We were led to believe that God of War III was the last in the series, so news of another God of War game the very same year came completely out of left field. It’s even more surprising that it comes on the ailing PSP and from a developer who claimed to have given up on PSP development for good. But like God of War II was the PS2’s last hurrah before the next generation of consoles took over, God of War: Ghost of Sparta may just be the PSP’s swan song. As rumours of the PSP2 and a PSP phone come in thick and fast, Ghost of Sparta is a stern reminder of just what Sony’s handheld, defeated by its competition and ridiculed in the media, can really do when entrusted to an able developer.
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The writers of Ghost of Sparta (which interestingly includes God of War II director Cory Barlog) must have had a tough time coming up with a script for the game, seeing as how we all know how Kratos’ story ends. There’s really very little in the way of story to reveal in this instalment, which, in terms of chronology, takes place after the first game. So you can’t really blame Ready at Dawn for basing it around a new character who was only loosely alluded to in God of War III – Kratos’ brother, Deimos. Then again, the story was never the God of War series’ strongest suit. Instead, it’s the epic scale, the signature gameplay with copious amounts of blood spilling, and its bad a*s pro/an-tagonist that have made it one of the most beloved PlayStation franchises. That’s all here, and if Chains of Olympus was proof of Ready at Dawn’s credentials, Ghost of Sparta cements them as the best PSP developer, with a stunning showcase of rich visuals and grand scale never before seen on a handheld.
I’ve heard a lot of people complain after playing God of War III that it played just like God of War II. It did, because it’s supposed to. God of War games play the same irrespective of platform, and it’s the same with Ghost of Sparta on the PSP. The same control scheme, the same super-responsive combat system, and the same fixed camera approach, with new weapons and magic powers to keep things fresh. There’s also lots of enemy variety to ensure that you bring a bit of strategy into your approach to combat. Using fire damage against armoured enemies, the block and parry to fend off advanced sword-wielding foes, and lots of evading to escape heavy boss attacks means that combat isn’t just about hammering on Square and Triangle for endless flourishes of the Blades of Athena.
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I know I said earlier that God of War games don’t really offer much in terms of story, and Ghost of Sparta isn’t going to be winning any awards in this department either, but it does draw you into the script a lot better than the other games have. That said, you’ll figure out fairly early on what the end game is going to be, but it’s the 7-8 hour journey there that makes this the great game that it is. There’s plenty of action-packed set pieces and lots of varied environments to traverse through, punctuated by combat arenas, which however, started to get a little long in the tooth later on in the game. And this wasn’t helped by the fact that, every now and then, the camera angle would be such that certain enemies momentarily go out of view. This also occurs during a boss fight late in the game. It’s not nearly severe enough to sour the experience, but it does stand out since camera angles have never been an issue in past games.
Every God of War game has moments that will stay with you long after you’re done playing it, and this one is no different. The quiet walk up the lonely spiralling path to the Temple of Ares as the camera pulls away to reveal the ominously dark sky is one such moment. A fast-paced segment high in the sky in what is one of the best boss fights in the entire series is contrasting in pace and intensity, but just as memorable. Then, of course, there’s the obligatory sex mini game, which has a dozen women jumping into bed with Kratos at the Sparta brothel. And this goes without saying if you’ve played God of War III, but you’re going to want to stick around till after the credits.
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I don’t game too often on the PSP, but I can’t imagine that there’s a better looking game on it than Ghost of Sparta. From the snow capped mountains to the lava flowing down cave walls, it is nothing short of spectacular. Even subtleties like the change in glow when switching from a regular Blade attack to one with fire magic is represented in the reflections in surrounding metal objects. The game also manages to handle the grand scale and frantic combat without a hitch. Barring the occasional camera issues during combat, this is as close to visual perfection as a PSP game is ever going to get. The game maintains an equally high standard in the sound department. Voice acting is top notch as always and the musical score is some of the best in the series.
Conclusion
While it doesn’t quite manage to reach the highs of God of War III, Ghost of Sparta never drops to its lows either, but rather maintains a consistently high quality from start to finish. Like Chains of Olympus, it punches way above its weight and quite comfortably manages to hold its own amongst the series’ PS2 and PS3 games. The PSP may have run its course, but a few years down the line, when we look back it and the games it offered, God of War: Ghost of Sparta will stand out as one of the very best.
- Best looking PSP game ever
- Signature gameplay with new weapons and magic
- Engaging story
- Occasional camera issues during combat
