Preview: God of War: Ghost of Sparta
"Every end has a beginning," the trailer for God of War: Ghost of Sparta tells us. Yet, considering how savaged Greek mythology is by the end of God of War 3, Ghost of Sparta seems a bit out of place. A new God of War prequel from Chains of Olympus developer Ready at Dawn should be cause for celebration, but perhaps it's too soon after God of War 3 -- my excitement was definitely abated when I picked up the PSP system and started playing. It felt too safe, too familiar.
That's not to say that Ghost of Sparta is bad. In fact, it's very good -- Ready at Dawn's handheld wizardry has managed to improve even more, with visuals that seem impossible on Sony's aging portable. And it's not just a pretty face: there are some new gameplay features as well, including a few refinements carried over from the PS3 game. Chains of Olympus stands as the most critically acclaimed PSP game to date, and it seems Ghost of Sparta has a chance of besting such a lofty goal.
The core mechanics will be instantly familiar to anyone who has played a God of War game. At this point, Kratos' repertoire of dual-chain attacks should be part of muscle memory. There are a few additions that make the combat feel new and fun. The "Hyperion Charge," for example, allows you to run at enemies and tackle them. Additional button presses let you bash at the enemy, MMA style, or throw it as a meatbag projectile.
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Ghost of Sparta gains new offensive options in the form of the spear and shield (initially teased by the Spartans Stand Tall website). The combination of the two makes for, arguably, the most significant departure from the regular combat in the franchise thus far. The controls are still familiar, but definitely has a very different feel than the standard blades. It's a versatile weapon that can not only be used for melee combat, but can also be thrown at enemies as projectile. With the shield in tandem, this feels one of the most powerful additions to Kratos' arsenal.
The story of Ghost of Sparta has Kratos traveling to heretofore unexplored locales, such as Atlantis, and offers a chance for us to see what Kratos was up to right before the events of God of War 2. There isn't much narrative wiggle room, we imagine -- a byproduct of Kratos wiping out so many prominent figures in Greek mythology.
Although the hit list is quickly dwindling, Ghost of Sparta promises an expanded roster of boss characters to battle. Like God of War 3, making giant bosses is going to be a key part of the experience. In the hands-on demo, a towering Scylla continued to block my way through a ship. Eventually, I had to fight its tentacles and, after enough hits, start a classic QTE sequence, where Kratos slashed away at a creature literally over a thousand times his size.
In addition, one of the best concepts taken from God of War 3 has to be what Ready at Dawn affectionately calls the "stalk walk." An extra section of the game involving Midas was shown behind-closed-doors, and gave me a taste of the more cinematic approach being taken for the prequel. In this segment, players will walk towards the camera, as if playing from the perspective of Midas. (It's not quite a "first-person kill," but it's similar.) You'll slam Midas down on the floor, and start dragging him behind you. There are enemies to deal with -- so you can throw Midas to keep them off your back -- and he'll struggle once in a while, but with a fast response to the QTE you can keep him in line and eventually dispose of him.
We may not have needed to return to the franchise so soon after God of War 3, but the PSP needs a heavy-hitting title for the holidays. What I've played at E3, combined with the legacy of the franchise (and developer), nearly guarantees another hit entry in the franchise. It's an awfully familiar retread, though one that fans will have a hard time turning down.
