God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Review from Cormac - Monday, 31 January 2011 @ 9:37am

One upon a time some skinny white boy played dress-ups as a Greek god for the hedonistic amusement of a bar full of gaming industry types. The end result of this masquerade was one saying to the other "I now want a PSP and I hope you're damn happy with yourself." So here we are, God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

Yeah, too skinny and not doing my angry face. I know. Also pictured is Nathan Phail-Liff, Art Director from Ready at Dawn Studios.

This game takes place between God of War I and II, with focus on more of Kratos's family life as well as what comes with being a god. It also hints at the reasons behind his iconic tattoo, which I'd actually wondered about as there seemed to be more to it than something he got one drunken night after his agōgē.

Everything is as shamelessly over the top as we could hope for. Before we're even well underway Kratos impales a sea monster on what its essentially a building foundation and inadvertently sinks Atlantis. Oh yeah, Kratos sank Atlantis, who else would have? The old girl wasn't about to sink herself. There's the obligatory sex scene to break mood/boost sales. Did anyone else never really get these? I know the game has no shortage of testosterone but most of it fits the character. He's so crazily obdurate that he'll kill people for the plot items they're blatantly offering him rather than ask them nicely or go even a step out of his way. Unless it involves sex, then it's kilts up and togas tossed. Maybe the game is trying to say something about his sense of loss for his beloved wife, but mostly it just serves to break mood and character.

Hey Poseidon. I may have dropped that city you really liked. Into the ocean. You like the ocean, right?

Combat brings a few new toys to the table. The Hyperion charge move is all sorts of satisfying, but also makes you vulnerable to attacks, thus working in a bit of strategy for good measure. Kratos running around with the classic Spartan spear and shield combo works really well within the story as well as adding fun new combat mechanic. I'm yet to play a game were shield bashing someone into the air isn't fun. Most spells are at least useful, either to regenerate health or just put enemies in a new and interesting state of hurt. A fire enchantment is needed to break through certain types of armour, which basically translates to "if in doubt, FIRE!" which incidentally is rule #4 of my zombie plan.

Graphically, the game plays well to the PSP's strengths and limitations. Lighting works particularly well, keeping just enough in the shadows to build atmosphere but not leave us completely in the dark. Creature design is slightly lacking. I'm pretty sure I killed squirtle and some head-crabs at one point. I picked up Chains of Olympus for a point of comparison, and found that many of the combat animations were identical. It's not as though stomping a medusa's skull is getting old anytime soon, but this did serve to illustrate just how much presentation has improved between games.

With this ring I wed thee

Oddly enough, the story is possibly the games strongest feature. The dynamic between Kratos and his brother remains engaging throughout and involves some character defining moments. The finale, I feel, is the most convincing display of emotion I've seen from the man in white and left me thinking "Wow, he should be angry."

Pros

Very much everything you could want from a God of War title, appropriated for a handheld. Save points are frequent enough that you'll never miss your bus for the sake of getting over the next hurdle. Voice acting is solid.

Cons

Apart from a few new tools in your skirt, not much has changed. Which is only just a con. A flying/falling sequence may have been a bit beyond the PSP's capabilities.