New Retro God of War Entry Stumbles With Lifeless Combat And Confusing Visual Design

A massive cyclops grabs Kratos in the opening moments of the game while his brother Deimos leaps from behind to assist in the kill. This sequence ostensibly sets the stage for a high-stakes mythological adventure, yet the resulting gameplay fails to ignite the adrenaline typically associated with the series. The action unfolds with a floaty and slow cadence that immediately dampens the excitement of the encounter.

Animations for both the player and the enemy appear clunky, lacking the refined weight expected from a title bearing this name. When the massive beast finally falls, the moment passes without a sense of triumph or bombast. The engagement leaves a feeling of indifference rather than the satisfaction usually derived from toppling a mythical giant.

Sony originally revealed this title during the February State of Play, positioning it as a fresh take on the formative years of the Spartan warrior. Reminding you, Santa Monica Studio provided another major update during the same event regarding the future of the series. The studio is currently developing a God of War Trilogy Remake. TC Carson, the original voice of Kratos, confirmed the project and noted that development is still in the early stages.

The narrative premise focuses on a young Kratos, barely into double digits, alongside his brother Deimos. They have only recently earned the right to travel outside their city walls to prove their worth as Spartans. The game structures its world with interconnected pathways that spiral out from Sparta at the center, adhering to traditional genre map design. The stakes here feel significantly lower than the world-ending threats of the mainline entries.

Kratos acts as a bratty stickler for rules who manipulates warrior teachings to justify his actions, while Deimos provides a foil as a passionate and headstrong companion. This dynamic often leads Deimos to run off following his heart, creating narrative justifications for Kratos to explore areas solo before reuniting for cutscenes.

One early quest involves following a trail of fur to locate a missing fellow Spartan student within the sewers. This grounded, almost detective-like tone draws comparisons to a "Hardy Boys" adventure rather than a grand Greek tragedy. While the narrative approach offers a unique and somewhat interesting perspective on the characters, the gameplay loop supporting it falters significantly.

The large screen size diminishes the visibility of the action, making it easy to lose track of movements during chaotic moments. Basic evasion through blocking or rolling requires minimal attention, but the game attempts to layer complexity through a rigid color-coded system that feels more like a memory test than organic combat flow.

The combat design relies heavily on specific responses to colored enemy attacks. Red attacks require a dodge, as they cannot be blocked. Blue attacks force a block, as they cannot be dodged. Yellow attacks demand a perfectly timed parry to negate. Purple attacks compel the player to completely avoid the area of effect.

Additionally, enemies possess aura shields that glow with specific colors, requiring the player to match them with spirit or magic attacks to break through defenses. This system creates an exhausting mental checklist that interrupts the natural rhythm of the fight. It feels less like a battle of skill and reflexes and more like a rote exercise in pattern recognition.

Difficulty settings on normal do not present a significant challenge, meaning the color matching mechanics rarely result in failure, yet they fail to generate engagement. Most enemies offer little resistance before collapsing inelegantly. A stun meter mechanic allows Kratos to perform finishing moves once filled, theoretically providing the brutal payoff the series is known for. However, these executions lack impact.

While blood spatters the screen, the animations themselves appear tame and weightless. Kratos swats at foes with his tool of choice, leaving behind colorful particle effects but no sense of physical connection. I see the developer attempting to emulate the gory rhythms of genre contemporaries like Blasphemous, yet the execution here falls flat without the necessary visceral feedback.

The environment offers some interactive elements to vary the combat encounters. Players can fling objects found in the world, such as punting pottery into enemies to deal damage and build up stun meters. Enemies drop varied colored orbs upon defeat, corresponding to different resources: red for currency, blue for magic, yellow for spirit, and green for health. Players can influence these drops based on the skills they employ.

Spirit attacks generate more stun and drop health on impact but deal less raw damage. Despite these systems, the amounts of resources dropped feel nominal. The economy of the game does not currently necessitate strict resource management, often making button-mashing the most efficient strategy.

Gear systems allow for upgrades that provide slight statistical shifts and new special moves powered by spirit. These menus resemble the presentation found in recent mainline entries, offering a skill tree with branching nodes to improve Kratos' abilities.

Accruing the necessary red orbs remains a slow process, though players can grind for them by resting at bonfire checkpoints that respawn enemies. The upgrades acquired through this method feel basic, rarely altering the gameplay loop enough to warrant significant attention during the opening hours. I find the progression system serviceable but ultimately unexciting in its current state.

More substantial changes to the gameplay capabilities come from discovering temples, which also serve as fast travel points. Each temple grants Kratos a new powerup that functions as both a combat weapon and a traversal tool. A sling allows players to hit switches from a distance or strike enemies on the head. A flaming branch can set opponents on fire or burn away thorn barriers blocking progress.

Optional challenge gauntlets provide gifts from the gods upon completion, which players can return to temples to boost specific attributes like spear damage or magic capacity. These upgrades offer the standard satisfaction of unlocking new areas on the map, a staple of the genre that remains functional here.

The visual presentation attempts a retro aesthetic that combines pixelated art with modern effects, but the result often appears muddy. Detailed backgrounds fail to achieve the awe-inspiring quality of top-tier Metroidvania titles. The character models for players and enemies lack definition, creating a visual fuzz that obscures the action. The animation style evokes the limitations of early handheld consoles rather than the crisp pixel art of the 16-bit era or modern indie classics. This lack of visual clarity contributes to the lifeless feel of the combat, as interactions between sprites do not read clearly on screen.

God of War Sons of Sparta currently stands as a disappointment for those expecting the crunch and satisfaction synonymous with the franchise. The prequel fails to capitalize on its unique narrative premise, delivering a gameplay experience that struggles to rise above mediocrity. While the game functions mechanically, it lacks the polish and excitement found in the crowded genre of Soulslike Metroidvanias.