God of War: Sons of Sparta is a 2D Metroidvania action-platformer set during Kratos's youth, long before the events of every other game in the franchise. Developed by Santa Monica Studio and Pittsburgh-based Mega Cat Studios, the game launched on February 12, 2026, exclusively for PlayStation 5. It was announced and released simultaneously — a shadow drop — during Sony's State of Play presentation, arriving as part of the God of War franchise's 20th-anniversary celebrations.
Quick answer: Sons of Sparta is a digital-only PS5 game priced at $29.99 (Standard) or $39.99 (Digital Deluxe). It's a single-player Metroidvania with a local co-op challenge mode that unlocks after you finish the story. Expect roughly 11 hours to reach credits, or closer to 20 hours for full completion.
Setting and story — Kratos before the rage
The game takes place in ancient Laconia, the region surrounding Sparta, and follows a teenage Kratos training at the Agoge alongside his younger brother Deimos. When a fellow cadet goes missing during field training, Deimos convinces Kratos to venture into the dangerous wilds to find him. The journey pits both brothers against mythological creatures and eventually uncovers a secret that threatens their home.
A framing narrative wraps around the gameplay. An older Kratos, voiced by TC Carson reprising the role for the first time since God of War: Ascension in 2013, tells the story to his daughter Calliope. Carson acts as narrator throughout, offering a softer, more reflective side of the character that contrasts sharply with the rage-fueled Kratos most players know. Antony Del Rio returns as young Kratos, reprising his performance from God of War: Ghost of Sparta on PSP. The writing team behind God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök — Matt Sophos and Richard Zangrande Gaubert — penned the script, and Bear McCreary composed the score.
Chronologically, Sons of Sparta sits before every other entry in the series, predating even the flashback sequences in Ghost of Sparta and the events of God of War: Ascension. It's the first game to return to the franchise's Greek mythology setting after the Norse-era entries.
Gameplay and combat mechanics
Sons of Sparta is a side-scrolling Metroidvania built around spear-and-shield combat. You control young Kratos as he explores interconnected areas, unlocks new abilities that open previously inaccessible paths, and fights a varied roster of enemies and bosses. The structure follows classic Metroidvania conventions: you'll acquire tools — referred to in-game as Gifts of Olympus — that serve double duty as combat abilities and exploration keys. A magical slingshot might clear weak flying enemies in a fight, then break a barrier blocking a new zone. A fire-slinging branch burns through ivy to reveal hidden passages.
Combat revolves around managing two key resources. A spirit meter fuels heavy attacks that damage enemy poise; once poise is broken, you can execute an instant takedown that restores a large chunk of health. Since Kratos doesn't naturally regenerate health and enemies don't regularly drop healing items, these takedowns become essential to survival rather than optional flourishes. A separate mana pool governs your ranged tools and special abilities.
You can approach fights through dodge-heavy play or lean into parrying and blocking, though certain enemy attacks are specifically designed to punish one approach or the other. Boss encounters restart you in the arena with full resources if you die, eliminating frustrating runback. Most bosses fall within two or three attempts once you learn their patterns, keeping the difficulty accessible rather than punishing.
Deimos accompanies Kratos as an AI-controlled companion during many encounters. Optional dialogue at campfires fleshes out the brothers' relationship and the broader themes of duty and strength that run through the narrative.
Progression, upgrades, and skill trees
Red orbs — a returning staple from the Greek-era God of War games — drop from defeated enemies and function as experience currency. Spending them unlocks new attack styles through a skill tree, adding moves like a dodge-roll spike or extended combo finishers that stagger enemies more effectively.
Separate from the skill tree, raw crafting materials found while exploring (skins, hides, iron, copper) let you upgrade weapon damage at a blacksmith in town. The most significant upgrades come from 11 hidden bars of steel scattered throughout the game world; returning each one to the blacksmith yields a major power boost. Gear attachments and equipment also factor in, with the Digital Deluxe Edition including bonus items like the Arrow of Virtue spear attachment and an Unstable Gemstone belt attachment.
Environmental puzzles appear throughout but tend toward simplicity — pushing connected objects, using newly acquired tools on obstacles. They break up the combat pacing without demanding much problem-solving.
Difficulty settings and co-op
Three difficulty options are available from the start. BOY is the easy setting (a nod to Kratos's iconic line from the 2018 game), Cadet serves as normal, and Spartan is the hard mode — though early player feedback suggests Spartan feels closer to a standard difficulty for experienced Metroidvania players.
The PlayStation Store listing shows 1–2 players, which caused initial confusion at launch. Santa Monica Studio clarified that a local co-op challenge mode unlocks after completing the main story. There is no online multiplayer. During the story campaign itself, Deimos is AI-controlled and cannot be played by a second person.
Art style, audio, and PS5 features
Mega Cat Studios — known for retro homebrew titles on NES and Sega Genesis hardware, plus games like WrestleQuest — brought a hi-bit pixel art style to Sons of Sparta. The visuals use dense pixel art with modern animation rigging, drawing comparisons to Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection. The aesthetic is divisive: some players appreciate the retro flavor and detailed environmental backgrounds, while others find it underwhelming compared to recent Metroidvanias like Blasphemous or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
The soundtrack blends retro chiptune elements with orchestral instrumentation, composed by Bear McCreary. Voice acting is extensive for a 2D side-scroller, with full performances from Carson, Del Rio, and the actress voicing Calliope. The narration-heavy structure gives the game a higher-budget feel than its genre peers.
On PS5, the DualSense controller's haptic feedback is used during combat to convey the impact of strikes and blocks. The implementation is functional but modest — nothing approaching the depth of a game like Astro Bot. A CRT filter option is available for players who want a more authentically retro visual experience. The game also supports Remote Play and PS5 game streaming for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers.
Editions and pricing
Sons of Sparta is available exclusively as a digital download on the PlayStation Store. Two editions are offered:
| Edition | Price | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $29.99 | God of War Sons of Sparta (PS5) |
| Digital Deluxe | $39.99 | Base game, digital artbook, digital soundtrack, Arrow of Virtue (spear attachment), Rusty Scrap (enhance material), Unstable Gemstone (belt attachment), Blood Orbs (in-game currency), PSN avatars |
The $29.99 price point has drawn mixed reactions. Some players feel it's appropriate given the voice acting quality and game length, while others consider it steep for a 2D side-scroller when comparable titles in the genre often launch at $15–$20.
Where Sons of Sparta fits in the franchise timeline
As the tenth installment in the God of War series and the first chronologically, Sons of Sparta occupies a unique position. It explores Kratos's formative years — his bond with Deimos, the Spartan values of duty and honor drilled into him at the Agoge, and the philosophical questions about strength and sacrifice that would later define his tragic arc. Deimos, who was previously featured in Ghost of Sparta on PSP, gets significantly more screen time here. Players unfamiliar with the PSP games should have no trouble following the story; the game stands on its own without requiring deep franchise knowledge.
The shadow drop coincided with the announcement that a full remake of the original God of War Greek trilogy is in development, signaling Sony's continued investment in the franchise's roots alongside its Norse-era evolution. For now, Sons of Sparta offers a compact, combat-focused Metroidvania that rewards fans of the series lore while providing a solid — if not groundbreaking — entry point into the genre for newcomers.
