Kratos is back, and this time he’s in your PSP handheld. Yet can Sony’s angry God translate his signature screen-filling action on the small screen?
By Shane Willoughby of thegamingliberty.com
Just how developers Ready At Dawn have managed to pack the epic brutality synonymous with Kratos’ God of War console outings onto Sony’s little PSP is anyone’s guess. Though Chains of Olympus proved Ready at Dawn Studios’ worth in 2008, God of War: Ghost of Sparta reinforces this worth and we would actually go as far as crediting Ready at Dawn as probably the best developer working on Sony’s portable.
God of War III is still fresh in our minds. The blood still drips from our hands. Thankfully, picking up a portable version of God of War so soon after III doesn’t take any of the shine off the franchise. Everything Kratos can do on PS3 he can do on PSP. Sure, it doesn’t look as good and there are more limitations, but it’s not as far away from its console big brother as you might think. Ghost of Sparta is testament to just how fluid, addictive and playable the God of War franchise is. Everything is transferable from console to portable and with the core gameplay elements intact, Ghost of Sparta proves that Kratos can work on any Playstation format and still be as pissed off as hell.
The series’ striking visuals don’t appear diminished on the comparatively small PSP screen
Ghost of Sparta, as the fifth GOW game in the series fills something of a narrative fissure in Kratos’ epic lineage, a gap exposed by the more traditional console GOW’s. Sparta explains a number of things, most notably the mystery surrounding Kratos’ lost brother in Atlantis.
Thankfully, the depth of narrative and storyline one would expect from the GOW franchise is retained with Ghost of Sparta. It was never always about just the killing. The story drives Kratos’ quest and never gets lost amidst the carnage. There has never been anything subtle about Kratos and his pursuit of revenge and Sparta goes a long way to explaining just way Kratos is as ticked off as he is. At times we see a different Kratos, a more compassionate warrior that actually thinks before he acts and isn’t just the blood thirsty maniac we’ve grown to love. That said, our protaganist hasn’t turned into a big softie – he’s still a maniac.
If you’ve play any of the previous four GOW games then you know exactly what to expect, as literally nothing has changed. There are a couple of neat new additions here and there but ultimately the game is as you were from the last outing, not that that’s a bad thing. If it aint broke, don’t fix it. Slitting throats, severing limbs and lacerating the senses of hapless minions through a series of quick time button-bashing events all feel just as satisfying on PSP as they ever did on PS2 and PS3. It’s as effortless as ever and never gets boring.
In terms of your arsenal, Sparta grants you the usual wealth of weaponry at your disposal, including some new Spartan weaponry such as the classic spear. There’s also a twist on the standard issue Blades of Athena, with the ability to add fire to your blades. The killing is broken up by the climbing, jumping, swimming and puzzle solving you’re already accustomed to, though the latter is pretty un-stimulating and timid on the ground.
Visually, Ghost of Sparta has to be the best looking game on PSP. It’s incredible. The attention to detail, the textures, the animations, the environments; Ghost of Sparta is the PSP’s new visual benchmark. It’s incredibly immersive and has set a new standard for what can be achieved on a handheld, ensuring that Ready at Dawn have conquered the PSP with this effort. The visuals really enhance the story and the characterisation of Kratos.
Ghost of Sparta needs your attention. It takes the PSP to new levels on almost every front and is near impossible to fault. Kratos can do no wrong at the moment and Ready at Dawn’s latest is a beautifully immersive handheld masterpiece. Buy it.
Format: PSP; Developer: Ready at Dawn Studios
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