God of War Laufey is exciting for many reasons, not least how it promises to recontextualize 2018's God of warexcept Ragnarök. It's a little surprising, really, because God of War Laufey will effectively be our first real introduction to the character Faye, who only made the briefest of appearances in God of War Ragnarokand was virtually absent from 2018 God of war.
Major spoilers ahead too God of war Nordic saga.
Technically, we don't see Laufey at all God of war 2018, a creative decision that in retrospect only heightens her mystique. The game opens with Kratos preparing his funeral pyre, cutting down trees marked with a hand-shaped insignia that, it is eventually revealed, obscured Kratos, Faye, and Atreus from Odin's all-seeing magic. Before her death, she instructed Kratos to cut down these trees, burn her body, and bring her ashes to the highest point in the Nine Realms, knowing that these instructions would lead the father and son to Jotunheim, which contains a mural detailing the prophecy of Ragnarök. The piece also reveals that Faye is actually Laufey the Just, a famous and heroic Jotnar, who foresaw Kratos' arrival on Midgard decades earlier. This can be a lot to wrap your head around, and God of War Laufey will probably make it even more delightfully complex.
Every God confirmed to be in God of War Laufey
There are several gods expected to appear and clash with Faye in God of War Laufey, and here is everyone who is on the list so far.
Who is Laufey, the visionary protagonist of God of War Laufey?
To understand why God of War Laufey is so important to the story of 2018 God of warit is important to first establish an understanding of this unique rendering of the mythological figure. Part of the Jotnar race, also called the Giants, Laufey fought against Odin during the latter's campaign to exterminate his people. Known as a warrior and sometimes referred to as Laufey the Fair, the giantess even clashed with the mighty Thor, as evidenced by a frozen flash that players can find in God of War Ragnarok.
However, eventually Laufey chose to “disconnect” Jotunheim from the World Tree, making it inaccessible from the other eight worlds, while she remained in Midgard. By this time, she had already predicted Kratos' arrival, as well as Atreus' birth, and after an undetermined amount of time, she met Kratos in real life, and the two married.
After some time, Faye died of unspecified causes. It's strongly implied that she knew her time was coming – Kratos was apparently given very clear instructions after death, and neither he nor Atreus seemed particularly shocked by her passing. Also, Faye's intrigue is effectively the catalyst that begins God of war Nordic saga in earnest, suggesting that her influence and foresight extend further than many would have first assumed.
It is widely believed that Faye died of an illness, but it is also possible that she died of injuries sustained during her clash with Thor. Since her true Jotnar identity was unknown to Kratos and Atreus, the pair would naturally have assigned a more mundane cause of death. This problem can be solved in God of War Laufey.
God of War Laufey will reveal Faye's full influence
It's still not entirely clear how responsible Faye is for the events of the previous two God of war game. She clearly wanted Kratos and Atreus to discover the prophetic mural, and perhaps even orchestrated other aspects of their journey as well. This view is supported by Faye who comments that Kratos and Atreus are “on the way”, once she realizes that she is dead in God of War Laufey.
Instructing Kratos to remove his ward by burning the marked trees after her death could also be indicative of Faye's manipulations. You could interpret this instruction as an example of Faye intentionally putting her family in danger so that they can achieve some greater goal. But Faye seems to really love Kratos and Atreus, so maybe she had already seen into the future and knew they would be successful in their journey. Or maybe Faye didn't actually think they'd be in any danger to begin with, but more on that later.
It's still not entirely clear how responsible Faye is for the events of the previous two God of war game.
Also worth noting are Kratos' mysterious dreams i God of War Ragnarokwhere he sees Faye. These visions are part dream, part memory, and, according to Kratos, part something else entirely. He tells Mimir that he believes they are more than simple memories, but also notes that he does not believe he is seeing Faye's ghost. It's not too hard to wonder if these dreams are actually examples of Faye contacting Kratos through Everywhen, something we might even see in real time in God of War Laufey.
God of War Laufey cannot overplay his hand
It will certainly be interesting God of War Laufey reveals Faye as the ultimate puppet master who pulls the strings behind every major event God of war and God of War Ragnarokbut I suspect things will be more complicated than that. Firstly, God of War Laufey will follow Faye after she “discovers the plans she laid to protect Kratos and Atreus are now in danger,” according to a post on PlayStation's official blog. Regardless of the reason for this, the mere fact that her plans have been put at risk suggests that she probably isn't in absolute control.
Even more significant are the themes that run through all the North Islands God of war games, especially those dealing with destiny, fate and free will. The whole campaign off God of War Ragnarok is about breaking the shackles of fate, something that Kratos and Atreus managed to accomplish at the end of the game. Faye herself destroyed a mural that would have revealed future events to Kratos and Atreus, suggesting that she places some importance on free will, or at least the belief in free will. God of War Laufey risks undermining this message by revealing that Faye actually predestined everything.
Still, getting more insight into exactly how Faye affected Kratos and Atreus' journey should be compelling. The combination of Faye's precognition and the transcendental nature of Everywhen could make for any number of unique stories, such as the aforementioned dream messages that Faye seemingly sent to Kratos in Ragnarök. In all probability, God of War Laufeys story will significantly change how audiences perceive both 2018s God of war and Ragnarökfor better or for worse.
- Publisher
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Number of players
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Single player
