God of War: Chains of Olympus Review

I just got my copy of God of War: Chains of Olympus for my Playstation Portable (PSP), and I'm thrilled! I had it on order from Gamestop for weeks, and got the call last night that it would be in this morning.

For those who aren't familiar with the God of War series, Chains of Olympus is a prequel to the original God of War game. The plotline of the series is a rough, pseudo-Greek philosophy: Kratos, a warrior, was tricked into killing his wife and daughter. And in order to absolve himself from his sins, Kratos embarks on a crusade to dispel evil within the darkest of lands, "places so dark that even the Gods have no power" in the name of Olympus.

It's violent, bloody, and brutal, but highly entertaining for anyone looking for a good blood and guts thrasher of a video game. And the best thing about it? There isn't much strategy to the game at all--it's straight brutal, bloody combat throughout most of the campaigns. Kratos runs through a town, kills everybody, and when everyone's dead he takes on the main boss. Just like the other games in the series, this one comes through for us gamers who are just after some quick, simple fun.

The game begins in the town of Attica, where you have to defend the city (with brute force, of course) against the invading Persians. And it's during this first campaign that you'll notice the graphics, which are incredible. Dare I say that the graphics in God of War: Chains of Olympus, a PSP title, are on par with Playstation 2 graphics? Maybe not as good as a PS2 title, but darn close. The graphics are absolutely amazing, with amazing detail on Kratos and the environment (notches on the rock, shadow patterns) and villains and everything else. It's the best PSP graphics I've ever seen; they're so good that I almost forgot I was playing a PSP--honestly.

If you're a God of War fan, the first thing you will realize when you pop the game in your console is the almost identical movement and control set. So all those combinations you set out to learn with previous games will be the exact same in God of War: Chains of Olympus. The controls are pretty much the same all-around as the previous God of War and God of War II games, with new weapons having different buttons to control the new features.

The environments are excellent. Huge landscapes of evil lairs, burning cities, and dark caves give the game a grand and epic feeling that goes great with the theme. The weaponry, though, isn't spectacular, and is pretty much the same as in the rest of the series. A sword and a few shields are all you're given to stomp out evil. The magic from previous games is still somewhat relevant in this game, but its effectiveness is limited and isn't acquired until later in the game through defeating bosses and completing brainteasers.

But the real beauty of this game is its simple 'blood and guts' approach and extraordinarily-textured graphics. If that sounds like something you crave in a PSP title, take it from me: this one's worth it.

I haven't even made it halfway through the game yet, so I'm sure the best is still to come!

It will run you $39.99 at most video game stores and retail outlets, and will be available to those who didn't pre-order on Tuesday, March 4.

For screenshots and more information, you can check out the God of War: Chains of Olympus official website by visiting http://www.us.playstation.com/godofwar_chainsofolympus/