What a surprise we were in for at the last PlayStation State of Play. The final game revealed at the event was God of War: Laufey by Santa Monica Studio. For the first time, this installment puts the spotlight on Faye: Kratos' wife, Atreus' mother, and leader of the Giants. I think it's awesome that we can finally get to know the Jötnar's Golden Hand in all her glory, a warrior whose strength is compared to that of Thor. I've watched and read everything related to the announcement, and these are the details that caught my attention the most.
Sequel or Spin-off?
Contrary to what many might think, it was made clear that this story isn't a spin-off or a prequel; rather, it’s a mainline entry and a direct continuation of the timeline. It begins exactly at the moment Kratos burns Faye's body on the funeral pyre when you start playing the 2018 GOW. What seems to be the end of a life is the beginning of an adventure, where Faye wakes up unexpectedly in the Everywhen—the afterlife for the gods, a realm where all the magic and mythological deities go, and where they seem to be fighting for power and control.
The Developers' Vision
I think I understand why the creative team decided to tell this story. The first thing that stands out is the title; Laufey is Faye's formal name, so using it feels like they intend to symbolize her own story rather than just a memory of what we played with Kratos. I think this is great because we'll be able to learn more about the character—who she was before, when she was known as the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, how she became Kratos' wife, and the architect of a plan to ensure a future for her family, which clearly didn't go as expected after what we experienced in the last two games.
The criticism following the reveal has centered on the game's title. Since it's a God of War game, some argue it doesn't fit the character because Faye isn't a god of war. Whoever says this doesn't remember Kratos' origins, whose story starts with him as a mortal, a Spartan general who, after taking his revenge against Ares, is ascended to Olympus as the new god of war.
This profile fits Faye perfectly; she is the hero of her people, a warrior who fought against Odin and his influence, who sacrificed herself for her family to give them a good future, but things didn't go as planned, she died, and now she must find a way to return to save her own. She possesses the magic of the giants, which perfectly places her in the Everywhen, the place where magical and mythological beings also go.
A Gameplay Shift - From Brute Force to Lethal Agility
Beyond the story and everything it represents, I think the big leap in this game is the combat that was shown. While the pillars of brutal combat are maintained, Faye's style is lethal agility, fluidity, and speed, whereas Kratos is a tank of brute force.
- Among the most notable new features I noticed is the return of jumping, recovering the DNA of the Greek era. This allowed us to see Faye pulling off impressive combos in the air, Devil May Cry style.
- Adding to the agile attacks is soul magic. Faye will have the ability to separate souls from the bodies of her enemies with one hand, causing damage to them or using them as projectiles against other enemies.
- A GOW wouldn't be a complex game without a legendary weapon. By leaving the Leviathan Axe behind, Faye will now have a powerful sword guarded by a guardian.
- The Legendary Sword: Faye no longer carries the Leviathan Axe, but rather a powerful sword guarded by Rue, one of her new companions.
The truth is there's a lot to say about this game. Surely, more ideas and theories will emerge over time. There are many other details I could mention, but I'll suffice to say in closing that I can't imagine how brutal it will be for Faye to face all the Greek and Nordic gods that Kratos sent to the Everywhen; surely we will see many legendary moments.
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