God of War: Chains of Olympus
Encyclopedia
God of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure game
developed by Ready at Dawn
and released by Sony Computer Entertainment
for the PlayStation Portable
(as the fourth God of War game and the first for the PSP) in March 2008.
Loosely based on Greek mythology
and focused on protagonist
Kratos
, the game forms part of a saga
(the first chapter in the God of War
series) with vengeance as a central theme.
Kratos, a servant of the Olympian Gods
, opposes the goddess Persephone
(who allies with the god Morpheus
and Titan
Atlas
) in her attempt to destroy the world and Mount Olympus
.
, box-based puzzles and boss fights.
Kratos' weapons includes the trademark "Blades of Chaos" and new weapons the "Sun Shield" and "Gauntlet of Zeus". New magical abilities include the use of an "Efreet", the "Light of Dawn", and "Charon's Wrath". Health and Magic upgrades - Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers respectively - reappear in addition to normal Health and magic-giving chests.
In addition to an array of normal opponents (such as soldiers; harpies; gorgon
s and the cyclops
), major foes include a Persian King, a giant basilisk
, the ferryman of the dead Charon
and the goddess Persephone
.
A Challenge mode (the “Challenge of Hades”) is also included in the bonus features, which unlocks a secret costume and a behind-the-scenes video.
, he is sent to the city of Attica
to help defend the city from the invading Persian army. After successfully killing the Persian King
, decimating his army and their pet monster the basilisk
, Kratos observes the sun
fall from the sky plunging the world into darkness. Kratos fights his way through the city of Marathon
and witnesses the black fog of the Olympian
Morpheus
which now covers the land in darkness. Kratos also hears a haunting flute melody which he eventually recognizes as a song once played by his now deceased daughter Calliope.
Finding the Temple of Helios
, Kratos is tasked by the goddess Athena
to find the missing sun god as in the absence of light, Morpheus has caused the remaining gods to fall into a deep slumber. Kratos eventually locates Eos
(the sister of Helios) who advises that the Titan
Atlas
, has abducted her brother. Kratos retrieves the Primordial Fires needed to awaken the fire steeds of Helios, who take the Spartan to the Underworld, where he has two encounters with Charon
at the River Styx
. Although Charon initially defeats Kratos and banishes him to Tartarus
, Kratos returns and destroys Charon.
Eventually locating the Temple of Persephone
and confronting the Queen of the Underworld, Kratos is given a choice: renounce his power and be with his deceased daughter (at a cost to mankind) or proceed with his mission. Kratos sacrifices his weapons and power to be reunited with his daughter, but discovers Persephone is bitter at being betrayed by Zeus
and being forced to remain in the underworld with her husband Hades
. While Kratos was distracted by his reunion with Calliope, Persephone's ally Atlas was using the power of the kidnapped Helios to destroy the Pillar of the World which would also end Olympus
. Choosing to abandon Calliope forever, Kratos takes back his power and binds Atlas to the Pillar of the World he sought to destroy forcing the Titan to now hold the weight of the world on his shoulders. Kratos battles Persephone to the death. Although Kratos is victorious, he is warned by a dying Persephone that his suffering will never end. Atlas also warns Kratos that he will eventually regret helping the gods and that they will meet again
.
Riding Helios' chariot back into the sky and seeing the return of the sun, a mournful Kratos then loses consciousness from the exertion and plummets to the ground. Kratos however is saved by Athena and Helios who then return to Olympus.
pitched the idea of a God of War game for the PSP to SCEA's Santa Monica Studios, and in February 2007 Ready At Dawn
posted a teaser for an upcoming PSP title with the words "Coming Soon" using the font from God of War
.
An editor from 1UP
also obtained an early copy of God of War II
and posted the game's instructional manual with a one page teaser for a God of War PSP game that was "Coming 2007."
On March 13, 2007 God of War II
was launched at the Metreon
, with game director Cory Barlog
officially confirmed the existence of a PSP God of War game in development. "It is its own story that connects to the overall story. God of War, God of War II, and then if all the stars align God of War III
will be the telling of a trilogy. This PSP story will be a further fleshing out."
An initial teaser trailer for Chains of Olympus was released on April 25, 2007 coinciding with the announcement of a UMD demo. The trailer depicts Kratos
in the city of Attica, with a narrative provided by voice actress Linda Hunt
.
