A new God of War game just shadow dropped: see Kratos as a Spartan warrior in surprise 2D action game Sons of Sparta

The latest PlayStation State of Play arrived tonight, providing us with plenty to look forward to this year and beyond – including one very surprising shadow drop, in the form of a 2D God of War spin-off, dubbed Sons of Sparta.

Sure, the God of War Greek trilogy remake is exciting, but Sons of Sparta is something entirely new... and entirely different, to boot. As per Sony's accompanying blog post on the upcoming game, it's a 2D action platformer following Kratos' youth as he trained at the Agoge alongside his brother, Deimos. Although it's visually different from the mainline series, the studio points out that its story is 100% canonical.

Not only that, but God of War Sons of Sparta is available right now on PS5 via the official PlayStation Store, with the standard edition coming in at $29.99 and a digital deluxe version priced higher at $39.99. For anyone interested in the more expensive version, it comes with a digital artbook, soundtrack, and a PlayStation Network avatar of young Kratos looking especially serious.

God of War Sons of Sparta - Reveal Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube

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As for how God of War Sons of Sparta plays, Kratos will be employing the use of his trusty spea rand shield while also harnessing powerful divine artifacts called the "Gifts of Olympus" to take on various formidable foes. As Sony describes it, the new 2D gem "features the return of iconic classics recreated" with "stunning hand-drawn pixel animation" – but also creatures fans haven't seen before.

It is inspired by Greek mythology, after all, so expect some very cool beasts. Seeing as it's coming from the OG writing team at Santa Monica that worked on God of War and Ragnarok, as well as Mega Cat Studios, I'm certain that Sons of Sparta won't fall short of impressing the community. It's not like we have to wait to play it, either... so, boot up that PS5 and start downloading for more Kratos in 2026.

Looking for something else to wishlist? Be sure to browse our roundup of the best new games coming this year and beyond for even more to anticipate.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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