God of War (2018)

God of War (2018)
Series	God of War

God of War is the upcoming sequel to God of War III as well as a continuation of the canon God of War chronology. God of War is the eighth installment in the franchise overall. Unlike previous installments, this game will focus on Norse mythology and will follow an older Kratos in the years since God of War III. God of War will be an exclusive PlayStation 4 launch.

Items and abilities

Weapons

• War Axe: in the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, Kratos' main weapons seems to be a war axe. In combat, it appears that the axe has certain magical properties like the ability to freeze enemies, when thrown. Similar to World Weapons in Ascension, the Axe can be discarded, but only temporary, as Kratos can summon it back to his hand.
• Kratos' Fists: in the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, when he was disarmed, Kratos used his fists to finish an opponent.
• Bow and Arrow: In the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, Kratos' son uses bow and arrow to hunt and later assist his father in fighting a troll.

Relics

• Spartan Rage: in the E3 2016 gameplay trailer is shown that if Kratos get angry enough, he can access the Spartan Rage, increasing his speed and strength. It appears that can be used to finish enemies as well, as seen in his battle with the Troll.

Artifacts

• Armor Rune: in the extended gameplay, shown at E3, there is an alternative route explored, where Kratos finds an Armor Rune, as a collectable.

Characters

• Kratos: the main character of the game. After the events of God of War III, Kratos seemed to have moved to Scandinavia and has started a family. He has become older and wiser, and he has better control over his temper, his actions are no longer simply based on rage and anger, and shows moments of regret at lashing out.
• Charlie (Development Name): in the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, Kratos is testing his son, Charlie and see how he hunts. The boy however is impulsive and untrained, leading him to make mistakes.
• Charlie's mother: in the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, Charlie's mother is briefly mentioned by Kratos and it is revealed that she taught him to hunt.

Enemies

Note: Any names given are speculative and only based on their appearances:

• Draugr: in the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, the first enemies Kratos faces, are a group of humanoids, as tall as men. Based on their designs, they are draugrs. When fighting these creatures, Kratos can kill them with his axe or with his bare hands. They appear to be elemental in nature as they bleed lava when hit.
• Troll: in the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, Kratos and his son are attacked by this giant creature. The troll has giant tusks and looks like a replacement of the cyclopes or the Juggernauts from previous installments. He wields a giant pillar as a weapon. Just like the undead, he appears to possess the element of fire as he is able to turn his limbs into lava, before slamming them in the ground, melting the earth beneath. He can also throw lava at Kratos, from his fingertips.

• Dragon: (Possibly): in the end of the E3 2016 gameplay trailer, after Kratos taught his son how to kill a deer, a dragon appears, flying over.
• In the reveal trailer, there are also other unknown creatures like a ghostly entity at 3:35, a fairy-like warrior at 6:43 and a gigantic snake at 9:14.

Trivia

• God of War (2017) is the first game that doesn't focus on Greek mythology, as it has changed the narrative to Norse mythology.
  • It is however not the first time the God of War franchise features characters from a different mythology, as God of War: Chains of Olympus, featured aspects of Persian and Arab mythology, in the forms of the Basilisk and the Efreet.
• Kratos appears to now have a son now. However, like his first wife, his son's mother appears to be deceased or otherwise missing.
• Indicative of the fact that this installment is a continuation of the series, the move "Spartan Rage" nods to Kratos' past as a Spartan. Kratos also retains his Spartan tattoo, scars on his forearms resembling the chains from the Blades of Exile, the scars on his abdomen and left eye in addition to the ashes of Lysandra and Calliope covering him.
• Sony Entertainment has confirmed that Christopher Judge will be voicing Kratos for the upcoming God of War game to be released on PlayStation 4. He replaces TC Carson, who has voiced the character in all previous installments. Judge is well known for his role as Teal'c in Stargate SG-1. This marks the first game that Kratos isn't voiced by TC Carson.

Gallery

A bearded Kratos

Kratos' new weapon

The Troll

Kratos with his son.

Development

On December 6th, 2014, Corey Barlog, the lead animator of God of War and the game director of God of War II revealed that Sony Santa Monica was working on a new game, in the God of War Franchise. It was announced on Twitter, only taken down later by Sony.

The game is conceptually set in the pre-migration point of Viking history; a period in Norse culture where the Norse gods were said to walk among mortals.