Shaping God of War (2018)’s climactic boss encounter with Baldur

blog.playstation.com:

It has been five incredible years since God of War (2018) came out and more since our team at Santa Monica Studio was deep in development on the game. Since then, we’ve released the game’s NG+ mode, next-gen updates, a PC port, and a sequel you might have heard of called God of War Ragnarök. None of this would have been possible without the enduring and enthusiastic support you’ve shown us over the years.

To mark the five-year anniversary of God of War (2018), our team wanted to celebrate the occasion with you by taking a deep dive behind the scenes into the creation of the climactic boss fight against Baldur.

Big-time spoilers for God of War (2018) ahead!

The Stranger, later revealed to be Baldur, is the first character you meet after being introduced to Kratos and Atreus. He comes calling with an agenda that immediately puts him at odds with Kratos, where his combat ability and persistence immediately mark him as the most dangerous threat dogging our heroes’ heels throughout their journey.  

Baldur confronts Kratos at his home in Midgard.

While Kratos and Atreus don’t want to engage with him, Baldur forces them to fight for their lives on several occasions throughout the realms. He is the final boss of the main story, the culmination of the Aesir plot and last test the players must overcome before finally scattering Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in all the realms.

Concept art of Baldur – Artist: Jose Cabrera.

The conflict comes to a head when Baldur turns his rage towards his mother Freya, as well as Kratos and Atreus, forcing them into the fight of their lives against one of the All-Father’s strongest followers. Bruno Velazquez, Animation Director at Santa Monica Studio, emphasized the goal of the sequence:

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