The return of Kratos is one that is not only relished but anticipated by fans of the God of War franchise (which in my opinion, is almost every gamer I know). And the natural progression from PlayStation 2 to the PSP was only really a matter of time. Thankfully, for those of us who love to play games on the go, we’ve finally got something we can really sink our teeth into with God of War: Chains of Olympus. And what a masterpiece it is!
Chains of Olympus is set 10 years before the events of God of War and this time around we follow our Spartan hero as he attempts to thwart the plans of the goddess Persephone who has set her sights on the end of the world. Well, no job’s too big for our lad Kratos.
As the cut-scenes weave the foundations of the story (and yet again the graphics displayed on the PSP never cease to amaze), Kratos is doing what he does best; killing in the name of the gods and ultimately, paying back his debt to Ares in the process.
The game begins with Kratos battling it out against the Persians in Attica and slowly progresses to the familiar ‘boss mob’ fights that in part make up the foundation of the gameplay in God of War. The other part being the mini-games and puzzles which appear early on in the game and it’s great to see so many of the fundamental areas of combat retained.
Combat sequences are just as vigorous and challenging as they are on the PS2 with most of the combination movements being identical. I was thoroughly impressed with this as well as with the ease of movement in the game (which I initially thought may be hindered with the transition from the PS2 to PSP). Ready At Dawn have done a fine job of creating an almost seamless experience from the PS2 to the PSP and God of War: Chains of Olympus has to be one of their finest achievements to date.
Boss mobs in the game don’t vary too much from previous games and you can defeat boss mobs and take their ‘special’ powers as well which all seems like very familiar territory. The good thing is there are a few new additions to Kratos’ abilities which you will discover as you play the game and it’s a welcome change to seeing so much of the same old same old.
The way that God of War: Chains of Olympus looks is well worth boasting about. Ready At Dawn have done a fantastic job with every aspect of the graphics from the environments and textures to the lighting and animation and I simply can’t compliment it enough. As a fan of the franchise and the PSP console, I don’t really think there is another game currently released that can even come close to looking as good as this.
Although some of the boss fights may be a tad disappointing (and perhaps, not plentiful enough for my liking), you’ll more than likely come to overlook this due to the storyline, graphics and sound being so outstanding. And as the loading screens are almost non-existent, you’ll be more than impressed with the way that God of War: Chains of Olympus plays.
The action sequences come thick and fast and the puzzles and mini-games are scattered throughout the game to add a little breather from all the fighting (which, admittedly can sometimes become slightly repetitious, even when playing God of War). I was happy with the flow of the game overall and felt that the balance of action to puzzles and mini-games was done just right.
Every action fan should seriously invest in this game. If you’re a PSP owner, this is definitely the one game you should get, no questions asked. If you’re someone who’s thinking of purchasing a PSP, then make God of War: Chains of Olympus your first because you will undoubtedly become an instant fan!