GameCenter - May/June 2018 - 50

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PARTING SHOTS

Shannon Studstill
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, GOD OF WAR

WGC: Prior to the release of this new God
of War, it had been nearly five years since
we last saw our Spartan antihero, Kratos.
What's more, the last game in the series'
chronology, God of War III, seemed to offer
a fairly definitive ending to the story. What
made you want to return to the God of War
franchise after so many years away from it?
Shannon Studstill: We looked forward to the
challenge of discovering a new world for God
of War artistically and narratively. In my first
conversation about the need for a pivot for the
franchise I absolutely loved the direction [creative director] Cory [Barlog] thought he'd like
to take the mythology and the narrative, and
was really enthralled over the idea that he had
for the introduction of a new character, Atreus.

"We looked forward
to the challenge of
discovering a new
world for God of
War artistically and
narratively."

VITAL SIGNS
OCCUPATION
HE AD OF S TUDIO, S ANTA MONIC A S TUDIO
GAME HIGHLIGHT S
GOD OF WAR (2018), GOD OF WAR III, GOD
OF WAR II, GOD OF WAR (2005)

Cory was very clear on the fact that being a
father was one of the few things, in the world
of Kratos, that would force this somewhat onedimensional character to grow and evolve. If
we were to expand the scope of his universe,
bringing in a new landscape of responsibility through his fatherhood, introduce new
characters, weapons and challenges, that
would surely force Kratos into a great deal of
growth and allow the franchise to mature for
ourselves and our fans. This was what became
our drive and our compulsion as we set off on
the journey to reinvent God of War.
WGC: You mentioned Kratos' son, Atreus,
and he's definitely one of the most drastic
additions in what he contributes themati-

od of War has already become the
best-selling exclusive in PlayStation 4
history, as well as an early contender
for the best game of 2018. We talked with the
head of Sony's Santa Monica Studio, Shannon
Studstill, to find out how the team turned a
dormant series that got its start in the PS2 era
into something that pushes the boundaries of
what modern gaming can accomplish.

cally and in terms of gameplay. But pretty
much everything in the game is a top-tobottom reinvention of God of War. In fact,
those who've been with Kratos from the
start will probably be the most surprised
when they first boot up the game. What do
you hope longtime fans of the series get out
of playing this new God of War?
SS: As a fanbase and team, all of us are growing older and maturing together. This pivot
that we experience in this new iteration of God
of War drops into the gameplay what parenting can sometimes feel like. As parents we can
occasionally feel threatened or unsure, or there
are those times when you are poised to take
advantage of a teaching moment. I think what
Cory and the team have done with this depiction is powerfully memorable and allows for an
opportunity to reflect on your own memories
or those you look forward to creating with
your own child.
We find the game offers a different perspective and one that is universal because,
regardless of whether or not you are a parent,
we were all at one point children ourselves.
Therefore the themes in the story resonate
with a broad audience and we expect fans far
and wide to relate to the aspect of the growth
we have all gone through or look forward to
going through as a child or parent.
WGC: In one memorable scene, Kratos,
Atreus and a third character we won't spoil
here discuss the fact that every god has
his or her own unique powers. If you were
a god, what would you want your special
abilities to be?
SS: I would appreciate having the power to
bestow creativity on anyone in such a way that
they were able to see it in themselves and utilize it for the greater good, either as a god or as
a mortal. Many people don't see themselves as
creative or they put themselves in a box, sometimes leaving the best parts of themselves
untapped. It would be great to have the ability
to inspire self-discovery or assist them in the
expansion of their creative composition.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GameCenter - May/June 2018