The upcoming God of War game, Laufey, is set to bring back the faster combat style of the original trilogy, while still maintaining the character-driven storytelling and narrative focus of the Norse era. This is a surprising move, as the game takes place in the same world as the 2018 reboot and Ragnarök, and yet it borrows some of the most defining characteristics of the classic trilogy.
The developer, Sony Santa Monica, has set out to create a game that combines the character-driven storytelling and narrative focus of the Norse era with the acrobatic, stylish gameplay of the Greek era. This is evident in the gameplay demo, where Faye, a new character, plays completely differently from Kratos. Her animations and rhythm of engaging enemies are faster than the majority of combat moves in the Norse era, harkening back to the Greek era's agility and style.
The developer has admitted to injecting some old-school, classic DNA of the Greek era into the combat system, with a focus on ramping up the speed and responsiveness of combat. This has not come at the expense of the chunky, hard-hitting animations, which are still present in the new game. This is a welcome return for long-time fans, who criticized the reboot for its slower combat style.
The camera in the game also helps with readability, with occasional zooming out, especially when the character is airborne or performing certain attacks. Faye's smaller stature compared to Kratos also contributes to this.
Overall, God of War Laufey looks to be a promising game that delivers on the promise of faster combat, while still maintaining the character-driven storytelling and narrative focus of the series. It's a welcome return for fans and a refreshing take on the franchise.
