God of War: Chains of Olympus Preview (PSP)

God of War: Chains of Olympus Preview (PSP)

Navneet Prakash, Mar 01, 2008 1438 hrs IST

It's a wait till the end of March, so here's a preview

Expert Review

All the basic principles apply; you kill the enemy, collect orbs, upgrade weapons, and become stronger. You encounter the basilisk quite early in the game, in true GOW style. After defeating him once, you have to follow him until you finish him off at the end of the level. You encounter a mini-boss on the way in the form of a very powerful Persian. You finish him in a, umm, brutal manner -- smash his head to pulp using an empty treasure chest. The level finishes with the killing of the basilisk, again in true GOW style.

Once the level is over, a long cinematic will go on to reveal the main storyline. I don't want to give it away so soon; I'll give you a clue though -- your job will include slaying a God. Oh wait, that's what we did in the previous games...

The game's forte on the PSP along with the gameplay will be its graphics. The character design is quite good, and the sound and voice acting is as good as any. The AI can be a challenge, specially the archers: they tend to do more damage than other units. The gameplay design includes a lot of interaction -- the first level will see you using a catapult to destroy ships; you will also carry a battering ram through a battlefield and use it to crack open a gate.

The whole experience is quite interactive. A few levels later you use light as a weapon; your main source will be fire. There are instances in that level that are quite challenging.

The game is due for release at the end of this month, like I said, so wait for the full review in a couple of weeks. Until then, read up a bit on Greek mythology. Sparta? Olympus? Tartarus? These are real names... Well, it might not help you play the game better, but who knows: knowing the kind of world you're steeped in might just add to that I'm-in-the-old-ages feeling.