God of War: Sons of Sparta is already sparking heated debate, and some of the loudest criticism is coming from the person most closely tied to the franchise’s origins. David Jaffe, the creator of God of War, says the newest entry leaves him cold—especially its portrayal of Kratos and the way the game leans on story moments that, in his view, disrupt the pace.
The new PS5 spinoff was recently released without much warning during the latest State of Play presentation, quickly confirming long-running rumors about a 2D, metroidvania-style God of War project. But after spending about an hour with it, Jaffe didn’t mince words. He said he has no desire to continue playing and questioned why the game was made in the first place.
Sons of Sparta returns the series to ancient Greece, focusing on a younger Kratos in training. For Jaffe, that setup is part of the problem. He argues the character feels like a “generic kid version” rather than the Kratos players recognize—an identity shift that makes the protagonist seem unrecognizable compared to the brutal anti-hero who helped define the series.
That complaint ties into another major point he raised: tone. Jaffe believes Sons of Sparta is missing the harsh edge that made God of War famous, saying it lacks the brutality and gore many fans associate with Kratos’ early adventures. In his view, the game pulls its punches, making it feel tamer than what the name “God of War” implies.
Jaffe also broadened his criticism beyond the spinoff, reiterating that he wasn’t fully on board with the direction taken in the modern era of the franchise. While the 2018 reboot and its Ragnarök sequel were massive commercial hits, he feels the writers took too much liberty in reshaping Kratos into a more measured, fatherly figure.
In his discussion of Sons of Sparta specifically, Jaffe pointed to heavy storytelling as another issue. He believes frequent dialogue and narrative beats interrupt exploration and combat, slowing down what should be a faster, more aggressive experience. While he doesn’t find the story compelling so far, he does concede it might improve as the game goes on.
Even with all his complaints, Jaffe stops short of calling it a total failure. At one point, he acknowledges that Sons of Sparta is “not a bad game.” Still, he questions its value at $30 and argues that other side-scrolling action games in the genre offer stronger production quality.
Players, however, appear more divided—and in many cases more positive—than the franchise creator. The game is earning a decent reception from fans, landing around a 7.5 user score on Metacritic. That said, even supportive players have a similar concern: in an extremely crowded metroidvania field, Sons of Sparta may struggle to stand out, even with the weight of the God of War name behind it.
For now, God of War: Sons of Sparta looks like the kind of release that will keep conversations going—about what Kratos should be, what God of War should feel like, and whether a 2D metroidvania approach can truly capture the intensity that built the franchise in the first place.
