God of War is a third-person action-adventure video game. Its gameplay features an over-the-shoulder free camera, a departure from the previous installments, which featured a fixed cinematic camera (with the exception of 2007's two-dimensional side-scroller Betrayal). Cinematographically, the game is presented in a continuous shot, with no camera cuts or loading screens. Although the previous main installment, Ascension (2013), introduced multiplayer to the series, this installment is single-player-only. Regarding the level structure, director Cory Barlog said "it's open, but it is not an open world." Due to its openness, a fast travel feature is unlocked later in the game. Swimming, an ability in previous games, was cut;[10] players instead use a boat to traverse bodies of water.
