What is it that makes a god great? The idea that there is a higher power has accompanied the human being since before he was aware of it. It was in the natural elements as well as in the personification of these through all-powerful beings, capable of subduing and subduing any man . But in 2005, a warrior proved to the world that anger is an all-consuming fire and that even gods can literally lose their minds . That year we met Kratos , the hero (or monster) of God of War .
At war against Mount Olympus
This saga, whose popularity grew at a frenetic rate to disappear for years and rise again from its ashes as the phoenix, marked the world of video games and turned its protagonist into one of the most iconic characters on consoles . Beyond the fun of the combat system and the quick time events , the team led by Cory Barlog managed to convey to the player the experience of being a creature as powerful and destructive as Kratos .
Based on a connection with the most primitive side of a person, violent impulses, God of War not only allowed us to destroy everything, but encouraged us to do so and provided us with tools without which the plot would not be understood: the swords of chaos . These short blades, with one of the most brutal designs ever seen, are much more than an object of destruction. The swords are the protagonist’s curse both for reminding him of the crimes he committed and to which he is chained and for bringing to the surface his true nature.
And is that Kratos is an antihero of those who no longer exist and his story is as attractive as it is heartbreaking. Son of Zeus, who was a brilliant Spartan soldier had to sell his soul to the god of war (Ares) to be able to win in combat and survive in exchange for becoming his servant. Deceived by the god, Kratos would murder his wife and daughter and be forever covered in their ashes, becoming the ‘ghost of Sparta’. This drama led him to swear vengeance against Ares and seek a redemption that would be impossible for him to achieve.
Greek mythology, in addition to being fascinating and rich, is full of cruel gods who used and manipulated humans as if they were their puppets . The Peloponnese peninsula was the perfect setting for Kratos, turned into a weapon and deceived by the gods he trusted, to surpass his personal vendetta and rise up as a full-blown anti-establishment, determined to turn his anger out in an attempt to finish with the oppressive rule of Olympus by slaying all its gods. With the blood of Zeus still burning his fists and the open wound of his sins, Kratos offered us an ending typical of any Greek tragedy by committing suicide . Or at least we thought it was the end.
The god who arose from the cold
It was E3 2016. Something in the air seemed to scream to the thousands of Sony conference attendees that everything was about to change. Suddenly, with an impressive staging, an orchestra begins to play live music while a choir accompanies them with songs in Old Icelandic . On the screen appears a child dressed in furs and playing with wooden dolls who is called out by a deep and hoarse voice, closer to a roar than to the voice of a man. When the muscular, cinderella figure of Kratos is discovered, the audience erupts in unanimous clamor .
This was how the world knew the new installment of God of War , which arrived eight years after the last game . Not only did it present state-of-the-art graphics typical of the new generations of consoles, but it also made it clear that things had changed compared to everything we knew about the saga.
After taking down an entire pantheon of gods and destroying the land, our particular Nietzsche finds himself in the frozen north of Viking mythology with a magical throwing ax, a thick beard and Atreyus, his son. Trying to leave his past behind, who was once the ghost of Sparta has secluded himself to a life of isolation in his forest cabin, but everything will change when he must fulfill the last wish of his deceased wife and father and son embark on an epic journey. through the Nine Realms. To make matters worse, the gods of Asgard have discovered the identity of the God of War …
The game had matured with the audience that enjoyed it and presented a story that, while having its own moments of the cover of a Death Metal album, showed a greater development of the characters and new functions and characteristics . The combats left behind the quick time events for a more complete system in which the attack, the defense and the combos had to be combined with quick responses and a strategic vision of the player; as well as the help Atreyus could provide with his bow . It also included RPG elements so popular in recent years such as collecting materials or crafting and upgrading weapons and armor.
God of War , which is considered the fourth main installment of the saga, conquered the critics and the public with a great game in every way, from the careful visual section to the solidity of its story and the optimization of its gameplay. As Kratos himself did (perhaps with more respect and less blood), this installment buried many of the hallmarks of the previous ones and built on them something greater than, for now, we have only seen the beginning.
‘Raising Kratos’, worthy successor to ‘The Odyssey’
In 2019, and after the success that it had been, Sony Computer Entertainment published Raising Kratos , a documentary that saw the entire process that had been followed for the creation of the new God of War , from the first brainstorms to the very positive criticism it received after the launch. In addition to being available for free on various channels (such as YouTube ) and dubbed or subtitled in many languages, the video reflects what it was like for the Cory Barlog team to embark on such a project .
Raising Kratos reveals what God of War fans do not see when they play the title: the work and commitment of hundreds of people who spent years (yes, years) shaping something as great as this video game. From the creatives and designers to the actors who brought the characters to life through motion capture, the developers or the team that composed and performed the soundtrack; everyone involved in the Santa Monica Studio is recognized for their work and proves that video games are much more than just entertainment products. In this case, God of War was the result of a long process and the effort and sacrifice of hundreds of people who, like Kratos, did not give up .
