God of War: Chains of Olympus

When Kratos first appeared on a handheld, there were doubts about whether a bloody Greek quest for vengeance could be crammed into the palm of your hand at all. Chains of Olympus scattered those doubts within its first few minutes – and proved that the PSP could handle a full-blooded God of War.

The game faithfully carries over everything that made the series famous: brutal hack & slash combat with the Blades of Chaos, flashy quick-time finishers, puzzles rooted in ancient mythology and a combat system that rewards both rhythm and aggression. Story-wise it is a prequel that reveals Kratos's past in the service of the gods of Olympus, before he becomes the notorious destroyer of the pantheon. Ready at Dawn did extraordinary work with the console's hardware – the graphics, fluidity and scale of the battles looked breathtaking on a handheld device.

It was precisely this technical execution that made Chains of Olympus the benchmark for how a big action franchise should look in pocket form. The game didn't feel like a watered-down excerpt of the home version, but like a true entry in the series, simply in a format you could take anywhere. That made it one of the proofs that the PSP could handle even the most demanding action blockbusters.

Kratos's journey across Olympus also worked as a bridge between the entries in the main series and enriched the game's mythology with new layers. For fans it was a mandatory stop, and for PSP owners one of the best reasons to own the console.

Why play it: A full-fledged, technically top-tier God of War on a handheld – brutal action and ancient mythology with no compromises, wherever you please.