Alongside the reveal that Santa Monica Studio was working on a full trilogy remake of the Greek-era God of War games, there was a prequel game called God of War: Sons of Sparta.
It was a compelling reveal during the State of Play last week, and, rightfully, those watching were excited and dialled in for a Metroidvania God of War.
The thing is, though, for as godly as that combination sounds, it isn’t the return to Greece many wished for. There are some moments of greatness to discover, but there just aren’t enough fresh ideas to make God of War: Sons of Sparta stand out.
Return to Sparta
Sons of Sparta takes place years before the first God of War, when Kratos is a young Spartan training with her brother in the Agoge. The story is told by the adult Kratos to his daughter Calliope (remember her?). T.C. Carson returns to voice Kratos, but he largely narrates the story, while Anthony Del Rio returns to voice young Kratos, last appearing in God of War: Ghost of Sparta.
Young Kratos is not yet the pawn of Ares, the God of War, but a talented young man, still human, loyal to his brother, and naive in the face of the gods he admires. Seeing this human, almost vulnerable, side gives the saga unexpected depth. Deimos, for his part, remains impulsive and boisterous but gains complexity as the adventure progresses. Their brotherly relationship becomes one of the better elements of the 10-hour experience, but it’s mired in some uneven and rather odd design choices.
By and large, Sons of Sparta is a Metroidvania. The story follows Kratos and Deimos as they search for a missing cadet. Ambitious to show their merit, the siblings decide to put their training to the test and find their missing comrade.
I appreciate the decision to tell smaller stories based on big franchises. As an experiment for Santa Monica Studios, it almost works, but it has some issues. For one, the combat is fun mostly; it lacks the punchiness of the Greek games and the depth of the Norse games, though.
Kratos primarily uses a spear and shield, with later levels adding secondary weapons such as a sword that can be enhanced and upgraded. I struggled to find a flow that worked because I’d dodge or mash buttons more than anything else, so encounters quickly became repetitive. Later on, there is some depth to battles thanks to the modifiers and skills that can be unlocked, but never to the levels you’d want from the series.
Enemies telegraph their attacks using a colour code, either yellow, blue, or purple, with each tasking you to dodge or parry. This system works well for most fights, although some smaller enemies attack too quickly to react. I think that combat against regular enemies is fine, but it is the boss battles that stand out and remind you this is God of War as you learn patterns, react, and then strategize how to bring the health bar down successfully.
While the combat is reminiscent of the original trilogy, it doesn’t have the same spectacle. In a world where games like Blasphemous and Nine Sols exist, you have to punch above your weight class to stand out in the crowded market Metroidvanias now exist in.
Laconian Struggle
From the trailer offerings, I thought Sons of Sparta looks good, but now that I’ve spent the better part of a dozen hours finishing it, I’m torn. I generally like how far pixel art has evolved over the years, as it’s grown more expressive and detailed. Even the voice acting is uneven, with big players like Kratos and Deimos being good, but side characters feeling unexpressive or downright boring. When you’ve got incredible performances and emotion pushing through in the mainline title, you’d think the passion would translate to the spin-off, it lacks the enthusiasm you expect.
A 2D Metroidvania God of War sounds incredible, and with more finesse, this game could be exactly that. I don’t think the art looks bad, but it isn’t memorable outside of a few monster designs. Even Kratos has no distinctive features yet, and if you didn’t know better, you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s the future destroyer of the Greek Pantheon.
That idea slots into the story nicely, though, as young Kratos isn’t yet fueled by his primordial rage. His faith in the gods to follow orders is still there, so you won’t see the character you’ve grown to expect just yet.
Biomes are where I also feel there’s a good variety to discover as you explore the expansive map. You can later fast travel between the temples until much later, but by then, you’re ready to hang up your sword and sandals for another day.
Verdict
God of War: Sons of Sparta might bring fans back to Greece, but it isn’t the way you expected to return. There’s a decent game when all is said and done, but it fails to materialize a unique identity from a series that has successfully rehabilitated its image. God of War: Sons of Sparta is ultimately a fine game that may have benefited from being its own thing. I wouldn’t even call it serviceable because I don’t know what is in service. When Ghost of Sparta did a fine job of filling in Kratos’ backstory, Sons of Sparta muddies the past while revisiting a time in Kratos’ life that few fans care about.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
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Author: 360 Technology Group
