"Change is possible". This is the opening mission statement from creative director Cory Barlog at the start of the Raising Kratos documentary. The feature film that was released on YouTube five years ago chronicles the making of the God of War reboot, from its initial conception, right through to the memorable E3 reveal, and its eventual release in 2018. I've lost count of the number of times I've watched it since I first finished Kratos and Atreus' adventure, but it's the words of Barlog that I haven't been able to stop thinking about in the lead up to today, which marks the 20th anniversary of the original 2005 God of War game.
Before the reboot came along, I didn't really know anything about the series. I'd never had any kind of interaction with it, and in hindsight, I can't say my 13-year-old self would have particularly enjoyed the brutality of the earlier games. But after hearing and reading so much about Kratos' return back in the day, I decided to throw caution to the wind in 2018 and step into something outside of my usual wheelhouse. I can't thank my past self enough for making this decision, because it's safe to say that the reboot completely enraptured me, and the idea that "change is possible" gets right to the heart of what makes the almost seven year-old game such a memorable experience.
