Hands On: God of War: Sons of Sparta Shows Real Promise with Lovely Pixel Art and Punchy Combat

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Okay, so everyone pretty much knew God of War: Sons of Sparta was coming out, which took some of the wind out of the announcement. But honestly? I’m still super excited! It’s great to get another God of War game, even if it’s a bit of a side story.

So, Mega Cat Studios teamed up with the folks at Santa Monica Studio to make something totally different – a side-scrolling Metroidvania! It’s a prequel to the original God of War, which is wild to think about. I was really curious how they’d pull off a God of War game in this style, and honestly, I wanted to know if it even worked. It’s a big change from what we’re used to with the series – you might remember God of War: Betrayal – so I went in with a lot of questions.

We’ve played the first hour or so, and we’re here to answer those questions.

As you may know, Sons of Sparta tells the story of Kratos and his brother Deimos in their youth, before the events of the other games in the series.

The game’s story is told by an older Kratos (voiced by T.C. Carson) as he recounts his adventures to his daughter, Calliope.

Thankfully, the game starts with a classic God of War tradition: a boss battle. Though it’s not as epic as the first fights in the main series, it immediately throws you into the action before the gameplay of a Metroidvania really takes hold.

This game is a classic Metroidvania experience. You’ll focus on fighting enemies and jumping through levels, uncovering a large map as you go. As you play, you’ll earn new gear and skills that let you reach previously inaccessible areas and continue your adventure.

At the beginning of the game, you’ll go back to your starting village, and it’s clear from the start that some areas are blocked off for now – you’ll definitely need to revisit them later.

Fighting is a key element of God of War, and while the mobile version doesn’t perfectly replicate the 3D games, Sons of Sparta tries to capture the feel of previous installments.

Okay, so I start out with a spear and shield, and the combat is pretty straightforward. I’ve got a simple three-hit combo I can rely on, plus a block/parry to defend, and a dodge to get out of the way. What’s cool is that enemies have both health and a stun meter. Once I fill up that stun meter, I unlock these awesome Brutal Kills that just finish them off instantly – super satisfying!

When you hurt enemies, they drop colourful orbs. You’ve probably seen this before! Yellow orbs charge up a Spirit meter, letting you use powerful Spirit attacks. These attacks don’t do as much damage, but they stun enemies and also cause them to drop green health orbs.

Blocking attacks with your shield works a lot like parrying in other games inspired by Norse mythology, and you’ll eventually learn skills to deflect both close-up attacks and things thrown at you. It takes practice to get the timing right, but successfully parrying feels great.

Combat so far feels pretty simple, but we’re still very early on in the adventure.

The animation is excellent, and although it might not always look dynamic in pictures, the pixel art style fits the game well. Overall, the game looks and feels fantastic – the full voice acting adds a high-quality touch, the orchestral music is beautiful, and the user interface is remarkably similar to the one in God of War Ragnarok.

Sons of Sparta feels like a collection of the best parts from the whole series, but presented in a classic side-scrolling style. Players can find secret treasure chests, earn powerful gear from the Olympian Gods, and improve their abilities by collecting red orbs.

It’s too early to give a complete review, as we haven’t explored all the weapon upgrades, side quests, and collectibles in God of War: Sons of Sparta. However, the initial impressions are positive and suggest the game has potential.

The game includes many familiar elements from the series, and surprisingly, they fit perfectly within the 2D Metroidvania gameplay style.

The story hasn’t quite hit its stride yet, and we’re still getting used to the fighting, but we’re enjoying it so far, which is promising.

Are you playing God of War: Sons of Sparta? We’d love to hear what you think of the game so far! Share your opinions in the comments, but please – no spoilers!

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2026-02-13 15:37