God of War Sons of Sparta

GameBlastMatheus Oliveira

8/10

The Ghost of Sparta returns in 2D in a robust journey that adapts the saga's classic themes to the demands of the Metroidvania genre.

CBRMark O’Callaghan

8/10

While the format won’t click with every God of War fan, the 2D action-Metroidvania approach is a welcome change. The foundations are solid, even if it doesn’t push the genre the way the best Metroidvanias do. For anyone who likes both God of War and Metroidvanias, it’s an easy pick. It’s short, but it’s a fun ride.

Worth PlayingChris "Atom" DeAngelus

7.5/10

Set while Kratos undergoes the brutal training period Spartan cadets endure at the Agoge, God Of War Sons Of Sparta is a 2D action/adventure that follows Kratos and his brother Deimos as they journey far beyond the home they know.

TechRadar GamingMatt Cabral

God of War Sons of Sparta offers a fresh take on the iconic action franchise that won't be everyone's cup of tea. On top of representing a significant – and undoubtedly scaled-down – departure for the beloved series, it also suffers from a slow start. That said, Sons of Sparta comes into its own a few hours in, delivering a compelling prequel story supported by a solid metroidvania structure. It also "clicks" on the PlayStation Portal, looking and playing like a game that was made for the portable device.

WCCFtechKai Tatsumoto

7/10

Sony’s latest State of Play was full of surprises that players weren’t expecting from both old franchises and now, but perhaps the most unexpected was a new God of War title developed by a studio about as far as you could get from Santa Monica Studio’s AAA pedigree: Mega Cat Studios. A retro-first developer that’s made some of the latest titles to be released for the Sega Genesis and NES, the concept of Cory Barlog lending out the likeness off Kratos to another indie studio was something players would have never expected from 2026’s Sony Interactive Entertainment, where so many of their signat...

GamerFocusJulián Ramírez

6.6/10

While I love the idea of experiencing the world of God of War in other styles and genres, Sons of Sparta is somewhat disappointing. It's a fun adventure with some great moments, but it suffers from major problems due to its unbalanced combat system, numerous bugs, jerky animations, and a story that never finds its footing despite having interesting ideas that explore the darker aspects of Spartan martial culture.

Game InformerKyle Hilliard

6.5/10

I’ve been following the exploits of Kratos and his terrible, no good, very bad life since 2005. The God of War franchise has maintained an impressive level of action game quality for over 20 years while delivering an engaging, often emotional story. Sons of Sparta doesn’t fill in any important narrative gaps. It does offer a worthwhile look at a point in Kratos’ life before the gods decided to put him through hell (often literally), but the gameplay is frustrating and competing in a gen...

TheSixthAxisAdrian Burrows

6/10

I really wanted to love God of War: Sons of Sparta. As someone who is fascinated by Ancient Greek mythology, adores a 2D Metroidvania or two, and has played and almost finished every God of War game going – curse you Ragnarök for being so long! – the shadow drop of Sons of Sparta had me very excited, giggling with glee like someone who was just seduced by a swan. Upon playing this prequel though, my excitement soon drained to a mundane ‘meh’ kind of vibe. You see, God of War: Sons of Sparta, despite carrying the pedigree of such an iconic franchise upon its burly shoulders, is merely an OK gam...

PPEWojciech Gruszczyk

6/10

We review God of War: Sons of Sparta, the latest installment in the God of War series. Is this 2D adventure worth checking out? Read our review.

SectorSKmatus_ace

6/10

The God of War prequel takes you back to Kratos' youth, when he trained to become a fearsome warrior. Even then, he faced dangers that challenged him.

VGChartzLee Mehr

5/10

As Kratos' coming-of-age prequel, it's rather ironic how Sons of Sparta emulates the antithesis of his character: a Metroidvania unsure about its size, its looks, and even its own voice.Reviewer's Note: While it's easier to make non-specific storytelling critiques here, some SPOILERS will nonetheless be necessary. Read on at [...]

GamesticMr_PoOL

Unscored

To God of War Sons of Sparta‘s credit, T.C. Carson, the original voice of Kratos from the Greek trilogy, returns and delivers a solid performance, but unfortunately, it isn’t enough to save the experience. Why this title carries the God of War moniker is beyond me; it likely would have been better received without the massive expectations attached to that name. That said, the story is genuinely interesting and serves as the game’s redeeming quality.