Also Available On: N/A
Publisher: Sony
Age Rating: 18+

An 18-rated game for a handheld system is quite a rarity, but then God of War: Chains of Olympus is quite a rarity in itself.

The game is filled with much of what the acclaimed God of War on PS2 had to offer. And what is particularly impressive about that is the fact developer Ready at Dawn has managed to create a full blown console release for a handheld, without anything going missing and without taking any short cuts.

This PSP release is a prequel to the first God of War game on PS2, with ex-Spartan warrior Kratos following the commands of the gods as he battles with the heads of Medusa and twin-eyed Cyclopes.

All of the acclaimed gameplay elements synonymous with the PS2 game are here, from the epic-sized bosses to collecting orbs and power-up attacks. There are mini-games, new weapons and even the elaborate puzzles that often span several levels.

Despite having no second analog stick or shoulder buttons, the PSP manages to handle this with ease. The controls are first class in a game where combat is more dominant than the puzzles, allowing for one-button rolls, parry attacks and clever evades.

During the epic battles portrayed in this release, you will find combat is certainly a strong and highly effective part of the gameplay. It’s gore-fuelled and naturally intuitive, while offering the same ability as the PS2 game of providing an orb bonus when the player links together hits without while avoiding any from the enemy.

Visually, this game is stunning. It is, unreservedly, the best looking handheld game ever released. The framerate is solid and the environments and character detail are often better than the PS2 game, with sublime design, ultra smooth animation and ground-breaking attention to detail.

The only gripes with this release are the fact that the cleverly-designed puzzles take something of a backseat and the fact it’s also a little on the easy side, with some critics claiming they finished the game in four and a half hours. However, with a new extra difficult God Mode included, complete with unlockable goodies, there’s plenty of life in the game even after finishing it in the standard mode.

God of War: Chains of Olympus is a game that blows all other handheld releases out of the water. This title is sure to make Nintendo DS fans jealous as its technical ability cannot be overstated. With its finely tuned gameplay of combat, puzzles and exploration, as well as its beautiful Greek mythology-inspired eye-candy, it was acclaimed on PS2, but on PSP it’s a game to which all other developers must now aspire.

If you really want to show your friends what the PSP is capable of, this game is an essential purchase.