With God of War: Sons of Sparta, Sony pulls off a nice trick – one that it should be more accepting of. It took a long-standing action franchise and actually let a smaller studio give it a go, with mostly great effect. That studio is Mega Cat Studios, known for more of its indie efforts. But its take on the legendary Kratos isn’t that bad at all, save for a couple of small caveats.
This adventure focuses on a hand-drawn approach, as you follow Kratos through the younger years of his life. He’s still gruff and ready to take on the world, but here he also serves as a brother to Deimos, who tries to keep up with his greatness. Their journey to find a missing Spartan boy takes them through several encounters, including some phenomenal boss battles.
Though not incredibly visceral like previous games, Sons of Sparta works on its own accord. The Metroidvania style combat and exploration is done very well, with lots of room to upgrade your weapons and character. Some of those upgrades could’ve been made a little more clear in later parts of the game, but there’s plenty to do here. The gameplay also holds up well, though some sections are clearly trial-and-error. And I love the hand-drawn art design – it’s a new approach for a legendary series.
I do wish the game was a little longer, and its co-op wasn’t locked away behind completing it. But in the end, God of War: Sons of Sparta is a successful experiment. It tells a new story in the God of War saga (with TC Carson back!), and does so by missing most of its beats. It does take a little bit to get started, but once it does, hold on tight, Spartans!
God of War: Sons of Sparta Presents the Younger Kratos Years
In flashback mode, Kratos (voiced by TC Carson!) talks with his daughter Calliope about his younger years. He discusses his relationship with his brother Deimos, and how they’re sent on a nearly impossible mission to find a missing Spartan child. It’s here that we witness the birth of Kratos’ greatness (badness to some?), and what lies in store for his journey to godhood.
I will admit, the pacing is a slight bit off. Sons of Sparta moves slow at first, possibly to introduce Kratos and Deimos and what they mean to each other. But stick with it – the story grows beautifully over the course of the 20+ hours you’ll plow through it. In fact, some of the arcs are very interesting, tying in with the overall legacy of the series.
The gameplay is terrific, melding God of War’s action with a Metroidvania approach. Obviously it’s not as visceral as his previous adventures, but it’s still very cool. Plus there are different weapons available, each one with proper leveling up. You can pull off some bad-ass tactics with enough time invested into the game. There are also other tasks to complete and items to use as well. I just wish they got a slight bit better explanation in some places. “Oh, I have that. Could’ve helped get me through the door sooner. (Not a big deal, though.)
Also, can we talk about the boss battles? Because they’re a lot of fun. Mega Cat Studios knows its classic design here and it shows, forcing you to use proper tactics to bring each one down. They’re not against epic giants or anything like that, but they’ll certainly keep you busy. And with a smile on your face.
There’s also co-op, but with a catch. Number one, it’s just with a particular mode, Pit of Agonies. And also, you have to unlock it by beating the main game. A lot of folks are complaining about that. It’s not a big deal, but I would’ve liked to have seen co-op oriented more into the overall game. It’s good fun with a friend, however.
Sony has an interesting experiment here with Sons of Sparta. Rather than leaning towards Sony Santa Monica to craft the journey, they instead turned to Mega Cat – and the effect turned out great, really. Imagine if they did the same for Jak and Daxter. Or Sly Cooper. Or, hell, Twisted Metal. Hey, Sony, you might have lightning in a bottle here. Embrace it.
Does God of War: Sons of Sparta’s Indie Approach Work Presentation Wise?
Along with a new gameplay approach and plenty of leveling up with it, Sons of Sparta also benefits from a very good presentation.
Again, this isn’t as stunning as, say, God of War III Remastered. Nor should it be. But I love the hand-drawn approach here and the beautiful levels packed within this game. Some are a bit larger than they need to be, but they add to the overall exploration. Plus the animations – particularly on the bosses – are very well done.
Audio-wise, the game scores. The music may not be as epic as other God of War games, but its melodies are sweet nevertheless, especially with later stages in the game. The voice acting is also very well done, with Carson leading the way for some very talented young actors. And, of course, those sound effects never get old. How could they when you’re on a path to destruction?
Here’s To the Sons of Sparta!
Even though the game takes a little bit of time to get into, and the co-op isn’t immediately available, God of War: Sons of Sparta is still recommended. Why? Because it’s an interesting addition to an ongoing saga, and one that tells a thrilling origin story. The gameplay proves that Kratos can fit into Metroidvania rather handily, and the indie approach to presentation works on just about every level.
It may not be the God of War epic you were expecting (that will likely come with the Remastered trilogy), but Sons of Sparta is definitely worthy of your attention. Something tells me the Gods would have no trouble accepting it with open arms. Even if it is Kratos.
GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Many thanks to Mega Cat Studios for providing us with a review code! God of War: Sons of Sparta is available now for PlayStation 5.
Need more epic action? Check out our review of Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel!
