Sony shared new footage of the forthcoming God of War title during its E3 2017 press conference.

The footage shows antihero Kratos and his adventures in a new land, compounded by brief clips of cinematic footage which then transitions into several gameplay footage with Kratos using his axe and shield. The clip also introduces some brutal footage, such as on where he slices an opponent in half, and more.

At one point, Kratos can be seen paddling a boat through a body of water, and a later sequence shows him and his child with a colossal creature called the World's Serpent, perhaps even Jörmungandr, a Norse mythology serpent. The son can seemingly interpret the World's Serpent's language, who says it wants to help Kratos.

The trailer dips into sequences that'll probably please the most vehement God of War fans, displaying the series's trademark hack-and-slash combat, infused with a brand-new Norse mythology setting. Sony announced this God of War reboot at its E3 press conference last year, with Sony's Santa Monica Studio handling development. Last year, we called God of War 4 "a new God of War for a new generation" based on its gameplay trailer.

God Of War 4: A Father-And-Son Adventure?

At the time of its reveal, Sony expressed extensively about wanting to find a way to make the main character more mature. In previous God of War entries, Kratos had an unconquerable level of rage, and he would go on to eliminate every god in multiple pantheons across the franchise's entries.

This time, however, Kratos seems a bit more lax, now a father to Atreus in Scandinavia attempting to manage and better control his inner fury, presumably to stand as a better model for his child. While that's true, Kratos also wants to teach his spawn how to survive and kill.

The dynamics of such different goals would likely result in an internal feud for Kratos, who now has balance his calm, collected self and his rage-induced persona simultaneously. Those alone set players up for an incredible and compelling journey, battling demons both outside and in.

Simply put, God of War appears to be more of a character driven story more than anything else, showing the warrior's troubled relationship with his son. The boy, meanwhile, might also take a more active role than what we saw in last year's trailer, seeing as he seems more confident, defiant, and more of a "voice of reason" for his father.

But while the game's father-and-son adventure sounds promising, other details remain nebulous. Players certainly have plenty of time to speculate, as the game won't be coming this year.

God Of War 4 Release Date

Sony confirmed that the game will launch on early 2018, exclusively for the PS4, meaning it'll miss the holiday season, a crucial period for the gaming industry. Looking far and beyond, this new God of War won't be Kratos's last game, so his story simply might not be finished yet.

Thoughts about the forthcoming God of War game? Would you say you're interested in how Sony approached the newest entry in the God of War series? Feel free to sound off in the comments section. You can also check out the new gameplay footage below.