God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Ready at Dawn had already proven once that Kratos belongs on the PSP too – with Ghost of Sparta they raised the bar even higher and created one of the prettiest and most polished titles on the entire console. The second handheld God of War is a celebration of what can be achieved on a portable device.

The core formula stays true to the series: bloody hack & slash with an emphasis on flashy combat, brutal finishers, puzzles and a journey through an ancient world full of gods and monsters. But Ghost of Sparta deepens Kratos's personal mythology – the story revolves around his past and his family ties, lending the otherwise merciless hero a surprisingly human dimension. The combat system is expanded with new abilities and the game is not shy about epic moments.

On the technical side it is one of the PSP's peaks. The graphics, animation, scope of the locations and the boss battles look as though the console's hardware shouldn't be able to handle them – and yet it all runs smoothly and impressively. Ready at Dawn showed here just how deeply they could reach into the device's capabilities and squeeze the maximum out of it.

Ghost of Sparta thus closes out the handheld God of War duo as a more mature, more grown-up experience that holds up even alongside the home entries. For many players it was the best action game they could experience on the PSP, and proof that big experiences can fit into the palm of your hand.

Why play it: The pinnacle of action on the PSP – an even prettier, more epic and more personal Kratos who proves that a handheld can deliver an experience worthy of the big entries.