God of War: Sons of Sparta Review Proves Not Every Backstory Needs Telling
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
A recent review of God of War: Sons of Sparta from IGN South Africa explores the prequel's teenage depiction of Kratos, praising its character framing while criticizing its sluggish metroidvania gameplay and routine level design.
The God of War franchise has taken us from brutal Greek mythology to reflective Norse tragedy, but the latest entry asks us to look at a chapter most players probably never wondered about. In a recent review by Jarrett Green for IGN South Africa, God of War: Sons of Sparta explores the teenage years of Kratos alongside his brother Deimos, framing the legendary Spartan as an earnest, pious youth rather than the rage-fueled destroyer we first met on PlayStation 2. While the framing device of Kratos recounting these events to his daughter Calliope adds a charming layer of domestic banter, the actual narrative struggles to move past a routine and predictable adventure.
Gameplay-wise, the title attempts to lean into the metroidvania genre, but it ultimately stumbles in execution. According to the review, navigating the colorful environments feels weighed down by a sluggish pace that turns standard exploration into aimless wandering. Combat offers a decent variety of offensive options, but it lacks the iconic barbarism of the main series, landing somewhere between crowded and uninspired. Even though the world building features some visually distinct locations like the fiery foundry of Daedalus, the overall journey fails to leave a lasting impression.
For a community that treats single-player narratives as major cultural events, Sons of Sparta serves as an interesting character study wrapped in a rather forgettable package. It successfully humanizes a historically unlikable protagonist, showing a version of Kratos capable of humor, leadership, and genuine warmth before the tragedies that defined his adult life took hold. Yet, when the exploration and level design fall short of the genre benchmarks set by modern indie and AAA metroidvanias, it becomes clear that even our favorite gaming icons do not always need a prequel to validate their history. You can read the full, detailed breakdown over at IGN South Africa.
Tags: God of War, PlayStation, IGN South Africa, Review, Action Games
Original article: IGN South Africa