PS5’s New God of War Sets Negative Record and Divides Fans of the Saga

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The surprise release of God of War: Sons of Sparta for PlayStation 5 during the latest State of Play has sparked mixed reactions, resulting in the lowest Metacritic average in the franchise’s history. Unlike recent mainline titles like God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, which scored around 94/100, Sons of Sparta currently holds an average of 68/100 from specialized critics and 6.5 from player evaluations. These scores place it below God of War: Ascension, previously considered the weakest entry in the series, despite its respectable score of 80/100. Developed in collaboration with Mega Cat Studios, God of War: Sons of Sparta, which unexpectedly launched on February 12, 2026, is a 2D Metroidvania game that revisits Kratos’ military journey as a Spartan, predating the events of the main God of War series. However, Sons of Sparta has found an audience, with user ratings on Metacritic and the PlayStation Store exceeding professional reviews. Some players even earned a Platinum trophy within days of the game’s release. Game Rant’s review, titled “God of War: Sons of Sparta (PS5) – Series’ Boldest Bet, but Also Its Slowest Burn,” gave the game a score of 66.

Initial reactions to the game have been polarized, with some common criticisms emerging: “Bad news for PS5 – Retro God of War game gets the worst reviews in the series.” “Fans are mad about the new PS5 God of War’s unlockable local multiplayer mode.” “I Feel Cheated and I Want a Refund: Fans Slam New PS5 God of War’s Unlockable Local Multiplayer Mode.” “One of the Worst Decisions Ever Made: God of War Creator Rips Apart 2D Title, Calling It Total Crap.” “The pixel art and punchy combat in God of War: Sons of Sparta show real promise.” While Metacritic critics gave the game a score of 70 after its surprise release, God of War creator David Jaffe offered a more measured critique of the Mega Cat Studios-developed title. Jaffe, while acknowledging the developers’ efforts, criticized Santa Monica Studio and Sony for not providing stronger feedback on design elements such as visual language, readability, and UI. He ultimately deemed Sons of Sparta a decent game in its own right, but a poor God of War title and a subpar first-party release.

God of War’s Pixelated Spin-Off Divides with Mixed Reviews on Combat and Artistic Direction

International press outlets highlight that the game’s technical and visual execution falls short of Santa Monica Studio’s established standards, despite its promising ideas and ambition to explore the story. Several critics noted that the combat lacks intensity, and the artistic direction is uninspired compared to modern genre benchmarks like Blasphemous or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. God of War: Sons of Sparta presents a unique, if divisive, entry in the series, prompting varied reactions from critics and players alike.

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