God of War: Chains of Olympus uses a proprietary, in-house engine referred to as the Ready at Dawn engine. The camera system was modified to cater to the fixed cinematic camera for God of War gameplay, and the lighting system was reworked to aid in presenting realistic graphics, The battery life is noticeably decreased due to the higher clock speed required to operate the game.
After the game's completion, director Ru Weerasuriya stated multi-player options, other puzzles, characters and dialogue had to be removed due to time constraints.
in the shape of the Greek letter Omega
.
As the game was delayed and the release date rescheduled for March 4, 2008, Ready At Dawn Studios offered a "special edition" version of the demo to pre-order customers, with one Ready at Dawn developer stating that preparation of the special demo disc took a considerable amount of the production team's time. The company also offered pre-order customers a song on disc titled, "Battle of Attica." Composer
Gerard Marino
has stated that this was the first cue written for the game basing it on concept art
and screenshots of the game.
Together with God of War: Ghost of Sparta
, the game was released as part of the God of War: Origins Collection on September 13, 2011 in North America and September 16, 2011 in Europe. The collection is a remastered port of both games to the PlayStation 3
, with features including high-definition
resolution, stereoscopic 3D, anti-aliased
graphics locked in at 60 frames per second, DualShock 3 vibration function and Trophies.
title on both Metacritic
and GameRankings.
GamePro
(4.75/5) praised the game's "fantastic" graphics and "tight and responsive" controls. The review, however, also criticized the game's relative lack of variety in enemies and the fact that, "You still have to lug boxes around to solve environmental puzzles" but still concluded that "Chains of Olympus is the best PSP game yet."
IGN
(9.4/10) cited the game's unprecedented graphical achievements and improved control scheme.
X-Play
(5/5) rated the game as perfect, while Diehard GameFAN awarded the game Best PSP Game for 2008.
1UP.com
(A rating) stated "as a God of War game, Chains of Olympus is slightly lacking, but as a PSP game it's fantastic, and as a technological achievement it's off-the-charts phenomenal."
One million units of Chains of Olympus were shipped prior to release and the game debuted at fifth place in the North American charts, with 340,500 copies sold in the first month.
In September 2010, God of War: Chains of Olympus was listed number one on GamePro
's "The 10 Best PSP Games" list.
but to date has not been commercially released. Marino composed roughly thirteen minutes of new music for the game.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
developed by Ready at Dawn
Ready at Dawn
Ready at Dawn Studios LLC is a video game developer located in Irvine, California and is composed of some former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment...
and released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
(as the fourth God of War game and the first for the PSP) in March 2008.
Loosely based on Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and focused on protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
Kratos
Kratos (God of War)
Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
, the game forms part of a saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
(the first chapter in the God of War
God of War (series)
God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
series) with vengeance as a central theme.
Kratos, a servant of the Olympian Gods
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
, opposes the goddess Persephone
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
(who allies with the god Morpheus
Morpheus (mythology)
Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams...
and Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
) in her attempt to destroy the world and Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
.
Gameplay
The game is similar to other installments in the series, and is a third-person action adventure game containing quick time eventsQuick Time Event
In video games, a Quick Time Event is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen prompt. It allows for limited control of the game character during cut scenes or cinematic sequences in the game...
, box-based puzzles and boss fights.
Kratos' weapons includes the trademark "Blades of Chaos" and new weapons the "Sun Shield" and "Gauntlet of Zeus". New magical abilities include the use of an "Efreet", the "Light of Dawn", and "Charon's Wrath". Health and Magic upgrades - Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers respectively - reappear in addition to normal Health and magic-giving chests.
In addition to an array of normal opponents (such as soldiers; harpies; gorgon
Gorgon
In Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
s and the cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
), major foes include a Persian King, a giant basilisk
Basilisk
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance...
, the ferryman of the dead Charon
Charon (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
and the goddess Persephone
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
.
A Challenge mode (the “Challenge of Hades”) is also included in the bonus features, which unlocks a secret costume and a behind-the-scenes video.
Plot
During Kratos' ten years of service to the Olympian GodsTwelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
, he is sent to the city of Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
to help defend the city from the invading Persian army. After successfully killing the Persian King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
, decimating his army and their pet monster the basilisk
Basilisk
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance...
