God of War: Sons of Sparta review — Bold experiment that falls short

Sony’s surprise PS5 exclusive, God of War: Sons of Sparta, turns Kratos’ story into a 2D metroidvania. While the narrative and co-op elements shine, repetitive combat and weak platforming prevent it from matching genre leaders like Hollow Knight.

If you had told me this time last week that a God of War game would launch this week, I would have laughed at the very idea.

And if you had insisted that this game would be a 2D action platformer in the metroidvania genre, I might have suggested you see a doctor –because that would sound like a hallucination.

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Yet this week, both those statements turned out to be true, as Sony dropped Sons of Sparta without so much as a pre-launch announcement.

To call God of War one of Sony’s biggest franchises would be an understatement. Millions have bought new PS4s and PS5s just to play Kratos’ latest journey. However, Sons of Sparta is very different. For starters, it is a 2D action platformer metroidvania.

Its narrative doesn’t build on Ragnarok’s, the last game in the franchise, and instead takes place during Kratos’ years as a young Spartan soldier. With a completely new story, the addition of a new character: Deimos (Kratos’ younger brother), and the introduction of co-op gameplay, Sons of Sparta initially seems to have a lot going for it.

In terms of gameplay, you begin as a young Kratos, wielding a spear and shield to hunt a River Cyclops, and within seconds, your brother Deimos steps in to help bring the beast down. On your way back to Sparta, the game introduces combat and navigation mechanics, along with the various rewards and chests that can be unlocked.

The gameplay is largely consistent and the combat is smooth. However, it is also repetitive, and if you are comparing Sons of Sparta to the best in the genre – likeOri, Hollow Knight, or even last month’s MIO – you are better off saving your money.

The puzzles are too simple. Kratos isn’t agile enough for this genre, and it shows: double jumping, a staple of the genre, is missing, and the experience is poorer for it.

The game’s plot and story are what ultimately save it. Getting to understand what drives a young Kratos is an absolute delight, and his relationship with Deimos is developed with subtlety and care.

However, despite the strong writing, the metroidvania gameplay never feels like a natural fit for the world of God of War. This is nothing like Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, which managed to reinterpret its universe through the card game Gwent to great effect.

Play this one only if you collect every God of War entry and want to experience the story for yourself. Otherwise, you are better off watching gameplay on YouTube or Twitch and spending your money on something like Hollow Knight: Silksong or MIO: Memories in Orbit.

Sneak Peek:

Title: God of War: Sons of Sparta

Developer: Mega Cat Studios and Santa Monica Studio

Game Type: 2D Action Platformer Metroidvania with co-op elements

Platforms: PS5 exclusive

Price: Rs 2,499 on the PS Store

Verdict (all scores out of 10):

Innovative Gameplay: 6

Game Handling & Quality: 7

Value for Time: 6.5

Value for Money: 5

Overall: 6.13

* What Stands Out:

• The game’s co-op elements and the new narrative trajectory of a young Kratos and his brother Deimos are well implemented.
• The skill trees for attack and defense are a nice twist – the game very nearly transforms the metroidvania genre into an RPG platformer hybrid.

* Fails to impress

• In terms of this, trying to be a 2D puzzle platformer with action elements, there is a lot lacking here in both quality and possibility. This is nowhere close to an Ori or a Hollow Knight in terms of experience.
• The combat in Sons of Sparta is, at best, a loop of block, aim, and strike – repeated with very little variety.