New God of War PS5 Game Frustrates Both Players and Series Creator

While a fresh installment in the God of War franchise typically triggers widespread celebration, the unexpected arrival of Sons of Sparta has instead sparked a wave of frustration. The game’s unconventional release has drawn sharp criticism from the player base and even the series’ original creator.

Revealed and launched simultaneously during a recent State of Play, God of War: Sons of Sparta represents a significant stylistic departure for the series. Moving away from third-person carnage, this prequel adopts a 2D Metroidvania format, chronicling the youth of Kratos and his brother, Deimos. Because the title bypassed the standard marketing machine and pre-release review cycle, early adopters had to rely solely on a brief teaser and the official PlayStation Store summary.

The controversy stems from the Store’s description, which highlighted a co-op mode. However, as players stepped into the sandals of a young Kratos, the option to play with a partner was conspicuously absent from the menus. After a surge of public confusion, Santa Monica Studio—which co-developed the project alongside Mega Cat Studios—clarified the situation on social media. As it turns out, the cooperative functionality is an unlockable reward rather than a core feature available from the start.

“After completing Sons of Sparta’s main story, you will unlock a challenge mode that can be played solo or with local 2-player couch co-op,” Santa Monica Studio explained on X.

This explanation only intensified the community’s annoyance. Many players argued that the primary appeal of a cooperative game is experiencing the narrative journey together, rather than replaying content after the fact. “The whole point of wanting to play co-op is to share the experience,” one Reddit user remarked, questioning the logic of a forced solo first run.

On X, the sentiment was even more direct, with some users labeling the situation “false advertising” and requesting refunds from Sony. While locking high-difficulty tiers behind game completion is a common industry staple, gating a fundamental social feature like co-op is seen as a baffling design choice—especially for a story centered on the bond between two brothers.

Despite the “co-op-gate” drama, early impressions of the actual gameplay have been largely positive. Fans on Reddit have praised the title’s fluid combat and its contribution to Kratos’ lore, even if it doesn’t reinvent the Metroidvania genre. However, series creator David Jaffe remains unimpressed. In a blunt YouTube review, Jaffe criticized the game’s direction, admitting that while it wasn’t “bad,” he found it unnecessary and had no desire to play beyond the first hour.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is currently available on PlayStation 5. For those who prefer a more traditional experience, Sony also used the State of Play to announce a remake of the original God of War trilogy, though that project remains in the early stages of development without a firm release date.

Source: Polygon