'God of War's Kratos was an angry lump of muscle. I made him a struggling father'

Sony's new God of War is one of the best-reviewed games of the decade. Creative director Cory Barlog talks about how it was inspired by his own relationship with his son

Sony Santa Monica's new God of War, released earlier this month, is outstanding for several reasons. It's one of the best-looking video games of the modern era, a Norse epic that weaves an overarching mythological tale together with a smaller-scale, personal story about grief and family. Its most unexpected achievement, though, is humanising its protagonist, Kratos - previously a lump of tattooed muscle whose entire emotional range was "angry".

Related: God of War review - violent, vital and more brilliant than ever