When Santa Monica Studios shadowdropped its 2D, retro-style Metroidvanian action-adventure game weeks ago for PS5, I jumped on the wagon. Because who doesn't like a good ol' God of War tale? That too, in pure arcade style!
Developed by Mega Cat Studio, God of War: Sons of Sparta is a coming-of-age tale focused on a young Kratos and his brother Deimos during their Spartan training.
The tenth instalment in the God of War franchise is also, chronologically, the first—it is a prequel to the entire series. Technically, it is a story told by Kratos around the time of God of War: Ghost of Sparta, but the major chunk of it is a flashback to his youth. It is also the first full game to return to Greek mythology after the recent Norse mythology hits, God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022).
Sons of Sparta starts strong, giving us a taste of its battle mechanics in the first minute itself, with both brothers facing off against a cyclops in the wild. For people like me, who grew up playing the original PS2 GOW titles, this was indeed a callback to the good ol' days.
Given that it is a Metroidvanian title, I did not expect much from the graphics end of it, but it has been quite a delight. For the past two weeks, Sons of Sparta has been my go-to game of choice. And the best part, it brings back the core difficulty in the game in two aspects: one, no more random saves, you need to reach a campsite; two, the bosses are not underpowered, and they give major Contra vibes.
What more do you want as a ‘90s kid from an arcade-inspired game?
By the 20th hour of playing the game, you might think you become a seasoned veteran of the game. While the gameplay gets a bit repetitive in older locations that you need to revisit, Sons of Sparta throws you once again at the deep end with a new "Olympic" power and more challenges in terms of the type of foes, and so on.
Blood orbs make a comeback, and at times, it feels like Santa Monica is warming us all up for the remastered versions of the original God of War trilogy it recently announced. In fact, the game also plugs a lot of holes in the story of the series, and answers one of our bigger questions: What happened to the abilities of Kratos when he reached the Nordic lands from the Greek grounds?
Sons of Sparta does a much better job in setting up the famous Athenians vs Spartans rivalry than Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ever did. It is in this subtlety of subtext, despite the loud action, that the game shines. Of course, for puritans and the slash-and-dash genre have more things to hate than love the game, but I think that is a personal choice. In fact, this title introduces a whole new set of gamers to the franchise, and at this point, I feel that is a smart move. In fact, if the recent runaway successes of Hades, Hades II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong are any indication, such a style of storytelling in games—be it 2D or isometric—is here to stay!
There are, of course, some hiccups, especially in the mechanics of the "Olympic" powers (that sickle makes me pull my hair out each time), but as a gamer, it is more about adapting to the game rather than developmental issues. The story keeps you engaged, so much so that you give repetitive button-mashing a pass. However, unlike certain other titles, the grind is rewarding—and rewarded too. The upgrades and gear systems are stripped, minimalistic versions of the 2018 God of War, and if you enjoyed it then, you might like it here too.
As a game, Sons of Sparta does not aspire to be something it is not. It is not a AAA title or a major contender for GOTY. It is a game based on a famous IP that lets you power up your console for a relaxed run from one save point to another. And that is, at times, what we need from games. And with co-op enabled once you finish the main campaign, it brings back the magic of a 2P Contra to modern gaming. From indies, to big studios, there is a parallel gaming culture slowly evolving that looks to take gaming back to its arcade roots, and I’m all for it.
Game: God of War: Sons of Sparta
Developer: Mega Cat Studio
Platform: PlayStation 5
Rating: 4 out of 5 | ★★★★☆
