One thing that really jumped out at me through this documentary is how personally invested the various heads of the team were in the story they were telling. Not in any forced or contrived way... it's like the project was so important to them that it naturally began to take on the shape of things that really mattered to the team, almost through osmosis or something like that.

It is clear from this video that many of the creative leads were in the process of contending with the issues of parenthood. It was a true struggle for them, and that became the ultimate heart and soul of the game. They were trying to balance the responsibility of providing for their families with the equally great responsibility of being with their families. They were experiencing feelings of doubt and failure, as well as pride and satisfaction.

It's also amazingly serendipitous to find an actor for Kratos who ended up having such a personal resonance with the character (the moment where he's talking about filming the scene where Kratos retrieves the blades... that gave me chills).

I'm reminded of some of the discussion we were having about The Last Jedi, with regards to how a film might "tackle" a certain topic or issue. For me, God of War is the perfect example of how to tackle an issue properly. It is an exploration and examination. It doesn't preach, it doesn't talk down, and it doesn't make overly-simplified assumptions. It follows the characters as they struggle to come to terms with themselves, their natures, and the various ways they might move forward in the world. They don't spout moral or philosophical arguments at each other that are completely detached from their actions. They embody their beliefs and feelings, through action. And then they face the repercussions of those actions. This is where true character development and growth happens. And it leads to complex understandings of the issues that they are struggling with, while also presenting the reality that this progression is never finished. This path of growth and development and improvement doesn't stop. I really admire that message. It's one of the big reasons the game hits me as hard as it does.