It couldn't have been easy for Irvin Kershner to assume the director's chair on "The Empire Strikes Back" after the success and acclaim for George Lucas' "Star Wars," but the result was what is universally regarded as the best movie in the series. Similarly, God of War game director David Jaffe is in more ways than one a tough act to follow (just look at the responses online to the outspoken Jaffe's recent statements on Geoff Keighley's show "Bonus Round"), and after Jaffe declared that he was passing the torch, many wondered whether the unproven Barlog could fill his shoes. But once the phenomenal reviews for God of War II started pouring in, all doubts evaporated as it became evident that the franchise had been placed in good hands.

Barlog, a former visual effects artist, worked on such colon-sporting titles as Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and X-Men: Next Dimension before joining Sony's Santa Monica studio as the lead animator on the original God of War. During those rare moments when he's not working on God of War PSP and God of War III, Barlog maintains a blog of his own, where he's been known to touch off a controversy or two himself. In Part I of our two-part email interview with Barlog, he discusses how he graduated from lead animator to game director; why he, unlike Jaffe, hasn't lost his love for making epic games; and whether the original game may have had stronger emotional hooks than the sequel.

How did you go from being the lead animator on God of War to director of God of War II?

To be perfectly frank, I have no idea. When I came onto the original God of War, I was actually planning on taking it easy. I liked the game, but I was so used to working way too much on really terrible games that I was not motivated to push myself really hard anymore. I had reached a point where I wanted to have a life, since it seemed I could not catch a break and make a good game. So I decided that when I came to Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), I would work normal hours and just have fun. If the game turned out good, well then that was a bonus. That lasted all of a day or so...then I got my hands on the Kratos model. I stayed all night working on a series of animations for how Kratos would attack with the Blades of Chaos and I was in heaven. I loved the character and my mind was just racing with all the crazy things we could do. For the first time in a long time, I felt "This could be something really cool. Something I won't be embarrassed to tell people about." From that moment on I worked like crazy and put everything I had into the game. I think that my tenacity and passion for making the game the best that it could be got the attention of those above me. Plus I was using the Jedi mind trick on Dave [Jaffe] every day--"These are not the droids you are looking for. Move along"--so I am sure that didn't hurt either.

After we finished the original God of War, producer Shannon Studstill came to me and asked how I would feel about directing the next game. To be honest, I thought she was kidding. The thought had never really crossed my mind. I took a day to think about it, but that was mostly to not make it look like I was too eager. You know, play it cool. The next day I said I was interested and few weeks later I was writing up story ideas and gameplay outlines. The rest, as they say, is history.