During the Sony E3 Press Conference, a lengthy gameplay demo reveals the newest God of War game seemingly confirming the Norse mythology setting as well.

Not looking to be overshadowed by the earlier press conferences done by Microsoft and Ubisoft, Sony decided to go big with its presser this year, bringing in Bear McCreary to lead an orchestra to enhance certain gameplay demos. It's only fitting then that one of Sony's biggest IPs led off the show, confirming the recent rumors that the next God of War indeed takes place within the cold mountains of Scandinavia.

Simply titled God of War, the gameplay opens on a much simpler note as a good chunk of the gameplay demo revolved around the relationship between a much older and bearded Kratos with his son. The demo opened with the two Norse hunters stalking an elk, as Kratos prepared his son to take down the animal. These moments indicate that players will be in charge of a more flesh-out Kratos, albeit one who can still tap into anger and Spartan rage when needed.

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Of course, trouble is never that far from Kratos, though these days, it appears that the warrior has traded in his Blades of Chaos in favor of a bearded ax. When combat begins, the ax glows a blue color, though what that exactly means, isn't quite clear. While familiar brutal hand to hand combat is still a hallmark in this new God of War, Kratos has more skills and abilities he can tap into including an axe throw that pinned the enemy to the wall. Doing this however left him without a weapon, so it appears to be a move which players will need to manage as it will leave them vulnerable.

While the game show off the franchises penchant for over the top violence during a battle with mythical creatures like a frost troll, this newest installment features a number of new elements which has never been seen before in a God of War game. Namely, players will discover areas and gain knowledge for doing things like tracking the previously mentioned elk hinting at a light RPG system to go along with the ferocious action. It also appears from the footage that Kratos is actually teaching the boy as acquired experience goes to the child, making him stronger as the game progresses.

The lengthy gameplay demo ended with the pair looking out across the land as the camera pulled back revealing a massive landscape filled with lush forests, stone structures, an imposing mountain, and a dragon which swept over them revealing the God of War title on the screen. While no release window was given, the game has apparently been in development for quite a while at Sony Santa Monica, so many are expecting to see a late 2016 release.

Are you excited to see Kratos back in the saddle for a new installment in the God of War franchise, or were you looking for a fresh start? Sound off in the comments below.

God of War currently does not have a release window, but is expected to be a PlayStation 4 exclusive.

Source: PlayStation YouTube