God of War: Chains of Olympus review

God of War: Chains of Olympus is our top PSP pick because it delivers the full God of War formula on a handheld. Sony announced the North American release on March 4, 2008, and its launch release cited a 94% rating on GameRankings.com along with Editor's Choice awards from IGN, GamePro and PlayStation: The Official Magazine. The story is a prequel to the first game: the gods have been made powerless and Kratos faces demonic creatures from Greek mythology across dark, untouched environments. Sony lists new combat moves, magic and weapons next to existing favorites, plus story-driven puzzles. Ready at Dawn, which made Daxter, co-developed it with Santa Monica Studio. A used UMD lists at $49.99 before sales at DKOldies, which is the main drawback, and the M rating rules it out for younger players. PS3 owners can also play it in the God of War: Origins Collection.

Who it is for

Action fans who want the most console-like game the PSP can run, in short sessions or long ones.

Price

Used PSP UMD from $49.99 at DKOldies (regular price, before sales).

Original price: $49.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Prequel to the first God of War, with Kratos fighting creatures from Greek mythology
• New combat moves, magic and weapons alongside series favorites
• Story-driven puzzles across new environments
• Developed by Santa Monica Studio with Ready at Dawn, the team behind Daxter
• Remastered for PS3 in the 2011 God of War: Origins Collection

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Sony cited a 94% GameRankings rating at launch
• Strength: Simple to pick up for anyone who has played a God of War game
• Strength: Combat and set pieces scaled to the PSP without cutting the series formula
• Weakness: Rated M for blood, gore, nudity and strong language
• Weakness: Regular used price of $49.99 is high for a PSP disc
• Weakness: A single-player campaign with no multiplayer listed by Sony

Key facts

• Developer: Santa Monica Studio and Ready at Dawn
• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
• North American release: March 4, 2008
• ESRB: Mature 17+
• Launch rating cited by Sony: 94% on GameRankings.com

Where it ranks

God of War: Chains of Olympus is No. 2 in our Best PSP Games of All Time verdict.