Here’s something that you may not know about the new God of War game for the PlayStation 4: it’s all shot from the perspective of a single camera, without any cuts or transitions. What does this mean? Well, it’s highly unusual for a third-person action game – it means that the release will never cut away from Kratos to show you something that’s happening in another part of the world. Basically, you’ll be following the bald headed anti-hero from start-to-finish.
This, as you may imagine, has proved a huge challenge for the developer: “It's hard to not [to transition], I'm realising that now, but it's a challenge that I really wanted to take on,” director Cory Barlog told Eurogamer.net. “I'd been looking for a project that I could do this on and I felt like this was the one. There was big resistance, but I have probably one of the best teams in the business, so as much as they were pushing back, I think they all kind of wanted this crazy challenge.”
So what kind of benefits does this bring to the new game? Well, for a franchise that’s historically been all about scale, Barlog believes keeping the camera in one place actually accentuates those moments of enormity: “We're finding so many amazing things we can do with this,” he continued. “The sense of scale, even when you go against something that would be considered medium-size in previous games, it feels fantastic.”
To be honest, this is blowing our mind a little bit, but it makes sense for the kind of game Sony Santa Monica is trying to build. The developer wants you to feel close to Kratos and his son, so that old format of pulling the camera back just won’t work anymore. When you think of the design language used in past God of War games, though – which have historically relied on panning across scenes to show you how to progress – it’s easy to understand how this would open up a new set of challenges for the studio.
Challenges which it appears to be embracing…
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 28
"I was like... it's not a game script... it's a.... script."
As much as I know I'm going to pick this game up, I can't help but be cynical at the Last of Us chasing they're doing here.
@Cassetticons The Last of Us isn't all framed from a single take?
This sounds insane.
Its an interesting directorial approach and can see how that could cause issues with directing the player to peripheral events although some audio clues could be used so the player turns to these. You can still have a 'single' camera perspective though with no 'cut-away's' and still zoom in/out - as long as the camera is not fixed to a certain height/view or to always include the character.
Cutaways usually cut to a camera that shows 'something' happening ahead for example then either cut back to the player or 'fly' back to the position of the character settling in a 'over the shoulder' view. They could keep the single camera and 'fly' to the Point of Interest before flying back to keep the 'single take/single camera' feeling but would require a 'mobile' rather than fixed camera view. Most conversation is usually done with 'two' cameras - cutting back and forth between the two as each speaks. Its a bit easier to use a single camera with conversation though.
Wait, are you sure? Not even a different angle?
I guess we should prepare to see a lot of Kratos' back then.
While I'm sure this isn't the first game to this, I guess it's the first of this scale, so this sounds amazing.
can't stop kratos .God of war and grand theft auto is the best franchise ever
Only slightly related, there's a niche film called 'Victoria', which is all shot in one take from a single camera. I loved it, clearly demonstrates how this can enhance storytelling and experiencing events like you are part of it. Obviously a game like this will be much bigger/longer, but that makes me even more intrigued. I had no interest in this game but I am not so sure now
@Octane There'll be different angles, but all the same camera. They talk in the interview about how they may sometimes point the camera in a different direction, but it'll always be the same way that's behind Kratos' back.
I had a think about it and asked for clarification on Twitter and I'm 90% sure Dead Space did this. The first one.
@get2sammyb Forgive if I don't understand what exactly is meant here, but in the reveal trailer from last year (I assume that's an in-game cutscene), there are several camera angles, and they change between them.
When they say ''never cut to a different camera'', I'm thinking of everything being viewed from a single POV that moves around. Always. As if you were controlling the camera at all times, even though the game sometimes takes control over the camera.
@Octane It's all framed from one camera. There are transitions like this:
But notice how it doesn't cut — it follows the arrow to back behind Kratos. The entire game will be like this without any cuts or pans, as though it's been shot in one take.
I just read this interview on glixel, there's some good info in there.
http://www.glixel.com/interviews/it-has-to-be-personal-says-god-of-war-creative-director-cory-barlog-w488948
Pretty sure there was a cut in the new demo at the beginning, it's nothing major but in the boat out cuts from atreus back to kratos as he's throwing the Axe.
Still too much shaky-cam... blah
The single camera mode is pretty cool. Especially with giant bosses. I've always felt it was less impressive when Kratos was the size of an ant.
Props to Santa Monica for doing this. Sometimes camera cuts allow the devs and animators some breathing room, allowing small things in the animations to go unnoticed.
@viciousarcanum I'm pretty sure that's just the way the trailer was edited.
Sounds interesting, but it's not like this is going to suck. If it gets a meta score of less than 8.5 I'll be shocked.
It's Norse Logan. What could go wrong?
@get2sammyb I watched the trailers again, and it's indeed shot from a single camera. I didn't even notice that last year!
Sounds like an interesting way to tell this story. Shows they are trying to push in different directions.
I see what they're trying to do here, but I don't feel like anyone really cares. Gameplay is going to sell it. So far, I'm sold, but this has nothing to do with it.
It'll be just like that cool scene in True Detective season one, or Hard Boiled, except more beardy.
The first Tom Yum Goong movie with Tony Jaa has an epic fight scene of about ten to fifteen minutes that is all one take. If the game is like that, I will probably hold my breath so much that I'll die of asphyxiation. Death by epicness!
@Hero_of_Hyrule you =/= anyone
The one-shot rule still allows for control to shift from Kratos to his son by simply shifting the cameras 'POV' to a position behind the kid - thankfully.
Wow, that is cool. That's really cool. I'm thinking about trying God of War with this one now that the orgies are gone. Watching Vikings also makes me excited for this as I'm more interested in the norse side of this too.
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