So this game perhaps more than any other in the franchise

has really well-developed characters.

It's really a well-written story.

And that was my starting point and just writing a piece of music

that could capture the spirit of a character

without even knowing where it would go in the game,

just how does this make you feel.

Does this piece of music capture the spirit of Kratos?

I wanted to write something that represented

age, wisdom, power, masculinity.

So I wrote this tune.

It was like a slow march.

bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.

I didn't know how to start it.

Finally I was like, I don't know,

maybe the first three notes I could do something with.

So I was like, bum, bum, bum.

I just kind of stuck them on the beginning almost as an afterthought.

I sent it to Sony and Cory, and they love it and especially the beginning.

They're like, "the three notes in the beginning!"

And I was like, "what three -- oh, that thing?"

It is just the first three notes of the tune just kind of on a loop.

So it just feels very stern the way that, like, a stern father would

say to his son over and over and over again the same thing.

I think there's an element to that in the Kratos theme.

The fact that I could distill down to those three notes,

it meant that if he walks into a scene,

or he takes the upper hand, if he does anything,

Bum, bum, bum.

Kratos is here.

He's taking command, you know.

Even at E3 when he steps out of the shadows.

I am hungry.

It's like Pavlovian.

You just associate that with him.

And it's such a simple little thing, but it's a great trick.

As the game develops, I really start to mess with it.

This theme that could be masculine and stern and powerful

and big and brassy could also be vulnerable and emotional.

And hearing those notes

triggers your memories of all the other times you heard it.

And my hope is that it guides you along with the other

three or four themes that I use as much, if not more,

that it guides you through the experience of the game.

A couple of our characters, we really learn some exciting

things about them to say the least.

And their themes start off one way

and evolve into a totally different thing.

So that's why thematic writing for me is really useful.

And I think more than in any other game I've scored,

I got to really lean into threading all these different

themes throughout the cinematics and throughout the gameplay.

And it was a really special experience.