God of War Laufey Has The Chance to Match the Trajectory of the Best Action Game Series
Action games are known for inventive and detailed combat, a detail that God of War Laufey seems to understand well with its initial gameplay footage. The Norse God of War games transformed the series’ hack-and-slash combat into something more focused and grounded in 2018, and have continued to push the boundaries of that new system ever since. With God of War Laufey being the third game to adopt this fresh combat style, its innovations upon a solid foundation might create the best action the franchise has seen yet.
The original trilogy of God of War games is getting a remake, but it’s unclear whether those games will keep the hack-and-slash combat of the Greek mythology-focused titles, or adopt the modern fighting style of the Norse projects. So far, God of War Laufey seems to build off God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, giving the player greater mobility and freedom to bend the action into a preferred play style. While Ragnarok drew criticisms for making combat feel less weighted than God of War (2018), that weightlessness seems to be working in Laufey‘s favor, with a new main character that operates in that framework much better.
God of Wary Laufey Hits A Major Action Game Milestone With A Third Entry That Could Be Its Best
The third entry in an action game can be an important milestone, either making or breaking a series by testing how much players are invested into the combat developed over several years. For example, Devil May Cry 3 is one of the most celebrated action games of all time, fixing the problems of Devil May Cry 2 and building off the first game dramatically into arguably a definitive title in the genre. On the other hand, Bayonetta 3 drew tons of player complaints for both its story content and how its action was presented in a way that lacked the substance of prior franchise entries.
In many ways, the third title in an action series is a test to see if a franchise is willing to push the boundaries of their mechanics more than ever before. Thankfully, God of War Laufey seems to be doing this already, bringing back many systems from Ragnarok, but leaving others in the past to develop something unique. Laufey herself is highly acrobatic in ways that Kratos never was, leaping and performing aerial combos against enemies in prolonged action sequences. At the same time, Laufey has the ability to knock the souls out of her foes, finding opportunities to attack by exploiting weaknesses.
Enemies seem to be more reactive to Laufey’s attacks in the latest God of War too, instead of absorbing damage like sponges like they have in previous Norse series games. This may not include the bosses, but it does give players more room to juggle foes and use different combat skills to keep them vulnerable for flashy kills. Enemies seem to be more aggressive too, perhaps indicating that the game’s challenge might be higher in situations beyond just boss fights. Exciting levels of detail in the combat are noticeable even in the early stages of God of War Laufey, creating intrigue about what is possible as you play.
Action Series Like Devil May Cry Peaked At Their Third Game After Evolving Their Battle Systems
What makes action games like Devil May Cry 3 so special is how they expanded upon the possibilities established in past titles. The best example of this comes in DMC3‘s increased weapon variety and style system, where players could drastically change how they played by selecting one of four combat styles for Dante. Trickster gave you extra mobility, Swordmaster unlocked new moves for weapons, Gunslinger did the same for firearms, and Royal Guard gave you a parry against enemy attacks. DMC3 also made enemies and bosses much more interesting, with Dante’s brother Vergil being perhaps the most striking action game boss ever.
God of War Laufey has incredibly fascinating bosses in its opening act, with Laufey fighting off against deceased deities in a strange post-death realm. This shatters the restrictions of something like God of War Ragnarok, which could only focus on figures from Norse mythology. Now, Laufey is fighting Egyptian entities, with the possibility of challenging powerful figures from other mythologies as well. This premise alone expands how the combat could evolve, with huge and intense boss fights against unexpected foes, perhaps creating a Vergil equivalent in the process.
Since the game isn’t bound to the traditions of Kratos’ combat in the Norse games either, the sky really is the limit for what Laufey can do. Her combat is already much different with a sentient sword and innate magic being wielded simultaneously to deal with threats. While the core of the Norse God of War combat is there, the gameplay already appears much deeper than what has come before. For that reason alone, God of War Laufey has the potential to match the evolution of other action games like Devil May Cry 3, showing just how far the confidence in its series’ gameplay has grown.
What are you looking forward to the most with God of War Laufey? Let us know in the comments below!