She praised the original trilogy’s “pick up and play aspect” and how combos and juggles were “always something that I love doing.” However, she also enjoyed the “more kind of grounded, visceral, just really up close combat” of 2018’s God of War and Ragnarok.

“I like both of those things, so it’s really one of those, ‘Can I have chocolate and peanut butter together, right?'” And that’s how the team settled on Faye as the protagonist to combine these two systems. “What does it look like for those things to come together, and who can do that the best for us? And, you know, offer that agility, that flexibility, but still, you know, stand toe to toe with who we need to?”

Given Faye’s accolades in the Norse saga, serving as a champion for the giants and even standing up to Thor, it makes sense. Of course, she’s not alone, as the enchanted ribbon Rue and Phranque, a cosmic cube, throw their lot in. The former enables pulling enemies towards the player, priming them for follow-up attacks, while the latter can launch them. And that probably doesn’t scratch the surface of their capabilities.

With God of War Laufey allegedly launching in the first half of 2027, exclusively for PS5, it’s going to feel like an agonizingly long wait to dive into the combat system. In the meantime, check out our feature on everything you should know about the experience, and our thoughts on what may be happening in the story.

However, the interactive narrative horror title may have been in the works for even longer. Sony acquired the studio in September 2021, and it went on to release Horizon Call of the Mountain in 2023, but that was co-developed with Guerrilla Games. So it’s possible that Until Dawn 2 started pre-production nearly five years ago before getting into casting and whatnot.

By the time it releases in 2027, it will likely have been almost six years since the project first took shape, and 12 years since the original from Supermassive Games. While it retains many of the same hallmarks – anyone can live or die, the Butterfly Effect and more – it’s a completely different cast and story.

Players control a group of paranormal content creators who have been faking much of their scares, but get more than they bargain for when venturing to an abandoned island that’s actually haunted. As always, stay tuned for more gameplay and details leading up to release.

It kicks off with Sonic X Shadow Generations already available. It’s an excellent platformer which sees the titular hedgehog take on Black Doom in a trip through his own past, which we found quite enjoyable. Final Fantasy 16 is next on the list, and we’ve made our thoughts on that one pretty clear when it first came out – decide for yourself when it drops on June 16th. We’re also getting Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Life is Strange: Double Exposure on June 23 for the UK, US, and Japan regions on June 23.

Finally, Black Desert, Blades of Fire, and Farming Simulator 25 are rounding out the rest of the category’s additions, and they’re dropping on June 30. If you’re a Premium subscriber, you’ve also got the cult classic PS2 rhythm title Gitaroo Man to look forward to on June 16 with a global release on the service.

NYU Stern professor Joost van Dreunen brought up the cost of RAM as the major reason for price hikes. Along with this, he noted geopolitical situations, such as the US tariffs, have played a role.

“The rising cost of RAM is the main culprit, but the inconsistency and volatility created by U.S. tariffs aren’t helping either,” said van Dreunen. “Downstream suppliers and manufacturers now sit on massive amounts of inventory they cannot sell or assemble because few consumers would be willing to pay for the markup. What was supposed to bring manufacturing jobs to the U.S. has instead priced consumers out of the market and pushed manufacturing jobs to lower-wage countries.”

Kantan Games CEO Dr Serkan Toto reiterated van Dreunen’s statement, saying that these various factors have added up to create a “persistent inflation worldwide”. Niko Partners director of research Daniel Ahmad similarly discussed fluctuations in various currencies around the world. However, he acknowledged that many of these issues are largely affecting Western markets, and that regions like MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and Asia are doing better.

“The Asia and MENA games market continues to demonstrate resilience and long-term growth potential amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, shifting trade policies, and broader economic volatility impacting industries worldwide,” he explained. “Asia and MENA countries will continue to outpace worldwide video game software and services growth through 2030 according to our forecast and global estimates.”

Discussing the future, all analysts expressed belief that prices will likely increase further, since geopolitical tensions remain high. Alinea Analytics’ head of market analysis, Rhys Elliot, referred to the current price hikes as “lagging indicators, not the peak.”

