Positives:
- If you love "God of War," all the brutal combat and action is still here.
- Still pretty amazing how they were able to stuff a game like this on a PSP.
- Controls feel just as smooth as ever.
- Writing feels very well-crafted, especially as a project from the "B-Team," so to speak.
- Even with its dark and personal moments, it still has some over-the-top charm (like in that sex scene...wow, this game is horny).
- Visuals are great for a PSP game, and still look strong when moved over to a console.
- Soundtrack is epic stuff as always.
Negatives:
- …do I have to say it? It's the same game again.
- The few times it "changes" the gameplay are for slow, generic walking sequences.
- Even the action-packed set pieces feel weaker in comparison to other titles in the series.
Consensus: Okay, "God of War," I'm starting to get tired here. These games are eternally lucky they have a solid gameplay loop because four straight titles that play almost the exact same way can feel very draining. "God of War: Ghost of Sparta" is another such example of this; in its own right, this is a very solid game that, like its predecessor "God of War: Chains of Olympus," is a crowning achievement for a system like the PSP. But you know what else it has in common with "Chains of Olympus?" Well...pretty much everything else. I understand that not every game HAS to innovate, but for a non-yearly franchise, "God of War" definitely feels like it had some slight "copy-and-paste" to it at points. Four games in, and I'm enjoying myself, but I'm still waiting to be "wowed." Hopefully, "God of War III" does it next time out.
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"