As much as it may seem like a spin-off with the new region and cast, God of War Laufey is still inherently God of War at its heart. Santa Monica Studio has talked about fusing the “old and new” with its combat system – a sentiment that director Ariel Lawrence shared with GamesRadar.
She praised the original trilogy’s “pick up and play aspect” and how combos and juggles were “always something that I love doing.” However, she also enjoyed the “more kind of grounded, visceral, just really up close combat” of 2018’s God of War and Ragnarok.
“I like both of those things, so it’s really one of those, ‘Can I have chocolate and peanut butter together, right?’” And that’s how the team settled on Faye as the protagonist to combine these two systems. “What does it look like for those things to come together, and who can do that the best for us? And, you know, offer that agility, that flexibility, but still, you know, stand toe to toe with who we need to?”
Given Faye’s accolades in the Norse saga, serving as a champion for the giants and even standing up to Thor, it makes sense. Of course, she’s not alone, as the enchanted ribbon Rue and Phranque, a cosmic cube, throw their lot in. The former enables pulling enemies towards the player, priming them for follow-up attacks, while the latter can launch them. And that probably doesn’t scratch the surface of their capabilities.
With God of War Laufey allegedly launching in the first half of 2027, exclusively for PS5, it’s going to feel like an agonizingly long wait to dive into the combat system. In the meantime, check out our feature on everything you should know about the experience, and our thoughts on what may be happening in the story.
