God of War: Ghost of Sparta Reviews

While the format won’t click with every God of War fan, the 2D action-Metroidvania approach is a welcome change. The foundations are solid, even if it doesn’t push the genre the way the best Metroidvanias do. For anyone who likes both God of War and Metroidvanias, it’s an easy pick. It’s short, but it’s a fun ride.

I’ve been following the exploits of Kratos and his terrible, no good, very bad life since 2005. The God of War franchise has maintained an impressive level of action game quality for over 20 years while delivering an engaging, often emotional story. Sons of Sparta doesn’t fill in any important narrative gaps. It does offer a worthwhile look at a point in Kratos’ life before the gods decided to put him through hell (often literally), but the gameplay is frustrating and competing in a gen...

Sony’s latest State of Play was full of surprises that players weren’t expecting from both old franchises and now, but perhaps the most unexpected was a new God of War title developed by a studio about as far as you could get from Santa Monica Studio’s AAA pedigree: Mega Cat Studios. A retro-first developer that’s made some of the latest titles to be released for the Sega Genesis and NES, the concept of Cory Barlog lending out the likeness off Kratos to another indie studio was something players would have never expected from 2026’s Sony Interactive Entertainment, where so many of their signature exclusives either dabble in live service or the cinematic and thousand-man-hour graphical powerhouses. God of War: Sons of Sparta represents a radical take on Kratos’ origin, but does this trip to Laconia appeal to more than just series tourists?

After a surprise launch, God of War Sons of Sparta has really found a place in a lot of gamers' hearts so let's sharpen our spears and get to it.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a very good video game, with strong visuals, excellent music, and simple yet effective gameplay driving an ultimately interesting story. However, as a God of War title, it is held back from true greatness by early pacing issues and a presentation style that feels somewhat tone-deaf to the rest of the series.

Letting players take control of a young Kratos, God of War Sons of Sparta is a retro-styled 2D Metroidvania that offers a large, interconnected world to explore. It's both engaging and rewarding to do so, too, though repetitive combat that can feel a little scrappy brings the experience down somewhat.

God of War Sons of Sparta unfortunately failed to make me feel anything at all. The combat is sterile and not particularly deep, the Metroidvania elements are paint-by-numbers boring, and the story, while sometimes impactful, doesn't add much to the series lore in any interesting ways. I really don't know who this game was made for.

God of War Sons of Sparta swaps to a 2D plane to show us a glimpse of Kratos's early years.

A brave 2D prequel that looks at Kratos's childhood but struggles to live up to the series' legendary weight.

Despite its surprise release, it delivers a strong overall experience. The platforming feels tight and responsive, and the combat stands out with satisfying spear-and-shield mechanics that keep encounters engaging throughout.

Though the tonal shift might be too much for some longer term God of War vets and it really doesn't achieve anything fresh or new in the Metroidvania space, Sons of Sparta nevertheless stands as proof that AAA developers like Sony Santa Monica should continue to let talented indie devs play in their sandbox because despite such flawed, the results are still more than worthwhile.

God of War Sons of Sparta struggles to deliver on the best of God of War or the best the Metroidvania genre has to offer. Combat is dull and lifeless despite a handful of nice ideas, and it's visually ugly and muddy. Even lacking in brutal finishers, this all feels quite tame. It's not bad, but serviceable struggles to excite – and that's a sin for God of War.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a well-designed, albeit conventional, Metroidvania. Combat encounters are enthralling, especially as the game progresses and enemies unleash varied attacks that demand specific methods of evasion. New abilities expand your offensive arsenal, adding further layers to each encounter. While the platforming and puzzles benefit from tight, thoughtful design, the art direction is competent but uninspiring. Although a strong outing for Kratos, this entry doesn’t quite reach the mythic heights of the series.

God of War Sons of Sparta is a solid outing that takes the franchise into a new direction while feeling a bit too safe and by the numbers for enthusiasts of the genre to truly appreciate.

There are two things I dislike a lot from Sony’s current approach to Playstation 5 exclusives. The first one is the fact they obviously pivot towards the huge, sprawling, expensive, cinematic AAA games meant to be “reasons for one to buy a Playstation 5”. I think they have been lacking in variety over the past few years in that regard. The second main issue is the fact they usually announce games years before they are actually shipped, in an attempt to generate buzz and hype; I honestly...

There's so much potential unexplored here, and occasional glimmers of ingenuity in Ready at Dawn's efforts show a developer that should be able to do better.

While we're huge fans of Kratos here in the Push Square office, not every PlayStation fan shares our affection. The spartan warrior's constant anger grates with many followers, so much so that they are unable to look past the character in order to enjoy the game. Despite slotting awkwardly between the first and second God of War games, God of War: Ghost of Sparta attempts to explain the reasoning behind Kratos' fury. Ready At Dawn use the second PSP spin-off as a method to shine a different light on the warring character. Don't get us wrong, Kratos is still flippin' furious in Ghost of Sparta — but some new elements of his character are exposed here, making it essential from a narrative stance. Some of the areas Ready At Dawn touch on can be ham-fisted, but Ghost of Sparta will change your perception of Kratos, even if you still come away disliking the anti-hero.

It seemed impossible, and yet - the new God of War kicks even harder than its predecessor. One of the best games, if not the best, ever created for the PSP console.

Unbelievably, the developers at Ready at Dawn managed to top what they did with Chains of Olympus, delivering a longer, deeper, and more graphically beautiful game than even they thought was originally possible. Ghost of Sparta is, without a doubt, one of the best games available for the PSP. Just when I thought I had Kratos figured out, I’ve been given insight into another piece of his past that makes his anger much more understandable. The path less traveled as far as characters and locations makes Ghost of Sparta a very significant chapter in Kratos’ story. There’s nothing hugely different about the gameplay, but there really didn’t need to be. Combat works perfectly, and while I could have stood a bit more challenge in the puzzle department, that’s basically the same as saying I could have used a bit more chocolate sauce on my totally awesome delicious dessert.

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