God of War Ragnarok’s director talks about the importance of continuity despite Cory Barlog not being in the same position for the sequel.
God of War Ragnarok’s Director Eric Williams states that he would be happy if his work on the new game was considered the same as Cory Barlog’s 2018 God of War. A lot of gamers enjoyed the reboot of the God of War franchise back in 2018, with many players attributing a lot of its success to Director Cory Barlog. The news that Barlog was being replaced for God of War Ragnarok so he could work on another, unannounced title caused some nervousness in the gaming community, but it seems that these fears were largely unfounded.
Firstly, it was pointed out that the God of War series has a history of changing directors. Also, from the trailers shown so far for God of War Ragnarok, it doesn’t seem like there have been many major departures from the atmosphere and tone of the 2018 game. Moreover, while he may not be in the director’s chair this time around, Cory Barlog has stepped into the role of producer for God of War Ragnarok.
Eric Williams spoke about taking over Barlog’s role in a recent interview with 9News Melbourne’s Mark Santomartino. It seems he also wanted to calm any fans still worried about the departure of the former director, as, in a clip posted by Twitter user Dream_Walker, Williams claims he doesn’t want God of War Ragnarok to be considered his game while there’s a “Cory’s God of War” existing elsewhere. Instead, the director spoke about the importance of making the games feel simply like the Norse Saga.
Eric Williams, director of God of War Ragnarok, is so humble!
— Dream Walker (@Dream_WaIker) October 28, 2022
On succeeding @corybarlog, GOTY expectations pressure:
🔹Didn’t want it to be Cory’s vs Eric’s God of War, but GOW Norse Saga
🔹Keep the story continuous. Even If it meant he’s invisible, so be it#PS5 #PlayStation pic.twitter.com/rEIBnm3AWH
“You want it to be continuous,” Williams said, speaking of the pressures to ensure his work would meet fan expectations, “almost like the way a book would be written.” Williams even stated that he was happy to remain “invisible,” meaning that so long as players enjoyed the game, he was okay with remaining in the background. Even if fans thought “Cory was secretly” behind the wheel of Ragnarok, Williams didn’t appear to mind. This shows an immense amount of dedication to God of War Ragnarok’s story and ensures that the final chapter in Kratos’ Norse Saga does not feel like a departure from his 2018 adventure.
As well as talking about taking over from Barlog, Williams also discussed the impact COVID-19 had on the development of God of War Ragnarok. According to Williams, the concept for the game was completed in late 2018, giving the team the direction it needed to push through the difficulties created by the pandemic. While the release date for the sequel is fast-approaching, for a time, plenty of gamers believed that God of War Ragnarok would be delayed. However, through this interview with Williams, it seems clear that despite difficulties, the team had a clear vision for the upcoming game.
God of War Ragnarok releases on November 9 for PS4 and PS5.
