the installment’s 2018 release.