Extremely Short length pleagues this otherwise awesome game.
Really at this point I feel like I'm beating a dead horse. What can I say about a God of War game that hasn't been said before? Similar to the Daxter game, Ready At Dawn has made another perfect transition from the PS2 to a PSP. Really, nothing is lost in the transition at all. You still have the epic boss fights, stunning graphics, and a pissed of Sparton.
The game plays and feels a lot like the PS2 God of War Games. There is a slightly new control scheme however, but, believe it or not, the new controls actually seem to work and feel better than the console's version. For instance, instead of using the right analogue stick to dodge roll, you use the right and left sholder buttons. The new scheme will take some time to get use to it, but it is quite impressive no doubt. The boss fights and puzzles remain as engaging as ever. Because of the shorter game length, there are not many boss fights this time around, but they retain the interactive appeal that GOW1 and GOW2 are known for. CoO also has the distinction of having arguably the toughest final boss in the franchise.
The Graphics for Chains of Olympus are shocking. If you've ever heard the phrase "Pushing the Console to the Limit", Chains of Olympus is the one game it applies too. The graphics are near PS2 level. The CG cutscenes are beatifully crafted and the ingame graphics are just top notch. To be quite honest this game is on par with quite PS2 games in terms of graphics. While it's not up to the same level as it's bretheren (GOW1 and 2) it is quite easily the best looking handheld game released, no contest.
I do have some minor complaints with this game however. While the franchise has been known for it's short play through, Chains of Olympus makes an all time low at 7 hours. While you do unlock extra challenges similar to the PS2 games, nothing is really unique about them. While These may be trivial, I was expecting something more unique for the PSP. My second, and more serious, complaint is Ready At Dawn doesn't bring anything new to the table. Mind you, I wasn't looking for a revamp in the game mechanics, but there really wasn't anything that sets this game apart from it's consoles bretheren.
As far as recommendations go, seeing how this is a God of War game, no doubt it is awesome, but considering it's overall short length, I would rent it first. If your a fan of the franchise, or just have a thirst for some blood and gore action, then no doubt go out and buy the game.
