A hardcore God of War fan recently took to Twitter to show off her replica of the Leviathan Axe, complete with glowing symbols on the blade and two equipped runes for runic attacks. While the gaming world continues to wait with bated breath for the announcement of God of War: Ragnarok’s release date, this labor of love is a clear indication that appreciation for 2018’s God of War hasn’t died down in the slightest. This hype was further fueled by the recent PlayStation 5 patch for the game, which allowed the it to be played in 4K and at up to 60 frames per second.
As for the actual in-game Leviathan Axe, it’s unclear how significant of a role it will play in the upcoming Ragnarok. In 2018’s God of War, it was a bold step away from Kratos’s trademark weapons, the Blades of Chaos (or Athena, or Exile, depending on the game). Luckily, the axe proved to be a more than capable stand-in, allowing players to control Kratos in new ways and open up a litany of new puzzle, combat, and exploration mechanics. Like Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, the Leviathan Axe also revolves around the ability to recall itself to the wielder’s hands, which was the bread and butter of much of God of War’s gameplay.
On Twitter, Megret Agnès says that her Leviathan Axe replica took over 150 hours of work, and it shows. The replica is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, and the glowing symbols and designs that adorn it indicate that the model is based on the weapon’s appearance at max level. The replica is so lifelike that Cory Barlog, creative director at Santa Monica Studio, weighed in to call the model “glorious.” On the downside, Agnès responded to one comment to clarify that if the axe could chop wood, it wouldn’t light up; therefore, it would probably not be particularly helpful against a draugr or Dark Elf.
This is not the first time Agnès has paid serious homage to God of War. In fact, the year the game was released, she once again took to Twitter to announce that she had named her son Atreus. She has also created a replica of the deer that Kratos and Atreus hunt near the beginning of the game, complete with glowing antlers. Her Twitter features replicas and items from other games as well, most notably the Assassin’s Creed and the Bayonetta series.
With God of War: Ragnarok set to release, or at least be announced, sometime this year, there is no telling what new and fascinating imagery Sony Santa Monica will devise next. An additional hurdle the team must jump is making the game look distinguishable from other games that take place against a Norse or Viking backdrop, such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and Valheim. Luckily, the God of War series has always excelled at rising to the top of its class with its design, music, characters, and gameplay. With the next game as the series’ first entry on current generation consoles, it’s almost certainly going to be a genre-defining experience.
Source: Megret Agnès/Twitter