‘It’s a Terrible First-Party Game’: God of War Creator Expands on PS5 Side-Scroller Criticism

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Following a heated reaction over the weekend, David Jaffe, the creator of God of War, has offered a more thoughtful review of Sons of Sparta, the new Metroidvania game from Mega Cat Studios.

Even though his review still contains strong language, he does offer more detailed thoughts and provides specific examples of what he enjoys and dislikes about the game.

He also mentions he’s played for many more hours since his first report, but that hasn’t significantly changed his overall negative impression of the game.

Jaffe strongly dislikes the choice to feature a younger Kratos, jokingly suggesting a drastic alternative. However, he then offers a thoughtful analysis of the game’s design, which is insightful given his extensive experience in the gaming industry.

Jaffe is less critical of Mega Cat Studios, the game’s developer, and instead directs his frustration towards the leaders at Santa Monica Studio and Sony, the publisher.

He feels the publisher should have given more critical feedback on the book’s title and highlights problems with its design, including how it looks, how easy it is to read, and the user interface.

Although his criticisms are hard to dismiss, they feel like minor details, even though he acknowledges each one isn’t significant on its own – it’s the accumulation of them that’s the problem. Many of these issues could likely be fixed with future updates.

Throughout the video, Jaffe appears to be critical of Mary Olson, the new head of Santa Monica Studio, who took over from Yumi Yang last year. He expresses his belief that she prioritizes pleasing executives over advocating for what’s best for the project.

He admits the game is okay by itself, but ultimately feels it’s a poor God of War title and a disappointing release for a first-party studio like Santa Monica Studio, calling it embarrassing that it was ever published.

Honestly, I actually think his complaints hit harder in this video. He does a much better job of explaining exactly what he didn’t like about the game, and it makes more sense now.

Throughout the video, there’s a clear sense of frustration, leading us to believe Jaffe has become disillusioned with the direction Sony is taking its games.

Having worked on the original God of War, we understand his perspective. However, he should also acknowledge he hasn’t been involved in the game’s creative direction for a long time. And despite any personal feelings, the series is currently more successful than ever before.

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2026-02-16 15:06