Rating
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
An HD remaster of God of War: Ghost of Sparta included in "God of War: Origins Collection." It features high-definition resolution, stereoscopic 3D, anti-aliased graphics locked in at 60 frames per second, DualShock 3 vibration function, and Trophies. God of War: Ghost of Sparta stands as a spin-off nestled between the events of God of War and God...
Details
- Released
- September 13, 2011
- Developer
- Ready At Dawn, SCE Santa Monica Studio
- Genres
- Action · Hack and slash/Beat 'em up · Adventure
- Publisher
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Platforms
- PS3
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God of War: Ghost of Sparta Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
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.
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.
A brave 2D prequel that looks at Kratos's childhood but struggles to live up to the series' legendary weight.
After a surprise launch, God of War Sons of Sparta has really found a place in a lot of gamers' hearts so let's sharpen our spears and get to it.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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...
God of War Sons of Sparta swaps to a 2D plane to show us a glimpse of Kratos's early years.
God of War Sons of Sparta struggles to deliver on the best of God of War or the best the Metroidvania genre has to offer. Combat is dull and lifeless despite a handful of nice ideas, and it's visually ugly and muddy. Even lacking in brutal finishers, this all feels quite tame. It's not bad, but serviceable struggles to excite – and that's a sin for God of War.
God of War Sons of Sparta unfortunately failed to make me feel anything at all. The combat is sterile and not particularly deep, the Metroidvania elements are paint-by-numbers boring, and the story, while sometimes impactful, doesn't add much to the series lore in any interesting ways. I really don't know who this game was made for.