God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the second handheld addition to the action/adventure God of War series.
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In God of War: Ghost of Sparta, a series of flashbacks reveal the origin of Kratos' scar and red tattoo. While Kratos and his brother, Deimos, were still being trained, the gods received a prophecy that led them to believe Deimos would be responsible for the demise of Olympus. As a result, Ares took Deimos to be held prisoner by Thanatos, the god of death.
The game picks up after Kratos has taken Ares' place as the god of war. He comes into contact with his mother, Callisto, who tells him to find his his brother just before she dies. Kratos faces several dangers before finally tracking down Deimos to the Domain of Death. After Kratos frees him and gains his trust, the two brothers battle Thanatos, but Deimos is killed in the process. Angry and grieving, Kratos vows that the gods will pay for what they've done, therefore setting the stage for God of War II and III.
As with the other God of War games, save points appear periodically as beams of light.
Ghost of Sparta features three initial difficulty levels as well as the unlockable "God mode."
Violence Like the previous games in the series, Ghost of Sparta 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 As in the other God of War games, Ghost of Sparta has a sex minigame in which players must tap certain buttons to carry out the act. Nothing is shown, but suggestive sounds 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.
- 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?
- How is family portrayed in Ghost of Sparta? What value does family have for Kratos?
- What do you think of the way in which the game depicts/interprets Greek mythology? Is it anything like what you learned in school?
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