Looking forward to the upcoming God of War trilogy remake? You might want to do a bit of catching up first.
After two different eras of epic mythological adventures, Kratos has cemented himself as one of the most malleable video game characters of all time. The original God of War trilogy (2005–2010) took the Spartan through tales of vengeance and destruction in a bygone era of Greek mythology, before the most recent God of War duology (2018–2023) took him on a more self-reflective journey in the era of Norse mythology.
After all this time, developer Santa Monica Studio is steering the God of War franchise back into the past, with a remake of the original God of War trilogy. However, going back to this older, far angrier version of Kratos might prove jarring after all these years. Not only are parts of the original trilogy rather dated, but they lack so much context only provided by the various prequels and spin-offs also set in the Greek era.
Thankfully, a new Metroidvania game has arrived to bridge that gap: God of War Sons of Sparta.
What is God of War Sons of Sparta about?
The God of War franchise is known for its hack-and-slash action, massive bossfight setpieces, and gorgeous visual fidelity. Its latest installment, Sons of Sparta, goes in a different direction. Sons of Sparta is a smaller spin-off title developed by developer Mega Cat Studios, a retro-focused game studio that made its bones by developing new games for old consoles, like the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis.
That little bit of history is crucial in understanding why Sons of Sparta looks and feels very different compared to other God of War titles. Essentially, this is God of War if the franchise had launched on an older console, albeit with polished visual fidelity and refined controls for a modern audience. Thus, its Metroidvania-oriented gameplay might put some fans of the original game off–though it arguably also presents a fresh spin on a familiar gameplay loop.
The 2D sidescrolling game follows Kratos and his younger brother Deimos, in a story set long before the events of the Norse duology. This is a largely unexplored segment of the God of War timeline, as players get to see Kratos and Deimos training as Spartan warriors in the Agoge. Kratos isn’t yet the mighty god-slayer he later becomes–but retains his signature stoicism even in his teenage years.
Sons of Sparta sees Kratos and Deimos journey across Laconia to find a lost friend, fighting various creatures from Greek mythology along the way–some of which we haven’t seen in this franchise before. All the while, the story is narrated by none other than T.J. Carson, returning to play an older Kratos from the Greek era, who is retelling these events to his ill-fated daughter Calliope.
Should you play God of War Sons of Sparta?
God of War Sons of Sparta is a Metroidvania game in the vein of titles like Hollow Knight Silksong and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. As players progress through the story, they’ll unlock new tools and weapons used to traverse new areas in Laconia, a sprawling map with verticality to spare. However, they’ll never gain access to Kratos’ full arsenal as seen in other games–given that he is not yet a full Spartiate, neither does he possess godly might.
Instead of the Blades of Chaos, Kratos wields the Dory spear and Aspis shield, traditional Spartan weapons of war. He can also use magical items like the Lycurgus Bust to manipulate his environment and unlock new zones, or battle the enemies before him, which range from Gorgons to harpies. There’s also a crafting system that marries both gameplay eras of the franchise, allowing players to upgrade or switch out different components of Kratos’ weapons like the spear tip (Norse era), using coloured orbs (Greek era).
There’s a sense of familiarity here that will appeal to even those who decry the game’s drastic shift away from traditional God of War gameplay loops. Not everyone has played God of War: Betrayal (2007), and thus might be unaccustomed to seeing this franchise in a 2D setting. Still, Mega Cat Studios has done a great job of blending its hack-and-slash, fantasy-oriented gameplay with a short-and-sweet Metroidvania campaign.
However, the game is not without its shortcomings. When compared to its peers in the Metroidvania realm, 2D or otherwise, Sons of Sparta disappoints by quite some margin. Its early hours are painfully slow, with clunky and uninteresting combat, overly linear progression, and awkward voice acting. These problems are slightly alleviated over time, with the player getting access to more tools in Kratos’ belt, but never resolved altogether.
Despite being set in a brutal time for young Spartans in training, and serving as a prequel to an equally brutal story, the tone of the game is shockingly immature. Characters talk and behave like there are kids watching, even despite all the gore. This is a coming-of-age story, yes, but it feels a little too family-oriented to fit neatly into the larger God of War canon.
One aspect of Sons of Sparta deserves genuine praise: its Greek era-inspired soundtrack, composed by Bear McCreary, who returns from composing the Norse duology. McCreary was able to dip into motifs from the original Greek trilogy in God of War Ragnarök’s Valhalla DLC, but this game’s soundtrack sees him dive into the sound of those games unchained. There’s a lot to love about this orchestral choir-heavy soundtrack, particularly the way it’s often paired with crunchy chiptune to strengthen the game’s retro vibe.
How does God of War Sons of Sparta connect to the trilogy remake?
Much has been said of God of War Sons of Sparta’s highs and lows, but here’s why you should play it anyway: the game offers a neat canonical bridge between the Norse era and the upcoming Greek trilogy remake. Many aspects of the original Greek trilogy were expanded upon in spin-offs that you might have missed before this franchise took to the Nordic lands, including Kratos having a brother named Deimos, and the time he spent training at the Agoge.
You would be forgiven for not knowing who Deimos is, of course. Although Kratos references his brother in the Norse duology, players only meet him in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, a PSP-exclusive game released after God of War III. It’s not exactly the most accessible game to play on current-gen platforms, so Sons of Sparta is the next best thing.
Here’s your chance to be reintroduced to Kratos and the Greek setting, and meet the characters–his daughter Calliope included–who will define the rest of his journey in the Greek era. Who knows? Given that Deimos was originally referenced in God of War III, we might see the brother return in an expanded role in the upcoming trilogy remake.
God of War’s Greek era has been expanded on massively in various spin-offs and prequels recounting lost tales from Kratos’ time as a Spartan. The original trilogy is now getting remade with the benefit of all these titles still being in canon, which means that Santa Monica Studio can now incorporate them more organically in Kratos’ overall story.
Deimos was always an important part of Kratos’ life, but the original trilogy excised him from the narrative almost entirely. With the release of God of War Sons of Sparta, the upcoming God of War trilogy remake now has a chance to right those wrongs. Now, players might finally be able to learn why Kratos got his signature tattoos in the mainline games, and familiarise themselves with the tragedies that power his violent anger and unceasing drive for revenge.
God of War Sons of Sparta is now available on PlayStation 5 for US$30. We received a review code for this title.
