God of War and a song by Yusuf/Cat Stevens
Even gods and famous singers struggle with the eternal misunderstandings between fathers and sons. #music #videogame
Welcome to Artcade, the newsletter with a soundtrack—at least for this episode. First of all I want to thank all the new subscribers. If you want to continue supporting Artcade and help the project grow, there’s a simple way to do so: you can forward this email/share the post or you can choose to become a paid subscriber. The notary says you can even do both. All support will be obviously reinvested in video games and therefore in new posts. This is what I would call a virtuous circle. In the meantime, thank you.
Regarding this episode: I recommend reading it with music in background. Headphones are also suggested. I recommend this and that... but you can do as you please. Here at Artcade, everyone is free. Enjoy the read!
Father And Son by Yusuf (formerly known as Cat Stevens)
Lyrics:
It's not time to make a change
Just relax, take it easy
You're still young, that's your fault
There's so much you have to know
Find a girl, settle down
If you want you can marry
Look at me, I am old but I'm happy
I was once like you are now and I know that it's not easy
To be calm when you've found something going on
But take your time, think a lot
Think of everything you've got
For you will still be here tomorrow but your dreams may not
♪
How can I try to explain?
'Cause when I do he turns away again
It's always been the same, same old story
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away
I know I have to go
♪
It's not time to make a change
Just sit down, take it slowly
You're still young, that's your fault
There's so much you have to go through
Find a girl, settle down
If you want you can marry
Look at me, I am old but I am happy
All the times that I've cried
Keepin' all the things I knew inside
It's hard but it's harder to ignore it
If they were right I'd agree
But it's them they know, not me
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away
I know I have to go
The version of Father and Son you're listening to is a remastered of the original song from the '70s. As if the remastered version wasn't enough, in 2020, the artist decided to re-record the album he released when he was 22. Working on Father and Son he decided to use the original vocals for the son’s part and his current voice to portray the father. The idea was interesting, but the result... meh. The album is called Tea for the Tillerman 2, and that says it all.
If you’re having trouble with Spotify, here’s the song on YouTube.
Yusuf (2020) [1970] Father and Son (Tea for the Tillerman) [Music] [Folk rock] [3:41] Paul Samwell-Smith
God of War is a historic Sony franchise, one of the great successes of Playstation 2, with the first release dating back to 2005—eighteen years ago. Without retracing Kratos’ entire saga set in Greek mythology (who knows, maybe in another episode), today we’ll talk about the first chapter of the new series, set in Norse mythology and launched in 2018 on a console from two generations later: the PlayStation 4.
Kratos (who you can see with his usual good mood in the photo above) has a son. And he interacts with him. For those unfamiliar with the character, this might seem like a trivial detail. To put it in context, let me remind you that Kratos spent the first twelve games (including main chapters, collections, and re-releases) killing, seeking revenge, and killing with cruelty. To draw a comparison, it’s like if, in one of the Die Hard saga movies, suddenly Bruce Willis sits on a therapist’s couch and bursts into tears.
If it’s hard for Kratos to connect with his son, it’s just as hard for Atreus to find a way to communicate with his father.
What’re we hunting?
You are hunting deer.
Which way?
In the direction of deer.
Despite efforts from both sides, their personalities and circumstances will only widen the gap between father and son.
Will Atreus find his own path? Will a father like Kratos be a guiding force or just another obstacle? Artcade is spoiler-free, so to find the answers to these questions, you’ll have to play the beautiful Sony game yourself (lucky you).
Santa Monica Studio (2018) God of war [Video game] [Action-adventure] [Blu-ray] [20½ Hours] (Playstation 5) [Playstation 5, Microsoft Windows] Sony Interactive Entertainment
Information Desk:
You might find it odd to see the name Yusuf next to the better known name of Cat Stevens. Let’s clear that up: Cat Stevens is the first stage name of Steven Demetre Georgiou, who, after nearly drowning «in Malibu, on a private beach for billionaires» as he tells it, converted to Islam and now goes by Yusuf Islam.
For a brief moment before the release of God of War in 2018, a rumor circulated that Kratos' son would be named Charlie. Thankfully, it turned out his name was Atreus. Charlie is a name for other characters.
My last two coins
How much fear do good fathers (and mothers) have? It’s hardly ever talked about because their fear isn’t as simple as the fear of the dark or of snakes. It would be much easier if facing it were as simple as grabbing a slipper and chasing away a cricket that’s entered the house. Parental fear is subtle, mixed with hopes: “Let nothing happen to him, let everything be okay.” A fear tied to the future, a roll of the dice made by someone else. How can you blame them if they become grumpy, irritable, or difficult to deal with? Does being a god or a billionaire help? I don’t think so. Until the next episode, ciao!