God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
During the Playstation 2’s later years of console dominance, game designer David Jaffe unleashed the first title in his envisioned action series, God of War, across the world. Combining several of the most celebrated elements from previous games, both classic and instantly classic, with a no hold’s barred approach to gritty storytelling, mature violence and unrestrained sexuality, Jaffe’s modern day Greek tragedy was met with critical and worldwide acclaim. Even when helmed by a different director, God of War’s eventual sequel continued delivering the same visceral action and Hollywood-level presentation that made the original such a hit.
Now, as the world waits for the third and possibly final entry in Sony’s bloody odyssey, developer Ready at Dawn has released a portable prequel for the PSP. Having successfully adapted the Jak and Daxter series to Sony’s small screen with its Daxter spin off, the California-based studio has taken the herculean task of replicating the same level of gaming excellence to a smaller and less powerful system with God of War: Chains of Olympus.
Taking place before the events of the first two games, Chains of Olympus follows the adventures of merciless anti-hero Kratos, freshly employed by the Gods but no less irate from their endless demands. Tasked with overthrowing a plot to cast the human world into perpetual darkness and banishing the Gods to an eternal slumber, Kratos will travel across war-ravaged seas, demon-infested ruins, and even the smoldering pits of Hades itself, grudgingly working as the assassin of the Gods, until they one day fulfill their promise of having the haunting memories of his past atrocities expelled from his mind forever.
Where current installments of long running franchises tend to be criticized for not evolving their core gameplay mechanics, God of War’s portable offering can be lauded for how much it manages to carry over from its console entries. Despite possessing fewer buttons and a less comfortable analog nub, the controls for Chains of Olympus are shockingly precise; console veterans will have no trouble adjusting to the revised button combinations as they dodge attacks, juggle enemies in the air, or engage in context sensitive button battles with towering bosses (or with statuesque concubines in the sex minigame, which makes its third and arguably most explicit appearance early on).
The controls are not the only element to be successfully carried over from the console versions; God of War is as much a visual powerhouse on the PSP as it was on the PS2, possessing the same fluid animation, narrative-filled FMVs, and reflective particle effects as its previous entries. Unfortunately, it also shares the first two games’ screen tearing effect, which becomes especially apparent in indoor areas. It is a minor blemish, however, to what is arguably the most visual impressive game on the PSP yet. The audio portion is also as powerful as ever, with returning voice actors giving the same stellar performances along with a fully orchestral soundtrack filled with ominous dread and thunderous action, despite much of the music being directly lifted from the first two soundtracks.
As mentioned before, there is virtually no difference in how Chains of Olympus plays compared to God of War I and II, but the lack of any distinction may be met with criticism among gamers expecting something more. Despite carrying some new designs, the enemies in this game follow the same attack patterns as previous foes. Solving puzzles can also prove more frustrating, as not every breakable landscape will clearly illuminate for players, causing more than a few instances of swinging Kratos’ weapons wildly at several pieces of rubble and pillars until the one area that was meant to break gets caught in the crossfire. There is also a much smaller handful of new spells and weapons to experiment with this time around, although they can all be upgraded with red souls obtained from fallen enemies and destroyable architecture.
But the paltry amount of items is synonymous with this portable edition’s Achilles heel: length. Noticeably shorter than previous offerings, Chains of Olympus can be completed in a mere five hours, with bonus movies, harder difficulty settings, and bonus challenges unlocked after one playthrough to extend that time by a couple hours more. Despite the shorter length, there is not a single moment in the game that stumbles over itself, and there is no lack for foes to eviscerate. It may only last five hours, but they are five of the finest hours in the God of War legacy.
In the end, while Chains of Olympus will offer nothing new to lure in players unmoved by the PS2 original or its sequel, this portable adventure will offer fans the same thrills and mature presentation that helped the PS2 editions reach God-like reverence.
Primotech Rating: 
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[...] 2008 by The Shepherd Sons For those toting around a PSP, you now have a great game to buy and Primotechnology.com has the review for you: Taking place before the events of the first two games, Chains of Olympus [...]
Great review, Jorge. I’m definitely going to pick this up when I get my new PSP Slim soon.
[...] God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) [...]