Fans often have lofty expectations for their favorite game series, a feeling only exaggerated when the creator of the franchise is the one with criticism. This is what took place a few days ago when the creator of God of War, David Jaffe, reviewed the latest game in the series, Sons of Sparta. His review was extremely critical of the execution of the product, causing divisions among fans.

Despite his overall negative opinion, he makes note that he had been excited about the possibility of a 2D God of War game for a long time and that Sons of Sparta was “not a bad game.” In the video, Jaffe expresses that his disappointment came more from the idea that the game could have been more. His most immediate complaint with the game is the reliance on static story moments that break up the gameplay and mischaracterize the main character, Kratos. While the game is meant to show the adventure of a younger Kratos who has not yet grown into his persona from the original games, Jaffe expresses uncertainty that the Kratos of Sons of Sparta could ever become that person. He also affirms that “no one cares” about the origin of Kratos, rendering the narrative pointless.

Another criticism that David Jaffe had for the game was its dependence on the God of War brand, claiming that neither the story nor the gameplay was interesting enough for fans of the series to be entertained, while also shying away from the most identifiable aspects of the original games. Specifically, he stated that “The gameplay itself is serviceable. It’s fine. I didn’t really particularly enjoy it too much. Maybe it gets better. I’m sure it does. There’s nothing offensive about it.” The opinions of the video have met some resistance in the comment section, with many arguing that fans enjoy Sons of Sparta and the origin story, or that a new game could never possibly be good enough to satisfy every fan.

As the God of War franchise moves on with the remakes of the original games, differing opinions are sure to continue to divide fans of the different installments. It’s up to each fan to decide which games are worth trying and which they end of enjoying.