David Jaffe, the creator of the original God of War series, has strongly criticized the newly released 2D side-scroller God of War: Sons of Sparta. In a YouTube video, Jaffe expressed frustration over the game's focus on a young Kratos and its production quality. The game, developed by Mega Cat Studios in partnership with Santa Monica Studio, was announced and launched during a recent PlayStation State of Play event.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a canon story set in the youth of Kratos and his brother Deimos, focusing on their training at the Spartan Agoge. Announced last week at PlayStation State of Play, the game was released immediately on PS5 consoles.
David Jaffe, director of the original God of War trilogy, shared his reaction in a nine-minute YouTube video. He acknowledged that a 2.5D God of War game was something he had always wanted, but stated, "This to me is not what I was talking about. I don't like it, I don't recommend it." Jaffe described the game as "crap," "dumb," and "stupid," questioning its existence with the exclamation, "What the f**k are they thinking."
While calling the gameplay "fine" and "servicable," Jaffe criticized the heavy emphasis on story and dialogue. He noted playing about an hour of the game and said, "They just kept stopping over and over and having the characters just talk and talk and talk. And the voice acting's not very good, the story - at least what I played… who the f**k wants to play [Sons of Sparta]. This is not God of War."
Jaffe argued that portraying a young Kratos as a "generic f**king kid" deviated from the character's established appeal, calling the origin story a "dumb idea." He suggested fans expected a more violent, bloody Metroidvania like Blasphemous, which matches the tone of earlier God of War titles. Comparing production values, Jaffe referenced recent games such as Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Neon Inferno, and 2D Shinobi, stating, "People want this production value, and they want this vibe, and they want it to be classic Kratos."
Jaffe speculated that the game leaves a bad taste for God of War fans and reflects a decline in Sony's executive decisions. He questioned who greenlit the project, adding, "I want to know who at Sony thought this was what people wanted."
Separately, Sony announced remakes of the original God of War trilogy, which are in early development. The company stated, "We know that remaking the Greek saga has been a frequent request – the genuine, passionate interest from fans to see the original games return is something we're very thankful for."
Fan concerns have also arisen regarding the release window for God of War 6, with speculation that it may be distant despite recent franchise activity, including Sons of Sparta and upcoming projects.
