God of War has been among the most anticipated PS4 games ever since it was unveiled at Sony’s E3 2016 presentation (complete with a live orchestra). Since the big reveal, fans have been hungry for more details about the game’s mechanics, including specifics about combat. However, Sony’s Santa Monica Studio was guarding that information closely – until now.

For our February cover story, we visited Santa Monica Studio to play God of War ourselves, diving into the combat to see how Kratos’ new array of gear and abilities change the battlefield. We interviewed the team about reimagining the God of War formula, bringing players closer to the action, and how Kratos’ relationship with his son manifests in gameplay. Whether you’re a newcomer to the series or an old fan, you’ll want to learn all about this epic journey through Norse mythology.

You can check out our cover by clicking the image below to open the full spread.

Check back throughout the month for exclusive God of War features, including interviews, concept art, and more. The coverage trailer below gives you a taste of what's on the way:

In addition to God of War, the issue features our Top 50 Games of 2017. This massive retrospective highlights the titles that defined last year, including major releases like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. You can also check out the reader and editor picks for the best games in various categories like shooter, role-playing, and sports. Beyond the year-end awards, we also have a detailed look at the Overwatch League (Blizzard’s latest esports effort), plus an interview with Nintendo’s Eiji Aonuma, producer of The Legend of Zelda series.

Print subscribers can expect their issues to begin arriving in the next few days. Can’t wait that long? The digital edition of the issue is available later today on PC/Mac, iOS, Android, and Google Play. You can also get the latest issue through third-party apps on Nook, Kindle, and Zinio starting tomorrow. To switch your print subscription to digital, click here, or to create a new subscription to the digital edition, click here.

To see our entire month of God of War coverage, click in the banner below and bookmark our hub. We'll have several stories to add to it in the coming days and weeks.