God of War: Sons of Sparta Reviews
A pretty mediocre metroidvania, clearly taking the form and function of these games but failing to meet the high bar set by the titans of the genre.
A lack of definition goes some way to explaining why combat feels a bit lifeless.
But it's difficult to recommend, because so much of the metroidvania design--the core of the genre that Kratos has found himself in--is like that frozen wasteland: slowly plodding through, just trying to reach the next warm spot where it's fun again.
The locales are neat, the corridor design is fine, but getting through the first couple of hours is a real chore. Combat fares better thanks to a smart implementation of Greek and Norse era mechanics, but Mega Cat Studios never manages to capture the God of War feeling. God of War Sons of Sparta is a satisfactory adventure in the God of War universe, but it's far from the triumphant return of the Greek era fans have been waiting for.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a bog standard retro-inspired Metroidvania. There's energetic combat and strong boss fights, though neither can quite make up for the dreary exploration and boring story, resulting in an OK experience. For me, when it comes to a franchise as legendary as God of War, OK isn't nearly enough.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is decent, entertaining, and enjoyable at times, but we should expect (and demand) much more from this franchise. We're not here for Kratos to star in a passable Metroidvania; we're here for his brutality and quality to shine, to take a step forward in a genre that, unfortunately, has countless other games that are far superior to this one.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A very run of the mill Metroidvania that does little of interest with the God Of War setting and stumbles in terms of the dull combat and unengaging plot.
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Review in Spanish | Read full review
God War Sons of Sparta is a basic entry in both the beloved IP and the Metroidvania genre, one likely to be forgotten by fans of both.
God of War: Sons of Sparta plays it safe when no other God of War title had done so before. Rather than the rage-fueled narrative of a Kratos beyond redemption, this story focuses on his formative years as a proper Spartan and learning the meaning of duty. Trouble is, the story could have just as easily been told with any two Greek brothers to the same effect.
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.
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Review in Italian | Read full review
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a fun spin-off that takes a series we all know and love and places it somewhere entirely different. It's a mostly successful experiment; the Metroidvania structure works well with the franchise's mechanics, and it looks and sounds the part. However, it takes too long to really come into its own, leaving the early parts of the game feeling a bit lacking compared to the richer experience found later on. If you have the patience to see it through, and can overlook some rough edges here and there, this is a worthwhile adventure for fans that delves into Kratos' history in a way we haven't seen before.
And yet, it’s this rather confusing mix of ideas that ends up working both for and against this newest God of War endeavour. It’s not necessarily a bad one when experienced in isolation, yet it is an undeniably strange (and tad underwhelming) one when slotted into the rest of the otherwise familiar franchise canon.
Though the tonal shift might be too much for some longer term God of War vets and it really doesn't achieve anything fresh or new in the Metroidvania space, Sons of Sparta nevertheless stands as proof that AAA developers like Sony Santa Monica should continue to let talented indie devs play in their sandbox because despite such flawed, the results are still more than worthwhile.
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Visually, God of War: Sons of Sparta is all over the place. The pixel art of the environments is fantastic, but the combination of 3D and 2D with generic character models constantly distracts the player. Fortunately, the sound presentation is very positive, with spectacular voice acting and a soundtrack that blends chiptune elements with classical instruments.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Kratos fans will still find something to interest them, as will those looking for an accessible Metroidvania without too many rough edges. Those looking for a chapter that will leave their mark will, however, feel like an opportunity only partially exploited.
Review in Italian | Read full review
God of War Sons of Sparta is a surprising return to Kratos' Greek origins, showing players his time as a child soldier in Sparta. While the Metroidvania framing is fascinating, it does limit many of the series' strongest elements.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a very good video game, with strong visuals, excellent music, and simple yet effective gameplay driving an ultimately interesting story. However, as a God of War title, it is held back from true greatness by early pacing issues and a presentation style that feels somewhat tone-deaf to the rest of the series.