Sony surprised everyone when they opened their E3 2016 press conference with a version of God of War that looked very different compared to what the series had done in the past. Rather than featuring hectic hack and slash combat with lots of blood and gore, we got a slow and methodical journey with Kratos and his son that gave a completely different vibe.

We know that it’s going to be very different compared to the previous games, but now thanks to a new IGN hands-on we’re getting more information on just how different it will be. The game’s world will be much bigger than the linear levels featured in previous games, not exactly being open world but inviting players to go exploring.

This new focus on exploration will be improved by the fact that there will be no loading times, with the game also giving you full control of the camera. There will also be some new RPG systems that will give a lot more depth to the game, though information on those systems have not yet been shared by Sony.

While God of War does not have a release date, Sony suggested that it will be launching exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in 2017.

- This article was updated on:March 8th, 2018