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Well, that didn't take long...

It seems as though "Spartans Stand Tall" has some meaning to it after all; Ghost of Sparta is the next chapter in the God of War series. So far, I've only seen four screenshots myself. It's apparently slated for release later this year (won't count on it staying like that though) as well.

The second PSP title in the series, Ghost of Sparta is apparently an interquel set between GoWI and GoWII (after getting a cell phone title and a comic book miniseries set in the same timeframe, I'm surprised they have enough ideas for finall making a game about it). I don't have any word on who's developing it, but if it's Ready At Dawn (who worked on COO) then I have faith in another quality chapter of the series--RaD has very few games to their name, but what they have made are all ace. Anyway, it's nice to see Kratos still has some things left to be told in his story. I just hope this comes off with more promise than that obvious PoP cash in coming out soon...

Here's the IGN article

Discuss.

So Mobile GoW is non-canon now? Now that I think of it, why is it that Hermes can't give Kratos a fight yet his son can?

Actually, it's supposedley meant to take place some time before Betrayal. It's probably set close to where the comic book series takes place.

Bump.

Hayguesswat?

E3 Teaser Trailer
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Quick gameplay montage
1aiUidGqWXM

Note the new weapon--Kratos' Spartan heritage finally speaks for itself with his new Spartan Spear and Shield. Looks bitchin'. There's also said to be more weapons this time around. Then there's the tough looking glow-guy at the end. High-tier cyclops-esque monster I'm guessing.

No, that's not all. Here's Gamespot's coverage of the live demo at E3.

That boss (the Scylla, according to devs) makes the Kraken from GoWII look like Squidward. You also gain a new power called Eye of Atlantis. Word of it is that Ghost of Sparta may have over twice the boss fights of COO (which had three--four at best) and will be a good bit longer as well. I gotta say, it already looks better than CoO graphically.

Originally posted by First_Tsurugi06
Hayguesswat?

E3 Teaser Trailer
4_l_Va5YwbM

Quick gameplay montage
1aiUidGqWXM

Note the new weapon--Kratos' Spartan heritage finally speaks for itself with his new Spartan Spear and Shield. Looks bitchin'. There's also said to be more weapons this time around. Then there's the tough looking glow-guy at the end. High-tier cyclops-esque monster I'm guessing.

No, that's not all. Here's Gamespot's coverage of the live demo at E3.

That boss (the Scylla, according to devs) makes the Kraken from GoWII look like Squidward. You also gain a new power called Eye of Atlantis. Word of it is that Ghost of Sparta may have over twice the boss fights of COO (which had three--four at best) and will be a good bit longer as well. I gotta say, it already looks better than CoO graphically.

The glowing guy is an animated Atlas statue. Yeah, Atlas has four arms but the statue in Pandora's Temple didn't.

Sadly, I won't be getting this game because I don't feel like buying a PSP. Gonna have to watch it all on Youtube

Originally posted by Sin_Volvagia
The glowing guy is an animated Atlas statue. Yeah, Atlas has four arms but the statue in Pandora's Temple didn't.

Sadly, I won't be getting this game because I don't feel like buying a PSP. Gonna have to watch it all on Youtube

CoO and GoS are two reasons why I would buy a PSP. Or at least borrow one from a friend. >__>

Seriously, I need to play them. I definitely need to play GoS, as it looks uber.

Yeah boi!

More GoW!

We need moar of this kind of beat-em-ups!

The spear and shield is win. So getting this.

Looks rad.

The shield and spear looks strangely like the Spartan from the game, Spartan.



Also, First_Tsurugi06 got his avatar from Awesome Center...an extremely awesome vid.

More reason I'm glad I got my "Go". COO is on my top 5 already, this combined with ps1 classics and stuff? EPIC. gonna be cruising this shit in style.

he needs a new sequence for the minotaur execution. it's been dramatic-stab-in-the-mouth since god of war 1..

I always though something where he'd rip off their horns and gouge their eyes out would be cool.

