God of War: Chains of Olympus
Kratos is back and he's as badass as ever. This time he makes an appearance on Sony's PSP, in God of War: Chains of Olympus. The game in question serves as a prequel to the original God of War on the PS2, which was pretty much by no other definition amazing. I'm pleased to say that Chains of Olympus follows suit and is undeniably a must-own title if you're a God of War fan, or an action fan alike. If you're looking for that one game you need for your collection, here it is.
The game starts out in the city of Attica, where Kratos is sent by the Gods to fend off the Persian opposition. In Attica, you're on the hunt after the Persian's basilisk. Really, there's not much more I can tell you about the story (spoiler related, at least), other than that it's absolutely amazingly well done and really opens up and closes some doors about the mysteries of God of War. But, since you're here, reading this review, I guess I can elaborate a bit. You're forced to go to lands unscaled to fulfill your duty to the Gods, and there will be bloodshed, lots of it.
First off, the controls in Chains of Olympus are spot on, accurate, and well balanced. Instead of the R2/L2/Right thumbstick (which the PSP lacks), Kratos dodges with the two shoulder buttons and performs tasks such as pulling a lever or opening doors with the Circle button while turning cranks with the left thumbstick. At first, it feels kind of different. Not bad, at all, but just a little different. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be slaying gorgons and harpies in no time. That's another thing, the enemy variation. It is very well done with enemies, and each type of enemy has a different style and a different way you should approach them. It seems Ready At Dawn really knew what they were doing and looked at the limitations of the system and still made a game that is completely worthy of the name God of War.
The production values of the game are no lie, the best ever on the PSP. It actually, at some parts, looks better than the PS2 games. Ready At Dawn made the best looking game on the PSP in 2006 with Daxter, and once again they have strived and surpassed anything since then. To put it simply, God of War: Chains of Olympus sets the bar for future games, period.
What I will say about Chains of Olympus is this: It's God of War, and it also feels completely awesome on the PSP. Some gamers don't like how they didn't do anything new in terms of controls, but I say that's completely okay, because I'd rather have a solid game with familiar controls than the developers completely butchering one of my most favorite series. The game is totally awesome, but it still has some (minor) issues.
For one, the bosses are too few and too weak. God of War isn't exactly the hardest game series ever, but even I was underwhelmed by the lack of challenge fighting bosses (if you know me, that is saying a lot!). There are only 3 bosses in the game, which needs some work. Secondly, the game is extremely short, ranging from 5-7 hours. This isn't really that big of a deal, considering it is a handheld game. There aren't any challenging puzzles at all, though. This is super disappointing because God of War is a mix between combat, puzzles, and bosses, to all create a truly awesome story.
To put it in the simplest terms possible, God of War is a stellar achievement for not only the guys at Ready At Dawn, it's also a wonderful showcase of what the PSP can truly do. The action is intense, the production is through the roof, and is a fitting prequel to an already "Godly" series. My suggestion is to play it in any way you can. Rent, buy, borrow, anything.
