<Tr> <Th> Genre (s) </Th> <Td> Action - adventure </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Mode (s) </Th> <Td> Single - player </Td> </Tr> <P> God of War is an action - adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). Released on April 20, 2018, for the PlayStation 4 (PS4) console, it is the eighth installment in the God of War series, the eighth chronologically, and the sequel to 2010's God of War III . Unlike previous games, which were loosely based on Greek mythology, this game is loosely based on Norse mythology . The main protagonists are Kratos, the former Greek God of War, and his young son Atreus . Following the death of Kratos' second wife and Atreus' mother, they journey to fulfill her promise and spread her ashes at the highest peak of the nine realms . Kratos keeps his troubled past a secret from Atreus, who is unaware of his divine nature . Along their journey, they encounter monsters and gods of the Norse world . </P> <P> Described by creative director Cory Barlog as a reimagining of the franchise, a major gameplay change is that Kratos prominently uses a magical battle axe instead of his signature double - chained blades . God of War also uses an over-the - shoulder free camera, with the game in one shot, as opposed to the fixed cinematic camera of the previous entries . The game includes role - playing video game elements, and Kratos' son Atreus provides assistance in combat . The majority of the original game's development team worked on God of War and designed the game to be accessible and grounded . A separate short text - based game, God of War: A Call from the Wilds released in February 2018, follows Atreus on his first adventure . </P>

Who do you play as in the new god of war