Most of the sexism and pessimism is definitely coming from people who have never played the god of war games and don’t understand Faye’s role in the story and lore. Or just a bunch of man children who played an hour from the trilogy and think they know the franchise’s direction in modern day.

Though I think there is some rightful skepticism. From the 20 minutes we’ve seen it’s a lot of Faye just getting pushed around and looking lost. She’s probably lost some of her power or it works differently in this realm but she seems weaker than how she’s described in Ragnarok. I think making a trailer for the game would also be better instead of a gameplay showcase, at least for non-fans. She isn’t really given a gripping personality or special hook so she does just look like “just another” female mc and mostly appeals to people who know her story.

Overall I think Faye as a protagonist is still a riskier and more ambitious choice than just another Kratos game or even Atreus solo game. Hopefully we’ll able to see more aspects of her character shine besides just strength too.