By Leaving Kratos Behind, God of War Laufey Is Taking an Important Risk That More PlayStation Studios Games Should Be Trying To Do

It may sport the series’ title, but Laufey isn’t your typical God of War game. Kratos is out, and Faye is in, taking up the protagonist's mantle. It’s the first time the series has shifted perspective in its 21 year lifetime, and doing so brings significant change. Not only will we be exploring a brand new world through the eyes of a different kind of hero, but Faye’s approach to battling her enemies is different to that of her gruff axe-and-blade wielding husband. Gone are the heavy slams and flesh-ripping finishers, replaced with magical sword swings and aerial juggling. It marks a reinvention, albeit one that still occurs within the familiar cinematic framework that has long been the foundation for Sony’s raft of third-person, cinematic action adventures. The PlayStation approach to single-player stories appeals to me in a way that other developer’s styles rarely do. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been hoping for something a bit different. I’ve previously written about how I’m getting bored of every PlayStation game telling the same story, but in all honesty, it’s gone beyond familiar tales. Sony’s first-party games increasingly feel cut from the same cloth, their overall exper