Forging God of War's Leviathan Axe
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มิ.ย. 2018
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Kratos has used the same type of weapon for the last six God of War games. Now he’s using something completely different: the versatile, tactical, satisfying, and enjoyable new Leviathan Axe. In this video I look at what makes this weapon interesting, and how Sony Santa Monica came to design it.
Sources
Recalling the Leviathan Axe | Combat Recall
combatrecall.blogspot.com/201...
God of War Developer Diary - Kratos' New Weapon: The Leviathan Axe | GameSpot Trailers
• God of War Developer D...
God of War’s Cory Barlog | The AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook
interactive.libsyn.com/cory-ba...
Find out more
This is why Kratos’ ax feels so powerful in God of War | Polygon
www.polygon.com/videos/2018/5...
Games shown in this episode (in order of appearance)
God of War III (Santa Monica Studio, 2010)
God of War (Santa Monica Studio, 2005)
God of War II (Santa Monica Studio, 2007)
God of War: Chains of Olympus (Ready at Dawn, 2008)
God of War: Ghost of Sparta (Ready at Dawn, 2010)
God of War: Ascension (Santa Monica Studio, 2013)
God of War (Santa Monica Studio, 2018)
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog, 2016)
Nioh (Team Ninja, 2017)
Thumper (Drool, 2016)
Gears of War 4 (The Coalition, 2016)
Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo, 2014)
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics, 2015)
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo, 2017)
Cuphead (Studio MDHR, 2017)
Music used in this episode
Black Heat, Ross Budgen ( • ♩♫ Intense and Upbeat ... )
Spacesuits, Kupla (Chillhop Essentials)
Your Favorite Place, Joey Pecoraro (Chillhop Essentials)
Sunrise, Arbour (Chillhop Essentials)
Prayer, Pslam-Trees (Chillhop Essentials)
Black Heat, Ross Budgen
k. Part 2 - 01 untitled 1, animeistrash
Chillhop Essentials, Winter 2017 - chillhop.lnk.to/winter2017ID
Other credits
Thor © Marvel Studios
Contribute translated subtitles - amara.org/v/C3BEb/ - เกม
Its oddly satisfying hearing the design of a weapon in a game being broken down. Can you do more "Forging" videos, Mark?
The axe has a lot of different uses so it spans nicely across a 10 minute video. I am sure the devs out there are working on lots of mechanics Mark will like in the future.
It would take hours to go through the evolution of monster hunter weapons, but a simple one could be Hyper Light Drifter's sword AND dash.
Shovel Knights shovel blade would also be worth looking into.
Do not do the gravity gun. People always go to that and I think it's boring as hell. Half Life 2 and the subsequent episodes, rely so heavily on its use in every aspect of the game it is just such a crutch.
Or you can focus on weapon sets. Neros dbringer, bRose and rQueen. Or if its just a weapon, fears shot gun, the lancer, the hidden blade, the gravity gun, the portal gun, the leash in bulletstorm, vanquish armour, bayonettas dodge offset and her hair, dooms shotgun, sekiro sword, noctis Kings blades, glue gun prey, oKamis brush, raidens sword, lighsabres plasma cutter dead space, wow there's so many options
I really like focused videos like this one. It's cool to see just how much thought goes into such a design, and how weird to think of a time where the calling the axe back like Thor *wasn't* an obvious thing to do.
That's why I love the Boss Key format, it makes for more precise and focused subjects, but can still be wide enough to concern other games
Indeed yes!
The original Alien vs Predator on PC let you recall the Predator's disk. It would cost energy if it was stuck in something, but could be recalled for free if mid-air. This let you deal with ranged enemies while fighting others in melee.
I love these sorts of videos too. I think there's a good mix on the channel.
Same, this video is really inspiring to me for make games (albeit I am still stuck at the skillfloor hurdle; is still too hard though with programming and such). I never see in-depth of how dev teams craft pieces of their game too frequently and I think it is one of the most enlightening parts of game design videos. I really liked here how the teams seamlessly play off of eachother's new concepts as the game moves forward. It's much different than the classic perspectives of: "make half of the whole game and scrap it twice until you are content",, "design the whole damn thing from scratch flawlessly because humans can do that" and: "release doodoo because our vision was different than what was possible" :C . I love this success story of exploring their game and adapting it for it's own betterment on the go, without wasting too much time.
The editing from 0:41to 1:07 is just superb, the "Leviathan Axe" intro, Mark's voice timed with Kratos' hits, GMTK logo right when the tree is finally chopped off, just wow
I mean, the whole video is an editing beauty, but that was like the highlight for me
it is really superb, never noticed until you pointed out!
