GOD OF WAR Features A Skill Tree That Will Let Players Customise Kratos' Armour And Abilities

God of War may be one of Sony's most hyped up games releasing on the PlayStation 4 this year and for good reason. Every time a behind the scenes comes out, they shed some more light on the game's development and keep fans' expectations flying high.

Today is no different as a new behind the scenes digs deeper into God of War's combat system and how the progression system, for both Kratos and Atreus, works. Creative Director Cory Barlog and Lead Gameplay Designer Jason McDonald sit down to discuss about the upgrades to Kratos' armour and how this affects the character to the point one player could end up using their own customised Kratos, which will be different from somebody else's Kratos. Barlog says they wanted the customisation to "fed directly into the core loop of the game."

"All of Atreus' core abilites, all of Kratos' core abilities as well as his reactions, the cooldowns and how fast those go. All of your damage as well as ability to take damage...all of those things are factors that you can have control over."

McDonald mentions that they wanted to make sure that there were enough options for players to customise into whatever they find useful, and what they like doing, as they gain new abilities. 

"There's a skill tree that you'll be able to use to giveyourself more axe abilities or more bare hand abilities, or maybe you want to prove your defensive capabilities and block, and parry." McDonald says that if blocking is your thing, you can also go to the shield skill tree and upgrade your shield, instead.

Barlog explains that players may find themselves in a dillema if, say, they upgrade their strength abilities and are going up against an opponent that is knocking out all their health at once, players will have the choice to balance that out and up their defence.

"Basically...whatever you want to do is probably somewhere in the game." 

His vengeance against the Gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse Gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive…And teach his son to do the same. This startling reimagining of God of War deconstructs the core elements that defined the series—satisfying combat; breathtaking scale; and a powerful narrative—and fuses them anew.