The creator of God of War mocks the graphics of the new Zelda on Twitter, saying he had it fixed by an AI.
Who is it about? David Jaffe is an American game designer and is regarded as the creator of God of War. The 52-year-old launched the game series in 2005 on PlayStation 2. He also created the racing game series “Twisted Metal”.
Jaffe did not work on the beloved new GoW titles for PS4 and PS5 – he is currently not involved in game development.
What did Jaffe say about the graphics of Zelda? In a post on Twitter on May 12, Jaffe addressed the graphics of the new “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”. The game designer expressed surprise as to why the new Zelda receives no criticism for the modest graphics, as the visual design of games is also a highly debated topic.
In a second post on May 18, Jaffe again commented on the graphics of Zelda: TotK. On Twitter, the game designer shared an image showing Link (the main character of the Zelda series), a forest with a lake in the middle, and some mountains enveloped in clouds. Jaffe wrote:
Don’t worry, guys! I had it fixed by AI! […] Someone should send this to the folks at Nintendo and show them how to make the graphics next time.
David Jaffe via Twitter
According to Jaffe, he created the Zelda image using AI and implies with the phrasing that the game’s graphics need fixing.
Fans strongly disagree with Jaffe
How are the players reacting? While many players explained under Jaffe’s first post why Zelda receives no criticism despite the graphics and that the Nintendo Switch is reaching its limits with the game, there is now significantly more disagreement with Jaffe’s statements.
- @BottlesTheMole: “Congratulations on making it look as bland and uninspired as every other generic open-world game. You’ve sucked the vibrant colors, the unique art style, and the fun right out of the game (via Twitter).”
- @realZigzagLeo: “It’s cringe to do a paintover and compare yourself with artists who have to optimize an open world on the super outdated Switch hardware (via Twitter).”
- Finbar Müller: “I wonder when you lost the passion in your heart for creating art (via Twitter).”
- @JordanGarlandMI: “Realism requires a high level of skill, but often also less imagination. When you see realism, it is breathtaking, but it interrupts immersion, where it inevitably falls short. I would compare the new Zelda art style to any modern game. It is sometimes so beautiful it hurts (via Twitter).”
Jaffe wants to troll Zelda fans
Does Jaffe take the criticism of Zelda seriously? Yes and no. In his original post from May 12, Jaffe writes that he doesn’t care about the visual representation of a game and that it can be good regardless of the appearance.
Even in the replies to the AI-generated Zelda image, Jaffe makes it clear that he is trolling Zelda fans (via Twitter) and adds in a later post on Twitter that he is astonished at how many people take his statements seriously.
Nevertheless, Jaffe stands by his statement that parts of the game are ugly and reiterates this in a video on YouTube. There, the game designer also emphasizes that he enjoys Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and has a lot of fun with the game. He also says he understands the limitations of the Nintendo Switch and that he finds the art style of the game beautiful.
If you also enjoy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you might need some tips to help you in the game:
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: 6 tips to make your life easier in Hyrule
