God of War: Chains of Olympus is a handheld installment in the action/adventure God of War series.
Click a title to learn more about each topic.
Story & Themes
God of War: Chains of Olympus occurs chronologically before the events of God of War. Kratos, in the service of the Greek gods, is tasked with protecting the city of Attica from attack. While there, he notices the sun falling from the sky, and Morpheus' fog covers the now-dark land. Morpheus has sent several of the gods into a magical slumber, and Athena implores Kratos to help them.
With the help of Helios' sister, Eos, Kratos learns that the Titan Atlas has abducted the Sun God. In order to save him, Kratos travels to the Underworld, confronting the queen, Persephone. He's then offered the choice to forsake his mission and his powers in order to stay with his deceased daughter, Calliope. Kratos initially takes this deal, but then discovers that it was a ploy to distract him. Working with Atlas, Persephone was using Helios' power to destroy Mount Olympus. At great personal cost, Kratos leaves his daughter forever, regains his powers, and binds Atlas to the Pillar of the World. Helios is restored, and the sun returns once again to the sky.
Save Points
As with the other God of War games, save points appear periodically as beams of light.
Difficulty
Chains of Olympus features three initial difficulty levels as well as the unlockable "God mode."
Heads Up!
Violence Like the previous games in the series, Chains of Olympus doesn't tone things down when it comes to violence. Kratos defeats enemies in ruthless and gruesome fashions, with blood and gore in abundance.
Sex & Nudity Like previous games, Chains of Olympus has several depictions of topless women as well as a sex minigame in which Kratos brings multiple women to orgasm. The actual scene occurs off camera, but suggestive moaning can be heard.
Discrimination Women in the God of War series play a problematic role. Most of them are blatantly objectified and/or portrayed as sexual objects. Even women in positions of power are a part of this trend, and it serves to undercut their agency and personhood.
Conversation Starters
- Kratos is a viciously violent and ruthless character. Do you think there's any justification for his actions?
- What do you think of Kratos' backstory? Does it help explain the type of person he is in the earlier games?
- What do you think of the choice Kratos made? Would you have done the same? Why/why not?
- What do you think of the way in which the game portrays/interprets Greek mythology? Is it anything like what you learned in school?
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