Any fears I had about this game being pared down were unwarranted. Yes, the
developers had to cut a few corners to fit the PSP, but its still God of War
through and through. On the PSP. To a fan of the series, nothing more needs to
be said; don't think, just buy. The graphics are top-notch and look great on the
small screen, easily the best looking PSP game to date. My previous complaint
about the backgrounds looking slightly plain are unfounded. I don't know if it
was just the demo version or what, but the full game has great backgrounds that
give the same sense of scope and believability as its big brothers on the PS2.
The sound is equally amazing, and with headphones on, you get completely sucked
into the world. And the gameplay is just as gory and brutal as you could hope.
The atmosphere that is created with all three of these makes you feel like such
a frickin badass that it easily holds your interest the whole way through, even
if the story this time is a little less interesting.
Being a prequel,
this game feels more like "the further adventures of Kratos" than anything else.
Which isn't a bad thing, but the story doesn't really get interesting until
pretty much the end of the game, where we finally get to the part that focuses
on Kratos' daughter. Without saying too much, it is good to get some more
background and insight into Kratos' tortured soul and really makes you feel
sorry for him. At the end, you totally understand the Ghost of Sparta's rage and
it makes you want to kick some ass every time you play him.
Taken on its
own, this is easily the most fun you've ever had on the PSP. It's only when
compared to its console counterparts that you start to see the thin cracks and
compromises that were made. While the combat itself is satisfying, the controls
and progression are slightly off. The tiny nub of a joystick on the PSP simply
cannot compare to a real analog stick and at first, it is awkward having to hold
both shoulder buttons in order to execute a barrel roll. Once you get used to it
however, it works well, becoming automatic and second nature. Overall, Ready at
Dawn did a surprisingly good job of mapping everything to the PSP's controls and
squeezing in as much of the PS2 game's play mechanics as they possibly could.
Progressing through the game is possibly the weakest link in the chain (sorry,
couldn't resist). Chains of Olympus is even more linear than the first two
adventures and the puzzle elements are extremely easy. I only got stuck once for
more than 20 seconds. Also, there are way, WAY more instances of being blocked
off in a chamber by red force fields and being made to clear the room of enemies
before you are able to proceed. Again, not necessarily a crippling flaw, it just
makes the progression seem a bit forced and controlled. On the plus side, the
second weapon that you eventually get not only has a useful purpose this time
around, but its actually really fun to use! In fact, there are certain enemies,
especially in the Challenge of Hades, that are more easily dealt with using this
additional weapon.
The only other negative things would be length and
difficulty. Unless I was careless, I didn't really die all that often. No doubt
my experience with the first two God of War games helped with this, but it still
felt easier. I finished the game in just over 7 hrs on Hero (Medium) difficulty
and got all the hidden chests (which btw, are much less hidden this time
around). I may go back and try to complete the game again on God Mode and finish
the Challenge of Hades, but it probably won't take me much longer than
that.
In summary, if you compare Chains of Olympus to the first outings,
it comes off a bit like God of War Lite in a couple aspects. Which, make no
mistake, still isn't bad at all. However, if you take it for what it is on the
PSP, you will see it for what it really is; the most bloody, engrossing, and
downright fun 7 hrs you'll ever spend with a portable game system. If you at all
enjoyed Kratos' antics in the past, you should need no more convincing.