It feels like the words are hitting me like kratos hits that tree
I would play the hell out of a God of War in which Kratos’ son was a sentient axe named Choppy
He'd still be able to fire arrows though
Was it here were I found your channel? Wow
I hate god of 4
It was a game about killing shit, kratos choped a guys head of because it gliwed and he needed a flashlight bit now he has a son and has to teach heam humility and peace...
He turned into the main caracter of a hairy dad game
Saaaame
Anytime you can have a weapon be both long range and close range, you're cooking with fire. Also convinced Mark could sell tons of "Choppy" shirts.
10/10 would buy lol
it works very well in Kid Icarus: Uprising
Agreed. You need someway to balance players just sitting back and using ranged the whole time as part of the path of least resistance.
Haha. Dad of War, except your are the father...... of an axe. What a twist.
There was a Mario costume leak where the Halloween version is an axe in Mario's head as his hat. Choppy is already a thing, lol.
@op, that perspective about being able to do both long and short range is really vague but moreso improper to use in any general sense. There is nothing wrong with the player having a tool to solve a wide array of problems, that should never be a problem in game design. The only time it is, is when the developer really wants there to be a ton of different weapons, and hopefully, they've thought of why and how multiple different weapons effects the game. Not to mention, having one weapon way better than all of the rest is a potential feature such as with an ammo system(albiet I disprove most ammo systems as they often leave the player dark on when they will get more ammo).
I think a lot of games, new and old, get very confused about the topic of player choice, and the player is often left with something boring or confusing due the misconception.
Choppy for Smash
Choppy for President
ChaosMiles07
Choppy for Dictator
Bwahahaha that's perfect. :D
Daniel Bellers
Patreon backers get 24 hr early access.
Choppy for galactic emperor
Can we take a moment to appreciate Mark's _superb_ thumbnails?
Mmmm, who needs a face reveal? What we really need is 10 minutes and one second long coverage of Mark's nails (plus 1-2 minutes of preamble/patron scrolling credits)
Oh wait, these videos aren't monetized... Yeah, never mind, 10 minute videos are the ideal length.
Mark's graphic design in general needs to be given props. The lad has some clean design.
The axe also functions as sort of a reflexion of Kratos' personality, just like the Blades of Chaos. Just as the previous games reflected Kratos' unhinged murderous tendencies with the Blades being a whirlwind of chains and fire, the Leviathan reflects his current demeanor as one of discipline and 'focus'.
And it shows how cool he is, hehe... yea
I particularly like the touch that the very first time we see him wielding the axe is in the opening cinematic, where he's using it as a tool, not as a weapon. I think that says a lot about how far Kratos has come since the last time we saw him.
Daniel Heflick - Old comment, but an excellent one. Never thought of it that way.
Yeah, which is exactly why it is a huge deal when spoilers happens later on in the game.
People who have played knwo what I'm talking about, it proves the devs had this weapon = Kratos' mind state in mind while working on the game.
Also remember that his son is beside him he can't go swinging the chaos blades willy nilly
I don't know... Choppy sounds _pretty_ ridiculous. Honestly, I think it'd feel better if you could throw and recall Atreus; it'd be like when a parent tosses a kid up then catches them, and both share a laugh afterward. It'd be just like that, but with more evisceration.
Precarious Plays Today on Father and Son MLG, Atreus gets chucked in the air, does three flips and headshots a guy
Let's play "get help" but I don't like get help... perfect since it's the same character to be thrown, ish
What is this bullshit?
@Edwin Cheesecake nice konosuba reference
Lmao I'm just imagining Kratos beating the everlasting shit out of an enemy using his Atrues's head.
I remember my brother was so worried he wouldn't like the GOW game because Kratos had a new weapon. Considering he's since platinumed the game, I'd say the developers did a fine job making the Leviathan Axe fun to use.
@@amanpreetgill7564 *spoilers*
lol yea this video needs a follow up for the blades
@@FlezzDurjis nah
Until halfway through the video, I thought this was one of those videos where a bunch of blacksmith dudes try to build video game props.
John Dou Those Guys are awesome. Lol. But I hope you watch more of this guy’s videos as well!
no I actually have been subscribed to mark for quite some time, I just didn't see the "game maker's toolkit" part. so I was like: hey nice, more video game blacksmithing
That choppy part got me
Same, I broke down laughing after hearing it. "Obviously."
"Match a tight timing window with a good sound effect and you've won my heart forever."
