Jaffe not interested in returning to God of War

God of War creator David Jaffe isn't interested in returning to the franchise unless he could reinvent the template he laid down in the PlayStation 2 original.

Jaffe, who's currently hard at work on Twisted Metal for PlayStation 3, explained in a blog post today that he now only wants to make titles that put gameplay ahead of story, a stance that might be at odds with the cinematic action that God of War has become famous for.

"A lot of people ask me if I'd ever make another God of War (assuming that opportunity was offered) and I always say the same thing: if it were God of War meets something like Zelda (formula wise), then yes (aka Darksiders, right?)," he wrote

"But if it were God of War using the current formula, I would not. For me - and this is just me PERSONALLY (I get and respect not everyone shares this same thinking) - directing God of War made me realise that as a game designer (and certainly as game director) I want our games to serve the gods of GAMEPLAY first and foremost.

He went onto argue that the best titles are those that manage to strike a balance between engaging gameplay and a compelling narrative.

"Games can have story (and many should, such as God of War) and most games - even pure play games - should have strong world and IP," he explained.

"But working on God of War made it clear that - for me - if we have to cut a set piece or bit of spectacle because of our desire to put play first, then so be it. Ideally, the BEST games are those that do both."

Jaffe reckons that the games that really cross over and sell in huge numbers aren't your Uncharteds and God of Wars, but titles that are focused on gameplay above all else.

"What is really interesting/telling, is that as much hype and fan love as the cinematic experiences get, it's the game-y games that sell and sell and sell. Look at Guitar Hero, MW3, Angry Birds, Farmville, Mario, Madden, Wii Sports, and on and on and on," read his post.

"The GAME STUFF sells buckets when it's themed right and executed well," he added. "The EXPERIENCE STUFF sells well too but not near as much as the GAMEY stuff and the EXPERIENCE STUFF costs a hell of a lot more to make in most cases."

Yes, it would seem the man has a sticky caps lock button.

Check Jaffe's full post for more on the topic, not to mention his take on Eurogamer's recent Uncharted 3 review.