by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $13.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Intro:
… a perfectly inoffensive, enjoyable enough distraction that may help you through the long wait until the latest announced remasters become available.
The God of War franchise has been many things over the years. It started life as a hyper-violent action game back in 2005 on the humble PS2. Something like ten sequels and/or re-releases/remakes followed on various mediums and systems until the series seemed to run out of steam around 2015 and bid everyone a fond farewell.
Then, in 2018, a rebooted continuation of the franchise, God of War, became one of Playstation’s biggest selling and best reviewed games ever, and its 2022 sequel God of War Ragnarok was no slouch either.
At a recent Sony State of Play, it was announced that the original trilogy of God of War games were getting a fancy new remaster in the future and in the meantime, here’s a shadow dropped prequel, the colourful Metroidvania God of War Sons of Sparta. What a nice surprise. But is the game any good? Eh, it’s fine.
God of War Sons of Sparta tells the tale of young Kratos. Very young Kratos, the dude is 13-years-old. Joined by his younger brother Deimos, Kratos is navigating life while training at the Agoge. Kratos is a tough, honourable little tacker, who soon becomes embroiled in a plot involving a missing fellow student and a whole bunch of monsters and nefarious ne’er-do-wells.
In practical terms, the game is a 2D sidescrolling Metroidvania, full of combat, puzzles and areas that you can’t access until you unlock various gear or abilities.
Sons of Sparta plays out like a side story, a bit of extra content for superfans or anyone who isn’t thoroughly burnt out on Metroidvanias after Hollow Knight: Silksong. It’s certainly a lot more forgiving than Team Cherry’s tough-as-hell romp (which is ironic considering the protagonist), but it doesn’t add a lot of twists to the genre and consequently feels a bit rote. The graphics are colourful and attractive, and the combat looks flashy and features plenty of variety, but there’s something missing at the core.
Perhaps it’s the fact that, honestly, did anyone really want to know what Kratos was like as a kid? There’s a lovely framing device for the whole game where original voice actor TC Carson is telling the tale to his daughter Calliope Princess Bride style, and when those little interruptions occur, they’re very welcome. However, for most of the time, you’re playing a game that features very little of what makes God of War so memorable and appealing.
God of War Sons of Sparta is a perfectly inoffensive, enjoyable enough distraction that may help you through the long wait until the latest announced remasters become available. However, if you want a taste of what made those earlier titles so great, you might be better off checking out God of War III Remastered, when Kratos truly lived up to the name of his franchise and swung those deadly chains around like Nimbin’s deadliest fire twirler.
