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Nega-review: God of War: Chains of Olympus
"Chains of Olympus doesn't quite live up to the other God of War games." (4) "Ready at Dawn didn't mess with the franchise's proven formula whatsoever, which is ... one of our ... gripes for the game." (3) "Gameplay-wise, nothing much has changed ... You still run around and beat the beejezus [sic] out of enemies and then meet up with the occasional boss fight." (5) "I wish that Ready at Dawn had added something new the canon rather than just re-using what's been done in the past." (7)"The game feels a bit too familiar ... [and] at times you do feel like you've played the game before." (7) That said, "the game is missing some of the features from other God of War games. ... you won't find the ability to use your blades on grappling points, the Icarus Wings, Rage of the Gods, rope traversal, rope swinging, a fourth magic, etc." (4) "I find myself disappointed ... that the game doesn't quite have the same feeling of showing you something new around every corner that the previous games did." (4) "The game is also brutally linear: you're constantly running from point A to point B, stopping to administer the occasional beatdown." (5) It could also be described as "a very linear experience, (3) that "may be a touch linear." (9) "Toward the end, combat got pretty repetitious, relying really heavily on the mechanic of blocking you into a room and not letting you out until you finished taking down the waves of enemies." (1) "It would have been nice to have seen a little experimentation here or there to mix things up. (3) "Altogether, ... the game feels like a bit less of an adventure and more of a straightforward action game." (4)
God of War III confirmed on Chains of Olympus manual
We know that most of you haven't read an instruction manual since the days of Gyromite -- not that we can judge you. Aside from the occasional steamy Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction, we try to avoid video game literature as well. Lucky for us, IGN recently cracked the narrow spine of the God of War: Chains of Olympus instruction manual and discovered this treat on the back cover -- an advertisement for a new God of War game for the PS3, presumably the third chapter in the series.While the series' tremendous sales success and God of War II's cliffhanger ending didn't leave much room for doubt that the threequel was on it's way, we didn't think we'd be hearing from our good pal Kratos so "soon" after the release of Chains. Ah, well; no rest for the familicidal, as they say.
Metareview: God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
So, we were expecting God of War: Chains of Olympus to be good. But even we didn't think that the PS2 action game would make the transition to the PSP as well as it has. Check out some of the reviews below for a sample of some of the glowing praise. IGN (94/100): "God of War: Chains of Olympus is a stellar achievement on the PSP. It plays perfectly into the franchise's storyline and offers up the same level of intense action as its console counterparts. It's also the best looking title on the system, without question." Gaming Nexus (90/100): "God of War:Chains of Olympus is a must have for PSP owners. There are a few slow parts to the game towards the end of the game but the strong start and finish to the game make this worth the $40 price tag as long as you don't expect anything new from the game." PSXextreme (98/100): "To have a game as epic as God of War in the palm of your hands is absolute bliss. This game alone makes purchasing a PSP worthy - no fan of the series, or the action genre, should be without it."
PSP Fanboy review: God of War: Chains of Olympus
The life of Kratos may have been one long Greek tragedy after the next, but the God of War series and the success it reaps is anything but tragic. To call it so would be blasphemous to the gods, for each game in the action-packed series has never failed to impress. As the latest entry in the series, God of War: Chains of Olympus has a lot of to live up to; do the gods continue their blessings? They most certainly do. The stuff that comes out of every game in the series has always been top notch, and Ready at Dawn's Chains of Olympus is no exception. The hard work put into Chains of Olympus makes us wonder if the developers themselves adhere to the hardened Spartan culture that they so skillfully instilled in Kratos. Like the strictly disciplined Spartans, do these developers kill off straggling animators, modelers, and ilk if production standards are sub par? We only jest of course, but their skill in game design is so analogous to Sparta's warriors it's hard not to try and draw parallels. %Gallery-3212%
Just one more God of War trailer
We're pretty certain this is going to be the last God of War trailer you see before the game's final release in March. Our reviewer is diligently going through the full game right now, but this video showcases some of things we love about Kratos' latest: the magic. They work so seamlessly in the combat, and make Kratos seem even more powerful than ever. Get excited, because this adventure is just around the corner ...