, Kratos observes the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
fall from the sky plunging the world into darkness. Kratos fights his way through the city of Marathon
Marathon, Greece
Marathon is a town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. The tumulus or burial mound for the 192 Athenian dead that was erected near the battlefield remains a feature of the coastal plain...
and witnesses the black fog of the Olympian
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
Morpheus
Morpheus (mythology)
Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams...
which now covers the land in darkness. Kratos also hears a haunting flute melody which he eventually recognizes as a song once played by his now deceased daughter Calliope.
Finding the Temple of Helios
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
, Kratos is tasked by the goddess Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
to find the missing sun god as in the absence of light, Morpheus has caused the remaining gods to fall into a deep slumber. Kratos eventually locates Eos
Eos
In Greek mythology, Eos is the Titan goddess of the dawn, who rose from her home at the edge of Oceanus, the ocean that surrounds the world, to herald her brother Helios, the Sun.- Greek literature :...
(the sister of Helios) who advises that the Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
, has abducted her brother. Kratos retrieves the Primordial Fires needed to awaken the fire steeds of Helios, who take the Spartan to the Underworld, where he has two encounters with Charon
Charon (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
at the River Styx
Styx
In Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...
. Although Charon initially defeats Kratos and banishes him to Tartarus
Tartarus
In classic mythology, below Uranus , Gaia , and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros . It is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In the Gorgias, Plato In classic mythology, below Uranus (sky), Gaia (earth), and Pontus...
, Kratos returns and destroys Charon.
Eventually locating the Temple of Persephone
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
and confronting the Queen of the Underworld, Kratos is given a choice: renounce his power and be with his deceased daughter (at a cost to mankind) or proceed with his mission. Kratos sacrifices his weapons and power to be reunited with his daughter, but discovers Persephone is bitter at being betrayed by Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
and being forced to remain in the underworld with her husband Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
. While Kratos was distracted by his reunion with Calliope, Persephone's ally Atlas was using the power of the kidnapped Helios to destroy the Pillar of the World which would also end Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
. Choosing to abandon Calliope forever, Kratos takes back his power and binds Atlas to the Pillar of the World he sought to destroy forcing the Titan to now hold the weight of the world on his shoulders. Kratos battles Persephone to the death. Although Kratos is victorious, he is warned by a dying Persephone that his suffering will never end. Atlas also warns Kratos that he will eventually regret helping the gods and that they will meet again
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
.
Riding Helios' chariot back into the sky and seeing the return of the sun, a mournful Kratos then loses consciousness from the exertion and plummets to the ground. Kratos however is saved by Athena and Helios who then return to Olympus.
Characters
- TC CarsonTerrence C. CarsonTerrence C. Carson is an American singer and stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for portraying Kyle Barker on the FOX sitcom Living Single and Star Wars: The Clone Wars as the voice double for Samuel L. Jackson. He is also well known for voicing Kratos in the God of War series...
as KratosKratos (God of War)Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
: The protagonist. A former Captain of SpartaSpartaSparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
's Army, and once a servant to the God of War, AresAresAres is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
. He now serves the other Olympian GodsTwelve OlympiansThe Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
and wishes to be free of the nightmares that haunt him.
- Erin TorpeyErin TorpeyErin Catherine Torpey is an American actress and singer. She best known for her role of Jessica Buchanan & Megan Buchanan Rappaport as well as the new character Erin on One Life to Live .-Career:...
as AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
: The Goddess of Wisdom, and Kratos' mentor and ally.
- Fred TatascioreFred TatascioreFrederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
as AtlasAtlas (mythology)In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
: A four-armed Titan imprisoned in TartarusTartarusIn classic mythology, below Uranus , Gaia , and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros . It is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In the Gorgias, Plato In classic mythology, below Uranus (sky), Gaia (earth), and Pontus...
after the Great WarTitanomachyIn Greek mythology, the Titanomachy or War of the Titans , was the ten-year series of battles fought in Thessaly between the two camps of deities long before the existence of mankind: the Titans, based on Mount Othrys, and the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus...
. Freed by Persephone and captures the god Helios. Eventually chained by Kratos at the top of the Pillar of the World and forced to hold the world on his shoulders.
