During last week's E3 2017 festivities, it was revealed that Santa Monica Studio's forthcoming God of War game for the PlayStation 4 will be departing from Quick Time Events (QTEs) and the traditional camera cuts from previous entries in the series that pull back from Kratos to reveal a stage's full environment surrounding him. With many fans wondering why the developer has decided to do away with such classic features, Santa Monica Studio's creative director Cory Barlog has decided to explain why the forthcoming title won't include these familiar cinematic camera cuts from the franchise.

During an interview with Eurogamer, Barlog stated that he made the decision to move away from QTEs and camera cuts as a means to keep from breaking players' immersion so as to tell a more "personal story" that allows scenes to focus more so on what Kratos has been experiencing throughout the narrative for God of War. Initially, Barlog encountered some push back from members of his own development team for ditching these once-mainstay features of the series, but they eventually relented in order to tackle it as a new challenge.

"God of War is traditionally known for these cinematic, pull back cameras, which I think are fantastic. But trying to get in there and really get to know the character a little more, I realized it'd be interesting if we got closer.

"There was big resistance, but I have probably one of the best teams in the business, so as much as they were pushing back, I think they all kind of wanted this crazy challenge.

"So yeah, there's never going to be a situation where we cut away and show you what someone else is doing."

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Although God of War is doing away with camera cuts altogether, there will be certain instances when the game will point players to look in a particular direction by giving them a "nudge," so to speak, in order to have them view what the developers wish to be seen during a certain moment. While players won't be in control of the camera all of the time, Santa Monica Studio will still provide them with a sense of freedom, allowing them to experience the game and its story beats in real-time.

On the whole, it looks as if the PlayStation 4 exclusive God of War is going to be a near-complete departure from its predecessors. As it happens, not only will QTEs and camera cuts be scrapped, but also the title's combat system has been revamped – the Blades of Chaos have been replaced by a magical axe, for instance.

Not to mention, Kratos is no longer the sole protagonist, as his son Atreus will be a major part of the game as well, with the familial duo exploring a Norse setting that hasn't been introduced into the series until now. Hopefully, God of War's 2018 release date comes sooner rather than later so that fans can experience Santa Monica Studio's fresh take on the franchise and learn if its unique changes from the franchise's core formula can ultimately revivify the series.

God of War is planned to release in early 2018 for PlayStation 4.

Source: Eurogamer