PlayStation's State of Play presentation unveiled "God of War Laufey," a new entry in the "God of War" series that will allow players to control Kratos' wife, Laufey, as she battles other deities. However, original "God of War" creator David Jaffe is clearly not on board with this new direction, stating directly that it no longer resembles the "God of War" he knows.
Watching the State of Play live, Jaffe offered strong criticism of the "God of War Laufey" reveal. He initially described the game as "very uninspired, looks boring," and believed the demo was likely the game's opening, which further soured his impression. He then declared, "It's dead. 'God of War Laufey' is not going to do what they think it's going to do."
In fact, Jaffe has long been critical of the Norse era of "God of War." He previously criticized the series' transformation after 2018's "God of War," arguing that Kratos had become too soft and that the overall style shifted from a violent, action-packed, explosive cinematic experience to a slower-paced, mature narrative.
Discussing the series' core, Jaffe stated that the early "God of War" games succeeded due to clear selling points, including "Kratos being a badass," Greek mythology, and violent elements. He also acknowledged that the 2018 "God of War" transformation was a successful evolution.
"Cory (referring to game director Cory Barlog) had a brilliant idea to evolve the series, and the 2018 game was truly great," Jaffe said. However, he felt that by "God of War Ragnarök," the series was already starting to lose steam.
Jaffe's most direct criticism of "God of War Laufey" was:
"This isn't 'God of War.' I don't know what the hell this is. It's like some kind of fantasy novel... If they took the 'God of War' name off of it, and you didn't know the 'God of War' story, and Kratos wasn't in it, and it was just a story about some goddess dying, you wouldn't be talking about this game at all... I'll probably play it for a stream, but if it wasn't for a stream, I'd have zero interest in that game."
While Jaffe's remarks are sharp, the recent Norse era of "God of War" has maintained high popularity and critical acclaim. Both 2018's "God of War" and "God of War Ragnarök" received widespread player approval. Therefore, whether "God of War Laufey" truly deviates from the series' core, as he suggests, remains to be seen and will ultimately be decided by market reception and player reviews upon its release.