God of War Director Addresses Criticism of the Game’s Boss Fights
God of War has brought the series to new heights, both in terms of sales and review scores. However, that doesn’t mean the game is immune to criticism. Many gamers have criticized the game’s lack of unique boss fights; the game certainly features a lot of boss fights against variations on the same troll boss. In a recent interview, the game’s director explained why that was the case.
Earlier God of War titles featured plenty of unique boss fights against famed figures from ancient Greek mythology. While the latest release does feature a few named individuals from Norse mythology as bosses, most are not. This has likely been the biggest criticism that fans have had of God of War. Cory Barlog, the game’s Creative Director, addressed this during a recent interview with GamingBolt.
Cory Barlog’s Response
“… there are several bosses that I had to cut throughout the game simply because we got about 15 to 20 people on each boss, and those bosses go anywhere from a year to two each. Which I think is something a lot of people underestimate, ‘there’s not enough bosses in this game!’ You’re kind of being greedy, because while I’d love like 10 more bosses in there, this game would have taken like 20 years to make.”
While the lack of boss-fights may be frustrating to some, the latest God of War has evolved a great deal since the last entry in the series. However, Barlog has stated that he has plans for another five God of War games. If so, this game could well be the start of a new larger storyline. The secret ending cutscene featuring Thor certainly suggests that he will have a big role in the next entry.
“you want to do so much,” continued Barlog, “but you just have to end up choosing the things that will make the greatest impact. It is hard to know what to let go of, but you need to get to a point where you say, ‘You know what? This thing is not as important as the other thing, I will fight for this other thing, and let this thing go.’ That is the years of experience that will let you know what’s important to you and what you’re trying to make.”
Whether or not you think God of War needed more unique boss-fights, Barlog certainly delivered a major revitalization of the franchise. If the game proves to be just the first chapter in a new Norse saga, it seems likely that major figures like Thor and Odin will make their appearances eventually.