Anyone who has played the God of War Trilogy knows about Kratos' past. More than Ares' betrayal however are the wounds inflicted on Kratos by the other gods. His unquenchable anger may seem irrational to some but once you have played Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, you will understand what made him a desperate, hateful, and lonely man.
If one were to follow the timeline based on the trilogy, Chains of Olympus is set before the first God of War while Ghost of Sparta include events before God of War II.
In Chains of Olympus, Helios goes missing. Kratos' investigation led him to Hades where Helios' steeds brought him. There he discovers that a plan to destroy Olympus is nearing its completion. Near the end of the game he is asked to make a heartbreaking decision.
At the beginning of the game, Kratos gets to fight live, human soldiers and their king. It is something new because you do not get to fight normal humans in this series. The battles leading to the boss fight are helpful in preparation for the final boss. The spaces are usually cramped and the enemies vary in each room, forcing the player to exploit and practice every possible combo and defensive tactics. Among the weapons, magic, and relics in this game, the most useful for me is the Sun Shield because it can return projectiles.
Ghost of Sparta shows a hopeful Kratos who sees an opportunity to change one of the visions from his past that still haunts him. His younger brother Deimos was taken away by the gods when they were young. He believed all along that Deimos is dead but upon learning that he is still alive, he goes in search of his brother. It did not matter if he destroys Atlantis in the process and angers more gods. Maybe he can still change something, and that alone is sufficient reason for him. He also meets another family member who discloses the identity of his father. In this game, Kratos has plenty of underwater adventures --- one of the things that I liked in the first God of War game. There are plenty of new weapons and magic, one of which is the Arms of Sparta (a combo of a spear and a shield) which is good for fighting a few enemies (not good for fighting a horde) and can also come in handy as a projectile. The aftermath of Ghost of Sparta is more emotional than Chains of Olympus as Kratos finally realizes that his request to erase the bad memories will never be fulfilled and that the gods will only keep using him.
Overall, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta live up to the quality and intensity of the God of War Trilogy. Kratos' desire for revenge on all the gods in God of War II will be understood more when both these games are played.
Rating: Chains of Olympus - 10 out of 10
Ghost of Sparta - 10 out of 10
