Product Description

GOW Chains of Olympus PSP

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #343 in Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Published on: 2008-03
• Released on: 2008-03-04
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: Sony PSP
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .50" h x 4.00" w x 7.00" l, .20 pounds

Features

• Epic Gameplay on the PSP system - Keeping true to the God of War franchise, experience dramatic camera angles and epic set pieces, offering a never-before-seen experience
• Mythological Odyssey - This story is set in a time before the events of God of War, where you will experience Kratos' journey during the 10-years of servitude to the Gods of Olympus
• All New Combat Moves - Utilize new brutal combat moves along with their favorite combo attacks from the God of War franchise
• Exploration - From the Gates of Hades to the Depths of Tartarus, Face-off against all new creatures from Greek Mythology and engage in epic boss battles
• Puzzle Solving - Explore the ancient world, prepare to navigate through a labyrinth of challenging puzzles inter-woven into the story

Amazon.com
Before he waged war on the gods...he was forced to serve them

The third game in the God of War franchise, God of War: Chains of Olympus for PlayStation Portable is a prequel to the first two games in the series published for PlayStation 2, and true the high standards of God of War and God of War II, not only does it equal the efforts of its predecessors, in some ways it may even surpass them.

Explore Kratos' story from the beginning

Kratos on the shores of Attica. View larger.

The Blades of Chaos in action. View larger.

Beautiful in-game environments. View larger.

Mythological boss battles. View larger.

Kratos’ Story
The God of War franchise tells the tragic and violent story of the warrior Kratos and his dealings with the gods. The ancient world would eventually both praise and damn the infamous ‘Ghost of Sparta’ as the mortal who slayed a god, but long before his battle with Ares, Kratos sought absolution from his past sins by pledging himself as a champion to the gods. These brutal crusades in the name of Olympus became legendary, but would have far-reaching consequences. In Chains of Olympus Kratos is pushed to the edge as he is ordered by the gods to journey to the very depths of the underworld after the world plunges into darkness. There he must face the most feared creatures of Greek mythology and is forced to choose between his own personal redemption and saving the ancient world from certain destruction. It is a choice that will shake the immortals from their perches on Mt. Olympus.

God of War's Epic Gameplay Comes to the PSP
PlayStation Portable has always been head and shoulders above its competitors in the handheld market when it comes to processing power, and in God of War: Chains of Olympus the PSP platform may just have reached its highest level to date. Packed with features like dramatic camera angles, epic set pieces, cinematic cut scenes, stirring audio and seamless fast action gameplay, formerly only available on console platforms Chains of Olympus binds players to the game’s epic adventure, regardless where they are when they join in the action.

Combat Moves, Both Old and New
Nearly as defining as the name of Kratos itself, the trademark sweeping attack moves of the ‘Ghost of Sparta’ using his weapon of choice the ‘Blades of Chaos,’ epitomizes all God of War games and Chains of Olympus is no exception.

Although overall the PSP has fewer buttons than the PlayStation 2 controller, developer Ready at Dawn Studios has managed to incorporate nearly all of the attack moves and combination moves from previous games in the series into this new project. This continuity in gameplay not only provides a seamless intro into the game for veteran players, but a gentle learning curve for players new to the series. Add to this new brutal combat moves and an additional upgradable weapon and you have a combat system that will engage players at all levels.

Exploration and Puzzle Solving
From the bright gates of Attica to the darkest dungeons of Tartarus, Kratos’ journey and your own will take you through the dark and brutal world of Greek mythology. Here not only will your skill with the Blades of Chaos be tested, but your wits as well.

As you explore the dangers of the ancient world, players must be prepared to use their navigational skills as they press on through labyrinths of challenging puzzles. Some may be simple tests at manipulating the game’s environment to your advantage, while others much more difficult also requiring precision timing of moves, but each will be different and test you in new ways.

An Evolution in Franchise History
More than just a missing piece in the history of the God of War franchise, Chains of Olympus also serves as an evolutionary link between the origins of the God of War franchise and its future. Originally developed for PlayStation 2, the future of the franchise is slated to make its arrival on PlayStation 3 in the form of the highly anticipated God of War III in the not too distant future. Not only is PlayStation Portable designed to work in unison with PlayStation 3 in many ways, but both long-time fans and newcomers to the series who choose to watch and play Chains of Olympus carefully may very well pick up clues as to the direction the franchise will be heading in with God of War III.

Regardless, whether you find yourself playing for the current chapter in Kratos’ saga or preparing yourself for the battles to come on the PlayStation 3, God of War: Chains of Olympus is a must have title for any current owner of a PSP or those considering getting in the handheld game with one.

Customer Reviews

Oh my God of War
When I saw that I had a package yesterday, I opened it up...and then nerd glee ran through my hands to my arms and then to my heart. Kratos had arrived.

