As a sucker for a good Sony exclusive and a bigger sucker for quality Vita titles, I was thrilled to find out that the God of War Collection was coming to my handheld of choice. At the same time, I was skeptical, as the non-stop action of Sony Santa Monica’s hit hack-and-slash series seemed destined to run poorly. Twenty hours of low-framerate, glitchy frustration seemed a likely possibility, as Vita collections tend to be hit-or-miss (remember the depressing Jak and Daxter Collection?). My fears, however, were unwarranted. Not only does the Vita version of the God of War Collection do the classic series justice, but it is one of the most impressive handheld titles around.

Including God of War and God of War II (with full trophy support!), the God of War Collection on the Vita is identical to the critically acclaimed 2009 PlayStation 3 version. While the game’s resolution is obviously not equal to its console counterpart (due to the Vita’s 960×544 pixel screen), it is certainly a drastic improvement over the PlayStation 2 releases. The vast majority of the game plays in high-definition, with certain in-game cutscenes displaying in standard-definition. This was the biggest problem with the PlayStation 3 release, as the transition from HD to SD was outrageously jarring. Any sense of immersion was instantly broken, as the blurry PS2-era textures provided a major distraction. While this resolution transition is still present in the Vita version, the handheld’s small screen makes this a much smaller problem. Anyone who has played a PSOne Classic on the Vita knows that the jagged edges of early 3D models are less obnoxious due to compression; this is exactly what happens during in-game cutscenes in the Vita version of the God of War Collection. While I knew that a resolution drop was occurring during each moment, I quickly forgot after a few seconds.

It’s shocking how seamlessly the classic God of War controls transitioned to the Vita. Poor handheld control-mapping generally causes a great deal of frustration, with PlayStation 4’s launch collection having especially annoying Remote Play layouts. While the God of War Collection surprisingly lacks a customizable control layout option, it’s hard to find fault in the default scheme. For the most part, everything is identical to its console counterparts; the left stick is used to move, the right stick is used to dodge, X is used to jump, square unleashes a light attack, and triangle lets out a heavy attack. The triggers are used for blocks and magic, respectively, and the D-pad allows players to select an ability of their choosing. Pretty standard stuff, admittedly; so what makes the Vita version different?

Contextual actions are all mapped to the rear touch-pad. Fear not, as you are able to press any section of the touch-pad, eliminating the common frustration of having to tap the top left corner to execute an important action. If you want to open a chest or push an object, simply hold a finger on any part of the back of the system. Opening gates requires holding the rear touch-pad and tapping the circle button repeatedly. It works perfectly, with the only annoyance coming from accidentally triggering save points when fighting nearby. However, this may not be an issue for new Vita owners, as the Vita Slim has a smaller rear touch-pad.

On a related note, the arthritis-inducing button-mashing of yesteryear is gone. Previously, I found myself getting sore from trying to stab minotaurs, with my index finger nearly breaking during each sequence. In God of War, defeating a minotaur requires pressing circle four times, with God of War II requiring a few more taps. Feel free to get your marathon on, the control scheme will no longer hinder you.

The front touch-screen is also used for various secondary actions, with weapon-switching being the most noticeable. When I play the original God of War, I often swap between the Blades of Chaos and the Blade of Artemis, so I was skeptical to learn that this was a touch-screen action. Pushing any part of the left half of the screen is used to do this, so it actually feels extremely natural. This sort of small action is perfectly suited for the touch-screen, as you are never distracted from combat because of it. The Rage of the Gods/Rage of the Titans power is activated through a small icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Overcharging Kratos’ abilities on either the PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 required pressing both the L3 and R3 buttons, so the touch-screen icon is a bit of a downgrade, albeit a minor one. The final touch-screen action will enrage the speed-running and trophy-hunting communities, as Kratos’ dash is mapped to an icon on the right side of the screen. To get the “Speed of Jason McDonald” trophy, players have to complete the game in under five hours on any difficulty. In the past, this was accomplished by alternating the roll and dash maneuvers to travel faster. Because the dash is on the touch screen, this combination sequence feels extremely clumsy, meaning that speed-running (and getting the Platinum trophy) on the Vita is going to be extremely frustrating.

The original God of War is the buggier version of the two included games, with a couple of minor technical hiccups popping up here and there. The framerate consistently drops when multiple cyclopes are on the screen, with Kratos’ blades stuttering pretty jarringly. These fights are still manageable, as these are the slowest enemies in the game, but these moments stand out as particularly visually unappealing. The worst offense in God of War comes during the iconic Minotaur boss battle at the end of The Challenge of Hades, my personal favorite boss fight in the God of War series. At various stages of the battle, a circle logo appears over the head of the stunned Minotaur, initiating a QTE sequence which allows you to break its armor. Unfortunately, these QTE sequences would randomly start and stop during my fight, requiring me to damage the Minotaur until the circle button prompt reappeared. There was no rhyme or reason to this glitch; sometimes it would happen once before the QTE worked, other times it would happen four times. This certainly was not game-breaking, but it was definitely the worst aspect of the God of War Collection on the Vita.

Any issues with the original God of War were overshadowed by how outstanding the port of God of War II was. The framerate is rock-solid with only one apparent drop during the entire 12-hour game. Kratos’ Blades of Athena always flow smoothly, regardless of which attack you choose to use or what enemies you happen to be fighting. God of War II looks as beautiful as it plays. Draw-in seemed nonexistent, as every epic background sequence looks perfect. Add this to the fact that God of War II is the stronger entry in the series from a gameplay and story perspective, and you have an absolute winner. The Vita iteration is the definitive version of God of War II; it absolutely blew me away. The God of War Collection is worth buying for God of War II alone, as it is one of the best games on the platform and one of the better handheld experiences in general.

Closing Comments:

Outside of the annoying Minotaur glitch, there’s no major issues to be found in the Vita version of the God of War Collection. As a whole, it is an outstanding way to experience an iconic series on the go. If you have never experienced the first two games of the God of War series, this is a must-have collection for your Vita. These two ports prove that HD re-releases still have the potential to feel like more than cheap money-grabs; the seamless God of War Collection seems like it was meant for a handheld all along. It is absolutely God of War, which is perhaps the greatest compliment of all.



Platform: PS Vita