I think it's ironic how some of the god of war "real fans" are annoyed with the new game, saying that it lost its essence just because they want Kratos to be forever killing gods, but they forget that he only did it for revenge, he didn't kill gods because he liked to kill, but for revenge for having taken from him what he always wanted to have: a family.
Not to bad mouth people for not liking the game's new direction, because at the end of the day you can like or dislike whatever you want, but it's dishonest to say that god of war lost its essence.
Kratos learned so much since the trilogy ended. He knows that what he did was impulsive and it'd not replace or easy his grief, but Kratos was lost in his revenge—he's not anymore.
That's why in the new game he's so annoyed with Atreus wanting, at all costs, to stop Ragnarok, because he's afraid of losing Atreus, the only family he has left. Kratos is less violent now because he already has what he always wanted, there's no reason to keep killing everyone and everything. He's changed, he matured, and I think Kratos is one of the few examples of how to write a good character development.
Kratos learned from his past, and although he still make mistakes, he won't go back to who he was.
Or maybe I'm just being biased because I love seeing this change of personality; the way he reflects about the things that are happening, the way he guides not only Atreus, but also Freya in her revenge path. I love matured-wise-dad Kratos!❤️