God of War: Chains of Olympus demo now available to download
Today's US PSN update is pretty incredible. Get ready to experience the Chains of Olympus with a free downloadable demo. The PS1 classic, Jet Moto 3, was also added today. It's available for $5.99.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: God of War Chains of Olympus
How long does it take to get to a sex scene with two women? About ten minutes or so. We've playing through God of War: Chains of Olympus, and we are thoroughly impressed. The game starts with a bang -- an incredible cinematic introduction that prepares you for the adventure ahead. Make no mistakes; this is a big-budget affair. Linda Hunt's narration returns for this handheld adventure, and it makes everything feel appropriately epic. Then, the game begins with the same beachfront attack we've all seen in the demo disc. Although the content is the same, there are a few things we happened to notice. For example, the graphics have managed to get even better. There's much more blood, and lighting seems to have improved quite a bit since we saw it last. Even better, the Efreet magic Kratos learns after beating the first real boss has been made much more brutal: using it sets enemies aflame, and you can hear their pained screams as they flail around helplessly. Awesome. %Gallery-3212%
Today's least safe for work video: Chains of Olympus sex game
After offending the easily offendable with slightly off-screen sex in God of War and God of War II, it seemed like a no-brainer that the somewhat adult mini-game would making a return for the PSP's Chains of Olympus. Well, that mini-game has now been revealed through an NSFW video posted of GameTrailers.This time around, the urn and peeing statue that maintained the camera's focus in games past have been replaced with a deliciously suggestive candle (pictured above), which we have to say is an improvement. We can't help but wonder, though, where they'll go next for their suggestive imagery. Rock formations? Vegetables? A lighthouse? Hmmm, they'll probably be OK.Warning: The below video contains adult content.
God of War: Chains of Olympus goes gold
We typically don't do posts when games go gold, but Ready at Dawn's declaration that God of War: Chains of Olympus is ready to print on UMDs has two things going for it. First, GoW: Chains of Olympus is arguably the most high-profile PSP release outside Japan EVAR. Second, well, there are just some awesomely fun photos of the team's celebration after the game was finally done.Ready at Dawn's jamboree also means that Chains of Olympus should most definitely make its March 4 release date. Don't have a PSP and still need to get your Kratos on? If the rumor mill holds true the game will see its day on the PS2 at some point in the future. Congrats to the team at Ready at Dawn, may your hangovers be kind and gentle.[Via PSP Fanboy]%Gallery-3184%
Ready at Dawn staff gets wasted as God of War goes gold
Congrats to the team at Ready at Dawn. Their game, God of War: Chains of Olympus has finally gone gold. That means its done. Complete. Ready to print. Being sent to stores. Just a few steps away from getting to where it needs to go: in your hands. Celebratory pictures reveal maybe a bit too much champagne; the team has seemingly become completely wasted. Well, you guys deserved a massive celebration! Now, get back to work! Stay tuned as we inch ever closer to God of War's release next month. [Via NeoGAF]
God of War demo discs available at Best Buy
Chains of Olympus draws nearer -- have you given it a play yet? The demo disc has started popping up everywhere, giving gamers that missed a chance to get a demo disc from Sony another shot at giving Kratos' latest adventure a try. Best Buy is offering the demo disc with every pre-order. But why are demo discs becoming a pre-order incentive? What if you don't like the demo? Wouldn't you become more inclined to cancel your reservation? Perhaps the game is so good that canceling a pre-order of God of War would be downright ridiculous. [Thanks, J sax!]
A million new God of War screenshots*
*Not actually a million. But, it's still a lot. With as many screenshots as these, you'll feel like you already have the game. Or not. Drats, Sony! Stop teasing us and give us the game already! Also, check out the new official website for Chains of Olympus. It looks pretty rad. %Gallery-3212%
Rumor: PSP God of War being ported to PS2
Although EGM's Quarterman rumor column in the March issue whispers sweet nothings about Dead Rising 2 and a PS2 Wiimote, the most credible rumor is that God of War: Chains of Olympus may be heading to PS2. EGM's resident man of mystery writes that Chains of Olympus may head to the PS2 later down the line, sometime after its release on PSP. It's worth wondering how much of this is rumor reporting, as opposed to "common expectation" at this point.Many high-profile PSP games have made the jump to PS2 in recent years, and GoW: Chains of Olympus could certainly fit that category. Just recently, Silent Hill Origins and Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters made the leap from portable to big screen. We'll be sure to welcome Kratos from a safe distance if he ever decides to make the jump.
God of War box art: gotta catch 'em all
The American and European release of God of War: Chains of Olympus will feature the same tasty game core. But, their box arts will be quite different. The American box art is already quite familiar. However, the European art (pictured, above) focuses on Kratos' angry mug. Check out Three Speech for more pictures from the game. And, yes, as expected -- it's still pretty. %Gallery-3212%
God of War trailer has us screaming: THIS IS PSP!!!