“Platform holders and manufacturers run on long-term supply contracts and inventory buffers that initially shielded retail pricing,” explained Elliot. “As those contracts expire, companies are renegotiating component costs at today’s inflated rate, and that pressure is industry-wide.” Despite this, he also believes the industry is still relatively healthy for now, since the “pipeline of new, spending users” hasn’t yet closed up. Omdia’s senior analyst James McWhirter, however, believes that we will see more price hikes for platforms like the Nintendo Switch 2 next year.

Circana senior director Mat Piscatella thinks that there is an upper limit to how far companies can push their hardware prices. This ceiling, however, is yet to be discovered.

“Some very tough choices with long-ranging impact will have to be made by all hardware manufacturers both now and in the coming months when it comes to pricing and production. Yes, at some point there is a viable price cap. What that cap is, however, is still a bit of a mystery and dependent on numerous factors, both quantifiable and not so much. This market has never before been in this position, and we’re learning many things about it as we go.”

As for whether prices will come back down once geopolitical issues are settled and there’s no longer a RAM shortage, Tiago Reis of Newzoo isn’t quite sure. He believes that the price hikes indicate a higher price floor – the minimum a company can charge for its products.

“Our base case is that the industry is entering a period where the pricing floor for gaming hardware is likely higher than it was before,” he said. “Newzoo’s market data shows that engagement remains concentrated around established ecosystems and older titles, while overall growth is increasingly driven by monetization rather than major expansion in player time. Our interpretation is that these conditions reduce pressure on platform holders to aggressively subsidize hardware in the way previous generations sometimes did. That doesn’t mean prices can never come down, but a return to earlier pricing expectations looks increasingly unlikely.”

van Dreunen, on the other hand, has a bleak outlook on the future. He noted that in 2024, software became more expensive and the prices never quite came down. The same trend might now be coming to hardware. “Naturally, it will catalyze a shift to new ways to play that don’t rely on a large upfront investment from consumers, and I expect a large part of the industry to shift to subscriptions and ad-based revenue models,” he said. Unfortunately, more budget-conscious gamers “will soon find that no one is catering to them. Instead, I expect Big Tech firms will try to rent them a virtual PC or console in the cloud for a monthly fee.”

Interestingly, McWhirter believes that Nintendo will be hit quite hard with these new market conditions, since it released a brand-new console relatively recently. “It’s an imperative that it must grow the Switch 2 installed base as quickly as possible.”

Other analysts, like Piscatella and Ahmad, have noted that there are plenty of low-cost ways for gamers to play games such as internet cafes, the availability of older games, and mobile and cloud platforms.

“Gaming as a whole has plenty of low-cost or free gaming options, particularly in the mobile and free-to-play space, that directly contradict the notion of being a luxury hobby and are more likely to thrive in the ‘current economic conditions’ that companies have been fond of citing as the reason for their higher prices,” said Piscatella. Looking to future console generations, Elliot believes we will see more and more games released on available platforms, like PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. He also believes that “cross-gen is going to be huge” when it’s time for a new console cycle.

Bringing up comparisons with the mid-2020 Covid-19-induced supply chain issues, Dr Toto expressed some optimism about the future.

“I believe in 2028 and beyond, components should become more readily available again,” he said. “I might be too optimistic here, but today reminds me of the supply crisis in the early COVID days when consoles were hard to get for months worldwide. Back then, it was also hard to imagine a world with PS5 or Xbox units piled up to the ceiling in retail stores – which became reality rather suddenly after the supply chain was fixed again.”

Ultimately, however, Piscatella acknowledges that it is difficult to figure out what will happen to the gaming industry in the future, since all current assumptions could change in a matter of weeks, if not days, or even hours.

“Anyone that says they know what happens next is either lying to themselves or trying to sell something,” he said. “It’s the most hold-onto-your-butts moment I’ve seen in 20 years in the industry, and it both worries and saddens me.”

The hypercars in question include the Ferrari 499P 2023, the Peugeot 9X8 2025, the Porsche 963 2024, and the BMW M Hybrid V8. And to further add to the Le Mans celebration, there are five new World Circuit events, including the 24 Heures du Mans Racing Circuit.

If you’re curious which to take up first, the PlayStation Blog has a helpful five-question quiz. For example, those who favor “precision, rhythm and that ‘factory team’ feeling” should opt for the Ferrari 499P. If aggression and power are your main goal, then the BMW M Hybrid V8 is the right choice. And if you’re all about discipline, then the Safety Car is ready and waiting.

