UPDATE
Do you agree with David Jaffe about Kratos? Or do you think he’s “out of touch?” Let us know below!
ORIGINAL STORY
In the gaming space, the evolution of a franchise over the course of years is vital for it to stay relevant. If you can’t maintain a certain quality level, things will go badly for you. But, if you take the time to reinvent yourself, the results can speak for themselves. A great example from 2023 is Mario, who had a “wonder-ful” new title showcase how Nintendo isn’t afraid to change things up on a large scale. Last year had an equally big shift via God of War Ragnarok and how it depicted Kratos and those around him.
The game was the continuation of the 2018 reboot by Santa Monica Studio, and from the get-go, it was an entirely different title from the PS2 games that David Jaffe created. It had a deeper story, a 3rd-person perspective, a revamped combat system, etc. Jaffe isn’t associated with these games, and he noted before that he was a fan of the 2018 reboot and some of the things it did. But in a recent video, he said he wasn’t as thrilled with what’s become of Kratos via the 2022 title.
Not only does he feel that the games are going in the “wrong direction,” he also feels that Santa Monica Studio did too much to Kratos and that his character is far beyond what it should be. He even cited the last two Indiana Jones movies and how they forced Dr. Jones to “grow and evolve,” and it hurt things:
“I don’t want these characters to grow.”
He even called out the arc with Atreus and how Kratos shouldn’t have a living son or be a father.
“I don’t like the direction that God of War is going in at all.”
So, how should we take these comments? Well, it’s a tricky thing. There’s no doubt that Kratos became an icon on the PS2 because of his incredibly violent ways and the story that let him wreak havoc upon the Greek pantheon. And the “other scenes” proved that he wasn’t afraid to “get dirty” with the right person.
So, if you were a fan of that version of Kratos, you might not like these titles as much, especially since not a lot of gods die in these two games compared to the first saga.
However, the acclaim that Santa Monica Studio has gotten for this deeper story with Kratos and the inclusion of Atreus is not to be ignored. Plus, both games sold HUGE for Sony. So, while Jaffe may not like it, they are getting results.