As a rhythm gamer, I felt that
6:43 Or his name would be: Axetreus.
I'll be here all week.
Thanks
I had the same thought
The true genius of the axe was it’s ties to the story and lore. It made the departure from the blades of chaos that much more meaningful when Kratos confronts his past by embracing the very blade that cursed his existence. That was such an amazing moment of character development that it became my favorite moment in all of gaming. Considering I have 25 years of gaming history, the GoW team deserves immense praise for imparting so many different emotions in one scene flawlessly. GoW4 was easily my GotG and I can’t wait for the next installments.
6:25 *I love that Axe, Boy*
The first time I called the axe back was one of the coolest surprises I’ve had in gaming. Glad I didn’t have it spoiled
5:08 something really satisfying happend in this moment and I can't describe it
Edit: and 8:58 i love these Transitions
I'm no filmmaker, but I believe it's called a *match cut*. Check out the Easy scene in Baby Driver (should be on youtube) for something similar.
"If this was a Nintendo game, then the Axe would be Kratos' son."
*Bionic Commando 'nam flashbacks*
It's truly interesting to me that they didn't IMMEDIATELY catch on the idea of "have the axe be returning like Thor's hammer". That feels so entirely natural and diagetic to the world, the fact that it WASN'T thought of immediate fascinates me.
I'm also surprised there's no mention of the excellent mocap input that came from the guy doing the mocap, Eric Jacobus. Famous for breaking down Tekken characters and reanimating them in real life, Sony actually asked Eric to build a movelist for Kratos the only way he knows how- by demoing it on a heavy bag. This also results in the strange way Kratos holds his axe as compared to how someone with super strength would weild such an axe, as Shadiversity pointed out. Eric Jacobus chose to use a hatchet for the mocap!
DoomRater yeah me too
Eric did a good job!
From a visual design perspective, I see "Blades of Chaos" being iconic because how unreal they look (see the strands of lights/flame they leave as they swing). "Axe" looks very mundane in comparison.
For the mechanical versatility, the axe is certainly better.
From what I seen Kratos somehow gets the Blades of Chaos back in the new God of War.
I like the axe better. It's almost graceful in its simplicity
@@The_Jovian I'd give it to the blades. Aside from long range, they outdo the axe in every category. You have powerful moves to focus on 1 target, area of effect moves, crowd control moves and more
@@FraserSouris that one attack with R1 after changing stances where the axe flies around kratos puts the blades to shame, imo.
@@_JustMonika
Not really.
Firstly, changing stances requires an awkward stopping motion which is not intuitive or fast.
Secondly, the move itself doesn't do as much DPS.
Thirdly, Blades have better moves naturally
8:37 i love this moment. it looks like either recklesly chops his axe into enemys nearly hitting his son without caring about it OR they are a perfect team and he trusts in his skill and lightning fast reaction
6:42 Choppy is now a thing in Mario Odyssey with the new Zombie Headwear making Cappy a literal axe for Mario to toss around.
God of Wario
Man, the Leviathan Axe is a really cool addition to Boy Simulator.
6:44 “...would be a taking axe named choppy... obviously”
-Mark brown, 2018
Snapping the axe back is just so damn satisfying. It's one of those perfect marriages of animation and control that a dev completely nailed.
I always loved that intro scene with Kratos cutting down the tree. Theres a lot of emotion in there but at the same time its introducing you to the axe as weapon in the game and setting up expectations subtlely
I agree. It was totally fun to use.
So interesting, man... I've always been so enamored with how game developers make certain weapons just feel so meaty and life-like as opposed to weak and non-consequential! Def a topic ima have to steal for myself hahaha
How deep the rabbit hole goes on this topic....
Obv go play Nuclear Throne
This was such a good video. it touched on a very cool topic; delved into the right nuances on it; and man, the editing was on point. also liked the way you referenced your previous videos, nicely done!
I get the axe works well for puzzles and I did enjoy the throwing mechanic, but in combat, the axe felt outclassed by just using fists. The stun bar went up so quickly with fists on everything that I never thought I needed the axe unless there was a long range enemy. Thus it seemed more like a puzzle tool then an actual weapon and didn't stick in my mind as it did for everyone else.
I feel this is a case of optimizing the fun out of a game. Try more melee combat with it next you play GOW, I'd love to hear what you think!
I love this focus on a single mechanic, please make more!
Eh, It's cool and all but sometimes it can be limiting and can be a real "when all you have is a hammer" type situation
The first time i called the axe back to me was the best feeling i had felt in a long time. That force you felt when it hits your hand was amazing.
