Sony Has Released A Behind The Scenes Video Showcasing The Combat Motion Capture Used In GOD OF WAR

God of War is just around the corner and the hype around this game just isn't stopping. Today, Sony has released a behind the scenes that focuses on the combat style for Kratos and the motion capture process. For that, the animators for the game contacted martial artist and YouTuber Eric Jacobus, who became famous after his video titled "Real Life Tekken - LAW's Jeet Kune Do" went viral. In the video he is shown replicating Tekken characters Forest and Marshall Law's entire movelists.

According to Jacobus, the animators for God of War found him on YouTube after seeing the video that went viral and called him up directly. Jacobus is the one that did the combat motion capture for Kratos in the new God of War and in this behind the scenes he shows you how to fight like Kratos. Check it out.



Jacobus describes Kratos' fighting style as "one that's very direct, straightforward, and never stopping. We would never retreat in the game. He's the God of War. You'd never retreat as the God of War. You're always going to move forward." He also mentions that every move that he did had to have that full range in mind.

When reminiscing about his audition process, he thought it would be best to do what he does best and record a Kratos movelist in his garage instead of going to Los Angeles and auditioning in front of a committee. "I made a little movelist for Kratos where I do empty-handed combinations and I did the axe moves, Superman punches, Sparta kicks." Jacobus says he did a little bit of everything from drop kicking to using a training dummy he would beat up with the axe. 

"I put everything I had into it, you know, and I sent it over to them. Next thing I knew" Jacobus says, "they called me in to do a day of shooting."

"Motion capture plays an important role because it allows the animators so much more movement to work with. When you capture the right movement, you don't have to pull the camera back into god's eye view anymore. You can bring the camera in."

Regarding his experience doing the combat motion capture for the game, Eric Jacobus humbly says that "this is one of the coolest jobs a stuntman could ever ask for." 

"Coming in and playing the God of War himself and just doing axe moves. It's exhausting, sure. But a stuntman's body is made for that stuff. We really thrive when we're able to do full-body moves like this. I would say that this is a stuntman's dream."

Eric Jacobus has his own YouTube channel that you should totally check out if you're either a fan of martial arts, fighting games or simply enjoy great YouTube content. I would particularly recommend his Groundhog Day Battle videos and anything that has him replicating movelists of your favourite fighting game characters until the game releases and you get to see what he has done for Kratos in God of War.

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.