God of War Laufey’s director, Ariel Lawrence, has addressed “skepticism” following the game’s reveal, hoping fans give it a chance.

God of War Laufey was revealed as the big “one last thing” at this week’s PlayStation State of Play and while there was a lot of enthusiasm, there was also some backlash. Some of that comes from the fact that Faye, Kratos’ wife, is the main character and not the titular God of War himself. Others believe that the game isn’t enough of a departure from Kratos’ journey, as it utilizes the same one-shot camera style as the last two games.

Lawrence told GameSpot she sees this story as something new and is hopeful fans will give it a chance.

“I understand the skepticism,” she said. “I hope they will give it a chance and be excited to play. I think for me it’s just, is it fun? Is it an adventure that I haven’t been on before? And I think the biggest thing is just, for us, is how can we hold onto the surprise? I think it’s just so hard to be surprised today. Everybody always knows exactly how it’s going to play out. So I’m hopeful that this is a place where we can still have some mystery.”

In a separate interview wtih GamesRadar, Lawrence acknowledged that fans have a deep connection to God of War, which typically revolves around Kratos. Even Domino’s Pizza of all places chimed in to talk about how the lack of Kratos in a God of War game feels wrong. However, she views the intense response to the game as a positive, as it means people really care about this franchise.

“We have to honor that everybody has their connection with a God of War story, and I think that a lot of people have a lot of different opinions, so some of them are hesitant, some of them are all in, and I think for me, I’m just happy that everybody cares about this,” Lawrence said. “I think if we had put something out and people had been like, ‘It’s okay,’ I think it would have been more disheartening. But if people have feelings, great, I hope to win over the skeptics in the future.”

Sony Santa Monica has already confirmed that there are many more stories for Kratos on the horizon and he remains a vital part of the franchise, so Laufey won’t be “replacing” him. It’s unclear what’s next for his story, but Laufey may be the end of the Norse saga. Ragnarok seemed to put a bow on that era of the franchise, but Laufey runs in parallel to the last two games, so it’s possible this will be the true conclusion and maybe set up what’s next for Kratos.

IGN also had an extensive conversation with Lawrence and Cory Barlog, the director of 2018’s God of War and head of creative at Sony Santa Monica, where we learned a bunch of new details about the studio’s plan for the game and God of War as a whole. Be sure to check it out, as it may answer some lingering questions you have for the game.

God of War Laufey will release on PS5 at an undisclosed date in the future.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.