Opinion: God of War: Sons of Sparta Is the Smaller PS5 Game Fans Want, and I Hope We See More

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To put it lightly, PS Studios has a bit of a problem at the moment.

Most of Sony’s game development studios are working on ambitious projects, but these games are becoming incredibly expensive to produce. Budgets are increasing quickly, and some of Sony’s major titles now cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

As costs continue to rise sharply, game development is taking much longer. Where a team could previously finish a game in one or two years, it now takes around three times that long, and we expect that to be the case in 2026.

This situation puts PlayStation’s biggest, most ambitious games – the ones they rely on – in a vulnerable position and leads to a reluctance to take creative risks. It explains why many of the games PlayStation has been making directly have been sequels that play it safe, even though they are well-made.

Many believe Sony needs to create a wider range of games, offering more options beyond its major releases with smaller, lower-budget titles.

This concept could bring more diverse and experimental games to the PS5 – the kinds of projects that are hard to greenlight when so much money is at stake.

Sony has dabbled with this approach in the past. They tried out digital-only games on the PS3 and PS Vita, with titles like Journey, Hohokum, and The Unfinished Swan.

After those initial successes, Sony started releasing a bunch of smaller, really cool games like Resogun, Helldivers, and Bound. But that flow of more experimental, lower-budget titles eventually slowed down. As Sony concentrated on its big-name games, and especially with the PS5, we just haven’t really seen that same kind of output again, which is a bit of a shame, honestly.

Now more than ever, Sony needs to revisit this area, and the release of God of War: Sons of Sparta might suggest they are already planning to do so.

The game was released suddenly last month, following a lot of speculation. While opinions are divided, I think it’s a solid Metroidvania game that unfolds its best features gradually.

This game isn’t groundbreaking, but that’s okay – it wasn’t meant to be. It’s a more modest project than Sony usually releases, and honestly, it’s exactly the kind of game fans have been asking for.

Okay, so we don’t have the exact numbers, but it’s obvious this game didn’t cost nearly as much to make as big-budget titles like Horizon Forbidden West or Spider-Man 2. It was made on a much smaller budget, that’s for sure.

Being part of a well-known Sony franchise gives this game a good opportunity to attract players. While the story wasn’t a favorite of ours, it did something the main series hasn’t: it let us play as a young human boy before he gained his powers.

It’s surprising to see that happen in a show known for its big, dramatic moments.

I really appreciate the work that went into this game. While it’s not a masterpiece, it’s a good showcase of what Sony is capable of creating between its major releases.

It’s great to see this kind of creative risk-taking. While I’m not sure how many copies of Sons of Sparta were sold, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a huge number for it to be profitable, compared to their other games.

The appeal for company executives is clear: if Sony and its teams can quickly and affordably revive smaller games like Sons of Sparta, it could help offset the costs and risks associated with developing large, expensive blockbuster titles.

And here’s the other thing: Sony’s back catalogue is rife with opportunity for this sort of thing.

It would be great to see smaller, updated versions of classic PlayStation games like Ape Escape, PaRappa the Rapper, Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter, and LocoRoco. These games all have a lot of untapped potential.

I’m not sure if Sony will keep making games like this, but I really hope they do. Titles like Sons of Sparta would be a great addition to their collection and could also take some pressure off their larger, more expensive games.

What are your thoughts? Would you like to see more shorter, focused games similar to God of War: Sons of Sparta, or do you think it’s better for developers to focus on larger projects? Share your opinions in the comments!

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2026-03-08 16:37