God Of War PS4 Dev Responds To Criticisms About Changes

The new God of War game is coming to PS4 on April 20. A reboot of sorts for the series, the game takes Kratos (and his son Atreus) to Scandinavia and mixes up the combat with some welcome changes. Sony is also saying the game will show a softer side of Kratos, a man dealing with his violent tendencies while also trying to raise a son. Basically, the game is doing some new things in an attempt to shake things up and reinvigorate the long-running franchise. Not everyone is thrilled with these changes, however.

Game director Cory Barlog told Kotaku that he's aware of the criticisms and the campaigns some are staging against the game. But he urges that you give the game a fair shot before passing judgment. He added that Sony has intentionally held back showing too much of the game because he wants players to "experience this game as a whole."

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"I know there are a lot of people who are out there saying, 'It's totally different. They're changing a lot of things. Hashtag Not My God Of War. Hashtag Cancel My Pre-Order,'" Barlog said. "But I think a lot of people have to play it."

He added: "We've been very restrictive of the information and what we're showing visually, and part of that is my paranoia. I want people to experience this game as a whole. Everybody who made this game--or a good portion of this team--has been a part of God of War from the very beginning. Nothing has changed cynically or under pressure or just willy-nilly. All of us put a lot of heart and soul into this game, and the DNA of what this franchise is still pumps through the blood of this game."

At the end of March, Sony announced that God of War had gone gold, meaning development on the game is finished, and it's ready to be sent off for manufacturing. It is scheduled to release for PS4 on April 20. It will launch alongside a special edition PS4 Pro bundle that features a God of War-themed console and some digital content. It also gets a performance mode with PS4 Pro even if you don't have a 4K display.