The video game industry has grown increasingly more cinematic over the last few decades. While video games have always taken inspiration from cinema when it comes to storytelling and presentation, that became truly prevalent in the mid-2000s and beyond, with seemingly every AAA game trying to look, sound, and feel like a summer blockbuster. Franchises like Uncharted, Gears of War and Red Dead Redemption all leaned heavily into their respective movie genres, and that was no different for Santa Monica's God of War.
The God of War franchise has always been incredibly cinematic in nature. From vast sweeping backdrops and larger-than-life boss battles to a rich mythological story, God of War often feels as though it could be directly translated to the silver screen as is, and that feeling has only grown with time. God of War 2018 revitalized the franchise for the modern age, an age in which video games and movies are closer than ever, and in doing so it added a plethora of new features that made the series more cinematic than ever before. But there's one cinematic technique that the next God of War shouldn't feel the need to keep.
The Next God of War Doesn't Need to Be a One-Shot
God of War 2018 brought a lot to the table. A more grounded, emotionally mature story, complex character dynamics, satisfying combat mechanics, and bombastic set pieces were all neatly packaged into God of War 2018, and it somehow managed to elevate the franchise even higher than it was before. But of all of God of War 2018's cinematic features, it was the game's cinematography that garnered the most buzz after its release.
God of War 2018, and its sequel Ragnarok, employed a one-shot camera technique. This essentially means that the camera never cuts once during the entirety of the game. For many fans, this one-shot camera technique might not be all that noticeable, but it does bring with it a number of benefits that may not have otherwise been there in such force. For instance, the one-shot camera angle helps to make God of War 2018 feel like one gigantic, but cohesive journey across the Nine Realms.
This also means that whenever a camera cut does happen, it's extremely impactful. For instance, when the camera finally cuts at the end of God of War 2018, it feels like players have reached the end of a long journey, as though they can finally rest, just like Kratos and Atreus themselves. But while God of War's one-shot camera technique does add some unique cinematic qualities to the series, it isn't all that necessary.
Back in April 2018, Polygon interviewed God of War director Cory Barlog about the game's one-shot camera technique. Barlog revealed that although the one-shot had been a passion project for him for a while, it wasn't easy, requiring a slew of technical tricks and a lot of extra effort to pull off. And while the one-shot does make the player feel closely connected with Kratos in a way that previous games in the series hadn't quite achieved before, many fans are now fully invested, and the next God of War might not need to go to such lengths to establish that connection in the first place.
As much as the one-shot camera technique can enhance the emotions of God of War, it can also potentially hinder its storytelling capabilities. When using the one-shot, Santa Monica Studio needed to be pretty careful about the set pieces it chose, and how they would be framed by the camera. This also bleeds into the story itself. If the camera can't cut away, then it's much harder to show the progression of time. This type of technique can easily be quite restrictive for developers, and the next God of War shouldn't feel the need to stick with it.
God of War is available on PC, PS4, and PS5.