I’ve been following the exploits of Kratos and his terrible, no good, very bad life since 2005. The God of War franchise has maintained an impressive level of action game quality for over 20 years while delivering an engaging, often emotional story. Sons of Sparta doesn’t fill in any important narrative gaps. It does offer a worthwhile look at a point in Kratos’ life before the gods decided to put him through hell (often literally), but the gameplay is frustrating and competing in a genre where it is simply not up to the task.
Sons of Sparta is framed during a time of relative peace in Kratos’ life. His first family is still alive, and he decides to tell his daughter, Calliope, a story from his childhood. An adventure he took with his brother Deimos. Greek-era Kratos is back, with his original voice actor, and for a longtime God of War fan, Calliope and Deimos are characters I have always wanted to spend more time with. Seeing a young Kratos, wholly devoted to the idea of being a good Spartan soldier when his anger and resentment were only simmering and had not yet reached full boil, is a treat.
The narrative and characterizations are where Sons of Sparta shines. Catching little glimpses of the character Kratos will become is charming (he doesn’t think music serves any purpose beyond helping soldiers stay in step, for example). The stakes of the plot are low compared to other God of War games, but I was moved by the ending and learning how Kratos’ Spartan upbringing made him the god he eventually becomes. However, playing the game to get to those story moments is far less compelling.
Sons of Sparta is a Metroidvania – an accurate definition even if you don’t like the term. It’s a genre I love, but also one with incredibly stiff competition. Kratos builds out a map of the world neighboring his home while collecting upgrades as he and Deimos try to track down a lost young Spartan cohort against the wishes of his superiors. Every element of the genre in the game is achieved at a base level or lower. Movement is a little stiff, making platforming feel mediocre. Combat is underwhelming and rarely moves beyond the strategy of getting behind an enemy and hitting them in the back. Alternate weapon upgrades are just fine, but don’t reward experimentation beyond using your standard spear. Fast travel is unwieldy, and though you do get a better option eventually, it is way too late in a game that is simply too long. It does not maintain a consistent pace across its approximate 35 hours (more if you’re going for 100 percent). When I finally got the improved fast travel, I was annoyed that it took so long and did not feel rewarded.
Perhaps my biggest annoyance, though, is the general layout and placement of enemies on platforms. When trying to simply climb up a ledge, enemies would often stand at its corner, making it difficult to even get in place to fight them. I spent so much time yelling, “Back up so I can get up there and fight you!” that it made me truly understand why Kratos is such an angry character on a personal level
This adventure also feels cheap in ways that thankfully don’t make gameplay worse, but this is a series known for its impressive production value and attention to detail. I love the pixelated visuals, impressive backgrounds, and seeing familiar God of War elements in a new style, but when Kratos falls into water and simply blinks back into existence or gets stuck in a corner in a looping animation because of bad enemy placement, it just isn’t up to the God of War standard.
For the God of War completionist, there is a story incentive to play through Sons of Sparta. It builds on Kratos’ character well, shows a part of his life we have not had the chance to experience, and there is at least one small detail related to modern Kratos and his son that I am glad I learned. But it underwhelms on nearly every aspect of Metroid-inspired design without outright failing. Controlling Kratos, fighting, and exploring just isn’t particularly fun on a basic level. A just below perfunctory genre experience alongside characters and in a setting I admit I like spending time with.