I‘m just back from a brief convalescence (for anyone who’s interested, cupboard door+temple+great amount of force= afternoon in A&E and a few VERY drowsy days of concussion!), and have finally managed a quick spin on God of War:Chains of Olympus. And I have to say, Kratos is just as much fun as he’s always been.

Starting out on the Shores of Attica, in true God of War style you’re immediately thrown into the midst of a huge battle, this time against the Persian army. To anyone who’s played the previous 2 games in the series the combat is instantly familar and you’ll soon be hacking your way through swarms of troops with ease (and style). All the elements of the game you know and love are back, and, as far as I’ve seen, still on the same grand scale of the PS2 games, a rare achievement indeed considering the 4.3 inch screen it’s playing out on! Epic sea and land battles, screen filling monsters and camera pans revealing a massive ancient city all play their part in making this an absolutely spectacular game.

I can’t really address the length issues a lot of people seem to have with the game, as I’ve only been playing about 40 minutes. But what a 40 minutes it’s been! As well as the aforementioned battles, I’ve seen a huge monster eaten by an even huger one, a tight boss battle followed by one of the most gruesome finishers I’ve seen in a game, and, of course, the obligatory shagging mini game, this time with an, ahem, spurting candle. If the rest of the game is as packed with action and story as this, 5 hours or not I’ll be considering it money well spent.

My current benchmark of a good game is one that tears me away from the soul-enslaver that is Persona 3, and God of War has certainly done that. In fact it’s torn me away, stabbed me with the Blades of Chaos, ripped my arm off and beaten me with the soggy end. Colour me impressed, with a hearty 2 thumbs up and (if you hadn’t guessed) a recommendation, nay, an order, to go and buy this game NOW.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve demons to dismember…