God of War Laufeys 20-minute demo was packed with fast, flashy attacks, interesting revelations of lore like Everywhen and new mythologies, and never-before-seen characters, delivering exactly what you'd expect from a game led by Kratos' wife Faye. Yet it is precisely this change of protagonist that has contributed to a shockingly mixed reception God of War Laufeywith even Domino's Pizza joining the criticism.
To date, God of War Laufeythe criticism is twofold. Firstly, there are players who dislike the presence of humor and jokes in the game, comparing it to a Marvel movie and dislike the cube character – Frank – portrayed by Jack Quaid. An even bigger point of contention is that God of War Laufeyas the title suggests, focuses on a character other than the Ghost of Sparta itself. With every game in God of war franchise so far — even the side-scrolling spin-off Sons of Sparta — focusing on Kratos, many struggle to come to terms with this interquel with a new lead. And it seems one of the players against the change is the head of social media for Domino's UK.
It is important to note that Faye's conduct in God of war games so far are noticeably different from Kratos, so a more light-hearted companion like Frank fits her story well.
Domino's UK Attacking God of War Laufey shows how big the controversy is
As seen in the Domino's UK tweet above, God of War Laufey critics (including the original creator and noted Norse saga critic David Jaffe) clearly believe that a God of war entry without Kratos as the protagonist just isn't right, with the new game compared to Pepperoni Passion without pineapple, its key ingredient. While it's a strange place to see this kind of criticism – and realistically just a move by Domino's PR to get the brand some extra attention off the back of the game's recent controversy – it feels like a win for the side God of War Laufeys critic. Maybe some people really won't give the game a chance because of its main character, although this seems like a strange approach when the early images were so promising.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
After all, there's no shortage of great spin-off games that swap out the main character for someone new, but still shine just as brightly. Uncharted did it with Lost Legacy, Halo did it with both ODST and Reachand Metal Gear Solid 2 became a beloved classic despite Raiden filling Solid Snake's shoes for 80% of the game. It's perhaps the last game that is the biggest example of all, as though there was a lot of backlash against Raiden from the start, his story ultimately won many over. With God of War Laufey With gorgeous visuals, an established character that many wanted to know more about, combat that restores flying combos, and a bold approach that can highlight several different mythologies at once, it's easy to imagine it falling into the same category as the games listed above.
Regardless, companies completely unrelated to the gaming industry commenting on the controversy suggest it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. In virtually every comment section for every post about God of War Laufeys reveal, players can be seen discussing the protagonist's change. Some will go ahead of the naysayers and point to the epic battle and interesting story potential as clear reasons to be excited. Others will share their disappointment in the new direction. And, as usual, some particularly unsavory players will be seen crying “God of Woke” and bemoaning the fact that Faye is a woman, a depressing reminder of how toxic gaming is. Sexism cannot be ignored as a contributing factor to the backlash, as if there was a male protagonist leading the game, a whole extra crowd jumping on board the hate train would surely be silent.
What kind of weapon is that?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
No release date for God of War Laufey available yet, the debate over whether the series can thrive without its original lead will no doubt continue for months. If the game succeeds, a world of possibilities becomes available (like an Atreus spin-off), but if it fails, God of war may never get another chance to get beyond the great shadow of Sparta's ghost.
- Publisher
-
Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Number of players
-
Single player