But then they had him do that to the Chimeras in their last phases.

So does this take place before GOW I?

Originally posted by majid86
So does this take place before GOW I?

Between Gow and Gow 2.

I hope Apollo & Uranus will be in this game

Updates.

Here's a clip of another section of the game that wasn't in the original demo. If you haven't read up on this yet, this is a segment involving Kratos and King Midas (the guy who turned things to gold with a touch):

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http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/10/07/god-of-war-ghost-of-sparta-%E2%80%9Corigins%E2%80%9D-trailer-bonus/

Watch the new trailer. Kratos' brother exists.

http://www.psu.com/media/articles/image/deimos.jpg

Suppsoedley, thats to be a DLC costume for GoWIII

According to that trailer, Kratos' brother Deimos is about as strong as Kratos is during that game. He tackles Kratos through a high ledge.

Is that a Titan that Kratos is tugging at the beginning of the trailer?

doubt it.

Seems like a Titan though. srug

Apparently, that character's name is Thera, from whom you receive the power "Thera's Bane", which temporarily powers up the blades.

Anyway, IGN has their review out now: Click

New trailer too:
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Regarding what I know and can gather about the story (and this is all just assumption, but I'm playing it as safe as possible, hence the spoiler tags), it seems that Kratos is venturing into the realm of Thanatos, God of Death/Death embodied, to rescue his brother Deimos, who during their childhood (based on the trailer), ended up getting injured, with trails of blood over his eye and arm, which is where I assume the inspiration for Kratos' war paint design came from, with Deimos being the real prophesized or at least mistaken as "the marked one" destined to destroy the Gods, which is why he was taken by them as a child. Also it seems as though they've decided to implement the concept of Kratos' mother swearing secrecy of who his father is, because during the cutscene, when she is about to reveal it, she turns into a monster and you fight her as a boss. Of course, she probably dies before she can actually answer the question.

I'm not one to jump to conclusions like that, but that's the best explanation I can gather thus far. GoW's stories aren't known for surprise twists, granted, but rather well-presented elements and plot-points, and of course, this game's story is meant to answer questions, not surprise us with things we don't expect.

And lastly, if it wasn't said before, there's to be a bundle pack for the game that comes with a two-toned color PSP, a voucher for COO, and a UMD of the movie Kick-Ass. Check it here

Got the game a few days back on launch. Bonafide God of War by and large, with the same number of minor tweaks that each one tends to have. Like just about every God of War, the L1-Circle attack is a whole new function that basically adds another layer to individualize the combat's functions in this game. Instead of Rampage of the Furies or the Combat Grapple (which had different names in game for each weapon; I think it was called Argo's Ram for the Blades of Exile), we have something called the Hyperion Charge (I think the technical term was either Combat Rush or Combat Tackle), which basically has Kratos tackling down enemies and giving a window of opportunity to pound them or throw them into other enemies. It also acts as a long range grab of sorts to far off weakened enemies, meaning that if you use it on an enemy with a circle over their head, you'll immediately initiate the kill sequence. It has the same effect on all the smaller fodder enemies where Kratos swings them around in a lasso (and I can't help but feel that it's more effective than it was in other games with that particlar maneuver). Overall, not a bad touch, and it can be done in midair as well, although I wouldn't say it's quite as pivotal as something like GoWIII's Combat Grapple.

Probably the most notable new ability of Kratos' is Thera's Bane, where you ignite the Blades of Athena (with the R-Button) for amped up power and to take down enemies with special armor. Like the Item Meter in GoWIII, it runs on its own bar, which recarges over time. More often than not I found myself thinking I had to rely on it more than I actually needed to and spent too much time waiting for it to recharge, but as time passed, I found myself conserving it for individual strikes like the finishing hits with Triangle. It has its uses outside of battle, like to break open certain passageways.