Just wanted to say that my first video of yours I ever watched was the downwell dual purpose video and I felt obliged to comment that I LOVE when you do videos on more individual topics! Please more of that in the future if possible, keep up the awesome work
I love this video! I especially like how you can call back to previous episodes, where you go more in-depth. You are one of my favorite content creators, so keep up the good work!
0:46 Lemme get off topic for a minute and praise the narration and editing prowess of this moment.
Love how you guys made this video look like an official documentary. I just started watching, so there may be better parts than the one I just time stamped, but I'm just pausing it for a moment just to say how this video already blew me THE F*CK away not even a minute in. Well done~!
I'll go straight back to watching now :D
when you talk about the sound of the axe please give us a moment to hear it.
nice video as always! :)
This video and your analysis of the Metroid remakes have been my favorites of your videos. I feel like they are really good at being concise, and fully exploring a topic, letting me leave with a satisfying feeling of learning something
Amazing editing and pacing!
Loved this video, the quality on this channel is always through the roof 😍
That was some great editing during the first minute.
Really loved the axe-speech synchronisation
Each time I think I have seen your best videos I keep coming across another. I absolutely love your work.
This editing is awesome great work mark.
Your production value on this bad boy is amazing! I always love your videos, and you're as astute as ever, but I really just wanted to pop in and let you know how much your craftmanship has improved!
I really like all of your episodes on Game Maker's Toolkit, but this episode was made really well, i hope you keep up the good work!
Great video as always, and I really enjoyed the in-depth style of video. I loved all the different sections you covered. I only have on issue, and it's that whenever you used slow motion effects, I usually didn't get a proper look at how it looks in real time. Not a major issue, but some of the smaller details you focuses on, I would've loved to appreciate the speed and work they put into something so small. Thanks for an amazing video as always!
Hey Mark! Just want to say I enjoy the addition of the suggested videos you've been doing lately. Keep up the great work, man.
One of the most sincere channels on youtube. Keep up the great work!
Also Extra Credits and Spookingtons Media really pull their weight!
Thank you. This really makes youtube worth it!
Great opening and some nice edits in the video, it is really great Mark. Also, nice theme, really like these very focused videos.
I'm speechless with the quality of this, the amount and work you putted is jaw dropping.
Mark Brown, I love your videos! One thing that I do wish was included in this discussion was the way that the mechanics of the Leviathan Axe created a relationship between the player and weapon unlike most great versatile weapons/items in gaming. As the game progresses the player continuously customizes their axe to work best in the way they play as Kratos. Triggering different effects or passive abilities based on the way you like to use the axe makes the player feel connected between their flow of the combat system and their trusty axe. As I played through the game it felt second nature to throw my axe in one direction while I dealt with an enemy bare handed but I felt like it was always important that I knew and cared where my axe was at all time in a deeper, more sacred weapon-to-warrior relationship. This all is amplified by the visual evolution of your axe based on the custom attributes you want it to have and the cutscenes where the axe is lost for a moment or given even deeper emotional bonds by its connection with your wife and your journey from the game's start to finish. I have never played a game with such a well executed emphasis on creating a proud ownership/bond with weapon the way God Of War has. For this reason above all, I believe that the Leviathan Axe is one of the best weapons in gaming.
The editing, how introduced the axe and synchronized your voice with kratos' swings is a great bit of storytelling. The editing is great, but your also creating a list with the swings, and paving the way for the rest of the video. Well done.
This video is one of your best Mark!
Love seeing such in-depth videos of game mechanics.
Super great videos! Hope you can make more videos on this kind of topics!! Enjoy and learn so much from this!!
Nailed it.
Just picked this game up and I was impressed by the way the ax handled. I'm glad you broke it all down to show how much thought and care went into it. Awesome.
6:36
I'm glad Nintendo didn't make this God of War then xD
More seriously though, Atreus is a very underated mechanic in this game. I love the way he behaves in combat and how you can chain attacks and juggle ennemies with his help !
I hope they expand on this in the next game because this was a very neat companion to have by my side !
I am amazed with how good your game analysis are, really enjoy them.
Really cool video! So interesting! Going so deep into a mechanic is really nice. I loved it.
Hey coming back to this video
Thanks a lot for not spoiling anything
I only just recently got to play God of War and I really appreciate you keeping your video so spoiler free
This is an awesome way to look at one weapon, way to go Mark!
I love it to hear Chillhop in TH-cam videos! It's perfect when explaining things...