There are even several Drive Challenges to undertake to get to grips with each vehicle. In terms of content drops, it’s not the biggest that Gran Turismo 7 has ever seen, but Update 1.70 is certainly a long time coming for Le Mans fans. Stay tuned for more details on subsequent updates because it’s clear that Polyphony Digital is nowhere close to done with the post-launch support.

Lawrence spoke to FlowGames on YouTube about how Phranque, along with Rue, the talking ribbon on Faye’s sword, were important in God of War Laufey for both story and gameplay elements. The former in particular was a major source of excitement for the team at Santa Monica Studio.

“Both Phranque and Rue are really important, both in combat assists as supplemental to Faye, but also in traversal and puzzle solving, and just the utility of both of them and what they can do in the shapes that they’re in,” Lawrence said. “So, for Phranque, as a cosmic jelly cube, how we may use him in certain parts of the world has definitely been exciting for the team just in terms of design work for us.”

Interestingly, she also revealed that Phranque was part of the concept for God of War Laufey before Lawrence was even part of its development team. She noted that he was “one of the very first things” made for the title by Cory Barlog, and that he is a core part of the game’s overall story. Lawrence found it exciting to work with the character since she saw it as a way to see how far human connection could go when the subject is just a talking cube.

“When I came back to the team, the two characters that were there from the start with Cory were both Faye and Phranque,” Lawrence explained. “Phranque was one of the very first things…he’s always been a part of this story in the Everywhen. And I think about that possibility of taking something that feels kind of inanimate and not a person, and really seeing how we could drive connection and story and make you feel about a cube.”

“I think that was just an interesting challenge and pitch, and Cory and I were talking about it. I was like, ‘That’s really exciting. That’s something different.’ And I think that at the heart of it, too, it’s just the surprise factor of it that was just so exciting for the team. And where we could go with that mechanically has also been super cool.”

God of War Laufey was unveiled during Sony’s recent State of Play showcase, and is being developed exclusively for PS5. Santa Monica Studio hasn’t yet confirmed a release window for the title, but rumors have indicated that it “isn’t years away”.

As for the future of the franchise, Santa Monica Studio has said that it still has many more stories to tell involving Kratos. For now, however, the team is excited to explore the concept of “the afterlife of the gods” with Faye as the main character.

It’s a franchise that has been centered around Kratos for two entire decades, after all. You might argue that Atreus took up a bit of the spotlight in the franchise’s recent entries, but the story always revolved around Kratos and the people surrounding him, to the point where the rest of the cast were worked into his story instead of the other way around.

A game that has Faye taking over from Kratos then becomes a shift in the franchise’s direction. You could say it moves its center of gravity, but is it really a bad choice to do that? Faye does have deep ties to Kratos and comes with a lot of mystery surrounding her days before she met the man who would then mourn her death. We know she’s got a bit of history with Thor, too. It’s definitely a risk to have her as the leading character of a new addition to the franchise, but does that automatically mean that Laufey is doomed before it even gets off the ground?

This is an interesting debate, to be sure, and is one that we’re happy to dive into before we give you our take on it. Let’s get right to it.

An Understandable Set Of Concerns

Let’s start with what those who are against the very idea of Laufey are saying, since the concerns surrounding Faye’s new leading role must be given their due. Kratos has definitely been the focal point of more than just the story, with the combat and associated mechanics being tailored to match his fighting style. He’s an intense, often brutal brawler who brings calculated aggression to any battle.

Of course, the franchise has spent a very long time setting that up, allowing its emotional beats to tie directly into how Kratos approaches challenges and adventure alike. His evolution from a rage-filled former Spartan looking to bring an end to his enemies in the Greek myth, to someone who struggles to keep his past buried away, has informed how he controls himself and those around him. We never thought we’d ever call him the controlling type, but after the last two entries, that’s now a thing.

His story is one that burns with the intensity of a man who doesn’t let anything stand between him and his goals, a facet that has guided all of the adventures we’ve had with him over the years. He brings an emotional payoff to all of them, while also serving as the perfect vehicle for combat systems centered around balancing his tactical thinking with his unbridled rage.

