Kratos descends into the underworld to halt Eternal Sleep, and Ready at Dawn wrings PS2-grade sequences out of the PSP. Brutal combat, riddles and showy QTEs; one of the greatest action games ever shipped on a handheld.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player18+
Description
Kratos, Ghost of Sparta, descends into the depths of the Underworld to free Helios and prevent Eternal Sleep from swallowing the world. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment, released in the USA in November 2008. Devastating real-time combat, mythological puzzles, spectacular QTEs, ancient Greek settings, epic orchestral soundtrack. North American edition in English and Chinese.
God of War - Chains of Olympus review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
More outsized still, this entry unfurls titanic settings, dantesque clashes and breathtaking panoramas. The cinematic staging gains in scale and controlled violence. This visual extravagance, dark and grandiose, closes the PS2 era on a dazzling technical demonstration.
Powerful and martial, the music unleashes ancient choirs and warrior percussion to accompany Kratos's fury. Each battle rises like a Greek tragedy, sustained by an orchestra of overwhelming intensity. This epic grandeur, sumptuous on a handheld, rivals the console entries with ease.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Carving up mythological hordes with the Blades of Chaos, chaining bloody combos and triggering spectacular executions: the epic fury of the series fits in your pocket without losing any of its grandeur. The frantic pace and grandiose staging grab you from the first arena. Brutal, sumptuous and visceral, a technical and gameplay feat.
God of War Chains of Olympus, a Ready at Dawn technical feat that brings the saga's fury to handheld without ceding any brutality or spectacle, praised as an action benchmark on PSP. Still fairly sought, its desirability rests on this status as a genre showcase on the console and a tenacious demand, the Asian and Korean pressings being harder to find. A prime piece for portable-action fans.
Memorable bosses
A technical feat on a handheld, this descent into Greek mythology chains outsized guardians that Kratos finishes off in brutal, well-timed executions. From the ferryman of the underworld to fallen deities, each colossus imposes a violent, readable choreography. A grand scale, the hero's cold rage and a bloody staging make these duels a concentrate of the saga's intensity.
Is God of War - Chains of Olympus still worth playing in 2026?
God of War - Chains of Olympus sends Kratos to the underworld to prevent the Eternal Sleep, and Ready at Dawn pulls PS2-worthy sequences from the PSP. Brutal combat, flow-integrated puzzles and spectacular QTEs make for one of the greatest portable action games. Faithful art direction, controls adapted perfectly to the format. An absolute peak to bring out today.
