Monday, February 16, 2026

God of War: Sons of Sparta - Buzz Breakdown

by Gamatroid 🕹️ 


 
Join young Kratos and Deimos, sons of Sparta, on a Greek odyssey as they discover the meaning of duty and honor. BEFORE THE LEGEND.
 

 GAME FACTS

  • TITLE: God of War: Sons of Sparta
  • RELEASE DATE: 2/12/2026
  • MSRP: $29.99
  • DEVELOPER: Mega Cat Studios
  • PUBLISHER: Sony Interactive Entertainment
  • PLATFORMS: PlayStation exclusive
 


In this prequel set during Kratos' harsh Spartan training, a fellow cadet goes missing, prompting the stoic elder brother Kratos and his brash younger sibling Deimos to venture into the dangerous lands of ancient Laconia to rescue him, forging their bond through trials of combat, puzzles, and mythical foes.
 
Gameplay unfolds as a 2D pixel-art action-adventure with Metroidvania elements across vibrant levels, where players control Kratos (and Deimos in local co-op) using spear-based attacks to battle diverse enemies and massive bosses; progression involves running, leaping, climbing, backtracking for abilities, solving environmental puzzles, and uncovering secrets, all while emphasizing Spartan duty in single-player or 1-2 player couch co-op.
 


RETRO ROOTS

God of War: Sons of Sparta taps into the pixelated side-scrolling legacy of the franchise's portable spin-offs like God of War: Ghost of Sparta and the mobile God of War: Betrayal, blending their brutal hack-and-slash with Metroidvania exploration akin to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, and modern pixel takes like Blasphemous or Dead Cells—trading epic 3D scale for tight, ability-gated 2D progression and boss rushes.

 

God of War Betrayal screenshot from MyAbandonware.com


BUZZ BREAKDOWN

 

Critical Consensus

 
Metacritic
  • Critics: 75/100 (5 critics)
  • Users: 7.2/10 (314 users)
  • Notes: Lowest GOW; "Solid metroidvania, strong combat"
Opencritic
  • Critics: 75/100 (6 critics)
  • Notes: CG Magazine gave it 7.5/10
PlayStation Store
  • User Rating: 4.7/5 (4.9k ratings)
  • Notes: 87% gave 5 star rating; "fun combat, retro feel" 

 


Top Praises

  • Fun, Punchy Combat: "Punchy and fun... skill trees with offensive/defensive moves"; DualSense haptics and upgrade systems shine.
  • Tight Metroidvania Design: Strong level design, ability-gated backtracking, boss rushes; 5-10h with replayable secrets.
  • Nostalgic Lore: Meaningful Deimos bond and Spartan origins; "stellar insight into Kratos' past."
  • Retro Vibe: Chiptune-orchestral score, smooth PS5 performance; couch co-op nostalgia for fans.

Common Complaints

  • Dull/Muddy Visuals: "Ugly and muddy... lacks inventive design"; pixel art feels basic.
  • Floaty/Tame Combat: Predictable patterns, weak impacts, "lifeless" despite ideas—no brutal finishers.
  • Co-op & Cohesion Issues: Spotty drop-in (campaign-locked?), progress bugs, "weak start" drags early hours.


Critic Highlights

  • Positive: "Solid and well-crafted... strong combat and tight level design" (IGN Benelux, COGconnected).
  • Mixed: "Dull combat but nice ideas" (GamesRadar+ in-progress); "weak start, strong ending" (XboxEra).
  • Creator Clash: David Jaffe (after ~1hr): "Total crap... dumb, stupid... What were they thinking? Insult to the series." (Fans fire back: "If Jaffe hates it, it's good ").


Player Pulse (user rating feedback)

  • 66% positive on Metacritic (rising); top PS reviews: "Best PS5 game... amazing haptic" and "extremely well done fan service."
  • Massive early surge (750+ day 1 → 5K+): Raves for accessibility and nostalgia, though co-op refunds and QoL complaints (map, bugs) are bubbling.

 

Who is it for?

  • Buy Full Price: GoW completionists hungry for prequel lore + Metroidvania fans (Blasphemous/Dead Cells crowd).
  • Sale Pick-up: Retro platformer enthusiasts seeking a quick, nostalgic hit.
  • Skip: 3D GoW purists craving bombast or Jaffe loyalists: revisit Ghost of Sparta remake instead.


Overall Verdict
 
A solid-but-safe 2D Metroidvania prequel that hooks GoW fans (PS Store soaring at 4.7/5 from 5K+) with punchy spear combat and young Kratos lore, yet critics peg it at a middling 75 on Metacritic amid muddy pixels and tame fights. GOW creator David Jaffe calls it "total crap". Players are split but mostly loving the retro vibe. A $30 nostalgic bite for diehards; snag on sale for everyone else.
 



 
You can watch the trailer in the YouTube video below:
 

Buzz Breakdown is a new feature I'm working on to provide perspective on games I don't plan on playing or reviewing personally. Sometimes that may be due to unfortunate timing. Other times it may be that I'm just not that excited about the game in question, or it may be a game's just "not for me", but others seem to enjoy. 

In the case of Sons of Sparta, I'm busy playing a bunch of other games I'm more excited about, and I had largely written it off after what I thought was a fairly lackluster trailer. Then given Jaffe's feedback I was even more certain I didn't want to play it, but then seeing the high user ratings on the PlayStation store I thought I should look into it a bit more. I'm still not convinced the game is for me, but clearly a lot of people are enjoying it. 

Additionally, I really enjoyed seeing Jaffe's take on it and I suggest you hear him explain his complaints directly, if you're interested. You can see his breakdown and commentary in the YouTube video below:

  




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