E3 2017 finally delivered more news on Sony Santa Monica's next God of War game, a title that had previously gone dark after its announcement at the previous year's E3. Inside of the newest trailer, fans also got a look at more gameplay including the dynamic between Kratos and his son, new story elements, and of course, combat without the Blades of Chaos. In a recent interview, God of War director Cory Barlog provided more insight into some of the design decisions the team made including the new camera angle and the importance of the new axe weapon.

According to Barlog, the camera issue facing this new God of War proved to be a contentious one between himself and the rest of the development team. Taking some time to figure out a solution, lead combat designer Jason McDonald introduced an idea of pushing the camera closer to Kratos rather than farther away as many expected. Barlog immediately jumped on the idea, believing that the new angle could help give the game a more personal story, letting players get to know the characters more.

While discussing the axe, Barlog admitted that the weapon is a much bigger piece of the puzzle than a simple tool for killing enemies. The magical axe is actually intentionally a focal point within the game, almost like an additional character. To this point, Sony hasn't revealed much of the history within the game, which, according to Barlog, is handled by the axe serving as a piece of history that connects to both the characters and world they're in.

Though fans may not have the entire picture just yet, it's clear that Sony Santa Monica is making a number of sweeping changes to the God of War formula including one of the bigger ones in giving Kratos a son to look after. For Barlog, it's about evolving the experience while retaining those familiar elements. The change in Kratos isn't going to be a quick or easy one and he'll remain that angry anti-hero for quite some time while the new elements begin to seep in around him.

Overall, the team likens the formula changes to that of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which can be seen as a game that breaks the mold of what fans expect in a Zelda game. Just like that game, God of War represents a new chapter in the long running series that attempts to the bridge the gap between the familiar and something new.

God of War launches exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in early 2018.

Source: Daily Star