by How was Kratos created?
During the early game on PlayStation in 1994, games were made with a point at children and parents with cute cartoon characters to engage players. However, when PlayStation 2 released in 2000, with the stronger hardware and a loyal player base, SIE Santa Monica Studio (a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment) have an idea to making games for kids is no longer appropriate and they need a cooler and more mature character.
Inspiring by Greek mythology. Kratos is the son of Zeus, specifically according to the prophecy that one day the supreme god will be destroyed by his own son like Zeus did his father, Titan Cronos. Kratos is described as having a younger brother named Deimos who was captured by the god of war Aries as a child, this is also the event that made Kratos want to become a powerful Sparta warrior and then Aries made Kratos kill his wife and daughter, the white skin color on Kratos is due to ashes from the body of the wife and daughter clinging to his body, describing Kratos’s guilt will always cling on Ghost of Sparta. Later, when he has known that he got deceived by Aries and the gods of Olympus. Kratos swears to destroy all the gods at any cost.
The Creation
Under the direction of David Jaffe, after a year and a half. The “God of War – Kratos” was created. When creating this character, he emphasized his aggressive nature, extremely brutal from deep inside, and has a stronger instinct than the reason that players will immediately feel the energy when looking at him radiate from this character. At the beginning of development, the character’s name is Dominus and design by Charlie Wen. Because Dominus have no plot or the past, the design is only around ideas such as brutality, anger, violence, and anti-society.
The original concept from the artist Charlie Wen for the character revolves around images such as warriors, prisoner, and a blind monk who accompany with a dog. However, David Jaffe did not find personality he wants in the design. When comparison with Derek Vinyard in the American History X movie, gradually, the solution was to remove almost all equipment such as armor, shields, and helmets on the Dominus. And that really did take effect as gradually David Jaffe found the ferocity he desiring. However, the idea of forming today’s character Kratos with the blades Blade of Chaos was suddenly an idea. When the artist Charlie Wen having lunch at a fast-food store and the idea for Kratos suddenly appeared. At last, the last design of Kratos painted on tissue
When looking at Dominus’s drawing on a black and white background, David Jaffe so impressing with that tone and decide to keep the character’s white skin and write the plot for it. As for the tattoo, it was originally blue, but after internal game testing, the developers decide that it was too much of a Barbarian character in Diablo, so it returns to red. One interesting thing about the artist Charlie Wen is that he also designed the character Drax in the Guardians of The Galaxy film. The character has red tattoos the same as Kratos.
At the end of the character development, the production team also decided to change the name Dominus to Kratos (in Greek it means power), but coincidentally there is real Greek mythology, Kratos is a real god and both of these characters possess a brutal and bloodthirsty nature along with the fate of pawns in the hands of the God on Olympus.
For the action development in-game. David Jaffe had recruited a director from the Lord of the Ring series to direct the game. However, for an action movie director with a lot of experience but for game action development, that is a lot difficult. The animation action does not really show real Kratos’s personality, because the animation style in the game is basically very different from the movie. Then later, Cory Barlog takes replace for the director position.
With previous experience animation action in fighting games. He did it so well that he was assigned to direct 2 next games on PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. But after 8 months of development of God Of War 3. Cory left Santa Monica to work for Lucasarts and participate in the development of Crystal Dynamic’s Tomb Raider. But, when the new God of War game (also known as God of War 4) on PlayStation 4 start. He returned to be the director of development, which led to major changes in this game.
The new Kratos
At the end of God Of War 3. Cory Barlog says that using the old formula to build the Kratos for the new game was no longer appropriate. And with a new platform on PlayStation 4 was much stronger. That’s why Santa Monica Studio creates new Kratos with more depth in personality and life after the events of the previous games.
Entering the production stage in the new game. God of War 4 story focuses on Norse mythology and Kratos life after previous games. The life of the old warrior will be a new story with when Kratos has been a father. Through a Star Wars story that Cory Barlog read about Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) before becoming a Sith. The story about a woman who harms and destroys his humanity. Cory sympathizes and sees similarities for Kratos when in use by Athena to destroy the Gods of Olympus. But in the God of War 4 storyline, Cory gave Ghost of Sparta a chance to have true life.
The implementation of the motion capture process requires an actor with a good body and voice for the best quality. Which made the production team have to find a new actor to replace TC Carson. By the time they entered production. They got Christopher Judge’s agreement after he gets convinced by the excellent plot of the game. He also cried during the filming in a segment. When Kratos come back to get Blade of Chaos. Even though he decided to give up previously past.
He also added that playing Kratos made him see himself. Because he had spent too much time at work and did not care about four of his children. An interesting thing about Christopher. He used to say, that only one obsolete actor would play the role of a former character in a game. However, as a result, he did a great job in God of War 4. The game was also very successful commercially and in other positions. Evidence that the game won the Game Of The Year award 2018.
