VG Review: God of War: Chains of Olympus

GOD OF WAR: CHAINS OF OLYMPUS 
Sony, for the PlayStation Porta­ble, rated M for Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, nudi­ty, sexual themes, strong lan­guage), $39.99.

Usually when a popular video game is spun off onto a handheld console, the game play ends up being watered down considerably.

That’s not the case, however, with “God of War: Chains of Olympus,” the latest sequel in the “God of War” series, this time for Sony’s PlayStation Portable system. Despite the small screen, “Olympus” is just as robust and enjoyable a game as its big-TV brethren.

“Olympus” is a prologue to the first “God” game, with bloodthirsty (but very emo) anti-hero Kratos serving as a hired hand for the Greek gods in order to atone for his past crimes and guilt feelings.

If you’ve played either of the first two games you know what to expect here. “Olympus” plays nicely on standard Greek mythology to offer an epic game with vast sets, fearsome enemies, lots of spurting blood and the occasional bare breast.

It’s all in good fun though, and if the game’s content might give parents and moral censors reason to worry, the game’s button-mashing, “press-X-now-to-perform-really-sweet-finishing-move” sense of style makes the Gothickiness go down a lot easier.

Kratos has a few new powers in his gore-soaked sleeves this time around, including a massive gauntlet that allows him to unleash devastating punches. Most of the new abilities add some variety to the game, which is a good thing because it does feel a bit overly familiar at times, not to mention rather short.

But if “Olympus” seems a tad recycled at times — like it could have used a bit more boss battles or puzzles to solve — that doesn’t really diminish the developer’s overall achievement. “God of War: Chains of Olympus” feels like a bonafide, full-fledged sequel, and not a stripped-down afterthought. It’s one of the best games I’ve played on the PSP in quite some time.

Copyright The Patriot-News, 2007