God of War: Chains of Olympus – the hack and slash action adventure game for PSP by Ready At Dawn was released in March 2008. The title was the second PSP project from Ready At Dawn – Daxter being the first – and the studios has done justice to the task at their hands by creating a visually stunning game with an impressive story line. The visuals are crisp and look very much appeasing and the game is blessed with intense combat opportunities and perfectly suited soundtrack, which makes Chains of Olympus a rocking title for PSP.

Story Line

Kraots - In a Pissed Off mood to kick some Mythical Badguys

Chains of Olympus takes the player to a time period prior to the happenings in the first God Of War title. At the opening scene players are acquainted with the story of Kratos and this time Kratos is entrusted by the Gods to defend the City of Attica from the Persian army, which is invading it. The Persians unleashes a Basilisk – a reptilian beast -at the city and soon Kratos is busy fighting with it. Kratos fights this monster through the city and beats it only to find Helios - the Sun God being kidnapped from the sky by Morpheus – the God of Dreams. The world is plunged into darkness and Kratos find himself in a quest to bring back Helios back to the sky to prevent a catastrophic fate for the world. Kratos encounters mythical creatures like medusas, Minotaurs, gorgons, basilisks and soldiers in numerous quantities and he has to beat the hell out of them to accomplish the task entrusted in him. And through out the game he is tortured between the dilemma of choosing between the orders given to him by the Gods and things which he find most suitable for him.

Game Play

Lotz of Big Bad Creatures make Kratos more Happy

The third person action adventure that Chains of Olympus offers is similar to the forerunner titles of the God Of War series and offers plenty of gruesome combat sequences and a lot of Boss Fights Sprinkled with in game puzzles. The environment is huge and offers a whole range of totally different visual experiences. Each level follows the events from previous levels with a few bonus missions thrown between. Exploring the environment is a must for following the game, as you would have to activate secret switches or pressure traps in the form of statues or other environmental elements in order to open doors. Most of the action occurs in land with a few watercourses.

The combat experience is good but the control system of PSP can take a bit of time to get used to even if this is not a big issue. Kratos carries Blades of Chaos – This was given to him by Ares - as his default weapon and using this you can execute some neat combination attacks to help some medusa or gorgon to shed a few extra pounds. Deep into the game he gets access to the Gauntlet of Zeus – a giant glove that allows him to knock soldiers like ninepins. He is also given access to some magical spells as we progress though the game and the spells like Efreet Spell – which can be used to knock down all adjacent enemies, Charons Wrath – which can cause heavy destruction to a lot of enemies – are useful and lots of fun to use with. Kratos is rewarded with red orbs, which can be used to power up his health and weapon system. Through out the game you can find hidden treasure boxes with red orbs and other magical goodies, which can be utilized to kick back at the enemies.

Slash and Hack at its Best

Even if the combat is fantastic the puzzles and sub games are not that difficult to deal with. And this can contribute to one negative factor for this title – a very low time period is needed to finish this title and you will be left with a feeling for more action. Finishing the game unlocks some hidden features for the player. This includes an extra playable character and a much more difficult mode of play with an added Challenge of Hades which contributes nicely to the replay value of the title.

And if you don’t own a PSP yet this is a good chance to invest in one as Sony has announced a special God of War PSP Entertainment pack, which contains a Limited edition PSP with a God of War paintjob, along with other goodies.

Conclusion

Chains of Olympus was one of the most anticipated titles for PSP and it justifies the wait by delivering an overall thrilling gaming experience. So PSP freaks go and get your copy of Chains of Olympus as it is one of the very best titles to happen on PSP.