“Any time we approach boss fights from the narrative side, we’re reticent to write huge checks that other departments have to cash. In this case, it was Design Team that came up with the idea of using the Stone Mason as part of the fight: Sophos emphasized that when it comes to creating these huge set-piece gameplay moments, they aren’t typically scripted by the Narrative Team from the beginning. The integration of the colossal frozen body in the fight as both a mechanic and a platform across three phases was exactly the type of wild idea that made it worthy of being in the final fight of the story.Ĭoncept art exploring the look of Freya’s magic possessing Thamur. The Stone Mason’s presence is meant to evoke a sense of wonder or curiosity in the player, and maybe even a ‘what if’ moment imagining the fight between Thamur and Thor as Mimir describes the very encounter that killed the Giant in one of his stories.Ĭoncept art of Thamur scale reference – Artist: Jose Cabrera. Visual exploration of Thamur – Artists: Dela Longfish & Yefim Kligerman.ĭuring certain parts of the game, this figure has been visible to the player in Midgard – extremely large and perhaps intimidating in his size, but ultimately harmless. She turns towards more drastic measures by possessing the corpse of Thamur, the Stone Mason. The fight between Baldur, Kratos, and Atreus shows no signs of stopping despite Freya’s use of Vanir magic to separate them. This puts him and Kratos in direct conflict once again, sparking the final showdown between the two. Script page from cinematic leading into the final confrontation with Baldur.ĭespite Kratos demonstrating his growth by trying to resolve the situation without fighting, Baldur is unrelenting in his pursuit of Freya’s life. There was going to be a cost to this fight, and the one they chose was one that turned Freya from an ally to an enemy.” The second goal was to put Kratos and Atreus on a collision course with no cut-and-dried ‘good’ outcome. We wanted to show they were working together seamlessly, protecting each other, and fighting as a unit. First, we wanted to convey from both a story and gameplay perspective just how far Kratos and Atreus had come in their relationship. Matt Sophos, Narrative Director at Santa Monica Studio, spoke on what the team wanted to achieve: When it came to laying the groundwork, the first step was writing the story. The pressure to make this sequence feel epic and earned after teasing it from the start of the game was high. From extensive cinematics with dramatic confrontations between the characters to a massive boss fight that spanned multiple phases and locations – this climactic finish to the plot’s main conflict was one of the most important moments in the game we had to get right to make sure our players reached Jötunheim with a sense of well-earned satisfaction. Start to finish, this sequence is one of the most ambitious in the game and combined the efforts of our entire team to pull it off. “We knew that the players would expect a big epic finale, so our goal was always to try and push what we had done on the initial Baldur fight and up the stakes in every way.”
Bruno Velazquez, Animation Director at Santa Monica Studio, emphasized the goal of the sequence: The conflict comes to a head when Baldur turns his rage towards his mother Freya, as well as Kratos and Atreus, forcing them into the fight of their lives against one of the All-Father’s strongest followers. He is the final boss of the main story, the culmination of the Aesir plot and last test the players must overcome before finally scattering Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in all the realms.Ĭoncept art of Baldur – Artist: Jose Cabrera. While Kratos and Atreus don’t want to engage with him, Baldur is on a mission that puts them on a collision course across the realms. He comes calling with an agenda that immediately puts him at odds with Kratos, where his combat ability and persistence immediately mark him as the most dangerous threat dogging our heroes’ heels throughout their journey.īaldur confronts Kratos at his home in Midgard. The Stranger, later revealed to be Baldur, is the first character you meet after being introduced to Kratos and Atreus.
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