The latest God of War set itself apart from the rest of the series with a stark change in scenery. Where the previous entries had been set in Ancient Greece and its mythological realms, God of War journeyed north to the realms of Norse mythology for its latest outing. However, it seems that a Norse setting was not the developers’ first idea; at a recent event, Cory Barlog showcased concept art of a possible Egyptian setting.
God of War, everybody’s favourite angry dad simulator (“BOY!”), is very much a top contender for Game of the Year honours for 2018. It’s also a very different game than its predecessors as developers Santa Monica Studio broke down and rebuilt just about every facet of the long-running action franchise, from its iconic cinematic combat to its larger-than-life mythological storytelling.
The Nordic realms of fire, ice and shadow frequented by Odin, Thor, Baldur, frost giants and a whole selection of elves, actually ended up being a perfect fit for the reluctant Greek war god Kratos, but things could have gone in a very different direction: a very sandy direction: Egypt.
Way back in June 2016 in the early stages development, God of War game director Cory Barlog revealed to Eurogamer that it had been a toss-up between Midgard and the lands of the Nile, saying that “Egyptian mythology… half the team was way into that.” However, Barlog eventually weighed in to personally tip the scales towards Norse mythology and we ended up with the incredible game we now have.
Well, wonder no more as Barlog was onstage at Devcom, the developer-centric precursor to Gamescom, to give a talk about the development of the game and there revealed for the first time (via Gearnuke) concept art that shows what an Egyptian-based God of War could have looked like.
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Barlog explained that the early Egyptian prototype used the Kratos model from 2013’s God of War: Ascension, which means he probably still had the Blades of Chaos instead of the eventual Leviathan Axe. One aspect that was already in place though was his son Atreus, seen in the concept art firing a bow at a Sphinx-like creature, much like how he would assist Kratos in the final game.
While Atreus is an integral part of both the story and combat of the game, Barlog revealed that playtesters of that early prototype were not happy at all with the departure in gameplay mechanics.
According to Cory Barlog, God of War (2018) was originally set in Egypt.
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The Original Egyptian God of War Concept Art
Cory Barlog, the director of God of War, recently made an appearance at Devcom 2018; an event for game developers and other industry professionals. At the event, Barlog hosted a talk on the creative process behind game development. It was during this talk that he revealed the early concept art, which showed Kratos and Atreus in a setting clearly inspired by Ancient Egyptian mythology.
Pictures from the event were taken by GearNuke, showcasing some of the images revealed by Barlog. Early in the development of God of War, the lead developers found themselves torn between a Norse and an Egyptian setting. Apparently, Cory Barlog himself cast the tie-breaking vote in favour of Scandinavia. Of course, we have no idea how God of War would have fared with an Egyptian setting. However, the Norse setting has clearly worked extremely well.
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Egypt also remains a potential future setting; the contents of Tyr’s Vault in the latest game teased several possible settings, including both Egypt and Japan.
Cory Barlog also spoke of facing resistance from members of his team about design decisions which he made; including the addition of Atreus. According to the director, a number of play-testers working with the team complained about the portrayal of Kratos, mainly citing his differences to the Kratos of previous titles.
Barlog and his team may well have faced pushback. However, it’s hard to argue now that their decisions weren’t the right ones.
Ancient Egypt in God of War
Ancient Egypt, also known as the Land of the Pharaoh and the River Empire, is a region of the World where the Egyptian Gods live.
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The land of Egypt depicted on a tapestry in Týr's temple.Triptych depicting Týr's journeys.
While Egypt isn't shown, Egyptian treasures such as a scarab, a pschent, and a pharaoh's Crook and flail are shown in the vaults of Týr's Temple. This shows that Týr had travelled to Egypt so he could learn about its culture and perspectives, as revealed on a tapestry.
One of the Stolen Treasures in Midgard is an Ankh from Egypt. Týr's khopesh.
During one of his spars with Kratos in Valhalla, Týr wields two Khopesh, a type of sword originating from Egypt, and can use a type of magic that darkens the area. In the background of one of the maps of God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, pyramids can be glimpsed.
Kratos' Journey in Egypt (Hypothetical)
During his exile, Kratos travels to Egypt. During his travel, he would constantly try to get rid of the Blades of Chaos only for them to return to him, which drove Kratos insane.
When Egyptian villagers saw the Spartan, they immediately flee and hide, for fear of being killed. This shows that all of Egypt knows of who Kratos is, as they've read stories about him and have learned of his notorious as a God-slayer and a destroyer of worlds, due to having killed most of the Olympian Gods and destroying Greece.
Throughout his time in Egypt, Kratos would encounter a mysterious elderly scribe, and then both a talking ibis and baboon. These creatures are soon revealed to be the forms of Thoth, one of the Egyptian gods.
When a monstrous crocodile started terrorizing their lands, the villagers had no choice but to call on Kratos to have the beast killed. However, their constant begging drove the Spartan nuts, causing the Egyptians to run away in terror, much to Thoth's disappointment.
Eventually, Kratos engages the crocodile in combat. After he ferociously kills it, the entire Egyptian Village he came across is completely destroyed. Even though he killed the crocodile, the villagers soon noticed an even bigger threat; a giant hippopotamus.
When Kratos tried to engage the beast, it barely flinched and it sent the Spartan flying, causing him to crash into a giant rock and knocking him out unconscious. After a lot of struggle he managed to brutally kill it by slashing and slicing through its body, leaving behind mounds of flesh, bones, and blood.
After Kratos passed out from exhaustion, Thoth reappears to the Spartan in a dream, this time with his other forms. He congratulates Kratos for fulfilling his purpose and claims that there will be good fortune as the path continues to carry him away.
Barlog explained that the early Egyptian prototype used the Kratos model from 2013’s God of War: Ascension, which means he probably still had the Blades of Chaos instead of the eventual Leviathan Axe.
One aspect that was already in place though was his son Atreus, seen in the concept art firing a bow at a Sphinx-like creature, much like how he would assist Kratos in the final game.
I think, for me, as I looked at both of those, Egyptian mythology is about the pharaohs as embodiments of the gods on earth and there’s a lot more about civilisation - it’s less isolated, less barren. I think at this time, we really wanted to focus on Kratos. In hindsight, having played the game, I can totally get what Barlog is getting at as Kratos’ isolation and the reasons for it drive so much of the story in the game we got. He definitely also has a lot more in common with Viking gods, who are rough and tumble physical beings who prize glorious death in battle above all else. It would still have been cool to see him punch the nose right off a sphinx though.
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tags: #Egypt
