God of War: Chains of Olympus is an open-world action game Franchise developed by David Jaffe in Santa Monica, California. It started in 2005 on the popular PlayStation 2 game system, and quickly became a leading title for the PlayStation 2 system, with several other titles going multiplatform. The game has received positive reviews from critics, but does it live up to its massive potential?
Unlike God of War (PlayStation 2) and its sequel God of War: Attack of the Glove, God of War: Chains of Olympus has no stories or characters that we have seen in previous games in the series. This is a major departure from previous games in the series where characters like Kratos had personality traits and back stories that we learned about through dialogues and cut scenes. The story is told through narrative sequences in which Kratos is on his quest to find his father who was killed during the Trojan Wars. Along the way he discovers other allies including some newly forged children who were born from his wife’s previous husband.
One of the most interesting things about this game is its time-travel feature. In previous games in the series, the player had a limited amount of time within which to complete missions and quests. The time limit in Chains of Olympus is twenty years, so players are stuck using all of their time to perform actions and finish missions rather than to advance the game. For anyone that enjoys playing video games with a limited amount of time to complete objectives, this can be frustrating. However, time travel is another feature that can really spice up a game like God of War.
God of War: Chains of Olympus has two difficulty settings. The normal mode, which is what most people would consider the “main” mode, is the easiest of the game. It does not have any unlockable weapons or abilities and is purely action based. In the higher difficulty levels, however, the gameplay gets very intense. You will see all of the classic elements from the mythology, but the difficulty increases substantially due to additional obstacles you must overcome.
I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but there are actually quite a few Easter eggs hidden throughout the game. I won’t spoil them all, but you will definitely want to explore every nook and cranny of the game’s world. The best part about God of War: Chains of Olympus is how its story ties into the rest of the God of War series. For example, when you are fighting against the Hades enemy, you will hear snippets of information about the other games in the series, such as the Godfather and the Chariot. This adds a level of subtlety to an otherwise action-packed game.
Overall, God of War: Chains of Olympus is a fun game to play. There is little question as to why this game is a franchise masterpiece. The graphics are clean and sharp, and the gameplay never takes a break. The story is engaging and intense, while the gameplay and combat are fun. If you are looking for a new video game to play, then Chains of Olympus is highly recommended.
