Composer For The New GOD OF WAR Tells Us About The Process That Goes Into Creating The Music For The Game

Only 5 days left until God of War is finally released and today Sony have released a new Behind-the-Scenes video focusing, this time, on the process behind composing the music for the game. Composer for God of War, Bear McCreary shares some of his experiences when doing the music and capturing the essence of the characters as the game is being reinvented.

"My method into any project is really through the characters. So this game, perhaps more than any other in the franchise, has really well-developed characters. I mean, it's really a well-written story and that was my starting point."

McCreary comments on capturing the spirit of the character[Kratos], without even knowing where the game would go based on how right it felt. "Does this piece of music capture the spirit of Kratos?", McCreary said as he mentions that he wanted the music to represent age, wisdom,power and masculinity. "So I wrote this tune. It was like a slow march. I didn't know where to start it."

When composing the theme he mentions that he thought he could do something with those three notes at the beginning but was hesitant. "I just kinda stuck them in the beginning almost as an afterthought", so he then sends them to Sony and Cory Barlog(Creative Director for the game) and says that they loved them, especially the beginning. They were very impressed by those three particular notes and McCreary remembers being like "what three-- oh, that thing?".

"It is just the first three notes of the tune, just kind of on a loop. So it ust feels very stern the way that, like, a stern father would say to his son over and over, and over again the same thing. I think there's an element to that in Kratos' theme."

McCreary mentions how those three notes were essential for Kratos' theme and how it was handled in the game so whenever you would hear those three notes playing, it would mean that it was his moment to shine.

"If he[Kratos] walks into a scene, or he takes the upper hand, if he does anything[Mcreary hums the three notes]...Kratos is here. He's taking command, you know."

He remembers when Kratos was revealed at E3 and the music plays and you just associate that with him. "It's such a simple little thing, but it's a great trick."

"As the game develops, I really start to mess with it. This theme that could be masculine and stern, and powerful, and big and brassy, could also be vulnerable and emotional. And hearing those notes triggers your memories of all the other times you heard it."

McCreary also hopes that this theme guides players, along with the other three or four themes that he finds himself using as much, if not more, making that playing the game turned into an experience. He then goes into how he used his music in a way that reflects character growth as it evolves with the characters.

"A couple of our characters...we really learn some exciting things about them, to say the least. And their themes start off one way and evolve into a totally different thing. So that's why thematic writing for me is really useful. And I think, more than in other game I've scored, I got to really lean into threading all these different themes throughout cinematics and through gameplay. And it was really a special experience."

His vengeance against the Gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse Gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive…And teach his son to do the same. This startling reimagining of God of War deconstructs the core elements that defined the series—satisfying combat; breathtaking scale; and a powerful narrative—and fuses them anew.