When you’re releasing a sequel to a online game that didn’t simply clear up at annual award exhibits, however continues to be largely thought-about to be among the many greatest video games of all time, there’s not a lot room for error. So when God of War Ragnarök was introduced in September 2020, folks instantly started presuming it might at the least be a Game of the Year contender.
Finally, in November 2022, Ragnarök arrived in all of its axe-wielding glory.
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Aside from being a frontrunner for this month’s award exhibits (alongside this spring’s cultural phenomenon of Elden Ring), the action-packed title centered on the semi-reformed godslayer Kratos and his son, Atreus, did extra than simply mild up critics’ overview scores. The emotional depth and drama throughout the recreation’s narrative rivals that of essentially the most premium TV exhibits and largest blockbusters, catching players anticipating a violent brawler off-guard at instances (not that there’s any scarcity of unbelievable battles throughout the title itself).
To go together with that dramatic curler coaster of a story, Santa Monica Studio introduced in the one composer it may belief with scoring such an journey — the identical one who dealt with musical duties for its 2018 Game of the Year-winning predecessor. But Bear McCreary isn’t only one of the most important names amongst online game composers, he’s additionally received an Emmy and composed for exhibits like The Walking Dead and Battlestar Galactica, in addition to motion pictures starting from 10 Cloverfield Lane to Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Alternative Press spoke with McCreary to talk in regards to the newest PlayStation unique, his onscreen debut, and probably including a Grammy to his award cupboard.
[Santa Monica Studio/ Sony Interactive Entertainment]
Now that God of War Ragnarök is out and already an enormous hit with each followers and critics, is there a way of aid that it lived as much as expectations?
Seeing the important and fan response are available may be very validating, as a result of after I learn the script for this recreation greater than three years in the past, I actually felt that we had the potential to make one thing spectacular. I do not suppose anyone dared say out loud that we would prime the primary recreation — we have been simply hoping to proceed it and honor it, as a result of we had all accomplished nice work on it. But deep down inside, I actually needed to be an element of one thing that may really feel really like one of these nice two-parters, and a saga that felt full — not simply one other entry in a franchise, however one thing that is actually narratively important and emotionally important to thousands and thousands of folks. So, it does look like that occurred, and that feels actually good.
It looks like you bought to mess around musically a bit extra this time as properly, seeing as the sport hits rather a lot of totally different environments and feelings.
That was genuinely intimidating and nearly overwhelming. I used to be employed into the franchise in 2014, so God of War has been an element of my life nonstop for eight years now. At that time, we have been reinventing the franchise. There was no route to take care of any musical continuity with the older video games, as a result of this new recreation had a brand new tone. So I dove into it with reckless abandon, and I wrote themes that have been very emotional, very melodic, very lyrical and daring in comparison with what I believe followers have been anticipating. The second time round, although, I used to be underneath the shadow of my very own work — and the strain to write down music that may imply as a lot to followers because the rating that I had written for the 2018 recreation was actual.
The largest problem was writing the theme for Atreus, [one of the most important characters] God of War (2018). His arc was represented with two themes: one for Faye, his mom, and one for Kratos, his father. In all his scenes, it is like a musical tug of conflict going this manner and that method. Where is he going to land? How is he going to establish? Which of his dad and mom is he going to embrace? In the brand new recreation, he’s changing into his personal individual, so I needed to write a theme that may be as memorable and iconic as these two. That was just a little terrifying. You add on prime of that, the sport goes to all 9 realms [in Norse mythology], and I had a problem on my plate.
As somebody who’s been scoring TV, movie and video video games for 20 years now, how does a very cinematic and narrative-driven recreation like God of War Ragnarök examine to some of the opposite titles you’ve labored on?
My expertise is in narratives. That’s the place I used to be pulled into video video games, as a result of recreation builders needed me to deliver that have with me. I might need stunned folks initially with how a lot of a gamer I used to be and stay. In my first video video games — one of which was for Sony, known as SOCOM 4 U.S. Navy SEALs a couple of decade in the past — I might begin asking questions in regards to the music implementation. “Why do you hear the same piece of music every time a character dies?” “How come I hear a crossfade instead of hearing the music being performed in a different way?” “Why do I hear the music before I see a boss encounter?” On and on and on.
I noticed later that I used to be describing basic challenges to recreation design that had not been solved in many years, but the Sony group on SOCOM 4 — and once more in God of War (2018) — checked out my requests as challenges. They labored with me to rewrite their audio engine. The SOCOM 4 audio engine turned the Sony audio engine for years. Then we modified it once more for God of War, after which we modified it once more for God of War Ragnarök. I believe that is one of the explanations we labored so properly collectively. Sony is such a top-notch group on a technical stage, an implementation stage and on a inventive stage. I’m in a position to deliver this cinematic, melodic id to the rating, and on the similar time, I’ve rather a lot of ideas and concepts in regards to the adaptive layers and the gameplay mechanics. I’ve been taking part in video video games for my complete life, so I believe that makes me an fascinating crossover kind of composer. Even although I do not rating rather a lot of video games, I’ve performed rather a lot of video games, and I’ve put rather a lot of time into desirous about what makes an important gaming expertise.
