‘One of the Worst Decisions Ever Made’: God of War Creator Tears ‘Total Crap’ 2D Title Apart

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David Jaffe, the creator of God of War, has expressed his disappointment with Sons of Sparta, the recently released spin-off game.

The former head of Santa Monica Studio launched a nearly 10-minute criticism of the game, calling it disrespectful to both its fans and the developers who created it.

Okay, so Jaffe basically says the game is okay, but he’s really hung up on a few things. It’s not that the gameplay is broken, but he thinks it’s not worth the price tag, the graphics and overall presentation aren’t amazing, and honestly, he feels like Kratos just isn’t written very well in this one. It’s more about how they did things than that they did them.

He exclaimed in disbelief, repeatedly questioning the logic behind something. “I just don’t understand why this exists,” he said, clearly puzzled and frustrated.

Sons of Sparta takes place earlier than the original God of War games, telling the story of a young Kratos and how he became the character players are familiar with.

He fumes:

I tried the game for about an hour, but I definitely won’t be playing it again. Honestly, it felt really self-indulgent. The gameplay was constantly interrupted by long, drawn-out conversations, and the voice acting wasn’t very good. It just wasn’t enjoyable.

According to Jeff Jaffe, a former Santa Monica Studio employee told him the studio seems to be prioritizing strong storytelling in its games. He uses the slower-paced Atreus and Angrboda sequence in God of War Ragnarok as an example, suggesting it demonstrates this focus on narrative.

He doesn’t just criticize one thing, though. He also questions why the game chose to explore Kratos’ past, instead of focusing on the Kratos players already know and love.

He sarcastically pointed out that audiences don’t seem to connect with the character who’s the foundation of their hugely successful franchises. He suggested simplifying the character to be more like something you’d see on a basic kids’ TV show, which he felt was a nonsensical idea.

Jaffe compares the game to similar side-scrollers such as Blasphemous, Neon Inferno, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, noting that those games not only look and play better, but are also more affordable – all costing less than the game’s $30 price tag.

We’re fans of Sons of Sparta’s art style – it brings to mind classic Amiga games like Shadow of the Beast, and that seems to be the visual direction Mega Cat Studios was aiming for.

After only an hour of playing, Jaffe has barely begun to explore the game. While it’s clear the game hasn’t captured his interest so far, that’s still a fair point to make.

We were really impressed with our first look at this, and you can find our initial impressions here.

But in a concluding rant, Jaffe goes on to tear the decision makers at Sony to pieces.

He vents:

I’m truly upset by this, and it’s not just because I’m a fan of the brand. It’s disappointing to see such a drop in quality from Sony, especially considering their history of excellent creative work.

I’m honestly baffled by the thought that anyone would want this for a God of War game. It’s just bad, pointless, and frankly, I’d advise everyone to steer clear of it.

Readers, we don’t think he likes the game.

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2026-02-14 16:37