While the PS4 and PS5 God of War games are almost universally praised for their gameplay structure, narrative and visuals, there is a small number of God of War fans who remember what the Ghost of Sparta was like back when he first debuted.
The God of War titles of the PS2/PS3 era are harsh and epic action-adventure games set during Greek antiquity. The story follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior marred by sorrow and fury. Kratos, driven by vengeance, paves a violent and deadly road through the Greek mythological pantheons.
The tale advances years later in the God of War PS4/PS5 era, when Kratos has established a new life in Midgard, the home of the Norse gods. Unaware of the impending peril, Kratos is more reserved and reflective as he guides his son Atreus. Eventually, they stumble across a prophecy that jeopardizes their own lives as they travel through the icy wilderness.
While there has been much debate among gamers about which era of God of War is better, you can count former Santa Monica Studio director David Jaffe in the camp that only supports the first three installments of the franchise.
As the game director for the first chapter released in 2005, Jaffe designed the gameplay and storyline that molded Kratos's ruthless journey for vengeance.
"I don't want to see these characters grow," said Jaffee on Kratos and another iconic genre character. "...I don't like the direction that God of War is going in at all."
Confusingly, Jaffe also stated that he loved the 2018 reboot of the franchise but the 2023 sequel was "not his cup of tea."
"Someone needs to be able to tell these people no sometimes. And say, 'We love that you're arty, we love that you're taking stuff from your personal life... but somebody needs to step up there and go, 'You need to be able to do all that within the pen, within the fence we've put up and if you step outside [the fence] the electric collar is going to get you. You need to do all that within the pen that says, "This is what God of War is.'"
In some ways, this is very similar to an argument in comic books right now, where some fans are fed up with new school writers injecting their own personal experiences and stories into classic characters.
Those same fans argue that comic book characters should be written in a consistent manner with respect to how they were depicted in prior stories and events and not in a manner that more easily allows a writer to recount personal experiences or trauma.
Jaffe is making a similar case about Kratos although it's difficult to say there isn't some personal bias here since he was heavily involved with the franchise's creation.
Where do you stand on this debate? Let us know in the comment section below.