The God of War: The Icon of Violence
The God of War series has seen more then it’s fair share of changes since it’s inception over twenty years ago. From the switch to a more story focused game series from a hack and slash, to the drastic switch from Greek mythology to Norse, most fans are used to a bit of change at this point. As someone who has been playing the God of War series since I was too young to know what the PS2 QTE mini-games were, I have to admit the series needs a bit of a refresh.
Kratos has been one of the most iconic faces in gaming since the PS2 days. His raw anger and lust for blood was the one thing that everyone knew him for and the gameplay systems that accompanied all of his titles have been some of the most satisfying and brutal iterations of violence to date. But here’s the thing about it – Kratos needs a break. After three mainline entries, half a dozens spin-offs, and a soft reboot, the legend needs a little rest. Sure, Atreus was able to lessen some of the load in the most recent entries, but it’s time to shake things up a bit so that it doesn’t become stale.
It appears that Sony shares my sentiment and has chosen a familiar face to be the lead in the next iteration of God of War, God of War Laufey.
The Next Chapter in God of War: A Familiar Protagonist
The next mainline entry in the God of War series follows a similar face, Faye, as she attempts to navigate a whole new world. Where God of War (2018) began, for Kratos and Atreus, so too does God of War Laufey begin, taking Faye on a new adventure after her death.
We see the beginning of the game, with Faye awakening in a strange land after her funeral, The plot of Laufey is dirven forward by Faye discovering the plans she put in place to protect Kratos and Atreus are now at risk. To protect them, Faye must fight through the afterlife of the gods — the Everywhen — where gods from across mythology fight for power in a land overflowing with magic.
The Everywhen is where the gods all come together after they die and naturally not everyone is as friendly as Atreus. More often then not these same gods squabble amongst each other as they try to find their own existence in this different realm.
Sony has shown us a brief look at two of the gods that Faye will encounter in the Everywhen — Sekhmet and Begtse, both decidedly less than friendly towards a new face suddenly appearing in their midst. This shows that though Faye might find some kind of peace in this new realm, it is not guaranteed. This does add an interesting dynamic to the story as it allows the developers the freedom of showing off as many different gods as they’d like without the constraints of being locked to one mythos.
The Next Iteration of God of War: A New Combat System
The new gameplay systems in place are perhaps the most interesting part of this reveal to me as a long time fan. Not only does it look like they have taken the good parts of the Norse title’s gameplay, but they have also made an effort to throw in some of the combat elements that made the original trilogy so fun.
Faye is the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, a powerful protector of the Giants. She is a proven warrior and is able to manipulate souls during combat (think Doctor Strange when he detaches Peter Parker’s soul from his body. Building upon the strengths of the modern God of War combat system while taking inspiration from the original Greek era — Santa Monica Studios are promising Laufey a fresh but familiar feel with its combat.
Let’s Be Phranque
By allowing Faye to move easily between ground and air without halting the action, the new combat system looks to not only encourage combos on the ground but also in the air. As bold as it feels to say, the combat reminds me of the newest Devil may Cry in a sense with how it emphasizes using ground and air attacks to put down as much damage as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Faye is equipped with a sword that is guarded by a sentient set of ribbons, Rue. Faye earns their trust enough to use the blade. We’ll surely find out more about Rue as your companion (seemingly similar to Mimir from Kratos’ escapades). Faye looks like she will also be joined by a talking gelatinous cube, Phranque, who seems to aid you in battle and will seemingly join Faye on her adventure.
Honestly, the combat overall looks amazing, and I am very intrigued on how it will play out when I get my hands on it.
The Character We All Know: A Triumphant Return
The last part of the information we got, which let’s be honest with each other is a lot, is the return of the legend himself Cory Barlog. In this interview we get a front row seat to seeing how this process has turned into the trailer we got today. Santa Monica Studio’s Head of Creative Cory Barlog and God of War Laufey’s Game Director Ariel Lawrence sat down for an extended interview speaking about the reveal, how the idea of a Faye game first came to be, and the long-term creative vision for the franchise.
If anything, this should prove that the series is in more than capable hands and that people shouldn’t panic just yet.
There is no release date for God of War Laufey as yet. All we know is that it is coming to PS5, and more details will be revealed as launch gets closer.
Are you excited for the reveal at the State of Play? It’s great that a new God of War title is confirmed and on the way. Be sure to stick around for more Summer Game Fest coverage with Gamer Social Club.