Then there's the Arms of Sparta (the Spear and Shield), which really show that, like with the Gauntlet of Zeus in COO, Ready at Dawn really knows how to make the most unique weapons in the series. The weapon is basically a projectile, mid-range, close-range, and defensively-styled weapon all in one when used to the highest level of play, but it only really shines once upgraded (BTW, the Blades and the Arms of Sparta only need to be upgraded to level 4 as of now, not level 5). Instead of having Thera's Bane when pressing the R-button, Kratos goes into a long-range style where he can throw the spear with square (and it doesn't run on any kind of limit) at a far off enemy or closer to the ground in front of him to launch enemies with triangle. Once upgraded, both moves can be charged up for the square throw to become this cool little rain of red spears onto the target (looks kinda like the arrows with the Army of Sparta magic), or to throw one really powerful one to make bigger enemies flinch.

Magic kinda takes a back seat in this one IMO. I think for alot of people, the most used one will probably be Scourge of Erynis, where you create this void-like ball that sucks in the enemies for damage and gives out green orbs. The other one is this Boreas Horn where you create this icy cyclone that can freeze enemies within range (which increases with each upgrade), definitely the coolest looking in my opinon and works in a pinch. I do recommend that you still take the spells into account for fighting.

My only gripes are that the combat controls feel a little clunkier and less responsive than in CoO, either due to my PSP's status or just the new things they added to the controls. That, and the enemies are a fair bit more annoying than I ever recalled in previous ones, which might have to do with the focus on putting more on screen at once to the point that you may or may not be able to tell when they may be telegraphing a particularly dangerous attack--I especially hate the Wraiths (or Sirens, not sure) in this game. Also, the majority of monsters have grabs that you'll need to escape from, but they usually pay off with heavy damage to them.

Lastly, I just want to say that I was pretty much dead-on with what I guessed of the story in my last post

Ghost of Sparta reminds me of all the fun I had with GoW 1 and 2 much more than 3 did.

And the price for the game is cheap for a new game

its like $48 here.

I just finished the game today.


Moar! I need Moar action-adventure games!

Moar, moar, MOAR!

Originally posted by Demonic Phoenix
Is that a Titan that Kratos is tugging at the beginning of the trailer?

For the record, that character is named Thera, from whom you get the Thera's Bane after saving him/her (not entirely sure on gender either, but based on the voice actor's name, I'll go with female). It's not explicitly stated, but I think it's presumed she(?) is a Titan, albeit an entirely original one made for the sake of the series, who didn't exist in Greek Myth--sorta like Kratos (although his name is taken from a Greek character, one who was pretty much nothing like this series' Kratos). I think Thera in real life is like, just a landmark or something not even inspired by a mythological being.

This game was EPIC in all proportions.

I can't believe most online reviewers scored it so low.

Eh, it's only like, 0.1-0.2 points from a composite score common of the GoW series

Granted, I do think it's at least as good as CoO (despite the game feeling a tad clunkier in the controls, at least on my PSP), but as far as I know, they had less time to work on this one.

EDIT: Scratch that last remark, actually; I definitely do like this game even more than CoO. Longer, more story-driven (not necessarily a series main standard, but it helped with the presentation), more bosses (and larger scale ones at that), an equally fun (if a bit less accessible) second weapon, and with some of the higher replay content in the series.

Originally posted by BloodRawEngine
Eh, it's only like, 0.1-0.2 points from a composite score common of the GoW series

0.1-0.2 points too low!



They should've kept Deimos alive. That way, they can make another sequel to expand the storyline even more. Anyways, the storyline is bril, as always. But it's gonna be hard for them to make another GoW sequel.

Originally posted by AsbestosFlaygon
0.1-0.2 points too low!



They should've kept Deimos alive. That way, they can make another sequel to expand the storyline even more. Anyways, the storyline is bril, as always. But it's gonna be hard for them to make another GoW sequel.
hard? i dont think there going to make a sequel. maybe, SOMEHOW, they'll come up with another prequel, but i dont know where or even if they can take it anywhere seeming as gow 3 ended everything.