The action game God of War: Laufey, announced at the June State of Play presentation, generated great interest among fans of the series, but it was not without controversy. One of the most discussed elements of the game was Frank – an intelligent cosmic gelatinous cube that accompanies the main character, Faye. Some fans found the character too whimsical and not dark enough for the franchise's style.
Project game director Ariel Lawrence indirectly responded to the criticism in an interview with the FlowGames YouTube channel. According to her, Frank was one of the first characters conceived by creative director Cory Barlog during the initial concept development for the new game.
Lawrence noted that Frank's unusual cubic shape opened up many interesting possibilities for the developers. The character plays an important role not only in the plot but also in the gameplay, assisting in battles, world exploration, and puzzle-solving.
According to the game director, the team aimed to transform a seemingly inanimate object into a full-fledged hero with whom players could emotionally connect. This task seemed particularly interesting to the developers and allowed them to bring something new to the series.
In addition, Frank received unique mechanics related to his nature as a "cosmic gelatinous cube." The developers hinted that the character would be actively used in various gameplay situations involving movement through locations and interaction with the environment.
Although some of the audience met Frank and another unusual companion – a living sword ribbon named Ru – with a degree of skepticism, the creators are confident that the characters can only be fully appreciated after playing the game.