Teenage angst
Kratos is back…kind of. I love the God of War series. The original Greek entries are some of my favorite games of all-time. The new ones are good, and even the spin-offs and portable games are fun. So, when I saw the announcement of this latest entry, I was intrigued. On one hand the idea of learning the origins of Kratos as a child before he defied the Gods is a great premise. Mix that with some classic Metroid-style action made by MegaCat Studios and it sounds like a match made in Heaven. However, Sons of Sparta falls flat on many levels, and while I found some fun, it feels like a huge, missed opportunity with Kratos’ latest adventure.
The game is set up with Kratos telling his daughter Calliope about his early life as a Spartan. It is incredibly awesome that they got TC Carson to return as the voice of older Kratos, and the idea of him explaining his origins to his daughter is great. It also helps keep that T rating; we won’t be disemboweling any Gods here. It sets the stage for a mediocre Metroid clone though, and that is the disappointment.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: PlayStation
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
What sets the story back though is that most of it is rarely expounded upon. The game is lengthy yet feels like it could have been so much more. There are areas in the game with a seemingly rich history and story, but the game funnels you through them so fast, I never got a chance to experience why they were the way they were. I wanted to know more, I wanted to explore, but instead I am moving through long stretches to the next interesting moment, and it just feels like they focused on the wrong things.
As I mentioned this is a Metroid style game. Kratos will earn new powers over time that allow him to explore new areas. The downside is that most of these just follow the standard rules of the genre and never take any risks. I am not sure if this is restrained because of the T-rated adventure, but it feels like a by-the-numbers implementation of the mechanics. I wanted it to feel more like a world I wanted to explore, but instead it ended up feeling like a way to push me through another dull section of traversal.
Combat is the most interesting part of the game, and sadly it has its issues as well. Kratos has a pretty standard repertoire of moves, but it feels off. Parry timing doesn’t feel right, and most of the enemies are just not that interesting to fight. Sons of Sparta pulls a lot of the gear and upgrade systems from the newer games, even with familiar menus, but it never hooked me. I didn’t find new equipment all that interesting, and the upgrades are just kind of there. This feels like a very safe game, and that makes it not feel as special as other titles in the franchise.
Combat can be spiced up with spear tips which change up the combos a little, but it never feels as fluid. I wish they would have brought over the combat the series is known for. Juggling light and heavy attacks are the lifeblood of the series. These tips can also provide passive effects, which are much better than the combo enders. This is the route to go when playing the game, but I do wish it was a bit more involved. Instead, I found one that I liked and rarely changed it since you can also upgrade these passive abilities. It feels like there are one or two upgrades that can solve 99% of the combat’s issues, making the rest of the content feel useless.
Visually the game has some moments that are separated by some bland, long stretches of mediocrity. There are plenty of spectacles in the game, and as I mentioned some areas are truly unique, but I wish there were more of them. The pixel art is slick, and I actually really like its design. The characters are animated well, and I loved the imagery in a lot of areas. Sadly, there are a ton of stretches of levels that are just bland to traverse across, and it makes backtracking uninteresting. Audio is good with stellar voice acting and a fitting soundtrack. It is one area where the game excels.
Sons of Sparta should have been a slam dunk, but it just has too much holding it back to be a classic. I loved the idea; it was the execution that disappointed me. I want to know more about the Greek era of Kratos, really looking forward to the remakes, but this origin story falls flat at times and the simplified Metroid aspects are not tailored to the character or the game.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
