"Atreus is a Terrible Character", Says David Jaffe, God of War Creator

[JAHGamer]

If you look at what I had bolded, it just struck me as funny that you thought a section of a game was so incredibly bad you couldn't play it for a fourth time. Like ... yeah that's really showing them.

Like I said, just thought it was funny.

(btw, I kinda agree, I actually really disliked all the Atreus segments, but that was the worst one)

oh i didn't have my glasses in so i didn't see the bold part The main reason why I beat it 3 times was cuz the first time I played it on normal difficulty, and then again on give me god of war, and then new game+ came out so I did GMGOW NG+. The combat gameplay is so fun, especially using the spear.

 

[Vertigo]

He was whiny and the teenage angst was a bit cringe but not offensive. That’s okay and whatever…

What was offensive was how dreadful to play his stages were. Killed the pacing of the game with combat that was different, lame and failed to add to anything you spent time buildcrafting your Kratos kit with. Like why you wasting my time? And these stages suck.

I’d much rather have the next god of war have Freya and Kratos instead Kratos and Atreus. I thought they were teasing that… but that’s sorta what Valhalla wrapped up.

Would I buy a God of War game starring Atreus. Honestly? No friggin way. Then it’s NOT god of war and they sure did an extremely piss poor job making me ever want that either.

I think Jaffe is a doofus and disgusting, and don’t like his god of war games even as a Greek myself. But I do agree with him on this.

 

[mibu no ookami]

Atreus isn't really a good or bad character to me, but it's obvious that he exists purely to be a vehicle of growth for Kratos, nothing else. Without Atreus, Kratos never becomes patient and wise. So for that reason alone, he's fine by me. And for the ones calling him annoying, that's exactly how teenagers behave they're cringe and annoying but they grow up to be better people. He had his awful moments but by the end of Ragnarok, Atreus was a stand up guy.

But that Ironwood section has to be the WORST segment of a game I've ever played. It's the reason why I don't want to replay Ragnarok for a 4th time. It made no sense for that crap to last longer than the actual Ragnarok event....

P.S. Jaffe is trash

Wild to see a well reasoned and put together comment from you. Astonishing in fact.

I wish it was a trilogy, it has some of amazing characters but they barely got any screen time. GoW 2018 was mostly dedicated to Baldur and then Ragnarok split Heimdall, Thor, and Odin all in 1 game and we didn't get to see as much of them as we should've. And Tyr was completely relegated to the dlc.


??

I think they were originally planning a trilogy, but probably realized that would entail entirely too much time and they didn't want to stretch things out, but they also kind of rushed this game, particularly the ending.

I remember reading comments that they felt the game sucked months before finishing, and I'm sure that isn't unusual in game development, but I think it shows in the game.

I think ironwood is a holdover from what they were trying to do from a narrative standpoint and a gameplay standpoint and they didn't know how to cut it down. The long/slow animal ride could have easily been reduced or scrapped.

They should have focused on making Ragnarok a more epic experience.

If you look at what I had bolded, it just struck me as funny that you thought a section of a game was so incredibly bad you couldn't play it for a fourth time. Like ... yeah that's really showing them.

Like I said, just thought it was funny.

(btw, I kinda agree, I actually really disliked all the Atreus segments, but that was the worst one)

I've played MGS more times than I can remember, but the key card section and wolves section are absolutely annoying. I think the game is a masterpiece but both are poorly designed or at least disengaging. It happens.

 

[mibu no ookami]

He was whiny and the teenage angst was a bit cringe but not offensive. That’s okay and whatever…

What was offensive was how dreadful to play his stages were. Killed the pacing of the game with combat that was different, lame and failed to add to anything you spent time buildcrafting your Kratos kit with. Like why you wasting my time? And these stages suck.

I’d much rather have the next god of war have Freya and Kratos instead Kratos and Atreus. I thought they were teasing that… but that’s sorta what Valhalla wrapped up.

Would I buy a God of War game starring Atreus. Honestly? No friggin way. Then it’s NOT god of war and they sure did an extremely piss poor job making me ever want that either.

I think Jaffe is a doofus and disgusting, and don’t like his god of war games even as a Greek myself. But I do agree with him on this.

Jaffe isn't much of a storyteller. Kratos has some character growth in the original trilogy, but clearly has more growth individually in each of the more modern games than he had collectively in the trilogy.

There are no memorable characters in God of War 1-3.

Here we have Atreus, Freya, and Mimir. Even Brock and Sindri. Even Kratos' first kid and his wife are simply backstory and a plot device.

Jaffe is a hateful and jealous dude. He burned bridges with Sony and has been on a crusade against them for years at this point. He was hard to work with and then he was out and then sony first party became a much bigger thing. This guy made both Twisted Metal and God of War and yet has nothing to show for it.

 

[Vertigo]

What do you even find yourselves valuing most here? Is it narrative over gameplay content?

Atreus could’ve had notable additions to narrative but the dedicated stages where a negative contribution to the game.

Admittedly I never read Jaffe’s comments and if they’re strictly character and story related… lol compared to his games?

Odin exists and he was so damn entertaining I forgive most of boy’s cringe.

 

[Shmunter]

First game - Magnificent. Atreus worked. 2nd, snorefest.

 

[Wing84]

I wish the narrative leads at Sony Santa Monica read Berserk to know how to balance and make a hyped God tier fighter's post caveman brain journey interesting.

 

[Savagefrogdemon]

Jaffe is a has been hasn't worked in the industry for 20 years.

 

[ethomaz]

Jaffe is a has been hasn't worked in the industry for 20 years.

Nobody wants to work with him… that tells a lot of his personality.

Others developers that worked with him kinda hinted he was insupportable as person and you can see it in his videos… always with weird hot takes saying he is better to make all games he talks trying to force his opinion as the only truth for he watchers lol

Imagine working with a guy like that

I’m surprise how modern gamers give any attention to him lol

 

[mibu no ookami]

Nobody wants to work with him… that tells a lot of his personality.

Others developers that worked with him kinda hinted he was insupportable as person and you can see it in his videos.

I remember growing up and I had so much respect and affinity for Jaffe and Rubin, but it's no surprise that they're no longer at Sony.

I think Rubin had a lot of valid opinions back then but was also difficult to work with.

It's the same reason John Garvin is out at Bend.

The crazy thing is Jaffe might be the worst by far.

 

[BroodCorp]

People are so taken by how good the game is on a production level that the devs could’ve taken the characters in any direction and the audience would defend it.

 

[JAHGamer]

Wild to see a well reasoned and put together comment from you. Astonishing in fact.

You will never admit it but you know everything I say is 100% true and based

 

[rofif]

First game - Magnificent. Atreus worked. 2nd, snorefest.

exactly.
2nd game - also woke sbi crap, angrboda and so on so on. You can see how sbi softened the characters and it comes out as disneyfied

 

[Fenton]

 

[Dick Jones]

Did jaffe even finish either 2018 or Ragnarok?

IndianaJaffe's PSN Profile

Level 248 • 525 Games • 0 Platinum

psnprofiles.com

Finished 2018. Didn't get that far in Ragnarok.

 

[Shmunter]

exactly.
2nd game - also woke sbi crap, angrboda and so on so on. You can see how sbi softened the characters and it comes out as disneyfied

Yes, very bland, lacked focus and disjointed characters for a norse setting.