I was blown away by the axe too. I was excited to see you made a whole video on it.
One of your best videos. I wish they were longer!
0:50 he timed his script with the axe hits. See, this is why I love your channel, Mark! You're top-class.
This video is fantastic. I just started playing God of War (2018) and I knew I had to go back to this video because I was waiting until I felt the axe for myself. When you mentioned the axe getting caught in the enemy and stopping for a second I literally went “yes! That’s it! That’s what makes combat feel good!” I do a lot of thinking on what makes melee combat in games like Breath of the Wild or Bloodborne or AC Origins feel good but other games like Skyrim or the Witcher or even Horizon Zero Dawn’s melee feel a bit off. The way you put it as actually feeling like you hit the enemy and you’ve really made contact literally excited me because I really got it and it felt like the answer that I kind of always thought but never had a frame by frame break down like this.
Also whoever programmed the rumble in god of war is a genius. I feel like I can hear the rumble with how it lines up with the sound of the axe cutting through the air. Having rumble makes you feel like you have the axe even when Kratos has let go of it. It feels so good.
Also I’m glad you said it felt like a very Nintendo design because I got that impression from the puzzles as well. It specifically reminded me of how the bow in zelda is used for puzzles and combat. Or how something like the hookshot can be used in puzzles, combat, and exploring.
again you presentation and editing is always so clever and innovating. cheers!
Having to manually recall the axe reminds me of an issue I encountered in Legend of Zelda Minish Cap. In the game, there's an optional and undoable sidegrade to your bombs, you can remotely detonate them on command rather than having to wait for the timed fuse. This is theoretically very useful for parts of the game where where speedy bombing is helpful or you just don't like waiting. However, if you unlock the bombs late in the game, you'd be so used to the timed fuse by that point that it'd be an adjustment period that you have to manually trigger it after placing it. I imagine players of the new God of War had a similar adjustment period, likely used to such weapons returning automatically.
These videos cover an art form that many don't realize is there. Thank you for making them
Really nice run-down of all the information floating around about the axe design! Probably one of the weightiest weapons crafted.
This was really great mechanic breakdown, thank you!!
Wow ! Thank you for this video! Thanks for your time and your work :D
The production value on this video is exceptional
One of your best videos, I love it.
Lo-Fi Hiphop!!!!!!! Didn’t expect to hear Joey Pecoraro and arbour :)
I just want to say how much I appreciate and love this small community of video game enthusiasts. I love the diverse content that gives me better insight on what goes into said content. I love seeing the enthusiasm and care it took to make these videos. You guys: inspire me, make me laugh, make me smile, and make me more giddy about video games. So to Mark and other creators, I just want to say…Thank you for everything! :)
Sorry for the random comment :P
Love the Video!! Keep the great work
the editing in this video was amazing.
Great work Mark!
'game makers notebook' saaaaaaalt
Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Great video , subscribed right away!
Wow, you just convinced me that i should buy this game !
Great video as always :)
The feeling of the leviatan axe is great, and you point out new details.
Thank you for no spoilers! Unlike some other channels who had no warning
Your videos are always amazing
This is one of my favourite videos of yours (that I've seen)
Loved the series. Subscribed
I look up to you. You inspire millions, and you it with the most humbling nature.
Really good vid as usual :D
Amazing video!
I always found how Samus shoots a door to open it as a kinda a duel purpose weapon, but I loved this episode!
I could listen to you talk for hours, Mark.
This was awesome. So glad to see someone as knowledgeable as you break down this amazing weapon and why it's so brilliant.
I attempted to do a similar video analysis about how God of War does climbing. I'd really love to know what you think of the video if you somehow see this.
Is your video still up? I'd be interested in looking at it.
Amazing video, i like videos so focused on a single element of a great game, like is God Of War.
Love the Ahoy recommended video at the end. That channel is fucking polished
Your channel is a gem, cannot believe I only recently discovered it given my decade long affiliation with TH-cam and Gaming.
It's weird that when I hover over this in my subscription feed, it plays Mario Kart when that's like five seconds of the video.
You touched on it here, but this game has one of the best uses of controller rumble ever. Oddly enough I just played another game that also used it to great effect: Celeste.
Lot of people joke about controller vibration, but when it's utilized properly it can yield wonderful results. Great vid, mark!
Yes! Please make more videos like this!
Great video! I hope to see more in-depth analysis of game mechanics.
Regarding the podcast that you mention at the end, which has been a great discovery for me, so thank you on that, can you recommend similar podcasts? Thanks again!
Not gonna lie, this is probably your best video ever.