Recently, a comic book store owner went viral for his assertion that many fans are fed up with new school writers injecting their own personal experiences and stories into classic characters.
These fans largely claim that comic book characters should be written in a manner congruent with how they were depicted in previous stories and events, rather than in a manner that allows a writer to more readily convey personal experiences or trauma.
David Jaffe, the original God of War creator, makes a similar case about Kratos, though it's impossible to claim there isn't some personal bias here given his involvement in the franchise's inception.
While the God of War games for the PS4 and PS5 have nearly generally been praised for their gameplay structure, narrative, and visuals, there are a small number of God of War fans who recall what the Ghost of Sparta was like when he first debuted and wish to see that version of the character again.
Jaffe's God of War series for the PS2/PS3 are harsh and grandiose action-adventure games set in Greek antiquity. The plot revolves around Kratos, a Spartan warrior marred by sorrow. On a quest for vengeance, he carves a bloody path through the Greek mythological pantheons.
Years later, in the God of War PS4/PS5 era, new creative director Cory Barlog has Kratos start a new life in Midgard, the Norse gods' home. Kratos is more reserved and introspective as he raises his son Atreus, unaware of approaching danger from the Norse gods. Kratos and Atreus eventually come across a prophecy that threatens their own life as they navigate a freezing tundra.
While there has been much debate among gamers about which era of God of War is better, you can count former Santa Monica Studio director David Jaffe in the camp that only supports the first three installments of the franchise.
As the game director for the first chapter released in 2005 and its sequel, Jaffe designed the gameplay and storyline that molded Kratos's ruthless journey for vengeance.
"I don't want to see these characters grow," said Jaffee on Kratos and Indiana Jones. "...I don't like the direction that God of War is going in at all."
Confusingly, Jaffe also stated that he loved the 2018 reboot of the franchise but the 2023 sequel was "not his cup of tea." From a narrative and gameplay standpoint, there's not much difference between the two games.
"Someone needs to be able to tell these people no sometimes. And say, 'We love that you're arty, we love that you're taking stuff from your personal life... but somebody needs to step up there and go, 'You need to be able to do all that within the pen, within the fence we've put up and if you step outside [the fence] the electric collar is going to get you. You need to do all that within the pen that says, "This is what God of War is.'"
Where do you stand on this debate? Let us know in the comment section below.