God of War 2018 was a hugely successful reboot of the early 2000’s hack ‘n’ slash series, and after it, there was a huge expectation that Sony Santa Monica would deliver a sequel that was bigger and better, but take even less time to develop.

Speaking during a God of War 20th anniversary panel, Santa Monica game director Ariel Lawrence reminisces about her time working on the games. “We didn’t know what God of War would do,” she says. “When it finally released we were like, ‘oh wow! Everybody loves it.”

As is often the case with work, when you do well, you’re rewarded with more work. “The company came around and was like, ‘okay, you’re gonna make the second one. And you’re gonna do it in half the time, and it’s gonna be twice as long with more bosses and enemies,'” Lawrence remembers. “All of us were like, ‘Okay.'”

Once assets have already been made, a sequel should normally be quicker to develop, as you’ve already got a solid foundation to work with, but God of War Ragnarok is a behemoth of a game. How long is God of War Ragnarok, you ask? It can take 60 hours or more to do absolutely everything in it.

“We did it,” Lawrence says, and adds, “I don’t remember a lot of sleep those years.” Lawrence has worked on the series since the beginning of the Greek saga and actually looks back on those crunch periods fondly. “The rally at the end, I think close is one of my favorite times. It’s crazy sauce.”

If you’re a fan of the axe-wielding angry bald man, and you must be if you’re reading this article, check out our list of games like God of War that can scratch that Kratos itch.