DESCRIPTION

Tormented Spartan warrior Kratos journeys to the underworld to battle mythological creatures in Chains of Olympus, the anticipated debut of Sony's blockbuster action series on PSP. The storyline in this original title precedes the events chronicled in 2005's God of War. As penance for past transgressions, the son of Zeus agrees to become an indentured servant to the Greek gods for ten years. When the world suddenly plunges into darkness and renders their powers useless, the gods beseech Kratos to return Olympus to its former glory. Kratos will journey to the Gates of Hades and beyond to fulfill his solemn obligation.

With a look and feel designed to replicate the same fast-action mechanics from the first two God of War titles on PlayStation 2, Chains of Olympus offers a few subtle changes to combat. Once again Kratos wields the Blades of Chaos, twin swords chained around his wrists, with each swing punctuated with light trails to enhance the theatrics of the combo-heavy fighting system. As players string together multiple hits, "vicious," "gory," and "savage" words of encouragement will appear. Enemies include Persian soldiers, Cyclopes, minotaurs, and the screen-enveloping boss encounters the series is known for. Defeating bosses allows Kratos to learn powerful new magic-based attacks.

Kratos can also parry blows and perform evasive dodges, with the latter now initiated with a button modifier due to the lack of a right analog stick. A new windmill-style move has been added for taking out multiple enemies, at the expense of leaving Kratos temporarily vulnerable to subsequent attacks. Also featured is a more dynamic camera system designed to show off the atmospheric stages without interfering with combat or the game's various action-oriented puzzles. Veteran character actor Linda Hunt reprises her role as the game's narrator. Chains of Olympus is independent developer Ready at Dawn's second PSP game after 2006's best-selling Daxter. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide