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God of War Interview
Getting under the skin of this brutal new game.
After recovering from E3 and a vacation filled with late nights and more rounds of drinks than we could ever count we had lots of questions. How did our furniture get rearranged so drastically? Did someone really eat those last few marachino cherries in the back of the fridge? What the hell is up with God of War?
The other questions are lost to the ages, but we turned to Game Director David Jaffe for some answers. Since he's down in Santa Monica we had to resort to email, but it's a good thing because he was willing to write down everything we wanted to know and then some. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jaffe.
IGN: What is the approach you are taking with the combat system? What kind of freedom are you working towards implementing for the players?
David Jaffe: The goal of our combat is to make the player feel brutal, letting their inner beast free and just going nuts.
BUT, there is depth under this brutal surface. Along with our vicious animations and kill moves, GOD OF WAR's combat system provides players with an unparalleled degree of freedom. We want players to discover their own style when it comes to taking out the bad guys. To this end, we've designed two systems:
There's a MACRO system, which gives players the choice between straight up combat, using magic attacks, and/or calling upon mini games to kill the enemy. Depending on the player's preference, skill, and the situation at hand, players can use any of these three tactics to dispatch the AI. Taking out the bad guys in different ways results in different orbs being tossed out from the dead bodies. So - for example - if you are hurting for health you can risk your life and take out the Minotaur using the mini game.
If you win (by jabbing your blades into him via an old school TRACK AND FIELD button mash mechanic), you'll get a huge amount of health. But if you are trying to power up your Medusa head and need power up orbs, then taking AI's out by stringing together combos is the way to go. So the MACRO system works on a moment to moment basis (i.e. how do you want to destroy these AI to progress) and a longer term basis as well (i.e. better stick with mini games if I want to get enough health to make it out of this area alive).
The MICRO system is the antitheses of DIAL IN COMBOS. It's all about discovering your own custom combos and favorite attack sequences. The vast majority of the combat moves can be strung together with each other. The magic attacks can be tied into the combat moves, as well. For example, you can launch an AI into the air, juggle him a bit. THEN - while the AI is in air - you can pull out a Medusa head, freeze the AI in the air, and watch it's statue fall to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. There're all kinds of scenarios like this in GOD OF WAR.
With all this said, it's a FEELING we want to give players. The depth is there and there are rewards for it. BUT, with the exception of a few characters, the combat is designed to support a one on many approach (a la DEVIL MAY CRY or ONIMUSHA). We did not want to create a one on one fighting system as we felt it hurt the pace for this kind of game.
IGN: How are you implementing the puzzles? Will there be a series of puzzles like in Prince of Persia with self -contained rooms or will there be a much larger puzzle with many different rooms affecting each other?
David Jaffe: We have self contained puzzles (1 -3 'rooms' big) and we have global puzzles that spread out over 4 -5 areas of the game. These big puzzles reveal themselves early but can't be solved until much later in the game.
One of the great things about the GOD OF WAR puzzles is that each one is unique. Unlike PRINCE OF PERSIA (great game, by the way!) where each puzzle was pretty much a slight variation on a puzzle you had already done, each puzzle in GOD OF WAR is its own beast. Some of the puzzles are designed to fit within the story, some of the puzzles are designed to shine a light on Kratos' personality. But they are all designed to feel fresh and fun and unique when you happen upon them.
While we are using standard puzzle vocabulary (like pressure plates and levers), we are using them in ways few other games have. Every puzzle is unique like this. I really didn't want to repeat puzzles, so they are taking a long time to design and implement. BUT I think these will go a long way in making the game feel more like an adventure and less like a game (i.e. do the same thing over and over with just slight variations).
IGN: Will there be any other weapons available in the game besides the swinging swords and the Medusa heads?
David Jaffe: The swinging swords - called the BLADES OF CHAOS - are the primary weapons in the game. However, the player will have 5 other magic attacks that he can find and use. Two of these are the ZEUS THUNDERBOLT and the MEDUSA HEAD. We have not revealed the other three as of yet. The magic and the blades can be powered up at any time, giving them more power and additional functionality.
IGN: In our own experience with the game at E3, we had some difficulty with the camera system. How are you working towards making this a smoother system?
David Jaffe: E3 was great for us in that we got to see the specific areas where players were having a problem with the camera. Since the game is cinematic in presentation (i.e. Devil May Cry), each camera for each room/area of the game is unique. Because of this, camera solutions tend to be on a case by case basis. So we are doing extensive focus tests, and using data compiled from E3, to find and fix the problem areas.
I have every confidence we will get the problem areas worked out over the next year. That said, if you hate cinematic camera systems, nothing we can do will help you like the GOD OF WAR cameras. Simple as that. If you were one of those who did not like DEVIL MAY CRY or ONIMUSHA's cameras, then nothing we can do will convert you. If you dug that system (like I did) and appreciated the fast paced action you could get because you were not futzing with camera controls, then GOD OF WAR will not disappoint.
IGN: Speaking of E3, has the feedback from people playing the game changed your approach to the game? Is there anything that you are trying to address now more than before?
David Jaffe: Not really. Besides a few minor things here and there (like fixing those problem camera areas), we continue to move ahead with the same vision we had going into E3. I mean, we got amazing feedback from both players and press at the show. It was -hands down - the best E3 showing I've ever had. We were so happy to see that - after the show - we ended up on a huge number of BEST OF E3 lists (including IGN's own GAMESPY). Truth be told, we felt a bit snubbed by IGN. But we figure we'll just have to work harder to win you guys over!
IGN: How will the character be able to develop during the course of the game?
David Jaffe: Gameplay wise, the player will be able to decide which aspects of the combat system to power up (the BLADES OF CHAOS power up five times, the other magic attacks power up three times each). Depending on where the player spends his resources (in the form of orbs from dead enemies), the player will develop in specific ways. If player digs the straight up combat, he can power up his blades to give him new moves. If he likes the Medusa head, he can power that up to get the ability to freeze more than one enemy at once, or FLASH FREEZE an enemy (which will take an AI out in an instant, allowing players to freeze the AI in the air).
Most players - we feel - will end up finding a balance between powering up the straight up combat moves and powering up the magic moves they like the most. We don't pretend to be an RPG by any means, but we did want a slight level of customization in the game so player's felt ownership over their character.
IGN: Are you giving yourself freedom to modify the Greek mythology or are you strictly adhering to the texts? If so, how?
David Jaffe: Lots of freedom. God of War really is the greatest hits of Greek Mythology. We've taken the coolest aspects of the subject and written a story around those elements. Fun and coolness are our barometer; not historical accuracy. Sure, Greek myth aficionados may object, but I feel most game players will appreciate our decision. I mean, GOD OF WAR feels like a Greek myth, just not any Greek myth you've ever read before. Foe example, far as I know, Medusa never interacted with the Minotaur in the real myths. But in GOD OF WAR, they interact all the time because it makes for better gameplay.
A few years back - when I was planning out the game - I took the fantastic book called MYTHOLOGY (by Edith Hamilton) to Japan. While riding the trains through the country, I went thru the book with a marker and anything that seemed like a cool player mechanic or story mechanic, I marked. By the end of the trip, my book was just filled with little check -marks or boxes saying things like 'SO COOL!' and "WE MUST USE THIS!!!".
In GOD OF WAR, we've used like 1/5 of my notes and check -marks. So I hope we get to keep exploring this world in future games because there's so many more cool things that we haven't even touched upon!
IGN: What are you working on to provide replayability for this title?
David Jaffe: There is lots of genuine replayability in the game. And - for the record -I don't feel different difficulty levels equals replay value. I wanted to make sure players got a lot of bang for their buck. I wanted this game to just be overflowing with content, stuffed to the brim with content! The kind of game where - when you bring it home - you really feel like you've got something substantial. To that end, we have two main sources of replay. One is a collection based replay system and one of a combat based replay system. Both of these are not only fun to do and add much play time to the game, but the rewards for doing such are - to me - genuine rewards (not silly stuff like unlocking BIG HEAD MODE).
The rewards really reveal more about the history of the game world and the characters as well as providing lots of neat insight regarding the creation of GOD OF WAR. That's all I can say about it right now. Just know that replay is a BIG deal for me. I know we live in a day and age where lots of people rent games, beat them, and take them back. Well, GOD OF WAR is a game you are going to want to OWN. Mainly, because it's just a great game. But also because you will feel there's enough content to merit your hard earned forty bucks! Pick up GOD OF WAR! We'll take good care of you!
IGN: With all of the sick elements in the game with the killing, the torturing, the head ripping, and the sacrificing, have you ever sat back and thought, "damn, I'm a sick bastard"?
David Jaffe: Not at all. Look, there are so many goals with this game (fun combat; cool puzzles; integrated story, etc). But the VERY FIRST GOAL we ever had for GOD OF WAR was to create a game that lets the player just go nuts. I wanted this to be a game about being a bad ass warrior. At the start of the project, we cut together a video style guide of some of the most brutal fights ever caught on tape. And the animators and designers watched this tape and we were all like 'damn, this stuff is just vicious!' And I was like, 'See? That reaction you are having right now watching this tape?!? THAT'S how I want players to feel when they play our game! I want players to feel like a bad ass!"
And I think we've done a good job of giving players that exact feeling!
God of War Interview
Getting under the skin of this brutal new game.
After recovering from E3 and a vacation filled with late nights and more rounds of drinks than we could ever count we had lots of questions. How did our furniture get rearranged so drastically? Did someone really eat those last few marachino cherries in the back of the fridge? What the hell is up with God of War?
The other questions are lost to the ages, but we turned to Game Director David Jaffe for some answers. Since he's down in Santa Monica we had to resort to email, but it's a good thing because he was willing to write down everything we wanted to know and then some. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jaffe.
IGN: What is the approach you are taking with the combat system? What kind of freedom are you working towards implementing for the players?
David Jaffe: The goal of our combat is to make the player feel brutal, letting their inner beast free and just going nuts.
BUT, there is depth under this brutal surface. Along with our vicious animations and kill moves, GOD OF WAR's combat system provides players with an unparalleled degree of freedom. We want players to discover their own style when it comes to taking out the bad guys. To this end, we've designed two systems:
There's a MACRO system, which gives players the choice between straight up combat, using magic attacks, and/or calling upon mini games to kill the enemy. Depending on the player's preference, skill, and the situation at hand, players can use any of these three tactics to dispatch the AI. Taking out the bad guys in different ways results in different orbs being tossed out from the dead bodies. So - for example - if you are hurting for health you can risk your life and take out the Minotaur using the mini game.
If you win (by jabbing your blades into him via an old school TRACK AND FIELD button mash mechanic), you'll get a huge amount of health. But if you are trying to power up your Medusa head and need power up orbs, then taking AI's out by stringing together combos is the way to go. So the MACRO system works on a moment to moment basis (i.e. how do you want to destroy these AI to progress) and a longer term basis as well (i.e. better stick with mini games if I want to get enough health to make it out of this area alive).
The MICRO system is the antitheses of DIAL IN COMBOS. It's all about discovering your own custom combos and favorite attack sequences. The vast majority of the combat moves can be strung together with each other. The magic attacks can be tied into the combat moves, as well. For example, you can launch an AI into the air, juggle him a bit. THEN - while the AI is in air - you can pull out a Medusa head, freeze the AI in the air, and watch it's statue fall to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. There're all kinds of scenarios like this in GOD OF WAR.
With all this said, it's a FEELING we want to give players. The depth is there and there are rewards for it. BUT, with the exception of a few characters, the combat is designed to support a one on many approach (a la DEVIL MAY CRY or ONIMUSHA). We did not want to create a one on one fighting system as we felt it hurt the pace for this kind of game.
IGN: How are you implementing the puzzles? Will there be a series of puzzles like in Prince of Persia with self -contained rooms or will there be a much larger puzzle with many different rooms affecting each other?
David Jaffe: We have self contained puzzles (1 -3 'rooms' big) and we have global puzzles that spread out over 4 -5 areas of the game. These big puzzles reveal themselves early but can't be solved until much later in the game.
One of the great things about the GOD OF WAR puzzles is that each one is unique. Unlike PRINCE OF PERSIA (great game, by the way!) where each puzzle was pretty much a slight variation on a puzzle you had already done, each puzzle in GOD OF WAR is its own beast. Some of the puzzles are designed to fit within the story, some of the puzzles are designed to shine a light on Kratos' personality. But they are all designed to feel fresh and fun and unique when you happen upon them.
While we are using standard puzzle vocabulary (like pressure plates and levers), we are using them in ways few other games have. Every puzzle is unique like this. I really didn't want to repeat puzzles, so they are taking a long time to design and implement. BUT I think these will go a long way in making the game feel more like an adventure and less like a game (i.e. do the same thing over and over with just slight variations).
IGN: Will there be any other weapons available in the game besides the swinging swords and the Medusa heads?
David Jaffe: The swinging swords - called the BLADES OF CHAOS - are the primary weapons in the game. However, the player will have 5 other magic attacks that he can find and use. Two of these are the ZEUS THUNDERBOLT and the MEDUSA HEAD. We have not revealed the other three as of yet. The magic and the blades can be powered up at any time, giving them more power and additional functionality.
IGN: In our own experience with the game at E3, we had some difficulty with the camera system. How are you working towards making this a smoother system?
David Jaffe: E3 was great for us in that we got to see the specific areas where players were having a problem with the camera. Since the game is cinematic in presentation (i.e. Devil May Cry), each camera for each room/area of the game is unique. Because of this, camera solutions tend to be on a case by case basis. So we are doing extensive focus tests, and using data compiled from E3, to find and fix the problem areas.
I have every confidence we will get the problem areas worked out over the next year. That said, if you hate cinematic camera systems, nothing we can do will help you like the GOD OF WAR cameras. Simple as that. If you were one of those who did not like DEVIL MAY CRY or ONIMUSHA's cameras, then nothing we can do will convert you. If you dug that system (like I did) and appreciated the fast paced action you could get because you were not futzing with camera controls, then GOD OF WAR will not disappoint.
IGN: Speaking of E3, has the feedback from people playing the game changed your approach to the game? Is there anything that you are trying to address now more than before?
David Jaffe: Not really. Besides a few minor things here and there (like fixing those problem camera areas), we continue to move ahead with the same vision we had going into E3. I mean, we got amazing feedback from both players and press at the show. It was -hands down - the best E3 showing I've ever had. We were so happy to see that - after the show - we ended up on a huge number of BEST OF E3 lists (including IGN's own GAMESPY). Truth be told, we felt a bit snubbed by IGN. But we figure we'll just have to work harder to win you guys over!
IGN: How will the character be able to develop during the course of the game?
David Jaffe: Gameplay wise, the player will be able to decide which aspects of the combat system to power up (the BLADES OF CHAOS power up five times, the other magic attacks power up three times each). Depending on where the player spends his resources (in the form of orbs from dead enemies), the player will develop in specific ways. If player digs the straight up combat, he can power up his blades to give him new moves. If he likes the Medusa head, he can power that up to get the ability to freeze more than one enemy at once, or FLASH FREEZE an enemy (which will take an AI out in an instant, allowing players to freeze the AI in the air).
Most players - we feel - will end up finding a balance between powering up the straight up combat moves and powering up the magic moves they like the most. We don't pretend to be an RPG by any means, but we did want a slight level of customization in the game so player's felt ownership over their character.
IGN: Are you giving yourself freedom to modify the Greek mythology or are you strictly adhering to the texts? If so, how?
David Jaffe: Lots of freedom. God of War really is the greatest hits of Greek Mythology. We've taken the coolest aspects of the subject and written a story around those elements. Fun and coolness are our barometer; not historical accuracy. Sure, Greek myth aficionados may object, but I feel most game players will appreciate our decision. I mean, GOD OF WAR feels like a Greek myth, just not any Greek myth you've ever read before. Foe example, far as I know, Medusa never interacted with the Minotaur in the real myths. But in GOD OF WAR, they interact all the time because it makes for better gameplay.
A few years back - when I was planning out the game - I took the fantastic book called MYTHOLOGY (by Edith Hamilton) to Japan. While riding the trains through the country, I went thru the book with a marker and anything that seemed like a cool player mechanic or story mechanic, I marked. By the end of the trip, my book was just filled with little check -marks or boxes saying things like 'SO COOL!' and "WE MUST USE THIS!!!".
In GOD OF WAR, we've used like 1/5 of my notes and check -marks. So I hope we get to keep exploring this world in future games because there's so many more cool things that we haven't even touched upon!
IGN: What are you working on to provide replayability for this title?
David Jaffe: There is lots of genuine replayability in the game. And - for the record -I don't feel different difficulty levels equals replay value. I wanted to make sure players got a lot of bang for their buck. I wanted this game to just be overflowing with content, stuffed to the brim with content! The kind of game where - when you bring it home - you really feel like you've got something substantial. To that end, we have two main sources of replay. One is a collection based replay system and one of a combat based replay system. Both of these are not only fun to do and add much play time to the game, but the rewards for doing such are - to me - genuine rewards (not silly stuff like unlocking BIG HEAD MODE).
The rewards really reveal more about the history of the game world and the characters as well as providing lots of neat insight regarding the creation of GOD OF WAR. That's all I can say about it right now. Just know that replay is a BIG deal for me. I know we live in a day and age where lots of people rent games, beat them, and take them back. Well, GOD OF WAR is a game you are going to want to OWN. Mainly, because it's just a great game. But also because you will feel there's enough content to merit your hard earned forty bucks! Pick up GOD OF WAR! We'll take good care of you!
IGN: With all of the sick elements in the game with the killing, the torturing, the head ripping, and the sacrificing, have you ever sat back and thought, "damn, I'm a sick bastard"?
David Jaffe: Not at all. Look, there are so many goals with this game (fun combat; cool puzzles; integrated story, etc). But the VERY FIRST GOAL we ever had for GOD OF WAR was to create a game that lets the player just go nuts. I wanted this to be a game about being a bad ass warrior. At the start of the project, we cut together a video style guide of some of the most brutal fights ever caught on tape. And the animators and designers watched this tape and we were all like 'damn, this stuff is just vicious!' And I was like, 'See? That reaction you are having right now watching this tape?!? THAT'S how I want players to feel when they play our game! I want players to feel like a bad ass!"
And I think we've done a good job of giving players that exact feeling!