God of War Sons of Sparta Review: A Forgettable PS5 Exclusive

by

The biggest surprise from the recent PlayStation State of Play was the immediate release of God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2D action-adventure game. It seemed like a good move for the popular God of War series – keeping the franchise visible while the developers work on future, larger games. Smaller projects like this can be less risky and allow for more creative experimentation. In fact, there are many advantages to expanding a well-known series with these types of games. However, despite all its potential, God of War: Sons of Sparta doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

The gameplay in God of War: Sons of Sparta is presented as a story Kratos tells his daughter, Calliope, about his and his brother Deimos’s upbringing and their understanding of duty. While this connects to Kratos’s history and shows a new side of his character – his past – the game suffers from feeling disconnected from the original Kratos, despite being narrated by the same voice actor, TC Carson. This is compounded by the game’s simplistic graphics. While visuals aren’t everything, God of War: Sons of Sparta’s basic art style isn’t just a flaw; it significantly impacts the overall experience.

God of War: Sons of Sparta doesn’t really try anything new. It sticks to the standard formula in terms of gameplay, story, and characters. While the game has a few standout moments, they’re infrequent and don’t elevate it beyond being a fairly standard experience.

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
5.0s
0/10

Results

0

High Score: 0 —

More Games

God of War Sons of Sparta Barely Fits the Metroidvania Genre

I’ve been playing God of War Sons of Sparta, and while people are calling it a Metroidvania, I think that’s not quite right. I’d say it’s more of a 2D action-platformer that includes some Metroidvania stuff. It might sound like a small difference, but it really changes how you approach the game. True Metroidvanias have huge, connected worlds where you unlock new areas with abilities, and you’re encouraged to explore and go back to old places. The best ones really prioritize exploration over a straightforward story, letting you stumble across upgrades and story bits as you play. And moving around smoothly is a big part of what makes them fun!

God of War: Sons of Sparta unfortunately falls short in many areas. The game world is large and seems connected on the map, but the different areas don’t flow together naturally, feeling disjointed instead. While the game does require some revisiting of locations, it doesn’t reward you for doing so. Boss battles test your skills and damage output, but understanding the game’s mechanics is more valuable than any single improvement you can make. Getting around is also frustrating, as traveling on foot is slow and the fast travel system is restricted for seemingly no reason.

While abilities do offer some small improvements, they don’t dramatically change how you play God of War: Sons of Sparta. Finding and upgrading abilities is helpful for exploration, but you won’t suddenly feel overpowered. The game also occasionally restricts you from revisiting areas you’ve already explored.

God of War: Sons of Sparta tells a straightforward story, though it’s occasionally slowed down by lengthy, unskippable dialogue. Kratos and Deimos repeatedly have the same conversations – arguing and then reluctantly agreeing – until Kratos suddenly changes his stance. While the game explores a brotherly relationship between them, the dialogue feels repetitive throughout.

That’s why categorizing games is important. While God of War: Sons of Sparta includes some elements found in Metroidvania games, it generally feels more like a classic action platformer from the 90s or early 2000s. What really stands out is how much the game focuses on skillful movement and positioning. To truly master it, you need to understand Kratos’ attack combos, how to navigate the environments, and learn enemy patterns – all centered around movement. This aspect does develop slightly as you play, with enemies pushing you to use different attack angles and upgrades changing your tactics. However, for much of the game, these strategies remain fairly simple.

The game really picks up and becomes more difficult about halfway through. The first part feels a bit basic, like an introduction to the gameplay, while the second half offers a more mature and demanding experience. The bosses become more challenging, and the environments present tougher obstacles and puzzles. Ultimately, success depends on mastering combat – attacking, dodging, healing, and jumping. If the game had reached this stronger, more developed stage earlier and maintained it throughout, it would have been significantly better.

Okay, so in God of War: Sons of Sparta, you can both parry and dodge attacks. Honestly, I found dodging to be way more useful most of the time. It just felt like it helped me avoid damage more consistently than trying to time a parry.

God of War Sons of Sparta Has Plenty of Side Content

Okay, so the actual fighting in God of War: Sons of Sparta is what’ll really decide if you like it, but there’s a ton of stuff to do in the game world. Besides just getting stronger by finding collectibles like Olive Trees, you can hunt down lore, find hidden owls, and unlock the Mosaic and Gorgon Doors. There are even a couple of optional bosses to fight. The co-op mode is pretty limited, though – it only kicks in after you beat the story, and it’s not super complex. If you’re okay with a lot of the activities being pretty simple, there’s a good amount to keep you occupied. Honestly, a lot of it feels more like just checking things off a list than anything truly special. That’s kind of the biggest strength and weakness of God of War: Sons of Sparta for me – lots to do, but not always the most exciting.

God of War Sons of Sparta is a Prime Example of Playing It Too Safe

Ultimately, God of War: Sons of Sparta doesn’t take enough risks, feeling as though the developers were hesitant to make bold changes. While the game isn’t bad, it doesn’t really stand out either. It feels disconnected from both the Metroidvania genre and the God of War story, lacking strong connections to either. Very few moments actually tie into the franchise, and even those could be better explored in a comic book or similar format. The characters Kratos and Deimos could be swapped with any other Spartans without impacting the game’s functionality.

While God of War: Sons of Sparta is a decent prequel, it doesn’t feel like a modern game. It plays it too safe, resembling titles from older generations rather than a 2026 release, which ultimately makes it a largely unremarkable part of Kratos’ story.

As a huge God of War fan, I was so excited to get my hands on God of War Sons of Sparta for PS5! The team at TopMob was lucky enough to get a review code, and I’ve been diving in ever since.

Read More

2026-02-19 03:09