God of War: Sons of Sparta Reviews
Despite its surprise release, it delivers a strong overall experience. The platforming feels tight and responsive, and the combat stands out with satisfying spear-and-shield mechanics that keep encounters engaging throughout.
God of War Sons of Sparta, set earliest in the timeline of the original trilogy, follows the exploits of a young Kratos and his brother Deimos
God of War: Sons of Sparta isn't a terrible game, but it's not a more than acceptable game either. It simply sits somewhere in the middle. It's a spin-off wedged into a series that is too big, too important, and too imposing to afford any missteps. Even back in the days of Ascension, widely considered the weakest entry in the entire saga, Santa Monica Studio made sure to follow a set of guidelines that would still guarantee an epic experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, God of War: Sons of Sparta is a fun Metroidvania. It captures the feel of God of War, if in a somewhat more lighthearted way than usual. As a Metroidvania title, there's not much - either good or bad - that makes it stand apart from the pack. If you're a fan of the franchise and don't mind a look at the younger days of the Ghost of Sparta, then it's absolutely worth a shot, but the price tag might make it a heavy ask for more casual Metroidvania fans.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a tedious and garden-variety metroidvania that brings nothing interesting to show to the class. This prequel stretches over 20 hours, filled with unnecessary padding and the least interesting iteration of Kratos yet, relying on trite game design and utterly soulless execution. Young Kratos, stripped of his signature rage, is an utter dullard preaching honour amidst joyless obedience. There’s no fury, no peril, just persistent boredom, proving that some origins are best left as a mystery.
God of War Sons of Sparta has its merits and, within the premise of a 2D action game set in Kratos' youth, it fulfills its role in a perfunctory but satisfactory way. However, it lacks depth in all its aspects, including the rather rudimentary level design by current Metroidvania standards, and even with some interesting qualities in the visual and narrative aspects, it still seems to be just a scrawny teenager trying to prove himself a true Spartan warrior.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a competent 2D metroidvania that expands Kratos' past with solid combat, familiar voices, and a decent amount of content. However, generic level design, forgettable bosses, heavy backtracking, and a lack of standout moments prevent it from feeling worthy of the franchise's legacy. Functional, but surprisingly uninspired.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a unique take on the God of War universe that introduces us to a different Kratos. The game is generally fun to play, but issues like the lackluster art design, low enemy variety, and a boring introduction keep it from reaching its full potential. However, for fans of the series, it's still worth a try.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Letting players take control of a young Kratos, God of War Sons of Sparta is a retro-styled 2D Metroidvania that offers a large, interconnected world to explore. It's both engaging and rewarding to do so, too, though repetitive combat that can feel a little scrappy brings the experience down somewhat.
This Metroidvania approach is an interesting addition to the God of War series, but it falls short in many ways. Sons of Sparta does not aim to revolutionize the series, but if you approach it with an open mind and look beyond its imperfections, you will find a charming indie game in its core.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
God of War: Sons of Sparta is an incomprehensible project, whose purpose is unclear and whose overall presentation, both gameplay and narrative, fails to keep pace with both other exponents of the Metroidvania genre and the high quality that has more or less always distinguished the saga.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Considering it takes a long time to start getting really good, God of War Sons of Sparta can test your patience but if you stick to it, you'll find one rewarding Metroidvania with oodles of content, gorgeous areas, and a solid variety of enemies and puzzles. 🏛️
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a new excursion in which you, as a player, get to explore the Greek region of Laconia as a young Kratos in a 2D Metroidvania. This colorful world and the 2D environment lend themselves perfectly to this excursion. The combat is very intense at times, and there is much to explore. The countless customizations available for your spear and shield also ensure plenty of gameplay hours. A nice little diversion while waiting for the recently announced remake of the original trilogy.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Kratos is back in God of War Sons of Sparta, this time on a journey into the past, in a spin-off that takes the series into the world of metroidvanias with results that aren't always positive.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The excellent animation, amazing boss fights, and the solid combat can’t save the game from being a mediocre metroidvania with the skin of God of War.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is a fun and straightforward traditional 2D Metroidvania platformer experience, covered in a God of War paint that delivers a canon but largely uneventful prequel to Kratos’ story. God of War: Sons of Sparta receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Sons of Sparta is an interesting attempt to adapt God of War into a 2D metroidvania-inspired format. The interconnected exploration of Laconia works well, and the relationship between Kratos and Deimos adds value to the narrative, revisiting the protagonist’s youth. However, inconsistent combat, predictable progression, and some polish issues prevent the game from reaching its full potential. Still, as a complementary chapter in Kratos’ story, it offers a curious perspective on his past.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
God of War Sons of Sparta is polished smaller project that delivers on all fronts. The canon prequel deepens Kratos’ history, while the comat feels freat and gets better the further you get into the adventure. The pixel art presentation has tremendous style and polish, and the voice acting is top-notch headed up by TC Carson.
God of War Sons of Sparta is a game that presents some good ideas, but rarely manages to execute them with the quality expected from a title associated with such a strong franchise. The attempt to turn the series into a metroidvania does have potential, but the unsatisfying progression, the largely forgettable bosses – including repeated encounters with the same enemy – and the constant technical issues end up weighing heavily against the experience. In the end, it’s a mediocre game that can be entertaining at times, but falls far short of what one would expect from a title connected to the God of War universe.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If given a chance, God of War: Sons of Sparta proves itself to be a capable metroidvania, offering a layered combat system, an engaging quest line, and a rewarding narrative. That said, it demands patience from players, as the experience takes several hours to fully hit its stride. Once it does, the depth becomes clear, but those seeking instant gratification may find the slower build-up discouraging.