GamesBeat: The name suggests a new beginning. Theres no number at the end.
Barlog: The decision not to put a 4 at the end was deliberate. The seven games we did in the Greek eramarking the eras of God of War and the mythologies were exploring, Kratos moving to the Norse era is a kind of B.C. to A.D. changeover. It almost resets the clock. Both Kratos and the team are kind of refreshing and re-imagining, cleaning the slate. Kratos is our through line, our constant through all of it, but otherwise were starting from scratch. A number would take away from that. It would seem like just another sequel.
GamesBeat: What stage of the game are we seeing here? What would we know at this time?
Barlog: Its the beginning of the game. The events that transpire here are very specific to the demo. What actually happens on that hunt is very different. It sets up the call to action and the remainder of the story. But we wanted to tell a complete story in this demo, to have a beginning and a middle and an end, so you could see the development of the kid. By the end, Kratoss influence has changed him.
GamesBeat: Do we know, then, what happened to his mother?
Barlog: We will. Thats a big part of the story. But we dont know yet.