Because it had been heavily rumored beforehand, God of War: Sons of Sparta wasn't exactly surprising. The fact that it shadow-dropped after the State of Play was surprising, as was the direction and art style of God of War: Sons of Sparta, but not that it existed. Still, like many, I purchased it as soon as I could and have put several hours into it over the weekend.
After rolling credits (it took me about ~15 hours to beat God of War Sons of Sparta with plenty left to do), my initial impression of "Oh, it's simpler than I expected" shifted to "it's deceptively simple." God of War Sons of Sparta got better in the second half of the game, which is a lot to ask of anyone, but its simplicity gives way to strong challenges. Those challenges are best met with skill and know-how, like a true Spartan.
While it's possible to brute force through some of the challenges later on, simply by increasing skills or getting better at the game/identifying enemy patterns, there are some unwritten rules woven into its design—as with all games. Mastering these skills, which the game does not tell you about, can go a long way in making the experience more satisfying.
Dodge is Your Best Friend
A strong foundational mechanic can become a trendsetter in the industry. For example, it seems like every game nowadays releases with a parry mechanic, perhaps because of the Soulslike boom in recent years, and God of War Sons of Sparta is no different. In fact, when it comes in handy, it's incredibly satisfying. It is a parry done right, but that doesn't mean it's the best tool at Kratos' disposal.
A lot of the best use cases for Kratos' in-game abilities are circumstantial, but Kratos' dodge is incredible. It feels very generous with the I-frames, and players should get accustomed to dodging moreso than anything else in God of War Sons of Sparta. This is especially true about the last few bosses, but there's another little secret here: dodge toward enemy attacks.
Because of the generous I-frames, Kratos is oftentimes safer dodging into an attack than away from one. There are a handful of exceptions, sure, but it's the first trick that should be consistently pulled out of the bag. If someone is struggling with the Alastor boss fight in God of War Sons of Sparta, for example, it's recommended to dodge into the blood fists instead of trying to jump them or dodge away. Face enemy attacks head-on like a Spartan.
I-frames, or invincibility frames, are specific frames of animation in a video game where a character cannot take damage or be affected by enemy hits.
Positioning Can Come in Clutch
A second trick that players should pick up quickly is identifying Kratos' position. There are times in boss fights where Deimos serves as a distraction and can be mixed up with Kratos, but knowing where Kratos is and, more importantly, where enemy attack patterns are going to hit can be the difference between an easy fight and a hard one. Boss fights in God of War Sons of Sparta are pattern-heavy, and several attacks that do not hit one area will never hit that spot. Getting there can give Kratos some time to recuperate. This is far more circumstantial than the dodge, with plenty of exceptions to the rule, but trust that it can come in clutch.
When it comes to the general map exploration and gameplay of God of War Sons of Sparta, it's this same logic that should tell players to be mindful of enemies on ledges (they become difficult to get by if they target Kratos), be mindful of environmental factors (to prevent being stun-locked by them and an enemy), and overall understand where they are and how their position comes into play.
Don't Be Precious With Your Blood Orbs
Early gameplay of God of War Sons of Sparta might lead some players to think they should be careful spending their Blood Orbs. After all, they can feel rare in the early game, with many of Kratos' skills costing an arm and a leg in Blood Orbs. That's more illusion than anything, though. It's worth filling out the main Skill Trees as fast as possible because they open a second set of skills that give Kratos some passive buffs, but players will have plenty of Blood Orbs by the time credits roll.
As the game increases in challenge, so too do the rewards. As long as players are actually playing the game, as well as some side content in the new God of War game, they can reach the final boss easily kitted out. That means if someone is debating on spending them elsewhere, they can go ahead and do it.
Don't Rely on Metroidvania Conventions
While some may classify God of War Sons of Sparta as a Metroidvania game, it feels like the minute distinction of "action platformer with Metroidvania elements" may better serve newcomers. Yes, God of War Sons of Sparta will have players backtrack to previously visited areas, and progression in some areas is locked behind newly acquired abilities. But the backtracking is not as big a focus as some genre veterans may assume, with most of it (story-wise) being in the final hours of God of War Sons of Sparta.
Combine this with lackluster fast travel for the first 2/3rds of the game, and any backtracking for upgrades becomes a serious trek sometimes (though fast traveling to the Temples of Olympus for upgrades is much easier). It's best to complete any side content or Olive Trees as early as possible, with all of this in mind. Even if it means going a little out of the way in God of War Sons of Sparta's map to see if getting there is possible, it's worth it in the long run. Don't think backtracking later will be a good time to pick up upgrades because it isn't, not without serious inconvenience.
Another benefit of abandoning this thinking is that at least one major boss and its general setup prevent players from fast-traveling elsewhere for upgrades.
Hopefully, these tricks help players reach the end credits a little easier. At the very least, when most of these are implemented or discovered, it creates this incredible "aha!" Moment that emphasizes duty, fitting God of War Sons of Sparta's story.
- Released
- February 12, 2026
- ESRB
- Teen / Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio, Mega Cat Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Franchise
- God of War
