Yahoo News Everything we know so far about God of War on PS4
At Sony's E3 2016 press conference, there was one game that kicked everything off but also stayed in the minds of everyone for months to come: God of War.
Rather than being called God of War 4 as everyone expected, the next game is simply called God of War and is quite a different game to what the previous entries have been. At least from what we've seen so far. It should be quite the adventure for our dear Kratos.
The last God of War title to be released was God of War 3: Remastered, which arrived on the PS4 in July 2015.
A year has now passed, and we've gathered even more information about God of War from Sony's show at E3 2017. Below you'll find all the the latest news we've gathered, and will continue to, until the game eventually makes it into our eager clutches.
God of War release date: When is it coming out?
A brand new trailer for God of War has confirmed that the game will arrive on April 20. Watch the trailer below:
God of War trailer: How's it looking?
Sony's E3 2017 keynote treated us to a mighty fine slice of Kratos slicing up mythical beasts with an all-new gameplay trailer.
And there's also the slightly longer footage from the previous year, if somehow that's managed to escape your eyes in the past 12 months.
God of War platforms: What will I be able to play it on?
Historically God of War has been a PlayStation exclusive and we imagine it'll remain so for the foreseeable future.
Why? The series is made by Sony, or more specifically its Santa Monica studio.
There have been no hints that God of War will migrate to any other platforms, and the game is only listed on retailers as coming to PS4.
Something pretty crazy would have to happen to upend this arrangement.
God of War setting and story: Where and when is it taking place?
This brand new adventure is supposed to be a brand new beginning for Kratos. He's found himself living as a man, outside the shadow of the gods, and he's wound up in the unfamiliar lands of Norse Mythology.
But he's not alone.
Kratos must learn to survive and also teach his son, Atreus, to do the same in this harsh, unforgiving world, where untamed forest, mountains and other realms of Norse lore threaten his very being.
It's a brand new setting for the series and introduces its own pantheon of monsters, gods and creatures alike.
It seems that your son is going to be with you for most of the game and will be an integral part of the experience. It's even got a button on the PS4 controller that's dedicated to interacting with the boy.
"This is a guy who can go up against a giant Atlas and not flinch, but the idea of giving his kid a hug scares the hell out of him because he doesn't know how to relate," says Creative Director Corey Barlog. "He has lost so much of his humanity. What an interesting journey to get that back."
God of War gameplay: What's new?
Quickfire:
New more intimate camera angle
Combat "rebuilt from scratch"
Atreus, your son, is combat ally
Don't think of this as a reboot, think of this more like a rebirth for Kratos and co.
"Several years ago we at Santa Monica Studio began the journey of creating a new God of War," explained Sony Santa Monica Creative Director Corey Barlog on the PlayStation Blog.
"All of us recognised a special honour and responsibility to create a different, better and truly more memorable experience than before. I realised early on that we had to make changes in every aspect of the game.
"I knew I didn't want to simply reboot the franchise, starting over with a retelling of the origin story. I wanted to reimagine the gameplay, give players a fresh perspective and a new tactile experience while delving deeper into the emotional journey of Kratos to explore the compelling drama that unfolds when an immortal demigod makes a decision to change."
In practice this means a pitch shift from the previous God of War games.
First up is the camera, which has been shifted closer for a more intimate, over the shoulder perspective . From the look of the latest gameplay trailer, this looks like it will lend a more dramatic feel to Kratos' combat encounters.
The series is also ditching quicktime events; a sensible move. Even though the series helped popularise QTEs, they don't feel particularly relevant in the 2017 action game landscape.
Kratos' primary weapon will be an axe which can be swung about in melee or used as a ranged weapon – we haven't yet seen him use anything fancier, or bigger. However, he'll also be able to smash about opponents using his shield (be sure to check out the gameplay trailer for examples of both).
But one of the more surprising weapons at Kratos' disposal is actually his son, Atreus. Game director Cory Barlog has allayed fears that kiddo will turn the game into one long escort mission; Atreus can help out in combat if you choose, or draw the attention of enemies - but he can't die. When he falls in battle you'll just have to head over to him and wake him up.
God of War enemies: What will Kratos be up against?
Last year's E3 trailer gave us a few glimpses of the mythological skulls Kratos will be bashing this time around, but the 2017 trailer gave a broader look at the enemies he will face. Get a faceload of these nasties.
Of course, we're expecting far more, and far bigger monsters than the above to appear, but Sony's Santa Monica studio understandably wants to keep most of those under wraps.
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