Santa Monica Studio has already revealed a decent amount about God of War Laufey, and one of the most exciting details that has been confirmed is the new weapon arsenal that Faye will have at her disposal. God of War Laufey is a huge change of pace for the entire franchise, with Faye’s role as protagonist only being the tip of the iceberg. A lot of God of War Laufey discourse has been focused primarily on Faye and her role, which I totally understand. A God of War game without Kratos in the driver’s seat is a bold move, but the weapons and combat are what will actually set the game apart.
When Santa Monica Studio presented the first sneak peek at God of War Laufey over the summer, it was made clear that the series’ intense melee combat would be back in the spotlight. A God of War game with fast-paced melee combat is a given, but since that first reveal, Santa Monica Studio has also confirmed Faye will be wielding a powerful bow. This balance between melee and ranged combat could be what makes God of War Laufey gameplay some of the best the franchise has seen.
God of War Laufey’s Weapons Will Be the Key to Stepping Out of Kratos’ Shadow
A new protagonist is one thing, but the combat in God of War Laufey already looks like its own unique language that players will have to learn after years of being used to Kratos and his heavy brute strength. Faye’s fighting style is akin to a violent ballerina, while Kratos is a powerful, but graceful, linebacker. The two fighting styles are complimentary but also vastly different in specific aspects, and Faye’s weapons need to mirror that. The Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos are a perfect representation of Kratos’ power, and Faye’s arsenal is already reflecting her personality and athleticism in the same way.
The mysterious sword in God of War Laufey is intriguing enough, but an essential piece to the game’s combat success will be Faye’s Serpent Bow. From long-range to close-up encounters combined with melee, the Serpent Bow is essential to giving Faye her own identity and standing on her own as a character apart from Kratos.
Everything Confirmed About Faye’s Serpent Bow in God of War Laufey
- Can be used in ranged and close-quarters combat
- Different arrow types to choose from
- Precision Mode: Pressing all the way down on the aim trigger gives Faye more aim precision and distance. She can also charge up the Serpent Bow to launch an attack containing five arrows.
- Hip-Fire Mode: Pressing half-way down on the aim trigger allows Faye to fire a quicker close-range attack. This is useful for swapping between swordplay and bow shooting and is essential for the game’s teased juggle combat mechanics.
- Serpent Scales: Scales are both cosmetic changes and perks that allow players to customize the weapon to their specific play style.
This isn’t the first time that the God of War Norse games have brought a bow and arrow into the equation, but it’s incredibly obvious that Santa Monica Studio has expanded on how this type of weapon is utilized. Atreus’ bow mechanics definitely added more gameplay depth and contrasted Kratos’ melee-heavy combat. Faye is a completely different story, though.
Faye’s fighting style is akin to a violent ballerina, while Kratos is a powerful, but graceful, linebacker.
Kratos has mentioned what a highly skilled fighter Faye was when she was alive in the Norse realm, so whether it’s a bow or sword, her skills have to blow Atreus’ bow handling abilities out of the water. Her Serpent Bow is far more layered and allows for a level of play style customization that was lacking with Atreus.
The Mystery Behind Faye’s Sword Is One of God of War Laufey’s Most Intriguing Secrets
The Serpent Bow is ridiculously cool, and I can’t wait to try it out for the first time. However, as fun as the bow looks, the mystery surrounding God of War Laufey‘s sword is what could raise the bar even higher for the series’ iconic weapons. In the first God of War Laufey preview, the Mongolian god Begtse became far more cautious about Faye once she unsheathed the sword from Phranque to use for battle.
It’s already been confirmed that Faye’s sword will be customizable in a similar way to the Serpent Bow, but the finer details are still under wraps.
Begtse’s reaction raises an important question about what kind of weapon could be so powerful that it would strike fear in a god. There are already several theories about what Faye’s sword could actually be. One theory that has been floating around a lot is that the sword is actually Excalibur from Arthurian legend. That would definitely be cool, but it might be more likely that the sword is tied to another pantheon. The Everywhen in God of War Laufey opens the doors to a cornucopia of possibilities, and there are a lot of ancient myths that are tied to powerful swords.
Other theories suggest that it could be the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi from Japanese folklore or Asi from Hindu mythology. The sword itself will likely remain a huge mystery ahead of the God of War Laufey release date, but what is known is that Faye taking on the role of protagonist is the least game-changing thing about this new chapter.
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Number of Players
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Single-player
