
March 2008 Second Runner-up
God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
God of War on PSP ends up being just that. God of War: Chains of Olympus is a pint-sized triumph for Sony's portable device. Ready at Dawn, the team behind 2006's PSP blockbuster Daxter, have outdone themselves with this faithful adaptation of Kratos' adventures to handheld.
Taking place during the period between the death of Kratos' family and the beginning of God of War, the Spartan antihero takes on all comers, from Persian soldiers to the threats of dream god Morpheus, as he handily cleaves and dismembers anything in his path. Along the way, he'll travel from Attica and Marathon to the temple of Helios before revisiting an old favorite from games past.
One of the strongest elements of Chains is its fidelity to the PS2 titles. Ready at Dawn's choices in art design and character models graft themselves within the pantheon. It looks and plays like a chapter within the overall canon of the series. Although it's a fairly short title -- some of us mowed through it on a cross-country flight -- it's got as much replay value as its console counterparts. Whether it's battles epic in scale or side weapons like the Gauntlet that are arguably better than what's in God of War, there's plenty to love about Chains.