Speaking to Game Informer (via GameSpot) for this month’s cover story, Barlog described Norse mythology as, “the next mythological belief system [Kratos] interacts with,” but stressed that the franchise could move to the “Egyptian era and the Mayan era.”
This globetrotting bears some resemblance to the Assassin’s Creed series, which has explored several different time periods and regions over its lifespan. Most recently, Assassin’s Creed Origins took the series to ancient Egypt, though its take on the era was significantly less fantastical than any of the God of War games.
“I want this to reach a lot of people. I want this to be on the level of the Uncharteds and the Assassin’s Creeds,” Barlog added. “We want to grow this franchise big time.”
The last game in the series was God of War: Ascension, a prequel that stuck with Greek mythology and was met with lower reviews than previews installments. The upcoming game acts as a reboot of sorts, hence the God of War title, with a new over-the-shoulder camera perspective and focus on less-flashy combat. Kratos also looks different, sporting a beard, and he has a son who we didn’t see in the original trilogy — Kratos’ skin is covered with the ashes of his dead family, so it’s likely a touchy subject.
Unlike Ascension, there won’t be any sort of multiplayer mode in God of War. The campaign itself is expected to be quite lengthy as a result of this decision, with an estimated completion time of somewhere between 25 and 35 hours. The game will also encourage exploration, much like Sony’s other lineup of first-party games, and it won’t use the arcade-style combo system seen in the original trilogy and Ascension.
God of War will release as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in early 2018.
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