Second Look - God of War: Chains of Olympus

Note: This review contains spoilers for God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Between God of War II and III, two portable games were released to help fill in the gaps in both the release and the story. The second of these games was God of War: Chains of Olympus, released on the PSP and developed by Ready at Dawn, serving as a prequel to the original God of War. Following the release of God of War III, this game and the second PSP game, Ghost of Sparta, were later ported to PS3 as part of God of War: Origins Collection, featuring an HD presentation and gameplay tweaks to bring them more in line with their console brethren. Though I have had experience with the original PSP release and find it to be a good reason to own the handheld, I remembered having a much better time when it was ported to PS3, which was how I decided to re-experience the game while revisiting the original Greek series. Although the game is very definitely showing its age, especially by virtue of having been a handheld game first, I still found it worth playing as a proper installment in the franchise.

[OLD] God of War Saga - A Worthy Package

Another quick God of War review before God of War: Ascension comes out, this time of last year's God of War Saga, one of the first in Sony's new Collection series. This review will be short, not because the collection is bad, but because it's a collection of games I have already reviewed.

God of War Saga is a new God of War collection that collects God of War Collection (which collects I and II), God of War III, and God of War Origins Collection (which collects Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta). This means you get 5 games for the price of one, making it possibly one of the best gaming deals you could ever have. Unfortunately, there is a catch: Yes, you do get 1 amazing game and 2 amazing collections of 2 games in a single package, which would be awesome except for the fact that Origins Collection is available via download. On a code. With an expiration date (3/31/13 for future reference). My beef is, if you're going to go through the effort to do this, why not go the whole way and put all of them on-disc? There's already a thing in the middle to hold another disc, so why isn't it double-sided? Well, you see Saga advertises that it has "Exclusive Bonus Content", which it turns out is a Directors Live Featurette (you're welcome) that comes with the download for Origins Collection. I know Sony is trying to make a profit off of new game sales, but why not have the Featurette be a stand-alone download code instead if they wanted to include one (aside from the one for a free month of PlayStation +)? The voucher doesn't even tell you that the video is even included, which may lead those that already have Origins Collection to miss the opportunity to grab it. *End of rant*

Despite that upset, this is probably one of the better Collections out there. It is a great bundle, and I encourage those who have not yet played any of the God of War games (and are of the right age) to pick it up. I don't know how God of War: Ascension will turn out yet, but if you don't have a PS3 yet and want to experience God of War, there is a special bundles that includes the system, Ascension, and Saga, which seems like a great deal to me (6 games at once!). If you already have a PS3 and want to play the games, but wish to buy it used or want everything physically, I would tell you to also drop some extra cash on the physical Origins Collection. Trust me, you will get your money's worth.

Now to wait for an HD re-release of this thing.

[OLD] God of War Origins Collection

I apologize for the lateness of this review, since I got this game as a gift after it was released. Moving on, a few weeks ago Sony put out God of War Origins Collection, which remasters the two PSP entries of the God of war series (Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta) in HD on a single disk, with the addition of stereoscopic 3D and Trophy support. Needless to say, this new collection is a vast improvement over the games' original counterparts.

One point of improvement that can be noticed right off the bat is the visuals. Since the PS3 is a more advanced system than the PSP, the graphics are a bit more impressive to look at, and you get a much better view of ancient Greece. Plus, due to this enhancement I was able to see things that I hadn't before in all the time I played Chains of Olympus, such as the locations of chests or cracked walls to smash with the Blades of Chaos. To comment on exactly how advanced these graphics are, Chains of Olympus now looks more on par with a later PS2 game, and a few times while playing Ghost of Sparta again I had to remind myself that I was playing a previously-handheld game (although admittedly one of the button prompts is a little low-res). This is backed up by a much clearer soundtrack, which allowed me to hear parts of it that I otherwise did not through PSP speakers. I cannot comment on the 3D option because I wasn't playing on that kind of television, but I don't think this feature is necessary to use to have a good time.

The biggest improvement, even more than graphics, is an updated control scheme. While the layout is similar to the original versions, you are now able to dodge roll with only the right analog stick instead of having to hold down both shoulder buttons while moving the only stick on the handheld. However, you still have the option to use the original control scheme during play and the command mapped to L1 and R1 can be used with L2 and R2 respectively. Then there's the addition of Trophies, which give more hardcore players to shoot for as they replay these games; they can even be a little humorous, such as one you get in Chains of Olympus for walking across beams.

God of War Origins Collection is a game I would highly recommend for anyone's PS3 library, especially if you have played these games before on their original platform. With two games in one package at an affordable price, this is a great deal for any God of War fan. For my individual opinions of Chains of Olympus or Ghost of Sparta, I encourage you to look at my previous reviews of those titles.

[OLD] God of War: Chains of Olympus

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-chains-of-olympus.html

In 2009, Sony released God of War Collection in anticipation for the then-upcoming game, God of War III. This collection packaged remastered versions of both God of War I and II on a single disk, allowing newcomers to experience the series for the first time before the release of the third game the following year. Later this month a similar collection, God of War Origins Collection, will feature similarly remastered versions of the PSP installments, God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta, along with updated control schemes. To prepare for this new collection, I have decided to dust off my PSP to replay the first of the PSP games, Chains of Olympus, originally released in 2007.

A prequel to the first God of War, the story centers around Kratos as he seeks to take down Morpheus, the God of Dreams, who has enveloped the world in darkness after Helios' chariot falls from the sky. Or so you think. Halfway through the game, the story becomes about Kratos taking down Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, who wants to rule all of mankind with the help of a Titan, Atlas, who has been released from his chains in Tartarus. Not to worry, the first plot thread is resolved by the end, though the explanation seems a little offhanded.

Aside from that strange plot detour, the game is amazing. The visuals are good for an early PSP game and the environments are fairly detailed for its limitations. The cut-scenes are also good for an early game, and it's amazing to see it able to use high-quality clips from the first installment without fail. The soundtrack sometimes sounds kind of stock, yet somehow it fits perfectly, especially during battle, and really helps maintain the overall atmosphere.

Along the way, Kratos receives new weapons and magical abilities to aid him in his quest. Along with the Blades of Chaos, there is the ability to switch between them and the Gauntlet of Zeus, a powerful weapon handy for destroying shining objects and dealing mass amounts of damage when charged. Magical abilities include the Efreet, a spirit that burns enemies in a certain radius; the Light of Dawn, a long range attack in the form of spheres of light; and Charon's Wrath, an attack that can instantly deal heavy damage to a foe.

The controls are laid out pretty well for a PSP God of War game, and it's easy to switch between the aformentioned weapons and powers. However, since the system only has 1 Analog Stick, you must hold down both shoulder buttons in order to dodge with the stick. Aside from that mechanic, it seems well thought-out.

Another good aspect of this game is that we get to learn more about Kratos' personality. During the game, part of his mission is getting to be with his daughter Calliope again. Once he achieves this, things start to become worse, but he had given up his abilities. It is then that he must make one of the toughest decisions of his life and give up being with his daughter in order to save mankind. This shows that although he is essentially a rage factory, he is very selfless in his motives and is willing to make such sacrifices if it means helping the greater good.

Chains of Olympus may have a few shortcomings, but it's still a great entry in an epic franchise. It adds something to Kratos' backstory and it's nice to see how it connects with later games, such as why Atlas holds up the Earth in God of War II. With the PS3 remaster on the way, it's a good time to replay this game, if you (still) have it, until that comes out.