Plot: What’s it about?
As one of video gaming’s icons, Kratos has established the God of War series as one of the best franchises around. Now you can officially experience all of Kratos’ adventures on your PS3, as Sony has issued this special God of War: Origins Collection. This set offers the two God of War PSP titles, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta on one disc. The games have been given an HD make-over, stereoscopic 3-D support, and yes fans, full trophy support. So whether you’ve never experienced these games before or want to revisit them, this collection gives you ample incentive to do so. As the title should indicate, these games flesh out Kratos’ story before God of War. So for those who can’t get enough of the guy, there is plenty of back-story to help you get to know Kratos better than ever before. To avoid spoilers I won’t get into plot details, but those familiar with the God of War series are sure to have some idea of what is in store.
While these games were handheld exclusives, don’t discount them based on that. Chains of Olympus is an excellent game that feels right at home in this franchise, faithful to the source, but also able to stand out in new ways. So if you’re a God of War veteran, you’ll be able to jump right in, but expect some fresh elements as well. The second game, Ghost of Sparta is even better, able to fine tune the experience and provide even more effective entertainment. Being able to play these with Dualshock support and in HD really is a revelation, a sizable improvement over the PSP experience. I had fun with these games on that format, but here the games really come to life and are better than ever. The transition is as smooth as silk, thanks to effective controls that Kratos’ fans will feel right at home with.
If you’ve never played these two games before, then it is a no brainer to pick up this release. The visuals have been enhanced, the controls are terrific, and of course, hunting down trophies is always fun. I didn’t spend much time with the 3-D version, but it seems have been well crafted. These games are well designed and even when stacked up against the acclaimed console games in this series, hold up well. That is a bold statement and proves how great Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta are. But even if you’ve been down the road with these titles on the PSP, this release offers an improved experience. And as good as these games are, a second playthrough offers just as much fun as the first. So strap on your blades and get ready to slice your way through countless enemies, as Kratos’ legacy begins here.
Video: How does it look?
As I said above, these games have been given the high definition treatment and of course, they look excellent. Ghost of Sparta proves to be the better game in terms of visual design, but both look great here. The transition from small screen to big screen has gone well, pulling all the available detail from the graphics. These might not be on par with your standard PS3 titles, but they’re impressive and marked improvements over their PSP counterparts.
Audio: How does it sound?
The battle cries of Kratos sound great here, as does the rest of the sound design. The music is quite good and fits into the series well, while basic sound effects and such also come across in effective fashion. The voice work is solid and is well presented, with Kratos’ insane yells a highlight, of course. In the end, the sound design is handled with great care and these games sound better than ever in this release.
Supplements: What are the extras?
N/A
