I’ve yet to experience Kratos’s first adventure on the PSP, mainly because I don’t own the handheld (something that will change in the coming days). But based on my experience with Ghost of Sparta, the games are every bit as epic as its console cousins. The demo begins with Kratos sailing toward Atlantis with a platoon of Spartans. They are under attack by the city’s forces while the Scylla, a leviathan with tentacles coming out of its chest, tears apart the ship. The section serves as a tutorial with most of the moves being the same as previous games. The only new move is the Hyperion Charge, which allows Kratos to tackle an enemy to the ground and pummel it to death. It’s a satisfying maneuver though I’m not sure how well it will work in a crowd of enemies.

The demo continues with a direct battle against the Scylla. The fight works the same as previous boss fights in the series with Kratos softening up the monster before dealing the final blow in a quick-time event. However, rather than finishing off the Scylla, it swats Kratos away and further into the city’s outskirts. He then has to make his way through the city while fighting off more of its forces. The combat is as smooth as ever and the dodge has been adapted well to fit the PSP’s lack of a second analog stick. Holding down both shoulder buttons and flicking a direction immediately rolls Kratos away and barely breaks momentum. Within minutes, I had the controls down and was pulling off combos with ease.

Eventually a new weapon is introduced, the shield and spear. It’s a versatile piece of equipment that is able to block projectiles and throw spears at ranged enemies. The weapon is such a natural fit for Kratos that it’s odd that it has taken this long to implement it. The combos weren’t as effective at crowd control as the Blades of Athena, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed using it. Secondary weapons in God of War are notorious for not being that great but the shield and spear breaks this tradition. Another interesting addition to Ghost of Sparta is that it uses the quick-time button layout from God of War 3. It is a subtle change but appreciated since it leaves the action front and center. The demo finally ends with Kratos launching himself at the roaring Scylla before it cuts to black.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta is a technical marvel. It looks just as good as either of the PS2 games and the controls have been adapted perfectly to fit the constraints of the PSP. The full game will likely be just as fun as the rest of the series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.