Features

One of the iconic characters from the PS2 era, the mighty Kratos returns in this Vita port of his first two outings that feature the slayer on a mission to deal death to all Greek deities.

The third-person hack-and-slash fest sees you taking revenge on Ares, the God of War, for tricking you into slaughtering your own family. It's not so much an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth though – instead, think several hundred eyes (plus sockets), an entire collection of jaws and assorted body parts. And as Kratos, you'll launch yourself across, over and under ancient Greece, getting all Braveheart on anything that dares to stand in between you and your red-misted plans for retribution.

Mixing combat, platforming and basic puzzling, the series' true standout moments are the astonishing (and astonishingly huge) bosses that must be brought to their knees/tentacles/tails. Expect to stand in the jaws of sea monster Hydra, rip apart the Colossus of Rhodes from the inside out, and kill the Kraken by impaling it with an entire bridge.

The depictions of these vast critters left gamers slack-jawed in disbelief back on the PS2 and PS3 and their impact hasn't diminished one iota on the Vita, which does a masterful job of showcasing all the towering deities on its diminutive but brilliant screen.

This port features the PS3's graphically remastered version of the PS2 originals but there is a nod to the Vita's own hardware, the system's rear-mounted touch controls used for environmental actions such as opening doors or operating catapults. And digital-download purchasers can also enjoy cross-buy compatibility with the PS3 edition.

At the end of the (very bloody) day, we suspect that veterans of the series will love the opportunity to play as the God stabber all over again but this time from the comfort of a toilet seat. And if you're a newcomer to the series, then this pint-sized port is the perfect introduction to the king-sized epic. So grab your Vita, go forth – and set fire to Zeus' beard.