Could Faye match that intensity in her own adventure? Could the story in the new location feel like it adds value to the overall setting built around Kratos, validating Sony’s insistence that Laufey is neither a prequel nor a spinoff? Will Phranque and Rue manage to fit within the franchise’s tone well enough to make them companions who are as memorable as Mimir?

These are all valid questions, and if we were to weigh in, we’d say it’s too early to answer them, but we will say that they all stem from attachment to a fan base that has been pretty vocal about their demands. And the fact that these questions are being asked is a good thing.

But doesn’t Faye deserve a chance? After all, the game isn’t out yet, right?

Brimming With Potential

Faye is no stranger to Kratos. In the myth, her rapport with the giants is well known, fending off Asgard’s ambitions long before she even met Kratos. That makes her a capable warrior in her own right, while we also get to see a strategic side to her, thanks to how it was her actions that set Kratos and Atreus down the path to ending Asgard’s threat once and for all.

When you look at it from that perspective, Laufey could certainly help flesh out her character better, while also giving us insights into her past that might inform our knowledge of the broader conflict between Asgard and the giants, all from the perspective of a capable warrior who was a credible threat to the villains. Her legacy definitely matters, and the chance to see more of it could bring a fresh new perspective to Kratos and Atreus’s future outings.

Faye might be a new playable protagonist, but she’s been a part of the franchise’s emotional core for a long time, and an important one at that. That’s probably where the biggest risk for Laufey comes into play. It’s a title that must justify its existence to a very discerning set of fans, ensuring that Faye’s time in the new location gives further insights into the stories we’ve already experienced. It must feel like a necessary addition instead of a distracting detour.

Achieving that might be easier said than done, as Laufey’s supporting cast may seem like risky additions according to some, and that could go against the tone that’s been set over the past few years. Phranque and Rue do look like they could be solid companions to Faye as she tries to navigate her new circumstances, but they seem too light and quirky in the brief glimpse we got of the new game. Of course, we’re going to assume that this won’t be the case throughout the game, but that’s something that can only be confirmed when we experience it.

Our minds immediately went to Mimir and how he became an invaluable companion to Kratos and Atreus, often being the one to find a suitable middle ground between dealing with matters aggressively or tactfully. He brought a dash of humor to both the adventures he was in, but that was balanced out by his own flaws and the mistakes of his past that he came to regret. He felt grounded within the emotional framework of the franchise. Phranque and Rue need to fulfil a similar role in Laufey, and do it so well that we would appreciate them right off the bat.

There’s also the notion that this isn’t the first big shift in the franchise’s direction to hit us. The jump from the PS2’s unbridled revenge story to the more measured take in the recent one worked thanks to solid development work. It was a shift in tone that succeeded because it was executed very well, and Laufey is going to have to emulate that, and perhaps even surpass it in order to succeed.

But we think that it’s a strong possibility, and the gameplay is what makes us confident about it.

A Capable And Agile Warrior

The developer’s assertion that Laufey aims to blend the speed and agility of combat systems from the older games with the precision of the latest titles might sound like a ploy to get us interested in Laufey if it weren’t for the evidence that has been placed right in front of us. Faye might not be as imposing as Kratos, but she’s certainly as deadly as him when you put a potent weapon in her hand. She was the former owner of the Leviathan Axe, and wielded it impressively enough to make Brok and Sindri proud of it, and of the warrior in whose hands it did destructive damage to the enemies.

The new sword she gets, thanks to Rue, looks to be quite a nasty weapon in her hands, and the fact that Rue’s ribbon-based moves are incorporated into her new fighting style immediately took us back to the reach and crowd control potential of the Blades of Chaos. It’s a great way of blending her former weapon’s single-target capabilities with something that comes close to Kratos’ arsenal, but with fresh twists that could make Faye’s very interesting to learn and master.

Another aspect of Laufey that has us very intrigued is her innate magical abilities, and the fact that the new location amplifies them to a point where she could separate enemy souls from their shells and use them to incorporate additional attacks into her combos. Combine all of that with her agility and speed, and you get a gameplay loop that feels mechanically distinct enough to stand out from the franchise’s previous entries.

Of course, the enemies you take on with the new combat system are an important part of the experience, and the glimpses of the new location’s rogues gallery that we’ve been given have us reasonably optimistic about Laufey’s chances at doing well when it finally releases. If the combat works well with the setting, this could feel like a game that has all the ingredients to make gamers notice.

