https://www.polygon.com/2018/1/15/16894114/god-of-war-kratos-ax-combat

Sony Santa Monica’s revival of the God of War franchise on PlayStation 4 is an attempt to reinvent the series: new mythology, new voice actor, new weapons. That last change required a rethinking of the entire combat setup in 2018’s God of War, as the studio explained in a video interview with Game Informer.

The first concept art for God of War showed Kratos holding an ax, a decision that the team made partly because it wanted to take a more “grounded” direction for the game, according to lead gameplay designer Jason McDonald. He said that the developers were initially unsure of how to make Kratos’ ax feel distinct. It was a tall task, considering that Kratos’ previous weapon is unique and so closely associated with the character. (After all, the Blades of Chaos consisted of a pair of large, jagged slicing tools that were literally chained to Kratos’ forearms.)