God of War PSP Entertainment Pack out tomorrow [PlayStation.Blog]

Chains of Olympus is such an amazing accomplishment for basically one reason: it’s the full God of War experience transported to the PSP without any scaling back or any downgrade in quality from the PS2. That means you get the same brutal, intuitive combat system, gripping story, epic set pieces, cinematic camera views, film-caliber score and voice acting, and everything else we’ve all come to cherish about the previous two PS2 installments, only packed down into a bite-sized action/adventure mythological epic you can carry around wherever you go.

Frankly, I’m astonished by RAD’s ability to squeeze all this brilliance onto a UMD. Graphically, the game is a tour de force of scale and beauty, with every environment meticulously detailed, every character smoothly animated and every special effect perfectly executed, all while maintaining a remarkably steady frame rate (though the speed dips in a few rare instances). Needless to say, there’s no better looking game on the PSP right now, and I seriously doubt there ever will be.

Even more amazing, to me at least, is how well the gameplay carries over to the PSP, mainly in terms of controllability. The combat system functions no differently and with no disadvantages to that of the PS2 control scheme. Controlling Kratos with the much-maligned analog nub is effortless, and an evasion mechanic tied to holding down the shoulder buttons and twitching the nub makes not having a second analog stick (which the PS2 games use for evasive maneuvers) a non issue.

I actually think some areas of the game function better than the console predecessors too. The puzzles, for instance, I found to be even more environmentally organic and inventive than the past titles, and some of the new weapons and abilities, like the Gauntlet of Zeus and Sun Shield, are truly memorable additions to the series.

Now, I’ve heard numerous people complaining about this being a short-lived game, and while it is only around five hours or so, to say it’s short on value is a gross misjudgment. Let me spell out my total play time thus far. The first trip through on the normal difficulty took me just over five hours, as mentioned before, my second play on the unlocked God mode gave me an additional eight hours of enjoyment, and then the tough Challenge of Hades bonus mode pumped another couple hours out of me. Altogether, that’s at least 15 solid hours to complete the game to its fullest, not to mention even more time spent watching the behind-the-scenes videos, goofing around with the bonus character costumes and flipping through the unlockable art galleries. I’ll surely replay it again too, especially once it’s time to refresh on the story when the PS3 installment finally comes around. $40 for that much replay value is totally worth it.

I really can’t praise or recommend Chains of Olympus any more than that, and quite frankly I shouldn’t have to. This is the best PSP game money can buy, and if you don’t add it to your collection may the gaming gods have mercy on your soul.

Pros:
+ Full, uncompromised God of War experience on a portable device
+ Award-worthy presentation and production values
+ Packed with unlockables and hours and hours of replay value
+ Though maybe not quite as deep as the PS2 games, the story delivers a gripping prequel narrative to the original game

Cons:
– Ummmm… not coming up with anything here…

Game Info:
Platform: PSP
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Ready At Dawn Studios
Release Date: 3/4/08
Genre: Action/Adventure
Players: 1

Remember last month when Sony announced plans for that sweet God of War: Chains of Olympus PSP Entertainment Pack? The special edition “Deep Red” PSP silkscreened with Kratos on the back was shown in full at the time, but now SCEA has sent along a couple photos of the final box the bundle will come in. In recap, the God of War PSP pack is due to come out in June and, as is printed on the packaging, will include the Deep Red PSP, an AC Adaptor, a battery pack, Superbad on UMD, a copy of God of War: Chains of Olympus and a voucher to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops free of charge.

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Picking up where the Star Wars Battlefront PSP bundle left off, SCEA, from their Destination PlayStation retailer conference, has announced the God of War PSP Entertainment Pack. This limited-edition bundle will feature a special “Deep Red” PSP slim with Kratos’ sneering mug silkscreened on the back, a copy of God of War: Chains of Olympus (duh!), Columbia Pictures’ comedy Superbad on UMD, and a voucher enabling the free download of Syphon Filter: Combat Ops from the PlayStation Store, all for only $199.99. While Chains of Olympus ships next week by itself, though, the bundle won’t be available until June. Hit the jump for more pics.

“God of War is one of the biggest PlayStation franchises, and with its portable premiere on PSP just around the corner, we wanted to offer something special that would appeal to both loyal God of War fans and non-owners who want to enjoy PSP’s multi-functionality,” said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. “This bundle delivers great value, starting with the ‘Deep Red’ PSP – one of the most highly sought-after colors based on our consumer research – and the Kratos silkscreen. We’re also showcasing the diverse entertainment experience PSP offers, centered on a UMD game in God of War: Chains of Olympus that’s every bit as impressive as its console sequels, a free download of IGN.com’s 2007 PSP Multiplayer Game of the Year – Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, and a box office hit movie in Superbad.”

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The team at Ready At Dawn Studios is happy to announce, as you can see in the above picture from their champagne-filled celebration yesterday morning, that God of War: Chains of Olympus has gone gold and is officially set for a March 4th ship date in North America. Less than a month away from the launch of the PSP’s biggest game yet, hell yeah!

On a side note, if you’re a PlayStation Underground member you should have also received an email newsletter by now with the ship date confirmation and a promotional code for a $5 pre-order discount at Amazon.com. According to the newsletter, Amazon pre-orders will also come with free exclusive tracks from the game’s soundtrack as a bonus.

Chains of Olympus is GOLD! – Ready At Dawn Studios