Mega Cat Studios presents a Metroidvania spin-off in the God of War series, centering on a young Kratos. This 2D prequel offers an engaging world and narrative but struggles with uninspired combat and a generic art style, failing to capture the franchise’s epic essence.
Story and Setting Shine
Set during Kratos’ early days as a Spartan trainee at the Agoge alongside his brother Deimos, the game explores themes of brotherhood and battle-forged bonds. These events precede the gods’ deception that led to his family’s slaughter and his Norse conquests. Previously hinted at in titles like Ghost of Sparta, Kratos’ childhood receives full attention here, providing fresh context for later timeline events.
The brothers navigate themed biomes in classic Metroidvania style, gathering god-given gear to locate a missing friend. A compelling framing device features adult Kratos, voiced by T.C. Carson, narrating the tale to his daughter Calliope, adding fan service and authenticity to the Greek era lore.
Combat Lacks Impact
Gameplay echoes the original trilogy with chests, blood orb upgrades, and familiar enemies, showcasing developer respect for the series. However, combat disappoints, lacking the punch of mainline entries or peers like Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, and Metroid Dread.
Fights against mythic foes involve repetitive dodging and button mashing, with spear moves requiring sequential completion that disrupts flow. Dodge rolls, blocks, and parries exist, but tight timing windows make them unreliable. Customizable spear and shield parts offer some flexibility, yet core stiffness persists.
Color-coded enemy attacks—purple, light blue, red, yellow—demand specific responses, creating early excitement that devolves into a memory test. God gifts, such as a sun slingshot, flame branch, wall-climbing knife, and late double jump, expand exploration predictably but feel underwhelming.
Art and Exploration Mixed
Visuals strike a middle ground between retro pixel art and modern styles, resulting in a generic look unbefitting God of War. Diverse biomes—from poisoned woodlands to blood-filled wineries—provide variety and nod to the PS2 trilogy’s mature themes.
Boss fights and set pieces underwhelm, clashing with the franchise’s bombast. Kratos’ rage-driven persona conflicts with Metroidvania’s methodical pace, creating an intriguing yet uneven experiment.
Verdict
God of War: Sons of Sparta delivers a serviceable Metroidvania standalone but disappoints within the iconic series. It stands as good, not great, earning a 3/5 rating.
