David Jaffe is a name that carries immense weight in the gaming industry as one of the original creators of God of War, one of PlayStation’s most prolific and successful franchises to date.
In recent years, however, Jaffe has become just as famous for his unfiltered presence on YouTube. On his channel, he frequently dissects the industry and offers his honest thoughts on the latest releases, rarely sugarcoating his opinions. And he is particularly well-known for his honesty regarding the direction Santa Monica Studio has taken with God of War since its 2018 reinvention.
Now, we have got another episode of that! After the shadowdrop of God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2.5D action-platformer that explores Kratos’ life before he became the rage-fueled Ghost of Sparta we met in 2005, Jaffe revealed he is not happy at all with it.
“Stop F*cking Around with Kratos,” Says David Jaffe
In a video published this past Saturday on his YouTube channel, David Jaffe revealed his thoughts on Santa Monica’s most recent release, and he seems pretty upset about it.
He actually begins the video by admitting that a 2.5D God of War game was something he always wanted to see happen. Still, he immediately says that Sons of Sparta isn’t the execution he was hoping for, being pretty far from it.
“What were they thinking? Like what the fck were they thinking?” is one of the first sequences Jaffe uses to put his emotions out. Right after, he explains that the game isn’t completely bad, but the problem for him is that it is just “okay”.
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The developer goes on and criticizes the game’s UI and systems for being too confusing and derivative of God of War Ragnarök (a game Jaffe has publicly stated he hates) and also took shots at the writing, claiming there is too much dialogue and not enough gameplay, ultimately calling the younger Kratos a “generic, boring f*cking kid.” He even went as far as saying, “It’s like we are watching a WB Kids TV show. It makes no f*cking sense.”
Throughout the video, Jaffe explained that he wanted to see a platformer with a more violent, gory, and serious tone, even questioning why Santa Monica Studio didn’t collaborate with the developers of Slain or Blasphemous to achieve that darker aesthetic. “Who thought this is what the audience wanted? I don’t know,” he said.
The developer’s core argument is that fans don’t care for a version of Kratos that doesn’t align with the trilogies they already know; for him, the Sons of Sparta version feels like a “disrespect” to the character and the entire franchise.
[Jaffe] explains that the game isn’t completely bad, but the problem for him is that it is just “okay”.
It is worth noting, however, that Jaffe confessed he hasn’t finished the game, having played only about an hour. Regardless, he ended with a clear message for Sony: “I would say based on the hour I’ve played and everything else I’ve seen… send Sony a message which is back the f*ck off. Stop f*cking around with Kratos. Here’s a news flash: We gave you a great character in 2005, and you changed him in 2018. Okay, fine. I love 2018, just don’t like Ragnarök. But you know what? F*ck off.”
Anyway, here is David Jaffe’s full review for you to watch in its entirety:
Well, even without Jaffe’s seal of approval, God of War: Sons of Sparta is available right now for PlayStation 5. Whether you’re in it for the lore or just curious about this new 2.5D experience, it is definitely a conversation starter.
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