Can this game get any more beautiful? It seemingly does every time we see it. It looks stunning in screens, but looks even more gorgeous in motion. You may think it's a PS2 game, but then when you remember it's on a handheld, you'll also be screaming, just like our obnoxious headline.
Welcome to Eos Cave, a new God of War level
Click for full-resolution image. Eos Cave is a brand new Chains of Olympus level, and boy oh boy does it look pretty. Dare we say this PSP-exclusive God of War game looks even prettier than before? The character models, the lighting effects all look top-notch. We know the game is going to play well, and look even better. Who couldn't get excited for this? Check out all the new images in our gallery below: %Gallery-3212%
Joystiq hands-on: God of War: Chains of Olympus
We got a chance to try an updated version of the upcoming PSP-exclusive God of War: Chains of Olympus and walked away impressed, yet again. Somehow, the tech team at Ready at Dawn has managed to make the game look even more stunning than the demo disc version earlier this year. We can't pinpoint it exactly, but it appears the framerate has improved, as has the lighting and anti-aliasing. (Maybe it's due to the developer's access to PSP's full power?)Of course, impressive visuals are only a small part of what makes the God of War experience so much fun. Ready at Dawn has managed to capture the feel of the PS2 originals by adapting the controls quite smartly to the PSP. We tried swimming, and found it remarkably easy to get used to. To perform Kratos' underwater dash, players must hold the L and R shoulder buttons together and release. Because it's mapped the same way the dodge move is, it feels rather intuitive.We also got a chance to use some of Kratos' later moves. As in God of War II, Kratos will now be able to reflect enemy attacks by pressing L (block) right before an enemy strikes. We don't know if its our experience with the PS2 game, but we found returning enemy projectiles to be quite easy. Maybe the timing is more generous in this handheld iteration? Regardless, it was easy to catch projectiles and throw them back -- even without a second analog stick.%Gallery-3184%
Ready at Dawn drawn to current-gen consoles
With work on God of War: Chains of Olympus coming to an end in March, developer Ready at Dawn is already planning an excursion beyond the PSP's portable realm. In a lengthy interview with 1UP, the studio discusses how easily the Greek-on-the-go got the green light thanks to the hard work put into the well-received Daxter. "The first meeting just went like 'we should make a God of War PSP game' and they were like 'yeah you should.' And that was pretty much it," quipped the game's director, Ru Weerasuriya.Once Kratos is out of the way, Ready at Dawn hopes to put on a similarly impressive show on that system you currently have chained to your television. "This team is ready to move onto something pretty big, and we've [been] planning it for quite a while, and this team needs to show what they're capable of doing on next-gen or current-gen." Expect to hear more about Something Pretty Big as soon as the team gives Okami its deserved second chance on the Wii. [Via PSP Fanboy]
God of War may be the last PSP game from Ready at Dawn
Expectations are high for the upcoming God of War game on PSP. The development team behind the critically acclaimed Daxter found themselves enthralled with God of War on PS2 during development of the PSP game and made an easy pitch to SCEA to make their own GoW game. "The first meeting just went like 'we should make a God of War PSP game' and they were like 'yeah you should.' And that was pretty much it." Unfortunately, it looks like Chains of Olympus will be the last PSP game from the talented team at Ready at Dawn. "This team is ready to move onto something pretty big, and we've be planning it for quite a while, and this team needs to show what they're capable of doing on next-gen or current-gen." While we'd love to see the team continue their magic on PSP, it will be interesting to see what Ready at Dawn will be able to produce on even more powerful tech. For the complete interview (with new screenshots!) visit 1UP.
God of War: 222MHz versus 333MHz
A few months ago, Sony finally unlocked the PSP's full processing capabilities. It was always locked to 222MHz, but since firmware 3.50, developers had access to 50 percent more megahertz of power. Ready at Dawn, developers of God of War: Chains of Olympus, found themselves relieved by the removal of the processor restriction. They were already hard at work on the game, optimizing for the lower clock speed -- but when they had access to the full power of the PSP, things got really interesting. This video demonstrates the differences between a months-old version of the game, running at 222MHz and a newer build, running at 333. The differences are subtle at first. The game was never a graphical slouch, and would've been beautiful even with a restricted clock speed. However, you'll notice better lighting, more particles, and a few minor differences in the newer builds. Every minute difference adds up to create an experience that will be unparalleled on PSP for quite some time.
