God of War director Cory Barlog tried to do the one-shot trick in Tomb Raider and Crystal Dynamics passed on the idea.

The recent God of War games are a massive improvement from the original trilogy in every way possible. The storytelling, acting, combat mechanics, camera angle, and placement deserve to be credited to the director’s creative vision. Cory Barlog dreamed of making a video game without camera cuts or fading to black and he once pitched that idea to Crystal Dynamics and the latter rejected his idea. Fortunately, his ambitious dream fully manifested in his hit 2018 project later inspiring other developers.

The recent God of War games of the Norse Saga benefitted greatly from the one-shot camera trick. Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

Crystal Dynamics couldn’t handle Cory’s ambitious idea and their loss was Santa Monica Studio’s gain. The one-shot camera technique made the game look and feel more cinematic, and this method didn’t ruin or take away the immersion throughout the journey.

God of War Benefitted From the Director’s Ambitious Single-Shot Idea

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The Norse Saga was a massive step forward for the franchise and Santa Monica Studio wanted to prove there are more stories to tell with Kratos. Ragnarok may have freed the Nine Realms from the clutches of Odin and the Aesir rule, but some fans believe another game is not out of the cards after a few throwaway lines were delivered and a few more loose ends worth exploring.

The revamped combat mechanics and camera placement amplified the story Barlog wanted to tell in the first part. It was a simple tale of an estranged father traveling with his young son to fulfill a dead woman’s wish and the one-shot trick allowed players to take part in the journey without any transitions or fading to black unless they were killed in a combat encounter. It allowed for a much cinematic experience and Barlog pitched that idea to Crystal Dynamics nearly a decade ago for the Tomb Raider project but was rejected.

I wanted to do [the single shot camera technique] and I had pitched it to Crystal Dynamics when I was there working on Tomb Raider and everyone was like, ‘That’s crazy, we don’t want to do that!’” he told the website. “And, my reaction was like, ‘Yeah, y’know, I don’t know if this is the best place for me anyway.

Barlog realized his creativity was not appreciated and that the company was not the right place to share his vision. The director left Crystal Dynamics and found his way home to Sony Interactive Entertainment and Santa Monica Studio. Sony fully supported his idea despite the imminent hurdles and obstacles they would encounter and has given Barlog faith in the God of War project.

I guess, for me, there was just a lot more creative support and faith with Sony

Sony acknowledges the gaming community’s appreciation for the franchise and aims to give it the modern update it deserves. The original trilogy was renowned for its hack-and-slash whereas the Norse Saga carried over that aspect but reworked the combat mechanic to feel more intimate.

Like they’d say, you’ve got a crazy idea, we’re going to support you, regardless of how much of a leap off of a cliff it is.

Sony’s strongest asset is its level of trust in its first-party developers. The single-shot technique later inspired Game Science for the seamless transitions between combat and a pre-rendered cutscene in Black Myth: Wukong which offered a smooth experience without taking the focus away from what was already on the screen.

The gaming community loved the idea of never removing the focus on either Kratos or Atreus in the first game. However, the ambitious nature of the sequel encouraged the developers to make some creative transitions without fading to black, and it is a testament to the level of skill and versatility Santa Monica Studio has for making a cinematic game.

Cory Barlog Could Have Made History With Tomb Raider if the Developers Listened to His Wild Idea

The Tomb Raider franchise could have benefitted from the one-shot camera technique. Image Credit: Crystal Dynamics

Game development is no easy feat and the developers of Crystal Dynamics must have faltered immediately at making a full game without cuts. It was an unheard-of idea and the Tomb Raider team couldn’t overcome their fears to see a positive outcome.

Sometimes taking a risk pays off and Sony did with Cory Barlog and his wild idea. Most game developers aspire to have the level of care and skill the game developers of God of War have to deliver a unique and compelling story without ruining the pacing or immersion.

The Tomb Raider franchise has cinematic qualities and was adapted into a few live-action films. However, the idea of doing a continuous shot was too big and ambitious at the time for the studio to shoot it down immediately without reconsidering to entertain the idea.

Santa Monica Studio successfully revitalized an old franchise by supporting an ambitious idea. Perhaps other game developers will learn to gamble on a creative decision after learning the success of Cory Barlog.

What are your thoughts about the recent God of War games? Let us know in the comments section below!