God of War is easily one of the biggest franchises on the original PlayStation, with the 2018 soft reboot of this series playing a huge part in the continued dominance of this franchise in gaming culture. Watching a once-young and bloodthirsty Kratos transform into one of the most mature and well-developed characters in gaming history is quite a sight indeed, making 2018’s God of War a runaway success and one of the greatest video games of all time.
A big part of what made the God of War reboot — and the entire series, to be honest — a massive success was its bombastic and epic score that still rings in the ears of fans to this day. The themes of the music are clear for everyone to hear, and it’s no surprise that such an amazingly crafted score is bound to have some behind-the-scenes information that most people don’t know.
10 The Composer Of God Of War’s Soundtrack Has A Very Impressive Background
Bear McCreary was the composer for the soundtrack of God of War’s reboot. Those who don’t know this name should simply check out his pedigree in the music industry to understand why he was the right person for the job.
After all, his vast body of work includes his efforts on composing music for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the reimagination of Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, The Walking Dead, and even Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
9 The Discussion Surrounding The Score For A New God Of War Happened All The Way Back In 2014
The idea for a new God of War reboot had appeared a long time ago, if the events surrounding the composition of the game’s music are to be believed. All the way back in 2014, Bear McCreary was in discussion with Peter Scaturro and Keith Leary, the two music producers in Santa Monica.
Fast-forward four years, and people were treated to one of the greatest PlayStation exclusive titles of all time. God of War was a worthy entry in the series, with some people understandably declaring this game to be the greatest title in the God of War franchise.
8 The Discussion Was About A Secret Project, But McCreary Figured It Out
The meeting discussed above was meant to be for a secret project. However, the themes and motifs that were talked about in said meeting made it infinitely clear to McCreary that this meeting was for something truly special.
After discussing everything from Nordic instruments to Norse mythology, it was clear to McCreary that this discussion was for a new chapter in the God of War series. This prediction was right on the money.
7 McCreary Was Convinced Of The New God Of War’s Success After Speaking With Cory Balrog
After figuring out the purpose behind this meeting, McCreary decided to sit down with the director of the game, Cory Balrog. The conversation that followed was a fruitful one indeed.
After all, McCreary was well aware of the fact that Balrog had also directed the second game in the series — a title that most people considered to be one of the very best in the trilogy, and was McCreary’s personal favorite as well. This, coupled with the productive discussion he had with Balrog, pretty much convinced him that the God of War reboot would be a massive success.
6 McCreary Made A Conscious Choice To Not Reuse Any Of The Music From The Previous Games In The Series
After sitting down to work on the project, McCreary hit a small snag early on — he realized that none of the music used in the old God of War was emotionally dynamic enough to be carried forward into the sequel.
That being said, McCreary was still a huge fan of the soundtrack in these games. So, he decided to rework the musical themes present in these titles and modernized them to be used in 2018’s God of War.
5 Multiple Aspects Of Kratos’ Developed Character Are Conveyed Through The Main Theme
Given how Kratos’ character had developed since the original trilogy ended, McCreary decided that the theme of the main character needed to be overhauled significantly as well. He managed to accomplish the same successfully.
Kratos’ character was still strong and exuded an overpowering sense of masculinity — something that was communicated through the brass tones and deep male vocals of the main character’s theme. That being said, Kratos has also gained a ton of wisdom over the years and had become somewhat vulnerable as a father, which was conveyed through the melancholic tones scattered throughout his theme.
4 The Theme’s Iconic Notes Were Meant To Generate A Pavlovian Response In Gamers
There are three notes, in particular, that take center stage in Kratos’ theme. Any fan of God of War’s reboot would be quite familiar with these iconic notes — an effect that McCreary was trying to achieve on purpose.
These three notes were meant to generate a Pavlovian response in players that helped them realize whenever Kratos was going through a pivotal character moment. It’s the brilliance of this theme that helped make God of War’s emotional scenes strongly resonate with players.
3 Kratos’ Theme Appears On Most Tracks In God Of War
The musical tones and signatures present in Kratos’ Theme are quite distinctive. In fact, they are so notable that McCreary decided to include these notes in most tracks across God of War.
The end result was a soundtrack that felt fresh yet familiar whenever a new song appeared at the forefront. This is an extension of the Pavlovian response that McCreary wanted to elicit in players while playing through the game.
2 Memories Of Mother’s Composition Originated From An Early Prototype Of Kratos’ Theme
A rather iconic theme that was composed for God of War appeared at the very start of the game. Memories of Mother is a powerful track that plays for the first time when Kratos cremates his wife and then embarks on a journey to spread her ashes from the tallest peaks of Jotunheim.
This theme actually originated from a prototype of Kratos’ Theme that was discarded early on in development. McCreary found this prototype to be too mellow for Kratos’ character… but it fits in perfectly with Faye’s presence in the story.
1 Memories Of Mother Was The First Theme McCreary Worked On For The Reboot
Memories of Mother was actually the first theme that McCreary tried to compose for the game. However, after facing some challenges, he decided to discard said theme to focus on the other tracks in the game.
It was only after extensive work on Kratos’ Theme that McCreary finally went back to Memories of Mother. After taking the aforementioned prototype as an inspiration, he composed the legendary track we all know and love.
