In many respects, God of War Laufey is merging the series' old and new games, its Norse and Greek eras, and it's in large part thanks to the game's new protagonist Faye, according to game director and long-time God of War developer Ariel Lawrence.
While speaking to GamesRadar+ about the upcoming PS5 game, Lawrence touched on how Faye's new move set allowed Sony Santa Monica to play around with the original trilogy's more mobile and aerial combat, while still holding on to the newer game's more serious tone.
"I mean, I definitely cut my teeth on the first God of War," Lawrence says, pointing to how much she loved the original games' "pick up and play aspect." Juggling enemies, chaining combos, and having dynamic movement options "was always something that I love doing," she adds.
But Lawrence is also a fan of God of War (2018) and GOd of War Ragnarok's "more kind of grounded, visceral, just really up close combat," as many people are. "I like both of those things, so it's really one of those, 'Can I have chocolate and peanut butter together, right?'"
When it came to choosing a protagonist that can effectively fuse together the series' stylish roots and newer, grounded tone, Lawrence had a few questions. "What does it look like for those things to come together, and who can do that the best for us? And, you know, offer that agility, that flexibility, but still, you know, stand toe to toe with who we need to?" Faye was the eventually the answer.
