God of War Laufey might be facing a bit of an uphill battle in the design department, although it looks impressive so far. Unsurprisingly, there have been a few more embarrassing internet reactions Laufey reveal, but look past these often reactionary takes, God of War Laufey shows every sign of being a more unique, more inventive and riskier endeavor than Ragnarök where.
In some ways, it's actually much closer to 2018 God of war in terms of potential importance. 2018 basically reinvented the game God of war franchise, flip it from one Devil May Cry-inspired action frenzy into a slower, heavier action RPG. Also, it swung away from the Greek gods and towards the Norse ones, which changed the course of God of war IP for the foreseeable future. Perhaps God of War Laufey will have a milder impact, but still introduces not only new mythologies (Egyptian and Mongol as we know, and probably more), but also a new playable character. Against the background of this development, it will be of utmost importance to God of War Laufey to issue meaningful game changes and developments.
God of War Laufey is a second chance to pay off the hidden secret of 2018 games
God of War 2018 ends with a bombshell reveal that affects the story of Ragnarok, but could really pay off in God of War Laufey.
God of War Laufey needs to have his own combat identity
Even if it's 2018 God of war didn't literally introduce a new protagonist, it might as well have. Kratos' transformation throughout God of war game is immediately noticeable, not only because he has a fantastic new beard in the Nordic Games, but also because of his age. He's become jaded, guarded, and sometimes grumpy—changes that fundamentally reinforce his pugilistic and single-minded personality.
This is reflected in God of wars gameplay as much as its story. In a 2021 GDC presentation, Santa Monica's lead game designer outlined pre-2018 God of war games fueled by the phrase “ballet of fire,” while combat in the 2018 game stuck to the mantra of “plow the road.” It's an eloquent way to describe the games and reflects how character and story can inform game mechanics. In the rebooted series, Kratos is no longer a brash and frenetic dancer, but an unyielding, heavy, controlled force of destruction – a plow.
What War of War Laufey's battle needs to succeed
I'm not sure what the mantra will be for God of War Laufeys battle, but ideally there should be a broader theme or idea that encapsulates it. We've already seen how Laufey is lighter and more agile than Kratos, able to jump, launch enemies into the air, and use advanced magic, but it's hard to tell how deep these systems go without taking a closer look at the game. The game from moment to moment will be defined by the theme of Laufeys battle sandbox, just like before God of war combat loops are characterized as “plowing the road”.
For example, Faye's magical abilities, which are undeniably among the coolest aspects of God of War Laufeyshould be incorporated in a fluid or otherwise transformative way. It would be extremely disappointing if these powers replaced the Runic Attacks from the previous grants, which were used as simple abilities on a cooldown. Ultimately, combat systems are at their best when they give players as many tools as possible, without prescribing overly restrictive rules for how to use them. If God of War Laufey using the same toolbox as the previous two games it could work, but it would also risk being pedestrian and bland.
The game from moment to moment will be defined by the theme of Laufeys battle sandbox, just like before God of war combat loops are characterized as “plowing the road”.
In the end, the best God of War Laufeys battle can be is refreshing. If God of war and Ragnarök function conflict which is like “plowing the road”, that is Laufey must be defined by another maxim—one that reinforces and cooperates with Faye's more elegant and balletic approach to conflict. This may be more difficult to do, as Faye's magical prowess, not to mention her special new sword, makes her more complex and multifaceted. But rallying around a central theme – one defined by movement, flexibility, speed and technology – will be a huge boon to Laufeys battle sandbox.
Exploration, puzzle solving and platforming also need to change in God of War Laufey
Battle has always been central God of war gameplay loop, and I don't expect Laufey to change that, but exploration and puzzles have also played crucial roles. The importance of non-combat games was expanded in Ragnarökwhich is significantly more expansive than its predecessors, with more compelling side content to discover as well. These are aspects that Laufey should tighten up on, especially with Faye making her way through the enigmatic and unfamiliar Everywhen. In theory, there should be a lot more for players to discover in this new world.
It would be great, given the mysterious nature of Everywhen, if the exploration was a bit more open and more like something like Breath of the Wild or Fire Ring. These games distill the essence of adventure because their settings are so foreign and vaguely defined, as unfamiliar to the protagonist as they are to the player. I don't suggest that God of War Laufey will or should be some kind of open world experience, but some exercises in non-linearity could help it meaningfully build on the modern GoW game.
As for actually getting from place to place, that would be lovely to see Laufey hone Faye's unique abilities, many of which have already been seen. We already know that Faye can jump, and even double jump, so perhaps these skills will allow players to move around the map faster and more creatively, even providing multiple solutions to a given environmental challenge. This would be a stark departure from the movement of the previous two games, which are basically on rails for the most part.
It would be great, given the mysterious nature of Everywhen, if the exploration was a bit more open and more like something like Breath of the Wild or Fire Ring.
Finally we have puzzles, one of God of wars more controversial elements. Besides toning down God of War Ragnarokinfamous handshake, God of War Laufey would do well to provide Faye with puzzles that best suit her strengths. Kratos is no dummy, but he is a warrior at the end of the day, while Faye is clearly a bit more clever, concerned with history, visions of the future, and the study of magic. Basically, God of War Laufeys puzzles would be better if they were more subtle and logic-oriented than the relatively basic pattern recognition challenges of previous titles.
Every aspect of God of War Laufeys gameplay will serve to not only differentiate it from its predecessors, but also shed light on Faye's character. The audience knows very little about her, but through combat, movement, and problem solving, her nature can be better revealed, making her more compelling from both a narrative and gameplay standpoint.
- Publisher
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Number of players
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Single player
