Kratos is not the young Spartan turned God of War he once was. It has been thirteen years since the action adventure, hack n’ slash, Norse Mythology based Playstation exclusive was released and the gaming community was introduced to Kratos on his journey to find Pandora’s Box. But don’t let the Spartan Warriors age deceive you, Kratos is back in the eighth installment of the celebrated God of War series and he is more brutal than ever. Thank’s to some teasers and some leaked gameplay we now know the April 20th release combines bone-crushing combat, breathtaking scenery, and thick Mythology to deliver an unbelievably clean playing experience.
Rumors
Coming to us from the talented folks at Sony and the Santa Monica Studio, God of War was targeted by rumors there had been a downgrade to the in-game graphics. This rumor was squarely put to bed by Raf Grassetti the team’s principal artist. And for those who still bought into the rumor the recently released gameplay proves God of War will be a beautiful 4k game on par with or better looking than Zero Dawn Horizon.
Camera Changes
But improved light, fog, and shadow will not be the only changes coming to the brutal world of God of War. A new camera system has been implemented and has received high praise from Digital Foundery.
“The jump to a tighter third person camera with right stick control is interesting as it suggests that the series’ larger scale scenes if they are included at all, will need to play out quite differently. In that sense, it feels like a game of constraints – and perhaps that’s exactly what the series has needed. The previous two God of War titles raised the bar so high in terms of huge, large-scale battles that it feels impossible to top. Thankfully, the changes made to the core combat loop do seem to have a significant impact on the feel of the game. I always felt that the previous God of War games did a somewhat poor job with connecting player attacks with enemies. It feels as if you’re just swinging the Blades of Olympus through your enemies until they die rather than directly hitting them.”
Controller Updates
The Combat system has been adjusted for an even more realistic experience. No longer will you simply swing big bladed axes seemingly through the air instead of hitting a demon. Now you will have responsive strikes that feel like actually making contact with the enemy. Light and Heavy attacks have been moved to the R1 and R2 buttons making for a smoother combat dynamic. After throwing your ax you can recall it by pressing square.
These simple changes will allow for a more controlled and strategic style of gameplay opposed to the old, repetitive hack n’ slash format. The sweeping environments can also be used in combat. Destructible structures, boulders, and pots can all be used as weapons or be used to add a new dynamic to your combat style.
Son Of A Kratos
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to Kratos and his son, Atreus. Born of Kratos and an unknown woman he is an adventurous, intelligent and strong young man and a vital companion. Equipped with a Bow, Arrows and a deep knowledge of Norse Mythology, Atreus helps guide his father through their journey by deciphering ruins, stunning enemies and scouting important locations.
Though not a lot is known about the underlying story in the forthcoming God of War game it would be safe to say Atreus will become an increasingly important character in this game and in games to come.