5 Things You Should Know About God of War

The God of War franchise has 7 games, not including remasters, to establish the protagonist Kratos and his world. Full of bleak gore-filled combat the God of War franchise is taking a brand new stance with the latest installment. God of War sets a new pace for the franchise while still being a sequel to the core series. Shifting from Greek mythology to Norse mythology Here are 5 things you should know about God of War.

A New Way of Fighting

Kratos won't have his iconic chain blade weapons in God of War, instead of trading them in for an ax called the Levithan ax and shield. Where the previous games had the camera set in a fixed location, usually an aerial view, here the camera is set in the back; similar to a third-person shooter. Cory Barlog, game director of God of War, has stated that Dark Souls inspired the shift in combat.

You'll still pummel waves of supernatural beings but not in the same way as in the past adventures. There Kratos was alone and would use an array of magical attacks with a lot a combination of flashy animations and brutal attacks. Those same vicious attacks are here but have been reduced in speed for a more methodical combat system. Kratos will have to block, time attacks, and watch enemy movements to precisely decide when to attack.

Kratos can attack with his ax, throw it, or use his shield to bash targets. When thrown Kratos can summon his ax back to him and pummel enemies with his fist. And like past games, Kratos can tap into his Spartan Rage for adding power.

The biggest addition and removal to combat are the dynamic environments and removal of jumping. The environments will serve a greater purpose in combat, with dynamic environments. Kratos can pin enemies, cut down low hanging obstacles, and more. However, this also means that Kratos won't have his iconic jump and double jump abilities this time around.

Atreus isn't Just Kratos Son, He's a Second Chance

The most significant change is Kratos' son Atreus. The development team at Santa Monica have gone to great lengths to ensure that he isn't annoyance but a benefit to the combat system. Players have the ability to call Atreus to Kratos' aid to distract enemies and attack with the press of a button, but he can also act independently offering ranged tactical support. Think a The Last of Us'  Ellie's independence and Resident Evil 4's  Ashley's ease of command.

This extends to the gameplay as Kratos attempts to stop the cycle he's repeated with his previous family. With Atreus, we see a new side to Kratos that was previously explored but abandoned quickly.

Kratos Himself

The setting hasn't only changed so has Kratos. In previous developer diaries, the development team has cited that Kratos' identity was almost one-dimensional in the past games because he never really evolved. From start to finish Kratos remained the same anger vengeful person completely focused on his own goals. Here Kratos has changed, not for himself but his son.

From the debut in E3, we can see this change in Kratos' personality. When the trailer debuted in 2016 you can see this sudden change in Kratos exactly at 2:35 when he becomes angry but instead of venting his rage takes a breath and teaches his son what he did wrong. Attempting to master his rage and become the father he never was.

Barlog has stated:

I didn't expect for him to be a character that had demension but he is right that is fantastic. I think as a writer as a director that is a challenge that I love right because it is hard to create a brand new character. I believe it is harder to take a character that everyone thinks they know and understand and show them a side of that character that feels sincere that feels earnest that feels right that is very different that challenges their preconceived notions that's difficult and if you succeed I hope that we have I think that is that is going to be a proud moment.

The game isn't even out yet and it already made that impression.

Exploration and Optional Bosses

This hasn't been fleshed out but God of War has been confirmed to have optional boss battles and areas to explore. This is a first for the series since past games have always featured one path. Perhaps we could see a super boss found in so many RPGs for those seeking a challenge or unique weapons guarded by powerful creatures. Either way, it's new and exciting.

No Loading Screens

Thanks to hard work and considered impossible God of War features no loading screens. This thanks to cinematography director Dori Arazi who explained how they did the impossible. By a series of challenging hurdles, the actors had to do their performances perfectly, without any faults. Everyone had to hit their marks perfectly without errors while also blending together gameplay and cinematics to ensure a seamless experience. 

God of War launches on April 20th for PS4. Those who preorder will get 3 in-game shield skins.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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