Mobile Game Review - God of War: Betrayal
January 25th, 2008 by oragod
Make no mistake - Mobile is a valid gaming platform — and you can tell ‘em Kratos said so.
God of War: Betrayal fills in the gaps between the first two God of War games, when Kratos defeated Ares to claim an Olympian throne and got something of a big head about it. In telling the tale of Kratos’ rise before a spectacular fall at the beginning of God of War II, many will tremble at the feet of this warrior-god and many a god will be displeased.
Kratos’ first mobile adventure is a 2D side-scroller, not entirely unlike those we saw during the glory days of the 16-bit generation. But it’s important to note right away that God of War: Betrayal is not just a cookie-cutter platformer with Kratos pasted over some other non-descript hero. This is God of War, through and through. The action and puzzle elements are very much true to the original PS2 games — this really is an extension of the God of War universe. DOWNLOAD IT HERE
Kratos is all about action, so expect to jam on the 5 button regularly to use his brutal attacks. His default weapon, the chain swords (Athena’s Blades) whip all around the screen, slicing up enemies, tossing them into the air, and leaving them on the floor in a crumpled mess. You do not have as many combo possibilities in God of War: Betrayal as you did in God of War II, but there are still several combos such as running into an enemy as you unleash the chain swords. Kratos has access to several other choice weapons, such as Medusa’s Head, Army of Hades, and the Blade of Artemis. Each one of these weapons or magic attacks have their own strengths against numerous underlings or vicious boss monsters.
What makes this game very special is that the it was designed with all of these God of War mechanics in mind. Chest placement, enemy hordes, the use of specific weapons — these are not just feature stapled onto a basic platformer. This is God of War from the ground up.
Level design in God of War: Betrayal is exceptional. You’ll have stages that mix open-field combat with some Prince- of Persia-esque puzzle work, such as moving crates, swinging across gaps, and crossing narrow beams. Levels stretch both vertical and horizontal, giving you ample room for running and jumping antics. The color palette is dreary and muted, appropriate for creating the kind of wrecked landscapes that Kratos often paints red by the end of the stage anyway.
Kratos is something of a vain fellow — he likes to look good while he’s ripping the pillars of Olympus asunder. God of War: Betrayal will not let down franchise fans that love Kratos’ graceful, deadly blood ballets. Sony boasts over 100 individual animations for Kratos, and I’m apt to believe them. Even though the Kratos sprite is a little small — I do wish he was larger and showed more detail — he does know how to move. The blood spatter is copious, which is somewhat surprising for a mobile game, but also perfectly aligned with the mature nature of the console games. The music and sound deserve special note, too. The game’s main theme is pure God of War and the sound effects of ripping and cutting will satisfy fans.
It’s hard to believe but the essence of this game certainly comes through on the small screen. Have no fear, this is no watered-down God of War experience. It’s the real deal third game in the killer franchise and if you are any kind of God of War fan, you’ll put aside whatever grudge you might have against mobile gaming and Download This Game Now HERE.