[Santa Monica Studio/ Sony Interactive Entertainment]
Were there any moments in the course of the recreation’s growth the place you noticed or learn one thing and a lightbulb went off the place you knew precisely what you wanted for that scene?
If I may have my want, I might write 40 hours of music for a 40-hour recreation like God of War Ragnarök. It’s not that there’s a second the place I take into consideration a sure musical phrase, as a result of I take into consideration all of them. The actuality of scoring video games is taking a set quantity of hours and having the ability to implement it, adapt it, change it, and evolve it so that you just, the gamer, feels such as you’ve heard 40 hours of music. That’s the aim. But there have been sure moments that stood out immediately. The huge, dramatic character deaths and twists, heartbreaking revelations, the opening cinematic — there have been sure issues that I learn on the web page or the place I might see the [motion capture] and I might instantly begin buzzing a theme or a melody that I knew I’d need to hear there. Or, if there was a brand new character — like once we meet Thor or once we meet Odin — I might begin feeling what I would like the music to make you are feeling once you expertise that.
I labored actually intently with the group [at Santa Monica Studio] and would have spirited discussions about the place we put authentic music. … I’m at all times difficult them to let me write extra to assist inform that story. When you’ve got a dev group like Santa Monica Studio, they’re bringing their A recreation to the mission. Then you’ve got someone with my wealth of expertise, and the mix is de facto cool. They deliver out the very best in one another.
With how a lot pleasure and hype the sport had main as much as its launch, have been you nervous about how folks may really feel about it in any respect?
I actually wasn’t nervous in regards to the music half in any respect, however I used to be nervous about my appearing chops.
That’s proper. You’re additionally within the recreation for the primary time.
Yes, and the concept that thousands and thousands of players have been going to listen to me ship dialogue and see my visible efficiency as this character, Ræb, a dwarf in Svartalfheim, was terrifying. I had strains! I did mocap! I had scenes with Kratos! I’m interacting with Atreus and Mimir! I used to be fairly nervous, however I trusted Eric Williams, the director, and Matt Sophos, the author and one of the narrative leads. I knew that they have been going to let me are available and do these strains, but when I did not do job, they would not put it within the recreation. As the sport got here out and the clips began exhibiting up on YouTube, folks have been tagging me. That was fairly pleasant — realizing how many individuals are having the digital expertise of strolling right into a tavern, seeing me taking part in my hurdy-gurdy, and speaking to me. That’s a surreal expertise.
In addition to every little thing else happening, you are nominated for a Grammy this 12 months on your work on Call of Duty: Vanguard, and it is the primary time video video games have been included in their very own class as Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games And Other Interactive Media.. You’ve already obtained an Emmy underneath your belt, however what’s that wish to be on this first group of Grammy nominees now?
Call of Duty: Vanguard was an unbelievable expertise, and I like working with the group at Sledgehammer Games. That theme is a catchy one, and I’m actually honored to be nominated. I really feel like [composer] Austin Wintory [who is nominated for Aliens: Fireteam Elite] deserves it as a result of he is the primary composer to ever be nominated for a Grammy for online game music [for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media back in 2013 for Journey]. It could be becoming if he is the primary one to win it. But it is really simply an unbelievable honor to be in that first group of folks nominated in a brand new class.
And you might be again subsequent 12 months for God of War Ragnarök, together with the observe you probably did with Hozier, “Blood Upon the Snow.”
The music I did with Hozier performs on the precise finish of the sport, and I extremely counsel you watch the cinematic that precedes it. It was an unbelievable likelihood to collaborate with a world-class songwriter and singer, and Hozier was so keen about diving into the lore of God of War. The good solution to finish my expertise scoring God of War Ragnarök was to create this actually emotional, heartfelt music, and it is shocking to me as a result of I believe God of War is full of surprises as a franchise. We expertise newer and newer depths of emotional influence with each recreation. I wasn’t anticipating to have the ability to write a music like “Blood Upon the Snow” for God of War Ragnarök, so I’m sure that followers weren’t anticipating to listen to Hozier’s lovely, wealthy Irish tenor are available over a hurdy-gurdy drone on the finish of the expertise.
There are so many fantastic items of music that I obtained to create for this recreation. My expertise was unforgettable. I hope players on the market expertise one-tenth of the joys that I had after they play it.
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