GamersInfo.net

The God of War series only really emerged during the PS2’s twilight years, but its impact was still astounding. The two titles blurred the line between the aging console and the superb graphical abilities of Sony’s next-gen PS3, all while offering some brilliant action-orientated gameplay wrapped around an original storyline that recalled the classic characters from Greek mythology.

The latest title in the series, though, resides on Sony’s diminutive handheld, and is designed to fill in some of Kratos’ compelling backstory, exploring just how he became The Ghost of Sparta, and the gods' bitch.

Gameplay is virtually similar to God of War on PS2: journey through linear environments kicking ass in spectacular fashion, taking out a variety of dangerous minions. This is interspersed with a selection of gigantic and menacing boss characters who Kratos destroys in typically over-the-top fashion.

While the mechanics are generally superb — as they are on PS2 — there’s a couple of niggling issues. Far too often, the battles are sealed off into small, artificial arenas rather than being allowed to ebb, flow and use the environments around — and too often the game relies on Quick Time Events — those hit-a-button-when-prompted sequences — to vanquish your foes, robbing you of the chance to finish off an enemy with a stunning combo, instead replacing it with a fancy cut-scene you have little involvement in.

The game also includes some token RPG elements that involve levelling up your weapons or Kratos himself. Collecting Gorgon eyeballs and feathers increases your health and magic powers, which allow you to call upon special attacks — such as demons and balls of powerful energy — in battles, so obviously having more is advantageous.

There’s also a handful of extra weapons to unlock. Beginning with the infamous Blades of Chaos, there’s shields, the Efret and a fist of Zeus with which to take down enemies. They may have a slight increase in raw power, but none of them feel as fluid and satisfying as the Blades of Chaos, which you begin the game with. The sheer power and number of combos available stays surprising throughout the game and you’ll find yourself relying on them when there are a fair few other options in your arsenal.

Graphically, it’s almost as good as a PS2 game: undoubtedly a fantastic, and slightly staggering, achievement. Cut-scenes are gorgeously rendered and the game oozes Grecian atmosphere. Enemies look suitably evil, and boss characters suitably even more evil. Plenty of fancy lighting effects punctuate battles, too, adding some sparkle to Kratos’ inevitable success. The soundtrack is brilliant, too — all theatrical and operatic, evoking memories of the most epic of war and adventure films. And, like the best movie soundtracks, you don’t often notice its there, instead allowing yourself to be subconsciously effected by the sumptuous music. Voice acting is great, too, adding another emotional dimension to the genre — a boon, especially since plenty of games feature awful voices.

There’s no doubt that Chains of Olympus is one of the best action games — if not the best — on PSP. It possesses enough quality to outweigh the various minor faults: it may feel like the PS2 God of War games — almost like a parody of them, at times — but that’s not so bad when you consider how damned good they are. It’s also a little short, and leaves you wanting more. However, as a taster of the successful titles and a solid slice of PSP action — that happens to almost look like the best PS2 games — there’s nothing on the tiny console that touches it. Hugely recommended.