God of War Laufey is the next new game in the thrilling action series from Santa Monica Studio, and it was revealed at yesterday’s PlayStation State of Play live stream as arguably the biggest announcement. That marks the second consecutive PlayStation game announcement that has involved a massive God of War project. This one is branching out, though, and leaving Kratos, seemingly, behind.
Instead, it will follow Faye, Kratos’ late wife. The 20-minute gameplay reveal trailer began by showing Kratos and Atreus burning the body of Faye, and she was then transported into the afterlife, which is where the game will take place. It’s exactly what the long-running and ever-changing series needs.
God of War Laufey is the Pivot the Franchise Needs Now
God of War has already undergone a major transition as a franchise. It started as a hack-and-slash game, which showcased the debauchery and violence of the Greek pantheon that Kratos eventually, over the course of several games, wipes out. Then, it evolved.
The next set of games, which includes 2018’s soft reboot and its 2022 sequel, Ragnarok, changed things up. Kratos sought to put his life of violence behind him, but his past came searching for him. He was softer, though still capable of incredible violence, and his journey as a father and coming to terms with the loss of Faye was the centerpiece of the stories.
That change was a pretty drastic one for Kratos. He went from a killing machine to someone who was much more thoughtful and caring. In many ways, it deepened and enriched his character. It was a welcome change for a well-established character, though the character’s original creator was not a fan of this shift. David Jaffey also didn’t like the recent prequel, Sons of Sparta, which also tweaked the perception of Kratos as a character.
That was announced and surprise-dropped at the last State of Play, but it wasn’t the only thing announced. A remake of those original three games is also on the way. Like God of War Laufey, we don’t have a release date, but both are coming soon. It’s likely that they won’t be seen until 2027 or 2028 at the earliest, but the last two revelations have confirmed it’s an excellent time to be a God of War fan.
That hasn’t slowed down with this latest announcement. While David Jaffe is certainly not too keen about God of War pivoting to a female main character for a game, it’s exactly what the series needs. Faye is a wonderful character, and God of War Laufey looks absolutely incredible. The biggest benefit, though, is how it further shifts the series.
Jaffe said on a livestream, “So uninspired. It looks so dull, and you guys have to remember that this is the opening of the game, probably… “It’s dead. [God of War Laufey] is not going to do well for what they expect it to do.”
He added, “This is not God of War, I don’t know what the f**k this is? This is like some fantasy novel…If they had taken God of War off the title, and you didn’t know the God of War story and there wasn’t Kratos, it was just a story about this goddess who dies, you would not be talking about this game.”
As mentioned, the 2018 reboot changed the perception of Kratos and of the God of War series. The games, like their protagonist, softened and evolved to fit a modern audience and be a little less hypermasculine. Putting Faye in the spotlight only furthers that change. If people are complaining about God of War Laufey being woke, which they are and will be, then you know it’s a positive change.
Jaffe did say on the livestream that he liked the 2018 reboot, but he was still highly critical of the direction Kratos’ character went. He’s still critical in a similar vein, even though Faye is a hugely influential character in the game he professes to have liked.
Nevertheless, if he’s complaining, it’s probably a worthy evolution. The God of War franchise, especially the latest installments, is rich and full of incredible characters. Those are just as deserving of their stories being told as Kratos, who might be running out of story to tell eventually anyway.
Conclusion
God of War Laufey looks incredible. The graphics look great, and the story it appears to be telling looks highly captivating. The combat and movement for Faye look outstanding, too. Everything seems to be pointing up, and for many reasons, this is a welcome evolution for the action franchise.
