The new God of War releases this week, and early reviews have been positively glowing. The game did receive some early controversy, however, from a small segment of fans who weren't pleased with the new direction protagonist Kratos has taken. He isn't the cold, bloodthirsty brute he once was, and that's mostly due to his relationship with his son, Atreus. The dynamic between them is the heart of the new God of War, and a large part of why reviewers adore this installment. However, according to game director Cory Barlog, Atreus was almost cut from the game.

While sitting down with Gamespot, Barlog dished about a moment in God of War's development when it was suggested Atreus become less of a prominent character or even be removed entirely. While he admits it could have been done, he says it would have been a very different game, and one he wasn't keen on making. His strategy? To present an honest idea of what the game would be like without Atreus, which did the trick nicely.

"The early phase when they told me, 'Man, this might be too hard, too expensive, we're already looking at so many challenges, it's maybe too much.' When I went back and said, "Alright, fine, if it was not with Atreus, what would it be?' And, it would have been a very, very different game? The comparison I made was, 'Alright, it's gonna be All Is Lost with Robert Redford'; it's gonna be one character who talks to himself occasionally, but generally, it will be very silent and everyone will talk in old Norse, so that you won't understand anything anybody's saying."

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This passive threat was enough to change the minds of the higher-ups at Sony, who gave Barlog their blessing to continue with Atreus as a key character. This has turned out to be a very wise decision, as Atreus has become an indispensable partner on Kratos' journey, serving as the brains and heart of this endearing odd couple.

For a quick look at what that led Kratos to this point, and his son's role in it all, check out the Journey of Kratos trailer that was recently released. In it, Barlog talks a bit more about the internal struggles Kratos continues to deal with since his adventures in the original trilogy, and how Atreus helps bring out his humanity.

God of War is set to release on April 20, 2018, exclusively for PlayStation 4.

Source: GameSpot