But of course, we have to consider how a new game without Kratos is a hard sell for anybody who’s been following the series. The franchise gave him an overhaul from a mad, revenge-filled man to a somber and reflective one, and it was a shift that was well-received thanks to how the new mechanics were able to justify it. But is it ready for another one, and a title where Kratos takes a backseat to a new lead?

Laufey is taking on a massive creative burden on that front, and the reveal has only managed to divide the franchise’s fan base over the potential for its success. It needs to prove that Faye is capable enough of carrying an entire campaign on her shoulders, while the new location needs to become more than a concept. It needs to be the stage for a new chapter in the franchise, and one that connects back to everything that we already know and is detailed enough to make it a worthy addition to the game.

The skepticism surrounding Laufey is understandable when you consider the enormous risks it is undertaking, but it’s also what makes it such an interesting addition to the franchise. Laufey and Faye deserve a chance before we pass judgment on them. It doesn’t deserve blind confidence, not yet, but it mustn’t be written off just yet.

Reinventions aren’t a new thing in gaming, and Laufey is one that must prove itself before it becomes an accepted part of the fan base. But what we’ve seen of it makes us optimistic about its chances, and we can’t wait for its 2027 release to see if that sentiment was well-deserved or not.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

In a video analyzing the potential performance of the PS6 and Project Helix based on the hardware specifications that have been leaked so far, Moore’s Law is Dead drew comparisons like Project Helix having 70 compute units, compared to the PS6’s 54. Similarly, there is also some speculation on their respective processors’ clock speeds.

The YouTuber brought up the fact that, in the current console generation, while Xbox Series X has “better compute” than the PS5, Sony’s console was helped by the fact that it has better cooling systems, allowing it to run at higher speeds for longer times before heat becomes an issue. He noted that the difference between the two consoles in terms of horsepower came down to arguing about the Xbox Series X’s 12.1 teraFLOPS versus PS5’s 10.3 teraFLOPS.

“That’s a 30 percent difference. That’s a bigger teraFLOPS difference than last-gen; that’s notable,” said Moore’s Law is Dead when comparing the next-generation consoles. “But we don’t know the clock speeds. Maybe the XBOX Helix runs at 2.5 GHz, and the PS6 runs at 3 GHz. Then it’s pretty much a wash. Maybe it’s the other way around though. Maybe Sony wants to save on cooling, because I know it’s a 160-watt design; maybe Sony’s is 2.5 GHz and Microsoft’s is 3. In that scenario, Microsoft actually has a substantial win in compute.”

After discussing the differences in how the two next-generation consoles will handle memory bandwidth, he went on to note that “All I can tell you without knowing the clock [speeds] is that the bandwidth difference is smaller than last time, and the compute difference is a little larger. Net-on-net, it’s kind of similar to last-gen. And so, for me, that sounds like one of them is meant for 4K 144 [FPS], and one of them is made for 4K 60.”

Ultimately, Moore’s Law is Dead doesn’t believe the hardware differences between the PS6 and Project Helix will matter too much in the long run once games start coming out for them. Depending on the skill of developers and how much they can optimize for the software and hardware of the next-gen systems, it will largely come down to differences in frame rates. He also brought up the fact that consoles are typically used on displays that only go up to 120 Hz, which means that the PS6 wouldn’t lose out on much against Project Helix and its capability of higher frame rates due to having more compute units.

Sony hasn’t yet made any announcements regarding the PS6, and just about everything we might know about it largely comes from rumors. In case you’re interested, here are the biggest rumors you should know about. As for Project Helix, Microsoft has been talking about its next-generation console, noting that its ray tracing capabilities are well beyond what Xbox Series X/S is capable of.

To take advantage of this focus, the story essentially revolves around the fact that mutants are still quite obscure for the world at large. This also means that mutants will face plenty of discrimination, especially at the hands of people who don’t know about them and want them to not exist.

“The important thing, I guess, is the X-Men don’t exist in our game,” he said. “We wanted to focus on a Wolverine storyline and really build it from that character and build a world that is in a state where mutants aren’t well known. They are known; they’re falling victim to people who do know about them and want to destroy them.”

