Developer: Mega Cat Studios, Santa Monica Studio
Platform: PS5
Genre: Action
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
God of War Sons of Sparta is a 2D metroidvania with an obvious God of War tie-in. You play as Kratos as he navigates a 2D version of Sparta. The game focuses on Kratos in his youth, growing up in the Agoge alongside his brother, Deimos.
Armed with his spear and shield, Kratos moves through various environments across Sparta, fighting not-so-mystical beasts while uncovering a vast labyrinth of levels and mazes along the way. The game is also narrated by an adult Kratos recounting the tale to his daughter Calliope. They try to maximise as many of the God of War aspects as possible throughout the game, and I did like the narration elements, which add some story to a somewhat repetitive game. The voice-overs are clean and add a strong story element, which helps with world-building.
The world is a very Spartan and God of War-inspired backdrop. Levels have a mix of statues, gods, beasts, and elements of Spartan history spread throughout. You will encounter a whole host of characters with whom you can undertake quests. This also helps to develop Kratos and his backstory, too. The graphical design and general feel throughout the game are polished, and the visuals fit the metroidvania genre well. Some areas are locked until you get a certain power-up or beat a boss that unlocks another area. The game consists of navigating the many paths through this maze-like game to finish quests and get further into Kratos’s past. As you progress, you will encounter tougher and bigger beasts. As enemies get tougher, you will be able to level up your character and enhance your weapons to meet the challenge. The game supports single-player and 2-player local co-op.
The skill tree is not overly complex, and a general playthrough will help you find loot and unlock items. Further exploration allows you to unlock more and enhance Kratos even further. The gameplay is combat- and platformer-focused, with puzzles throughout. The puzzles also add another key and fun element, which I enjoyed, and they were diverse enough, too, for my liking. The combat is probably a bit too simplistic and repetitive, and that’s likely the game’s biggest downfall, as it detracts from the overall experience. It’s shield and spear combat with dodge and deflect mechanics to boot. The main combat for my play through was to stab, dodge or roll through an enemy and do this for a while. The bosses require more strategy and more thought, which breaks the general combat monotony. You do get enhancements and power-ups, but for large parts of the game, the combat feels rinse and repeat, and the God of War tie-in doesn’t quite cover that up.
I wanted to enjoy it more, but I’ve played so many Metroidvania games that are just miles better, more fun, and less repetitive. Even the exploration was good, but I’ve seen it done better in many other games, where the labyrinth of levels and their interconnectivity feel more natural and fluid.
I think that’s what the game is missing: a natural and fluid feel. Everything is okay and good, but nothing makes it fantastic. It’s a good metroidvania, and that’s it. I wanted to like it more, as I’m a big God of War fan, but it misses the mark. It’s not the worst game, and nowhere near the best Metroidvania I’ve played. More dynamic combat and better level design would have made this a wonderful game; it’s just lacking. A respectable 6/10.
Overall: 6/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
