Fans of the action adventure game “God Of War” were reportedly surprised by the E3 2016 announcement. Kratos has apparently left Greek mythology and ventured to the Nordic territories. Gamers noticed that the protagonist now wears a beard and is equipped with a new weapon. He has evidently ditched the chained blades he wielded in the past few games and is now armed with a mystical axe. Furthermore, some changes were apparently made to the system and point-of-view (POV), which now includes the warrior’s son Atreus and an over-the-shoulder view during gameplay.
Game Director Cory Barlog also shared new information about how players will experience being a parent to the kid.
Acting like a parent in ‘God of War’
The game director explains that there will be instances wherein players must guide Atreus through different choices. Just like a regular parent, their influences could possibly shape the character’s future or interaction with in-game elements. The decisions made by gamers will apparently affect Kratos as well. Cory Barlog relates the system to video game features such equipment load-out or outfits. To set an example, the E3 2016 “God of War” demo footage shows a scene where Kratos guides his son on how to hunt and shoot a massive elk. After which, the player receives an on-screen prompt that indicates an archery bonus awarded.
Mixed feedback from their fans
The developers have received a mixed bag of feedback from their fans right after the game was revealed last year. They admitted that while some are quite positive, there are a substantial number of negative reactions to their new direction. It is evident that Barlog and his team wanted to explore a different approach to the game, but long-time fans apparently just want the same old mechanics in previous games.
He points out there were some comments made like “This is not ‘God of War’, this is going to fall flat, this is really bad.” However, the game director remained steadfast and will follow through with their decision.
Familiar concepts still in place
Putting aside the big changes made to its gameplay such as being a parent to Atreus, “God of War” continues to offer the series’ trademark violence.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Vice President of Marketing, Asad Qizilbash, assures fans that Cory Barlog’s team has tweaked the combat system to make it the “most brutal one in the series.” Unlike the older games where Kratos goes against a group of enemies all at the same time, the new entry places more focus on smaller groups, which supposedly lends a more visceral and personal approach to each battle. The game is slated to release sometime in 2018, exclusively on the PlayStation 4.
