Creator of Early God of War Games on New Kratos - 'He's Too Soft'
David Jaffe, creator of the first installments of the God of War series, has commented on what Santa Monica Studio developers have done to Kratos in recent years. According to him, the character has become 'too soft.'.
NOTE: the following text contains spoilers from God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla.
In 2005, the PlayStation 2 saw the debut the first installment of - as it later turned out - the hit God of War series. The third-person hack 'n slash action adventure game told the story of Kratos, a legendary Spartan warrior who was famous for his extraordinary brutality. Years later, however, both the series and the protagonist underwent quite a metamorphosis, corresponding to a change that occurred among the studio's staff. This did not please the creator of the first installments of GoW, David Jaffe.
The developer, famous for his controversial statements, recently posted a video on his YouTube channel in which he laments how the main character of the series has been changed. According to Jeffe, in God of War from 2018 and God of War: Ragnarok from 2022, Kratos became, most simply, too soft and gentle.
The creator stated that what people loved in God of War is the brutal, harsh character of the main character, which should not be interfered with. Meanwhile, translating the personal experiences of developers is best reserved for brand new IPs.
A slightly different opinion from Jaffe is that of our editorial colleague. He does not think that Kratos has become soft, but simply "learned not to lose himself in rage." This is perfectly explained by the latest addition to Ragnarok - Valhalla, where Kratos looks back on his past deeds with contempt but knows that even the worst actions of his past had complex motivations, e.g. he sold his soul to Ares not only to gain another victory, but also to protect his people.
Thus, Kratos' transformation can be viewed both through the prism of pure fun and the spiritual development of the character. It is also worth noting that the latest installments of God of War are enjoying immense popularity, so it can be considered that the path followed by Sony is not a reason for players to give up exploring the further adventures of the Ghost of Sparta.
