10 Ways God Of War PS4 Was Almost COMPLETELY Different

Yes that's right, Atreus was almost cut completely out of God of War. Therefore changing it entirely.

In the pre-production stage of the game, Sony and Santa Monica sat down to discuss the game and the idea of a full companion and a no-cut camera seemed both too difficult and too expensive to make. Barlog was asked to think about what the game would be like without Atreus, and he realised it would be soulless. He said it would have been one big game of Kratos, by himself, riding around in a boat, with no dialogue; "it's, like, you know, the most expensive art house game ever made."

Barlog then went back to the teams and basically said it was Atreus or bust. Without the kid, there is no story worth telling, and no game worth making. Obviously, the game was greenlit and the team was given the exact budget needed to make it work. God of War wouldn't be half the game it ended up being, if Atreus wasn't the lynchpin. Barlog chose his hill to die on, and it was well worth it.