You'll often forget that you are playing a handheld game...
God of War: Chains of Olympus is the first God of War game for the PSP system, and from a technical and visual stand point it just might be the greatest handheld game ever made...and I'm not making that claim lightly.
The story follows the ever tortured Kratos in a story that seems to take place just before the events of the first God of War game for the PS2. Kratos is still an undead killing machine with the powers of a god, but the true nature of his plight is yet to be revealed. Before it's all over though he'll have to fight his way through waves of Persians, undead warriors, Minotaurs, the ferryman Charon, and Hades' jilted wife Persephone. As far as this game's story goes it's very much a color by number affair and doesn't stray too far from what you've come to expect from the series, but in the end it does tie nicely into the mythology...and sets things up for all kinds of various sequels (Morpheus anyone?).
If there's one thing this game does incredibly right, bar none, it has to be it's overall presentation. As a showpiece for the PSP, this is THE game to buy. Everything about this game is a high water mark for handheld gaming. The visuals are easily on par with it's PS2 brothers, it runs as smooth as silk, and the audio (especially the soundtrack) is thunderous. Some of the early levels look good, and at times the game might feel a little less "epic" than the other two games, but if you stick it out until the end, this game literally hums the word "epic" into your eyes and ears.
It's also worth noting that the game controls stunningly well. The loss of a second analog nub is barely (if at all) missed. The left trigger is used to block, the right trigger is used to roll, with the analog stick determining the direction of the roll. Once I got the feel for it, I actually think I preferred this method over the standards of the older console versions. The rest of the control scheme, from what I can tell, is essentially untouched. If this game has any weakness in control I might have to give it a negative for not having much in the way of new weaponry. The only really new weapon in the game is the "Gauntlet of Zeus", and for the lack of variety that this game might have, I think I'll let it slide when the weapon is as much fun as the Gauntlet. Once it was mine, and I pumped it up a couple of levels, it actually became my default weapon. Landing combos with this super fist is extremely satisfying and becomes damn near essential by the time the game is over.
Roll all of the above together and you have a game that will more likely than not leave your jaw agog as this game completely draws you into it's web. It has always been a staple for the series to have very engaging combat on the consoles, and when I sit down in front of my console that's what I expect from most any game I play. When I'm holding a handheld, for whatever reasons, I tend to be more lenient or at least aware that I'm playing in a more casual, more public, more portable manner. This is just simply not the case with Chains. This game completely sucks you in to the point where the outside world just sort of shuts down around you. I took the game with me to work and tried to use it to kill the last 15 or so minutes of my work day, but this game just simply won't allow that kind of thing. I even had one moment where I looked up and I was the only one left at work, all the lights were out, and I had played the game for 45 minutes instead of the regular 15. That's the mark of a truly awesome game in my book, or maybe just a really good reason to fire me?
If the game has any faults, they're really not large enough to bring down the entire game. The game is fairly short. My first play through took just over six hours, but my second took near eight. The game does have unlockable costumes which at least gives you a little cherry for your gaming sundae and the game also has the "Challenge of Hades" mode which is always a nice (if overly intense) extra. This game's storyline and gameplay also (for long time fans of Kratos) really offers nothing new. If you've played the other games, you will take to Chains like a duck to water. If not, you're in for a hell of a ride. I was also kind of disappointed in the final boss fight. Not with its difficulty, but more with it's length and cheapness. The fight can be completed in under ten minutes and Persephone has a couple of the cheapest moves that I've ever experienced in the series. She has one move where she swoops in, grabs Kratos, and then slams him to the ground. It's unblockable and she can get you even when you're in the middle of an attack. It's disappointing that a game so incredibly polished has a seemingly unpolished final confrontation. And lastly it's also worth noting that this game will absolutely zap your battery life. Prepare yourself and make sure to grab a spare battery or your charger (sometimes both!).
At the end of Kratos' latest epic though, if you're into massively violent hack and slash, action-adventures, you'll be completely satisfied with God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP. It's solid from the top of Athens to the bottom of Hades, it's a little short, but ultimately worth every minute. It's easily the best thing I've personally played on the system and it will absolutely make you forget that you're playing a game on a handheld.
+Technical high water mark
+Epic in scope and presentation
+Super immersive
+Nice tie-in with the mythology
+Gauntlet of Zeus is a great addition
-Short
-Doesn't break any new ground
-Cheap final boss
-Battery sucker
