Since the release of God of War, Kratos has proven himself as a worthwhile addition to the gaming’s cadre of characters, with his aggressive attitude and visceral approach to combat setting himself apart. Players who have stuck with Kratos throughout his adventures have seen his attempts to murder Ares and his journey to change his fate. However, though these stories were well told, there was little exposition dedicated to explaining what made Kratos the desire to undergo these challenging endeavors.
God of War: Chains of Olympus attempts to fill in these blanks, providing the rationale for this Spartan warrior's actions. The setting for this vision quest is Sony’s PlayStation Portable, placing this as the first title in the God of War saga to see a portable release. Kratos’s time with Sony’s handheld comes with strong potent hits, as well as a few unfortunate misses; ultimately, his journey is a triumphant one.
When booting up your system to start Kratos’s adventure, it will quickly become obvious that Ready at Dawn has done their homework in managing this franchise, as everything from the introductory text to the title screen resembles what would be found in Kratos’s PlayStation 2 adventures. This strong similarity extends to in-game graphics and cut scenes as well; from Kratos’s motions as he navigates these environments to his attacking animations when he deals with his adversaries, there is enough present here visually to make you forget that you are experiencing this quest on a handheld. The sounds contained in this portable package are the same way; Kratos’s grunts are clear on the PSP’s speakers, and the voices of the characters that he meets enunciate well to the point that you feel like you are that much closer to the action.
The strong audiovisual elements present in this title effectively demonstrate the strengths of Sony’s PlayStation Portable, and successfully prove that if managed with careful hands, portable video gaming can reach the same levels as that of their console counterparts. Of course, while these Chains of Olympus may look and sound strong, some elements present contribute to them suffering some internal rust.
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