God Of War director Cory Barlog has spoken up about what it was like handing over the reins to new director Eric Williams on God of War Ragnarök. Barlog was the director of 2005’s God Of War II and the 2018 God Of War reboot, the latter of which featured a more humanized Kratos and son Atreus embarking on a journey across the realms of Norse mythology. Before that, Barlog was the lead animator for the original God Of War and helped write the stories of PSP spin-offs God of War: Chains Of Olympus and Ghost Of Sparta.
However, when God Of War Ragnarok‘s title and gameplay were unveiled during the recent PlayStation Showcase stream, it was also revealed that Cory Barlog would be stepping back into a supporting role as a producer, with fellow God Of War veteran Eric Williams taking over as the game’s director. While it’s still safe to assume that Barlog had a significant hand in developing God Of War Ragnarok’s plot because of how much of it was foreshadowed in the previous game, it was disclosed that Barlog is also working on unannounced projects at Santa Monica Studio.
In a GamesRadar interview, Cory Barlog shared that stepping aside for God Of War Ragnarok was a “weird, ethereal ‘stepping outside of yourself concept.’” He playfully compared his relationship with current Ragnarok director Eric Williams to Burgess Meredith’s character in the Rocky movies, “just sitting there outside of the ring telling him ‘No pain, Rock, no pain,’ not really helping that much.” On a more serious note, he expressed his full support and trust in Eric Williams, saying the new director’s take on the God Of War mythos is shaped by the collaboration of everyone at Santa Monica Studio, explaining, “So that is kind of this amalgam – this mesh – of every single thing, and it’s unique to those moments in time.”
The first God Of War Ragnarok trailer revealed that the sequel will take place a few years after the events of 2018’s God Of War reboot, with Kratos and Atreus adventuring to uncover the secrets behind a prophecy that foretells the coming of Ragnarok: the final battle that signals the end of the world in Norse myth. Kratos will also face off against the legendary god of thunder Thor, as was teased during the previous game’s ominous closing scene. All of the brutal combat that was so highly praised from the last game will return with improvements in Ragnarok, as well as God Of War’s one-shot camera that made the journey of Kratos and Atreus feel more immersive and cinematic.
Eric Williams and Cory Barlog have worked together for a long time on the God Of War series, and its clear that Barlog has full faith in Williams to carry the directorial torch in the final chapter of Kratos’ Norse journey, even though he admits it felt uncomfortable not to be helming it himself. With luck, players will agree when the game launches next year.
God Of War Ragnarök will be available on PS4 and PS5 in 2022.
