When Baldur first punches Kratos over the roof of the building, the players are just as surprised as Kratos. The purpose of the Baldur fight was to make the player feel like the god of war, Kratos, fighting against a seemingly invincible opponent that felt no pain. This is because the purpose of the Baldur fight was not to challenge the player. The action moments helped get the blood pumping, but rarely did they put the player at true risk of dying. It was a fun, fast paced roller coaster that players of all skill levels could play through and they could feel awesome while doing so. The fight focused on memorable action moments, from Kratos shattering a giant boulder with his shield, to the ground splitting in two beneath his feet as he locked arms with Baldur. Baldur’s attacks were simple and straightforward, encouraging players to experiment with their defensive options. It did not have the deepest gameplay mechanics, though, because that’s not what players needed one hour into the game (when they were still getting used to the new camera and controls). If we did, many players would get stuck and be unable to enjoy the rest of the game. Since it was the first fight in the game, we couldn’t make the combat very hard.

It’s there to remind you how brutal and over the top God of War fights can be. The Baldur fight is all about spectacle and story.

For example, let’s compare the Valkyrie boss fight to the Baldur boss fight. The best fights are the ones that embrace that purpose, without getting bogged down by lofty ideas about what a good boss fight needs to look like. There is no single formula for making a good boss fight in video games. Warning: Heavy spoilers and nerdy combat design theory talk to follow. Today, I’d like to talk about one of my favourites: The Valkyries. I worked on many of the enemies and boss fights in the latest God of War. My name is Denny Yeh, Senior Staff Combat Designer here at Sony Santa Monica Studio. A few of you, however, will have flashbacks of being heel-stomped to death by a masked angel with metallic wings. Valhalla! What comes to mind when you think of this word? Most people will think of the grand hall in Norse mythology, where great warriors gather after their death.

God of war 4 all bosses