- Debi DerryberryDebi DerryberryDebi Derryberry is an American voice actress, singer, composer and kids' entertainer who won an American Anime Award.-History:...
as Calliope: Kratos's daughter. They briefly reunite in the Fields of Elysium until circumstance intervenes.
- Dwight SchultzDwight SchultzWilliam Dwight Schultz is an American stage, television, film actor, and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock on the 1980s action show The A-Team, and as Reginald Barclay in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and the film Star Trek: First...
as CharonCharon (mythology)In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
: The ferryman of the River StyxStyxIn Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...
in the Underworld.
- Erin TorpeyErin TorpeyErin Catherine Torpey is an American actress and singer. She best known for her role of Jessica Buchanan & Megan Buchanan Rappaport as well as the new character Erin on One Life to Live .-Career:...
as EosEosIn Greek mythology, Eos is the Titan goddess of the dawn, who rose from her home at the edge of Oceanus, the ocean that surrounds the world, to herald her brother Helios, the Sun.- Greek literature :...
: The Goddess of Dawn and the sister of Helios.
- Dwight SchultzDwight SchultzWilliam Dwight Schultz is an American stage, television, film actor, and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock on the 1980s action show The A-Team, and as Reginald Barclay in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and the film Star Trek: First...
as HeliosHeliosHelios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
: The God of the Sun. Kidnapped by the Titan Atlas on behalf of the goddess PersephonePersephoneIn Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
.
- Marina GordonMarina GordonMarina Gordon – singer,coloratura soprano.She has been known as a performer of popular songs written to lyrics by contemporaneous authors in Yiddish, Russian and in the USSR and in the USA.-Life and career:...
as PersephonePersephoneIn Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
: The Queen of the Underworld. Persephone allies with the Titan Atlas and the dream god MorpheusMorpheus (mythology)Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams...
, intending to destroy the world (and therefore OlympusMount OlympusMount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
) with Helios' power.
- Fred TatascioreFred TatascioreFrederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
as the Persian King: Leader of the Persian forces that invade the Greek city of AtticaAtticaAttica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
.
- Linda HuntLinda HuntLinda Hunt is an American film, stage and television actress. After making her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in Popeye , Hunt portrayed Billy Kwan, her breakthrough performance in The Year of Living Dangerously...
as the Narrator.
Development
Ready At DawnReady at Dawn
Ready at Dawn Studios LLC is a video game developer located in Irvine, California and is composed of some former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment...
pitched the idea of a God of War game for the PSP to SCEA's Santa Monica Studios, and in February 2007 Ready At Dawn
Ready at Dawn
Ready at Dawn Studios LLC is a video game developer located in Irvine, California and is composed of some former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment...
posted a teaser for an upcoming PSP title with the words "Coming Soon" using the font from God of War
God of War (video game)
God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
.
An editor from 1UP
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
also obtained an early copy of God of War II
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
and posted the game's instructional manual with a one page teaser for a God of War PSP game that was "Coming 2007."
On March 13, 2007 God of War II
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
was launched at the Metreon
Metreon
The Metreon is a shopping center located in downtown San Francisco at the corner of 4th Street and Mission Street. It is a four-story 350,000 square foot building built over the corner of the underground Moscone Center convention center...
, with game director Cory Barlog
Cory Barlog
Cory Barlog is a video game developer who is best known for his work in on God of War and God of War II for SCE Studios Santa Monica. He previously worked on Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and X-Men: Next Dimension....
officially confirmed the existence of a PSP God of War game in development. "It is its own story that connects to the overall story. God of War, God of War II, and then if all the stars align God of War III
God of War III
God of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
will be the telling of a trilogy. This PSP story will be a further fleshing out."
An initial teaser trailer for Chains of Olympus was released on April 25, 2007 coinciding with the announcement of a UMD demo. The trailer depicts Kratos
Kratos
Kratos may refer to:*The Greek word κράτος krátos, 'power', which is the second root in words like aristocrat and democracy. Its mythological personification was the god Kratos, a son of Styx.*Kratos MS 50, a tool for Electron ionization...
in the city of Attica, with a narrative provided by voice actress Linda Hunt
Linda Hunt
Linda Hunt is an American film, stage and television actress. After making her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in Popeye , Hunt portrayed Billy Kwan, her breakthrough performance in The Year of Living Dangerously...
.
