Ancient epic wars are all the rage yet again since the release of Titan Quest in 2006, with a prequel to the God of War series. Titled God of War: Chains of Olympus, the series breaks free from the Playstation and makes an appearance on the PSP for the first time. The last game in the series, God of War II, was released in March 2007.

Don’t be deceived by the screen resolution of the PSP, as what the game lacks in size, it makes up in substance. Created by Ready At Dawn Studios the game doesn’t disappoint as its hero, Kratos, takes you on an ancient journey unlike any other on your PSP.

The Legend

The story unfolds with the Persian army invading the city of Attica, which Kratos has been sent by the gods to defend.

A resonating cry from a nearby source reveals a gargantuan basilisk breaching the city walls and our hero gives chase.

After the necessary heroics at Attica, a twist happens in the storyline as the Spartan warrior finds himself caught in a situation much worse than he could have imagined.

All of a sudden a fiery orb falls from the sky, arousing the curiosity of Kratos. At the same time, Helios, the divine representation of the sun, disappears mysteriously, leaving Morpheus, the god of dreams, to take advantage of the situation and spread his mist of darkness all over the ancient world. It is later discovered that the titan, Atlas, at the command of Persephone, queen of Hades, had kidnapped Helios.

Kratos is given the ardous task of rectifying the situation before all hell breaks loose in the form of an apocalypse. The game then ends with a decisive battle between Kratos and Persephone in the nether depths of the underworld

God of War: A Divine Gaming Experience

If you’re not a fan of Greek Mythology or find the storyline a tad too insipid, you’ll be glad to know that the game has many brilliant aspects to look forward to.

One of the 1st things you’ll notice is the depth of detail and graphical value. Take for example the intricacy in design of the structures and environment. Played from a third-person view, God of War: Chains of Olympus’s background graphics are breathtakingly beautiful and are definitely a welcome distraction for tired eyes as Kratos goes on to put an end to the enemy with his weapons: the Blades of Chaos and Zeus’s Gauntlets.

This viewing experience is further accentuated by the beautiful cut scenes, which are thoughtfully inserted at appropriate intervals in the game, giving you a chance to rest your tired fingers.

That said, God of War: Chains of Olympus runs smoothly throughout battle scenes, gore and spell animation and makes for an enjoyable playing experience

Chains of Olympus is also not your conventional ‘hack and slash’ game. Apart from killing foes, UrbanWire had to solve several brain-wracking puzzles. Those familiar with the puzzles in the newer titles of the Prince of Persia series will know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

The ‘cute’ part of the Chains of Olympus, which some might find a little irksome, is the mini-game where you’re required to hit a button as reflected on the screen to help Kratos defeat the ‘boss’ enemy.

Like many action-adventure titles on the PSP, the controls take a little getting used to. However UrbanWire found the use of the controls for executions of skills and combos pretty easy to handle after a while. The controls are even manageable by newcomers to this gaming genre.

The voice talents have done a pretty good job and the sound effects do justice to the dark ambience in the plot. To feel like you’re part of the game and lose yourself in the gaming experience, simply use a good set of headphones and crank up the game volume.

The Aftermath

Overall, the game is worth your money and time. For lovers of hardcore action, there are different difficulty levels with which you may wish to challenge yourself. Though the game had a slight drawback where there could have been more monster types, puzzles and extended gameplay time, God of War: Chains of Olympus is still a shoo-in contender for PSP Game of the Year 2008.

Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound: 8.5/10
Control: 9/10
Overall Rating: 9/10