Speaking at Devcom, a game’s developer conference that runs alongside Gamescom in Germany, Cory Barlog, the Creative Director behind God of War, revealed the game was almost set in Egypt and based on Ancient Egyptian mythology before the final call was made to base the game off Norse mythology instead.
Barlog revealed some early concept art for the potential Egyptian setting, pictured below, that gives us a unique glimpse into an alternate reality where Kratos was fighting Ra instead of Thor. Kratos and Atreus however, are still pictured, proving the father-son relationship that remained in the final game was central to the game since the very beginning.
As reported by Gearnuke, planning for the game began immediately following the release of God of War: Ascension and the development team was split as to which mythology to follow.
Barlog also spoke of the poor reaction the game experienced in its early prototyping stages. Playtesters reportedly had difficulty understanding the new direction they were taking Kratos, and Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios, apparently was dismayed by the first build of the game, which did not include the Leviathan Axe at the time.
Fortunately, the team at Sony Santa Monica stayed true to their vision and we now have the game, which many are already short-listing as a potential game of the year.