I ran to my shop (actually I walked as fast as a grandma around a shopping mall) to open this tantalizing package of war. Screw work!! Actually I cant do that because I'm in Iraq and I have to get things done to help protect the troops. But once I was done with all the work for the day I popped the game in the PSP and hit the power button.

When I began to play, I couldnt believe the graphics. The PSP is seriously a PS2 in your hands. The game is just beautiful. The levels are nicely done. They even have the camera effect where it pulls out very far just to show you how small you really are compared to your surroundings. Your chains graphical effects look really good and even better as you upgrade them. Even the graphics for little things look great...for instance...when you open a chest under water, the chest begins to release thousands of tiny bubbles while you struggle to open it. I just thought that was a nice little touch.

The gameplay is incredible. Kratos is extremely easy to control. I'm just amazed at how fluid he moves. Bashing baddies...lifting them in the air...grappling them back onto the ground..and then finishing them off is nothing but a few well pressed buttons mashes. Not hard at all. And I'm not talking about the button sequence fighting either. Speaking of those, there are some really good ones in this game.

The sound is sharp and pleasing. The musical score can really put you in a mood to kill every living thing around...but then make you want to stop and smell the ashes of a burning hades. If you've played part 1 or 2, then you know what to expect with the sound effects, and it's here also. Sound great in my Bose Earbuds.

I have only a COUPLE of gripes about the game. I'm not completely done with it, but I can tell the game is going to be short. That's going to be a downer because I really like this game and just dont want it to end for at least 2 week..heh. Another gripe I have is that the game froze up on me once. Only once..so hopefully not again. Just make sure you save every time you get the chance.

Something that isnt a gripe, but a 'Just so ya know', playing on Normal is pretty dang easy. There are 4 modes...Easy, Normal, Hard, and God (which is greyed out at first). If you are pretty experienced with the game, I'd go with playing Hard.


Something parents should think about when pondering if they should get this game for their youngin. This game is based during when Rome was the hot spot. So when you see some of the female Gods, usually they are topless. Also there is a scene where Kratos frees two topless women and well...gets to have sex with them. You dont actually see it, but they show a vase or something rocking around while you hit a series of buttons to pleasure them both. Funny if you are older, but maybe not funny for parents with children.


All in all, I recommend this game completely for your PSP. It is definitely in my top 5 games for the PSP. That would include Ratchet and Clank, FF Tactics, Burnout Legends, and I dont have a 5th one yet..(it'll probably be the new Final Fantasy).


UPDATE:

Well after beating the game about an hour after posting this review, I will say it's definitely a short game. Also make sure you stay for after the credits. Well...you'll have to because you cant skip cut scenes (which I LOATHE that you cant do it in any game).

God of War: Chains of Olympus.........
Sad but true, I've never played God of War before. I've heard so much about the game and, considering it has David Jaffe's involvement in its' history, you'd think I'd have already played it. Alas, I haven't. Yet, I see the commercial on tv for this game and hear rantin' & ravin' from my friends about the game, I decide to get the PSP installment. Man (or Woman, whatever the case may be..;)), I was missing out on this for this long?? This game blew me away. It's exciting, addictive and challenging. God of War: Chains of Olympus is simply put 'the best looking title' on the system, bar none, yet. I've never seen graphics look quite this good on the system. Honestly. If graphics can get any better than this on the PSP, I'll be amazed. The environments were simply breathtaking, nothing like I've seen before. Course, Ready At Dawn made Daxter visually appealing for its' time.

For an action game, this game truly delivers. Especially where the story is concerned. Makes me wish some developers would make portable versions of some of my favorite games(like Shadowman, Bloodrayne, Legacy of Kain or Devil May Cry).

There's plenty of bonus content in the game that makes playing through a few times more appealing but I have a problem with the game's length. It is just too short for this kind of game. I managed to get through it in a little over 8 hours. It is, however, a portable game so I have to take that into account. Memory restrictions and whatnot, withstanding, it should be understood.

God of War: Chains of Olympus is a remarkable achievement on the PSP. It's a 'must-have' purchase for all owners of a PSP. This game just goes to prove that Ready At Dawn is a force to be reckoned with in the handheld world. I'm expecting great things from this bunch on their next game.

A Remarkable Game To Behold And The Greatest Game For The PSP!
Simply put, this is the best PSP game on the market and one of the most stunning handheld games ever made. The production value is through the roof. I have never played a handheld game that was of this caliber, if it were twice as long I would call it the single greatest achievement on any portable system.

From the moment I started the game, I was emotionally involved and I did not want to put the game down. I had not played the other GOW games, so this was all new to me... and I was hooked. The action was intense, but the puzzles were never complex.

The few issues that I had were with the length of the game, and the thumb pad, some fights hurt!

If you have a PSP, you have to play this game... I hope this is the harbinger of the future for the PSP, because it proves that Sony's little console is quite something!