God of War: Chains of Olympus uses a proprietary, in-house engine referred to as the Ready at Dawn engine. The camera system was modified to cater to the fixed cinematic camera for God of War gameplay, and the lighting system was reworked to aid in presenting realistic graphics, The battery life is noticeably decreased due to the higher clock speed required to operate the game.
After the game's completion, director Ru Weerasuriya stated multi-player options, other puzzles, characters and dialogue had to be removed due to time constraints.
Demo
The demo disc, titled "God of War: Chains of Olympus – Special edition: Battle of Attica", was released on September 27, and focuses on Kratos' journey through the city of Attica. The disc also included a developer video that commentated on a play and a lanyardLanyard
A lanyard is a rope or cord exclusively worn around the neck or wrist to carry something. Usually it is used where there is a risk of losing the object or to ensure it is visible at all times. Aboard a ship, it may refer to a piece of rigging used to secure objects...
in the shape of the Greek letter Omega
Omega
Omega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system, it has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" , as opposed to omicron, which means "little O"...
.
As the game was delayed and the release date rescheduled for March 4, 2008, Ready At Dawn Studios offered a "special edition" version of the demo to pre-order customers, with one Ready at Dawn developer stating that preparation of the special demo disc took a considerable amount of the production team's time. The company also offered pre-order customers a song on disc titled, "Battle of Attica." Composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Gerard Marino
Gerard Marino
Gerard K. Marino is a film and video game score composer, most notably contributing heavily to the God of War series. He is featured prominently on the soundtracks for the original God of War and its sequel God of War II for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award. He also worked on Activision...
has stated that this was the first cue written for the game basing it on concept art
Concept art
Concept art is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and/or mood for use in films, video games, animation, or comic books before it is put into the final product. Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or concept design...
and screenshots of the game.
Release
God of War: Chains of Olympus was released on March 4, 2008 in North America, March 28, 2008 in Europe, and April 27, 2008 in Australia.Together with God of War: Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
, the game was released as part of the God of War: Origins Collection on September 13, 2011 in North America and September 16, 2011 in Europe. The collection is a remastered port of both games to the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, with features including high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
resolution, stereoscopic 3D, anti-aliased
Anti-aliasing
In digital signal processing, spatial anti-aliasing is the technique of minimizing the distortion artifacts known as aliasing when representing a high-resolution image at a lower resolution...
graphics locked in at 60 frames per second, DualShock 3 vibration function and Trophies.
Limited-Edition bundle pack
On June 3, 2008, SCEA released a limited-edition bundle pack for God of War: Chains of Olympus. The pack included the game, a UMD of the 2007 film Superbad, a voucher for the PSP title Syphon Filter: Combat Ops and a red God of War PSP imprinted with an image of Kratos' face on the rear. The pack was only available in North America.Reception
Chains of Olympus gained a positive response from critics and achieved the highest composite score for a PSPPlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
title on both Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and GameRankings.
GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
(4.75/5) praised the game's "fantastic" graphics and "tight and responsive" controls. The review, however, also criticized the game's relative lack of variety in enemies and the fact that, "You still have to lug boxes around to solve environmental puzzles" but still concluded that "Chains of Olympus is the best PSP game yet."
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
(9.4/10) cited the game's unprecedented graphical achievements and improved control scheme.
X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
(5/5) rated the game as perfect, while Diehard GameFAN awarded the game Best PSP Game for 2008.
1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
(A rating) stated "as a God of War game, Chains of Olympus is slightly lacking, but as a PSP game it's fantastic, and as a technological achievement it's off-the-charts phenomenal."
One million units of Chains of Olympus were shipped prior to release and the game debuted at fifth place in the North American charts, with 340,500 copies sold in the first month.
In September 2010, God of War: Chains of Olympus was listed number one on GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
's "The 10 Best PSP Games" list.
Soundtrack
God of War: Chains of Olympus - Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was composed by Gerard K. MarinoGerard Marino
Gerard K. Marino is a film and video game score composer, most notably contributing heavily to the God of War series. He is featured prominently on the soundtracks for the original God of War and its sequel God of War II for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award. He also worked on Activision...
but to date has not been commercially released. Marino composed roughly thirteen minutes of new music for the game.
External links
- Official USA Site
- Official European Site
- God of War: Chains of Olympus at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...