Despite X-Men not showing up as a group in the story, Marvel’s Wolverine will still feature plenty of cameos from superheroes that have typically worked with, or against, Logan. This includes Jean Grey and Sabretooth, both of whom will feature to some extent in Marvel’s Wolverine.

“So, at the very beginning of the game, Logan actually belongs on a team called Team X, and he has teamed up with Sabretooth, who you see in the gameplay trailer,” said Smith. “But there are no X-Men. There will be a lot of Marvel characters that come into the storyline; so, we’ve already shown Mystique in the earlier trailer, we’ve shown Sabretooth, Jean Grey in this one, and players can expect to have a lot more throughout the game.”

Smith also went on to confirm that Marvel’s Wolverine takes place in the same universe at Marvel’s Spider-Man. However, the studio didn’t want to divert attention away from Logan. As such, any appearance by Spider-Man “will be some Easter-eggy sort of overlap,” Smith explained, “but there is no crossover between Spider-Man and Wolverine.”

On the gameplay side of things, director Mike Daily explained that Jean Grey has been designed to be an “important supplement” to Logan’s own abilities when the two have to team up together to manage enemies. Even outside of combat, Grey can help Logan out when he’s simply sneaking around, thanks to her telepathic powers.

“Even outside of these moments, though, she’s a capable combatant who can defend herself and take out enemies independently on the battlefield,” said Daly, “and as you go through the course of the game, Logan and Jean will team up more times. In stealth, in particular, you’ll be able to take advantage of some coordination between the two of you, using her telepathy to influence enemies.”

Sabretooth, on the other hand, has what has been described by Daly as “a little bit of a contentious relationship” with Logan. In gameplay, this relationship can be seen through the banter between the two characters.

“It’s fun to see them playing off of each other,” he said. “It’s almost a competitive spirit. Jean might use her telekinesis to open up an enemy to help you take them down [but] when you’re fighting with Sabretooth, it’s more like you thought you got the kill and he snatches it right out of your hands just to deny you the pleasure. It’s a different dynamic.”

Marvel’s Wolverine is being developed exclusively for the PS5, and is slated for release on September 15th. For more details, take a look at its various accessibility features, as well as how it will feature comic book-style pacing.

Not a Prequel

Pretty obvious, considering that a new journey begins the very moment Faye is laid to rest, one that may run concurrently to the Norse saga (depending on how time works in this new world). While Santa Monica Studio considered making a prequel, it instead opted to start “right where we left off” and continue from Faye’s perspective.

Potentially Saving Kratos and Atreus

Besides the dilemma afflicting the Everywhen, where magic begins and ends – though the developer has hinted at its “true nature – Faye has a personal stake in all this: returning home to Kratos and Atreus. Why? Because of the discovery of another Mask, which could mean that her plan – which seemingly involves them going on their pivotal journey – is in jeopardy. Again, there’s a lot obfuscated, but for Faye, “Find your way home” is more than just a promise.

Faye’s Character

When you land in a completely unknown world where everything is trying to kill or capture you, getting thrown off is completely natural. That’s exactly what happens to Faye, but Santa Monica Studio considers her more “improvisational” than Kratos. Case in point: looking for ways to escape, destroying a magical cask to set herself free and reaching out to those around her – due to being less emotionally closed off – for help. For the player, this helps in learning more about her character and the Everywhen simultaneously while ensuring the pacing remains brisk.

Jumping is Back

We know, we know – it feels like the return of jumping, which we haven’t seen since the original trilogy, may be kind of overblown. But when you consider that it’s been over 16 years since Kratos was hopping around on Mount Olympus, laying waste to all and sundry, it’s a welcome sight, especially since it adds some new dimensions to traversal and combat.

More Agile and Fast-Paced Combat

Before they married, Kratos and Faye had actually fought, with the former describing her fighting style as “beautiful.” Laufey finally shows us what he meant, and we’re inclined to agree. It isn’t just the air-dashing or launching enemies to juggle them in mid-air. Faye’s fighting style makes use of her agility in interesting ways, whether it’s grappling towards an enemy to kick them in the face or pulling them towards her for a quick execution. As the developer described in the combat quick look, the ability to “transition seamlessly between the air and the ground states led to this hyper responsiveness that quickly became fundamental to what made her so fun to play.”

