The reveal trailer for God of War: Laufey was not just cinematic, but included tons of gameplay for Santa Monica’s next title in the God of War setting. Starring Kratos’ wife Faye from the Norse games, Faye’s fighting style is similar but different to her husband’s, expressing her unique qualities as an equally skilled warrior. As a Giant protector and incredibly strong fighter in her own right, Faye’s dynamic combat is a breath of fresh air for the series.
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Some mechanics from God of War: Laufey‘s showcase should be familiar to players of the Norse God of War games, from Faye’s parries to the use of allies to assist you in battle. However, many systems seem to be brand-new, creating a faster pace of combat players are already beginning to point out after the nearly twenty minutes of gameplay shown. From the moment Faye walks into the strange afterlife of the Everywhen, her style of fighting is far different from what players are used to.
God Of War Laufey Sacrifices Some RPG Systems For Greater Action Game Mechanics
Much of the combat shown for God of War: Laufey only displayed pure action, without any mention of the RPG mechanics from God of War (2018) or God of War: Ragnarok. There are no details about gear altering Faye’s stats or skill trees in the PlayStation Blog post associate with the game. Although these features could very well exist in the final product, it’s also possible that they have been greatly reduced to make the combat of Faye’s journey less complicated.
Faye’s deep roots as a warrior are expressed in this game through action mechanics that seem to contain more depth than Kratos’ heavy-hitting style at times. For example, Faye has a number of ways to launch her opponents into the air before jumping to reach them, delivering a series of aerial strikes similar to a combo you would see in the Devil May Cry series. In many ways, this combat style seems to be an evolution of the other God of War games, even adopting some of the hack-and-slash relentlessness from the Greek era of the franchise.
Although Kratos will receive more games with his grounded fighting style, Faye’s approach to fighting is incredibly unique by comparison. Chaining attacks together is similar to the height of God of War: Ragnarok‘s combat, but Faye’s mastery of a mystical sword she is gifted in the Everywhen already gives her an arsenal that rivals Kratos’ multiple weapons. Almost adopting a Wuxia style of fluid fighting, Faye moves easily between the air and ground, knocking back and launching up enemies with ease with a satisfying flow of uninterrupted violence.
Faye’s Combat Style Is More Agile Through Aerial Fighting Styles & Strong Magic
Everything about how Faye moves and attacks is tied to speed and mobility, with her attacks meant to quickly deliver a dozen strikes to enemies before they can retaliate with one. Unlike Kratos, Faye seems to excel with evasiveness, sometimes even channeling her magic to disappear in place and cause enemies to miss attacks. As former Golden Hand of the Jötnar, Faye is far more skilled in magic than Kratos, using it to empower her status as a warrior that once fought Thor equally.
Faye seems to be able to cancel attacks using her magic, using it as a tricky way to cancel other striking animations to pick up her assault anew. Aerial strikes that keep an enemy juggled in the sky gives players more room to find inventive attack chains, using divekicks and spinning slashes to stylishly keep their offense going. By calling upon the ribbons attached to her gifted sword, Faye can also create large attacks that effect multiple targets in an area, doing great crowd control against overwhelming enemy groups.
The magic adds another layer to Faye’s combat, beyond just using her Golden Hand to parry incoming attacks. Faye can chain magical blasts of energy together much like her sword strikes, creating huge impact through basic spell casting ability. Yet, Faye’s strongest ability might be her affinity for knocking enemy souls out of their bodies, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. This synergy of speed and magic makes Faye so interesting compared to Kratos, offering something familiar yet new within God of War‘s combat formula.
Stylish Action Gameplay That Encourages Player Expression Will Lead To More Dynamic Combat Situations
This gameplay approach for Faye adds far more potential for player expression in combat, rather than having them personalize their style through statistic-based RPG gear items. Battles against bosses in God of War: Laufey already seem to benefit from this layered combat structure too, letting Faye weave in and out of encounters to outwit her foes. The sheer skill on display from Faye’s wealth of abilities and magical expertise has many players already imagining how they will master Faye’s unique skill expression.
By building and maintaining momentum, players will inevitably feel just as, if not more, powerful as Kratos through every step of this game. In my opinion, the comparisons to Devil May Cry or Final Fantasy 16 are strong here, with the greater focus on action gameplay being far more appealing than the RPG systems of the other Norse titles. In fact, I hope that God of War: Laufey finds the perfect balance between the Greek era’s action-oriented style and the newly focused combat from the Norse-era games, creating a new standard for the series to follow.
What do you think of the new approach to combat in God of War: Laufey? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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