With less than a month to go before its release, God of War gets a new PlayStation 4 trailer to showcase Kratos's new Leviathan Axe.
All of the franchise's previous installments always featured new versions of the iconic blades that are chained to the protagonist's hands. Cory Barlog and his team at Sony's Santa Monica Studio wanted to stick with their plans to offer something new.
Based on the trailers and the recently released gameplay video, gamers can immediately notice that the brutal adventure game received a remarkable facelift, making it look like an entirely different installment compared to past entries.
The Weapon Known As Atreus
The developers noticeably stunned fans everywhere when they introduced a new character in the game. Most players expected the same gameplay wherein they get to control the ash-colored Spartan. Interestingly, the game studio threw a big curveball when they revealed the protagonist's son, Atreus.
Becoming A Father Figure
Unlike his previous adventures in which there is a one-sided goal of revenge, the latest entry is intended to show a more emotional side for the older hero. It is unavoidable that some reference to Ellie from The Last of Us might immediately come to mind. However, Jeet Shroff, the engineering lead for the game, shares how the team came up with the perfect balance.
After a series of playtest feedback, the developers understood how the character will function and gave players a limited form of control over his actions. Basically, gamers will need to act as a father and shape the boy's growth, which is speculated to have some repercussions later in the game.
A New Way To Destroy Enemies
Other than the Atreus trailer, Sony's Santa Monica Studio likewise created a showcase trailer for the Leviathan Axe. Jason McDonald, God of War lead gameplay designer, notes that everything about the game is fresh. The studio reworked on gameplay elements such as the camera angle, combat, characters, location, mythology, gameplay, and finally, a brand new weapon
Barlog also noted that he understands the weapons from the previous installments were immediately associated with Kratos. Nevertheless, the development team all wanted to approach the game differently. Therefore, they went back to the original pitch and went with the new weapon.
The original idea was to allow the protagonist to chuck the ax at enemies, but it required players to manually retrieve the weapon. It was until one designer made the suggestion to add a mechanic wherein players can magically recall the item that also inflicts damage on its way back to the Spartan.
Armor And Upgrades
Just like in previous God of War games, Kratos will be able to upgrade the Leviathan Axe. To do this, he must visit Etiri and Brokkr, two Norse dwarven blacksmiths to enhance his arsenal. Another feature showcased during the gameplay demo confirms that players can apparently craft armor.
Expect to hear more about the game as the publisher releases more promotional material to hype up the gaming community for the game's release date on April 20.