Still Brutal

That said, even if it doesn’t have the same gore as the original trilogy, Laufey still retains the brutality of the Norse saga. One sequence sees her attempting to separate Begtse’s right shoulder while the sword is lodged deep in the left. So while there’s definitely a “lot of fun, new, more over-the-top things that you can do in this game compared to the grounded nature of the previous two games,” per the quick look, it’s still using the modern system as a strong foundation.

The Golden Hand of the Jötnar

Despite flowing with magic before, something has happened to the Everywhen to disrupt it. But while Faye doesn’t have a handle on it initially, she regains the Golden Hand of the Jötnar, which is now supercharged for some reason. The fact that she’s more comfortable wielding magic than Kratos means she’ll unlock even more new spells on her journey, but it’s probably going to be difficult to top…

Soul Snatcher

What’s better than ejecting an enemy’s soul right out of their body, Dr Strange style? Being able to attack that soul and deal damage, and then reconnect them together, creating a fiery explosion which hurts nearby enemies. Funnily enough, the more the soul is attacked, the more it gains this volatility, which can disintegrate those in its path, thus opening up even more combo and crowd control potential.

Two New Companions

Compared to the previous games where Kratos has either fought solo or with a companion like Atreus (with Mimir around to mostly provide commentary), Laufey has two – Rue and Phranque. If the rumors are true, then there may be a third companion right under everyone’s noses. For now, however, we’re fine with having two allies who hold their own in a battle in their own ways.

Phranque, the Cosmic Cube

A cosmic cube, played by Jack Quaid, best known as Hughie from The Boys. While providing more than enough quips to entertain (or annoy) players, he’s also very protective of Everywhen’s creatures. We saw one imprisoned with a strange device, and given Faye’s just demeanor, it wouldn’t be surprising if she’s asked to free these creatures. Other than that, he’s excellent at launching enemies into the air for Faye to follow up on.

Rue, the Enchanted Ribbon

On the other hand is Rue, played by Perlina Lau, the guardian of the sword Faye wields. Though she’s essentially ribbons, Rue can augment the combo potential in some pretty cool ways, from pulling enemies towards Faye to having a whip-like attack that can damage enemies. Many of the spinning attacks are also courtesy of Rue, which makes us wonder what other tricks she has.

Customizing Rue and Phranque

Fortunately, you’ll be able to upgrade both companions and tailor your playstyle to their abilities. Maybe Faye can lean more into using Rue and the blade as a whip with wind-up attacks that offer more range. Maybe Phranque can glom onto an enemy and immobilize them for a time or, I don’t know, open a black hole thanks to his cosmic powers. Whatever the case, it’s clear that what we saw in the gameplay reveal only scratches the surface of their capabilities.

Sekhmet and Begtse

As powerful as Faye is, she’ll have some pretty tough competition, especially in the form of Sekhmet and Begtse. Santa Monica Studio has teased other “evil” entities and “giant creatures,” one of which we’ve seen in the giant lion that Sekhmet uses to fly around. There’s speculation that it’s actually Bai Ze, though his appearance doesn’t fully match.

The Stunning Visuals

At first, the forests, overgrown ruins, and butterflies give the impression of a high fantasy setting. That impression quickly goes away when you see the massive cube-like tower, and then stumble upon the camp that Sekhmet and Begtse have set up among burnt-down trees. But hark, in the distance is a massive observatory that once again channels that high fantasy feel. Something tells us this art direction is going to be a little all over the place (which is fitting with the theme), but it’s still incredibly beautiful and bursting with colors.

That’s not even getting into the facial animations, which look absolutely stunning, coupled with how smooth the combat animations and subtle details like hair physics come across. Santa Monica Studio is making one of the best-looking games of this generation – shocker, I know – but it’s truly amazing what it can do when leveraging the PS5’s full power.

Release Window?

So the big question: When can we actually play it? Santa Monica Studio didn’t provide a release date or window, but according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, you shouldn’t read too much into this. Why? Because apparently, it isn’t “years away” like many of the other big announcements we’ve seen. And before it was revealed, insider NateTheHate claimed it’s releasing in the first half of 2027 (if there’s no delay, of course). Regardless, it doesn’t seem like Laufey will keep us waiting for very long.