We have finally entered an era where movies and TV series based on video games aren’t automatically assumed to be terrible. Some shows and films based on games have turned out to be great, so a lot of fans have been very excited that the popular God of War games are getting a series adaptation at Prime Video. Unfortunately, the first look at the series hasn’t filled many with confidence, and that includes the franchise’s creator.
David Jaffe, who was the lead designer on the original God of War in 2007, and whose other notable project, Twisted Metal, has also become a streaming series, took to YouTube to express his displeasure with the promotional image that was released showing Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as his son, Atraus. Jaffe makes it clear he thinks the image is bad, although he’s just as clear that he doesn’t believe that means the show will be bad. Jaffe said:
I’m sure everybody’s trying real hard. It’s so dumb. But let’s be incredibly clear, okay? Two things can be true. This can be a terrible image, and it is. It’s so bad in so many ways, which we’ll talk about in a moment. And Ron Moore is awesome, who is the showrunner… This guy is a juggernaut of a talented fellow. I have absolutely no doubt it is going to be a good show.
David Jaffe wasn’t part of the 2018 God of War game reboot, which is where the new series is taking its inspiration. While he says he liked that game, he admits he’s less interested in the current place that God of War is.
While Jaffe has full confidence in the new God of War series being good, he still slams the first image of the lead characters. While many fans took issue with the first look of Kratos, and had issues with Ryan Hurst not looking enough like the game version of Kratos, as well as the fact that Atraeus is clearly being played younger in the series than he was in the first game, Jaffe specifically states that none of that is his problem. Instead, he thinks this was simply a bad first image because it just doesn’t make either character look particularly good. He continued:
Kratos, in this pose with this face, not the guy’s face, but this expression, he just looks stupid. If you’re going to reveal, to most people, a brand new character that you hope is going to carry your series, for the first time, and they’ve never really seen this before, and this is the way you introduce them? Maybe that’s conscious. Maybe they’re like, ‘Well, what we really want to focus on is the father-son story. And if we focus on him being like, ‘Spartan rage,’ and all that, maybe people are like, ‘I don’t want to watch that show.’ Ok maybe.
To be fair, “Spartan rage” is still a pretty good description of Kratos. While the recent games are all about him being a dad, the game is still very action-oriented and violent, and it is a bit surprising that a shot of something like that wasn’t the first look at the series.
Beyond the tone of the image, David Jaffe also takes issue with the image's framing. He points out that the way Atraeus is holding that bow just doesn’t look right. He also thinks the expression on Kratos’ face doesn’t do him any favors, saying:
But then, at that point, could you find a picture that doesn’t look like he’s sh—ing in the woods? Cause that’s what the picture looks like.
At the end of the day, the image may be bad, but that doesn’t mean the God of War series will be. And if the show is successful, we’re all going to forget this picture.
