God of War Sons of Sparta

God of War Sons of Sparta starts much like any other game in the series. You, as Kratos, standing in the shadow of an oversized, beastly monster that is eager to send everyone’s favorite Spartan warrior to the river Styx. This isn’t an opening encounter that will match the world-shattering fist fight with the Stranger, or the ride atop Gaia as she summits Mount Olympus, this is admittedly smaller scale, like Sons of Sparta as a whole, but still thrilling and still unabashedly God of War.

There has been a common refrain this console generation that games are taking too long to make, and they’re becoming too expensive to make. Especially the caliber of games you expect from Sony first party studios, which is a bit of a double edged sword for Sony at the moment. When your brand is associated with delivering cinematic gaming excellence, you get the prestige but you also get the expectation to continue to deliver on that prestige. All of this to say that Sony is in a bit of a bind when it comes to delivering content for its current console, especially after a catastrophic pivot to live service games that has yielded little beyond canceled projects.

Sons of Sparta might be an attempt to address some of these issues, with it being a smaller budgeted title, developed largely by a studio outside of the first party stable with narrative and audio help provided by Santa Monica Studio, and utilizing an IP that Sony wants to keep in the collective gamer mindshare considering the forthcoming television adaptation.

Of course, it’s always a gamble to use an existing IP and present it in a new (but also old, in this case) way, especially when your consumers are as fickle as the typical gamer. But it worked out in 2018 in a big way with the reboot of the franchise, and I’d say it works out here with Sons of Sparta, for the most part. It’s clear Mega Cat Studios, the developers behind the pitch for Sons of Sparta, hold the IP in a high regard, and with the additional effort from Santa Monica Studio, they have produced a game that fits nicely in the pantheon of God of War titles and absolutely answers the question, what if God of War had existed on the original PlayStation.

It’s evident in the enemy designs, which are pixel perfect representations of all the foes you remember from Kratos’ Greek saga escapades, as well as the characteristic red and green orbs that burst from enemy corpses. And there are bits and pieces taken from the Norse saga as well, with various feats and labors that Kratos can accomplish throughout the course of his adventure. These are systems that translate quite flawlessly to a retro 2D Metroidvania, mainly because the God of War series has always been borrowing elements from the Metroidvania genre, though more evidently in the recent titles.

And while there is certainly puzzle solving in Sons of Sparta, this is still a title with a heavy emphasis on combat, as you would expect from a game from the franchise. The combat is satisfying, punchy, and responsive, though not without its faults. As young Kratos gains tools and abilities, it becomes unwieldy cycling through these tools in the midst of combat, and with a spear, parrying shield, and dodgeroll that are very effective against the undead hordes, it’s more nuisance than helpful to try and utilize some of the extra abilities. With ranged tools being the most helpful attempting to allay one of the games’ biggest combat frustrations: edge guarding enemies that will repeatedly stunlock and knock Kratos back and prevent him from gaining purchase on higher ledges. Purely a minor annoyance when they can be dispatched solo, but incredibly frustrating when the ledge they’re guarding would provide a moment’s respite from enemy hordes. But overall these are minor quibbles in what I consider a satisfying combat experience.

The game also has a heavy focus on narrative, something quite unique to the metroidvania’s that I have played through, and while the results are a bit of a mixed bag, there are a number of subtle nods to series lore that longtime fans of the series will notice and appreciate. This is the area where Santa Monica Studio clearly lended the most help, potentially attempting to bring a bit of that secret narrative sauce that Sony first party studios have, but in a retro package, and at the end of the day it’s a nice addition to the series canon. Teenage Kratos comes off as far more interesting than I think any of us would have expected, considering the abomination of a man he eventually becomes during the Greek trilogy, and it’s great to hear T.C. Carson reprise the role of Kratos as he relays this youthful adventure to his daughter Calliope, yes, that daughter. This view into the younger version of Kratos highlights an incredibly devout, and rigid, young man, who spends much of the adventure lecturing his younger brother Deimos on his duty within the Spartan agoge. It’s interesting getting this insight, considering we know the path Kratos’ life ultimately takes, and it makes his eventual turn against the gods all the more impactful.

It’s not just the story that gets that trademark Sony flourish, though, as the score, done by series veteran Bear McReary, fits the mood, the franchise, and the era, collectively.

Ultimately a satisfying, and admittedly uneven, experience, Sons of Sparta is a worthy addition to the God of War franchise. It isn’t going to hit the highs of the Norse titles or the original trilogy, but it’s a fun experience for the old timer God of War fans who don’t mind a revisit to the Greek era. And earlier, when I referred to it as a smaller scoped title, that’s a bit misleading, as I didn’t roll credits until after 40 hours with the title, and with still plenty of optional bosses and items left to find. For the budget price, and for fans, it’s an easy recommendation.