One of the things that makes video games exciting is their unique opportunity for innovation in storytelling. Amazing stories can be told visually through film and television, but while games like Mario Kart are exciting and fun without a story, it can create something truly special when visual storytelling and gameplay combine. Story-driven video games give players the best of both worlds. The stakes become higher and more personal as the player is mentally, emotionally, and physically involved in the story, which can be seen in 2018's God of War.

Many in the industry view video games as the ultimate form of storytelling, and games like God of War have leaned into that idea. It tells a father-son story that's worthy of the silver screen, but the immersion created by its gameplay experience could never be replicated there. However, the gameplay isn't the only way that God of War sought to innovate storytelling in video games.

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God of War is One Unbroken Shot

Kratos in 2018's God of War

During production, director Cory Barlog was determined to tell the story of Kratos and Atreus in one continuous shot. When playing God of War, there are no loading screens and gameplay transitions seamlessly into cutscenes. It starts right away with the main menu showing Kratos about to cut down a tree, and it doesn't stop until the credits roll.

Movies and TV shows use unbroken shots often, but never usually to the extent that God of War does. Filmmakers have used similar techniques, but even the most ambitious single-shot films are only a few hours long. By comparison, God of War takes 20-to-22 hours on average and is a very different kind of media. Barlog wanted to use a single shot to tell a more intimate and character-driven story. Other games like Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 5 and Hellblade have used similar techniques, but also never to the extent Barlog was suggesting.

God of War's Approach was Risky and Technically Challenging

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Before God of War began development, there weren't any games using a true single-shot approach, and the whole team wasn't on board. Having to track one continuous shot extended production and required a lot more attention to how scenes transitioned. If it didn't pay off, a lot of time would have been wasted.

Editors commonly use cuts and transitions to hide mistakes, but that wasn't an option with the single-shot approach in God of War. It had to be as close to perfect as possible. The final product is amazingly polished, which goes to show how hard the developers worked on it. Santa Monica did use some "cheats" to accomplish tricky angles and fast-paced action sequences, but it's all still presented in one shot.

Barlog was insistent on the one-shot approach to God of War, and while it posed a huge challenge for the team it ultimately paid off. The director later said forty percent of the team came to him after the game was completed and agreed that, despite its challenges, the single-camera technique was the way to go. The team had to put a lot of blind faith in this vision, but the game's critical and financial success speaks volumes.

God of War's Single Shot Enhances Immersion

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Sometimes the best cinematography is that which the viewer doesn't notice. If the editing and camerawork stands out like a sore thumb, that may be a red flag indicating it wasn't executed well. This is not the case in God of War. While the entire game is made up of one unbroken shot, most players won't notice while they're playing. The effect is created without calling attention to what's happening, which allows God of War to be emotional and immersive.

The result of the one-camera approach is an intense and intimate storytelling experience. The entire game is shown from Kratos' point of view, and the camera never leaves him. Players see every moment and experience everything with Kratos in real-time, which works well because it feels like real life. Life is lived in a single shot, so to speak, as opposed to a bunch of cut-up sequences.

The 2018 God of War game sought to humanize Kratos and tell a fantastical, but grounded and emotional story. The focus of God of War is on the characters rather than the spectacle. While there is plenty of spectacle, the single-shot approach makes sure the story never strays from its goal. God of War: Ragnarok is taking a one-shot approach as well, so players can look forward to a similarly intimate, unrelenting finale to the Norse saga.

God of War is available now for PS4 and PS5, with a PC version set to release January 14, 2022.

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