God of War fans have a shiny new documentary to look forward to that offers an inside look at what it took to bring the PlayStation 4 exclusive to life. With Kratos’ reinvention as he takes on the role of father, the latest iteration of the character was one met with immense praise from the gaming community. That being said, there were a lot of ups and downs in terms of development, and time crunches meant we almost didn’t get to see one of the most iconic moments in the PS4 exclusive see fruition.

In the video below, Director Cory Barlog dug deep into what it took to bring this vision to life. From animation hacks, to how the team bridged the gap between the Kratos we grew up with, there is a lot to unpack during the game’s progression. It also revealed what we almost missed out on.

“We did not do the blades until probably the last year,” Barlog revealed when talking about the recognizable Blades of Chaos. “We worked on the axe for so long that there was a possibility the blades were gonna have to get cut because they were just taking so long to get online. Everybody said ‘Look, if you took three and a half to four years to do the axe, you’re never gonna be able to do the blades in time.”

He revealed that the team attempted several different angles when approaching the iconic weaponry, though none of them ‘felt’ right. The total immersion tactics that the studio used with how players stepped into the role of Kratos was much different than previous God of War entries, which posed unique challenges when bringing in the mainstay weapons.

Given that the Blades of Chaos played a pivotal role in Kratos’ rescue of his son Atreus, it’s hard to imagine them being cut entirely or even if that scene would have even happened. Thankfully, the team worked their magic and that magic gave fans a game that saw perfect scores at launch and a story that will most definitely stand the test of time.

God of War is now available – and one year old today – exclusively on the PlayStation 4.

Thoughts on the latest iteration of the beloved franchise? Were you excited to see the Blades of Chaos return? Sound off in the comment section below, or hit us up over on Twitter @YouFedtheGamers.