I will commonly b***h about handheld gaming becoming too much like console gaming, I'm sure most people here have heard me say "If the game plays like it should on a console, I'd rather play it on a console". Very few exceptions have come up of that rule of mine, Chains of Olympus happens to be one of those elite few.

I'm a pretty hardcore GoW fan, have been for years, but don't let that mislead you, I was really worried about this title. I was worried that the screen size would inhibit the commonly epic tone of the game, as I was also worried about the analog nub not responding properly like the analog sticks did in the PS2 titles, finally I was worried that this was just going to be a "Lets make a watered down portable version of [insert popular franchise]". Each and every one of those get stricken down without mercy, for this title is just as brutal, fast paced, and wonderful as it's PS2 siblings.

The development team clearly wanted to make this title the PSP's own. Everything about the game is crafted, from top to bottom for the PSP. The story is a new one, giving us even more insight to the legend that is Kratos, the controls and gameplay are set in a way that works flawlessly with the PSP, but at the same time is familiar enough for PS2 fans to pick up with little mental adjustment, and the visuals take advantage of the PSP's graphical potential. There has not been a single moment in this game that I have said to myself "This would be better on the PS2".

The game starts you off fending off a Persian advance into Attica ten years before the events of the first God of War, and while fighting the Persians are clearly more of a tutorial to get you into the swing of the game, there is one massive creature roaming around, a gargantuan basilisk. Which, in terms of first bosses in God of War is rather easy to beat. Fortunately the developers keep things moving into the main story in which the god Morpheus is using the absence of Helios to attempt to take over. This is as far as I will say on the topic of the story, as I am against spoilers of any kind. However, I will say that despite the stories short length, the writers have fit it in to their vision of Greek Mythology quite well.

The visuals in this game impressed me beyond what I thought was possible, I have long felt that I was aware of the PSP's potential in this area, but as I stated, this game did nothing but strike awe into my mind about the PSP. The character movements are smooth, the levels are solid and well textured, and the background adds a lot of depth. Even moments where the developers want to put in place a sense of scale are not lost on the system as I feared they would be.

Ultimately, the area I was worried the most in was the gameplay. I was terrified that the developers would try to just make this "God of War on the PSP" and do a poor job of setting up the controls. As I said a few paragraphs ago, this title is made for the PSP. Every aspect of the gameplay is specifically designed for the system and they do so without any error. This game is just as ruthlessly brutal as it's PS2 brethren.

Depending on who you are, the games length might be discouraging, as it is rather short. Only having four bosses was kinda was a bummer, as they tend to be the most fun. However, in my mind, the games short length is welcoming as it is a handheld game.

Kratos is up there with Daxter and Snake for being in the games that have made me bite my tongue when it comes to my normally firm position on handheld gaming, and I am happy that it has. This game is easily the best PSP game I've played, as it has taken the spot of my favorite God of War title. This title is nothing but reassurance that the series doesn't need Jaffe or Balrog to keep this series awesome. Finally, the God of War III (PS3) teaser in the case is exciting for me.

God of War: Chains of Olympus 10/10