PlayStation just dropped a bomb and the website still hasn’t recovered. During this Tuesday’s Relate of Play, Sony Santa Monica revealed God of War Laufeythe next mainline entry in one of the most important franchises in video game history. And the best of all is that, this time, Kratos is not the protagonist.
Since God of War Ragnarök ended, many fans wondered where the saga was going to go. The answer came strongly and from an angle that few expected: Faye, Kratos’ wife and Atreus’ mother, takes the preserve watch over. The warrior known as Laufey the Just returns from beyond death for an adventure that promises to expand the God of War universe in a whole new way.
The official game description says it all: “Death should have been the end, but for the warrior Laufey (Faye), Kratos’ wife, it is only the beginning of a new adventure”. It’s hard not to get goosebumps with that premise.
Faye wakes up in the afterlife and plans to protect her family are at risk.
The trailer opens with an emotionally charged image: Faye’s funeral pyre, while Kratos’ voice is heard telling her that she is now free. But freedom doesn’t last long. Faye wakes up unexpectedly in a strange place completely foreign to the kingdoms we know from the Norse saga.
That place is called the Everywhenand it’s one of the most fascinating concepts Santa Monica has ever featured. It is not an easy underworld. Is the point of origin and final destination to which all magic returnsa kind of transcendent plane that exists above all known realms. And what makes this place even more interesting is that it directly answers a question that obsessed Odin throughout Ragnarök: what happens to the gods when they die?
Faye quickly discovers that The plans he had prepared to protect Kratos and Atreus since his absence are in danger.. So even though he just died, he has no time to rest. To save those he loves, he must force his way through the Everywhen, a realm where ruthless gods from different mythologies compete for power in the middle of a land full of dangerous magic.
And here comes one of the most exciting twists in the trailer: the gameplay confirmed that the Everywhen is not populated only by Norse or Greek gods. They can be seen Sekhmet, from the Egyptian pantheon, and Begtse, from Tibetan mythologywhich confirms that this installment is going to explore completely new mythological territories for the franchise. The God of War universe just got a lot bigger.
A new combat system with the soul of the classic God of War
One of the aspects that caught the most attention in the 20-minute gameplay trailer was precisely the combat system. Faye doesn’t fight like Kratosand that was exactly what Santa Monica wanted. His style is more agile, more fluid, more lethal.
The development team described the combat as a combination between fluidity of the Greek period and the narrative and world-building approach of the Norse period. Speed, preserve watch over and ruthlessness are the three key words that define Faye in battle. Unlike Kratos, she can move between the ground and the air without interrupting the action, opening up completely different combat possibilities.
Besides, Faye has access to unique powers related to soulsan ability that comes directly from her role as the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, the most powerful protector of the giants. In the Everywhen, where ancient magic permeates everything, those powers are greatly amplified. He can hit an enemy with his golden palm with such force that separates the soul from the body of the rivaland then attack that soul, launch it against other enemies or use it to create devastating combos.
Regarding weapons, Faye inherits a legendary sword guarded by Rue, a magical guardian played by Perlina Lau. In order to use it, Faye must first earn Rue’s trust, something we already see in the first minutes of the game. And if that were not enough, Faye will not travel alone: She is also accompanied by Phranque, played by Jack Quaid, described as a curious cosmic cube with a genuine attitude and willing to protect his friends at any cost. Yes, like a D&D cube made into a character.
The actress Deborah Ann Wollknown for her role in Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again, repeats as the voice of Faye, which guarantees emotional continuity with what we already experienced in Ragnarök.
God of War Laufey has no release date, but the wait seems shorter than you think
Here comes the part that we all want to know and that, at the same time, generates more impatience: God of War Laufey has no official release date. Sony confirmed that the game is coming to PlayStation 5, but for now it can only be added to the wishlist on the PlayStation Store.
However, there are signs that generate optimism. The amount of gameplay shown – no less than 20 continuous minutes of action – suggests that development is quite advanced. Besides, The game will be present at Sport Con Canada between June 19 and 21indicating that Sony is willing to show it at in-person events very soon.
Cory Barlog, Head of Creative at Santa Monica Studio, and Ariel Lawrence, director of the game, already gave an extensive interview talking about How did the idea of focusing a game on Faye come about and what is the long-term creative vision for the franchise?. That’s not something you do when a game is far from ready.
God of War Laufey It comes at a time when the saga needed to reinvent itself without losing its essence, and Santa Monica seems to have achieved it. An iconic protagonist, a completely new world, unexplored mythologies and a combat system that promises to surprise even the most veteran fans of the franchise. The wait may be hard, but everything indicates that it will be worth every second.
Keep reading:
• PlayStation has sold 30 million fewer copies since 2020 and this worries Sony
• Sony closes Bluepoint Games: the studio behind some of the best PlayStation remakes
• Very soon you will be able to play your Steam games from the Xbox app for PC
