PlayStation Review | God of War: Sons of Sparta

When Sons of Sparta shadow-dropped at the February State of Play, I was honestly surprised. It is quite unlike Sony to hide such things like this, especially with such well-established franchises. Don’t get me wrong, it was a nice surprise seeing the God of War logo flash up, but even more surprising to learn that it was now a 2D Metroidvania-style game with co-op. God of War has long been a franchise that I hold in high regard. I’ve been a fan since the PS2 releases back in 2005, so I had to give this one a shot. We now have three very distinct styles of God of War games, with this new 2D entry being its most inventive yet. While I am sure this won’t be to everyone’s liking, it certainly has captured my attention. Read on to find out my final thoughts on this interesting new iteration.

Things I liked!

• The Combat | Each God of War game has always focused heavily on combat. It is the defining core mechanic of the game, fighting waves of enemies, large bosses, and the occasional button prompt that deals out massive damage. God of War: Sons of Sparta is no different. Despite being a 2D pixelated game, it contains a wide variety of attacks that can be unlocked using the spear, which is the main weapon used in the game. While not completely functional at the start of the game, it ties into the upgrading and enhancing mechanic which then unlocks new skills and abilities, making each new unlock a devastating addition to your arsenal.

• Boss Fights | Boss fights are no exception in Sons of Sparta. At times it also feels like there are more than in previous games. Early-game story progression sees you fighting off at least four bosses that will test your skills, and also act as tutorials for certain abilities, like dodging, power strikes, jumping, and parrying. In fact, the entire opening scene is a boss fight against a Cyclops, which your brother Deimos helps you with. The initial setup is pretty strong, and sets the tone for what is to come throughout the game.
  
  
• The Story | Just like most God of War games, there is a solid story being told here. The early years of Kratos’s life alongside his brother Deimos are what’s on offer here. In previous games Kratos is very reluctant to talk about his brother given how we know what happened. But in Sons of Sparta it is explored in greater depth. Alongside, this we learn of Kratos as a person, who is explaining the story to his daughter Calliope. If you are a fan of the series, you will know what happened to Kratos’s family when challenged by the gods. Reprising his role is Terrence C. Carson as the younger Kratos, has much more in common with this era of Spartan than the more recent releases such as Ragnarok. It has been a fantastic experience listening to him again, filling this gamer with all sorts of nostalgia.
  
  
• Music & Sounds | Much of the earlier games’ epic music is present in Sons of Sparta, with its exploration-based tracks present, when not in combat or exploring the vast world. The boss fights are where the music truly shines though, filling you with energy as you rush towards battle against enemies that are usually ten times your size.
  
  
• Tons of Abilities | Despite Kratos not using a lot of weapons in Sons of Sparta, the weapons and tools available feel good enough when tackling the various enemies found throughout the game. For example, the Spear (Dory) and the Shield (Aspis) are his main go-to for dispatching the creatures surrounding Sparta. This is because Kratos has yet to be challenged by the Gods and receive his Blades of Chaos. However, there are some tools that are “touched by the gods” that you can use throughout the game that help not only in combat, but also for fighting too. The slingshot allows you to attack enemies from a distance but also hit environmental areas such as charms, and cogs that can drop ladders and open doors. All of these can be upgraded when resting at a campfire. Upgrades are handled much like previous God of War entries where you collect blood orbs that you use to power up weapons and unlock new abilities. Nothing here has changed, and players who have played previous games will feel right at home. Magic orbs are blue and green orbs replenish health, with the addition of yellow orbs replenishing abilities.
  
  
• Replayability | Sons of Sparta is a long game; expect to take around twenty hours or so, with a completionist run taking around double that. The game also has many secrets and unlockable areas to find. While these can be done in a single playthrough, expect an easier time on your next playthrough as you can carry over your unlocks and special abilities and upgrade them even further. This makes some of the areas guarded by bosses much easier if you can wait. Not only this, but once complete, you can play alongside a friend in co-op mode. More on this below.
  
  
• Change in Style | God of War: Sons of Sparta is a gorgeous-looking game. It has highly detailed 2D pixel art, with stunning backdrops, complex animations, and a full living, breathing world to explore. We have never seen a God of War game like this before, let alone a Metroidvania-style God of War game either. It is definitely a welcome change, too as it really helps this stand out from the other games in the series.

Mixed & disliked!

• Locked Co-Op Mode | By far my biggest gripe with Sons of Sparta is the co-op mode being locked until completing the main game. A friend of mine who also decided to pick up the game wanted to play alongside me as combat is easier, we can split up and explore wider areas and even cover more ground quicker, but unfortunately this isn’t possible due to it being a post-completion unlock, a decision I feel is bad, as it prevents people from enjoying it together, and almost entirely removes the need once the game is over. With the game being as long as it is, the feeling of jumping back in again after doing it yourself seems a little extreme to me. I hope that a patch can be put out that undoes this since fan backlash has been quite vocal.

• Frustrating Navigation | With Sons of Sparta being a Metroidvania game, the navigation can be frustrating at times. With the world almost completely unlocked from the get-go, it can sometimes be a pain to find the correct route to take, only to realise that you don’t have the correct item or tool to progress because you missed a temple of the gods in another area. The map isn’t the friendliest either, with the UI being extremely minimal, with different colours indicating what type of area it is, but due to a lack of a legend, it can be hard to understand exactly what these are sometimes.
  
  
• Voice Acting | Outside of Terrence C. Carson, the rest of the voice acting is pretty lacklustre with the voices seemingly of different quality and standards. For example, the Spartan at the gate who you will interact with quite frequently comes across as non-caring, and the voices just seem off in general. I know they aren’t AI generated, that would have been a huge bummer, but what I’m talking about here is a lack of quality, with some indie games having better production overall.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 20 hours
How long to beat the story? 25 hours
How many Trophies did I earn before publishing? 12
How long to achieve Platinum? | 40 hours+
You’ll love this game if you like these | Silksong, Unbound: Worlds Apart

CONCLUSION

Score: 85/100

God of War: Sons of Sparta proves to be a challenging, but worthy entry into the God of War franchise. While it doesn’t retain some of the previous games’ highlights with its big flashy boss fights, and gorgeous cinematics, it does stand out from the crowd by bringing a new art style, co-op, and deeper explanation of the story between Kratos and Deimos, and their unrelenting journey through Sparta. With the return of Terrence C. Carson, fans of the God of War series, old and new will have a fantastic time listening to the narration of what drove Kratos to becoming the God of War.