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Metro 2039Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the 2010 PSP game by Ready at Dawn, released in North America on Nov 2, 2010, in which Kratos, newly the God of War, searches Atlantis and the realm of death for his lost brother Deimos and faces Thanatos. It scored 86 on Metacritic.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the second PSP God of War game, made by Ready at Dawn and released in North America on Nov 2, 2010. Set between God of War and God of War II, it follows Kratos, newly seated as the God of War, as he searches for his brother Deimos, taken from him as a child, through Atlantis, Sparta and the domain of Thanatos, the god of death. It holds a Metascore of 86 from 73 critics, and Sony promised it would answer questions about Kratos's tattoo, scar and family.
Kratos and Deimos's childhood is the subject of God of War Sons of Sparta (Feb 12, 2026), the newest release before God of War Laufey (PS5, May 20, 2027). Spoilers for Ghost of Sparta follow.
Quick facts
| Released | Nov 2, 2010 (North America); Nov 4, 2010 (Australia) |
| Platform | PSP and PSPgo; PS3 in God of War: Origins Collection (2011) |
| Developer | Ready at Dawn |
| Director | Dana Jan |
| Set | Between God of War (2005) and God of War II |
| Metacritic | 86 from 73 critics; users 8.7, as of Nov 4, 2026 |
| Sales | 1,196,626 units, downloads included (Sony, May 30, 2012) |
| Length | 6 hours main story, 9½ completionist (HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026) |
| Buy today | Not sold on PS4 or PS5 as of Nov 4, 2026 |
Sources: PlayStation Blog, Aug 2, 2010; IGN's game database; PlayStation Blog, Sep 7, 2011; Metacritic, Nov 4, 2026; Sony, Jun 5, 2012; HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026. The European release date was not found in a source we could check.
What is Ghost of Sparta about?
It picks up at the end of God of War, with Kratos on his new throne but haunted by visions, among them an old woman on a stone slab. The visions lead him to Atlantis, then home to Sparta and finally to the realm of Thanatos. His aim is to find Deimos, the brother forcibly separated from him when both were boys, and the story fills in Kratos's past around that loss. Along the way the brothers fight side by side.
Zeus, IGN noted, "surprisingly plays no role in this game"; lesser-known figures from myth are the enemies. Those he meets include the sea monster Scylla at the start, Thera and King Midas. "The Ghost of Sparta" is the nickname Kratos earned through the events behind the first game. Where it sits among the rest is on God of War Games in Order.
Who is Deimos?
Deimos is Kratos's brother. Taken from him in childhood, he is the reason for this game's journey; God of War Sons of Sparta goes back further, to the two as cadets in the Agoge, Sparta's training, where young Deimos is voiced by Scott Menville. Antony Del Rio voiced young Kratos in Ghost of Sparta and voices him again in Sons of Sparta. The family is listed on God of War Characters.
How it plays
Kratos starts with the Blades of Athena (Sony's announcement called them the Blades of Chaos) and gains new tools:
- Thera's Bane: sets the blades on fire from its own meter; needed for some doors and armored enemies.
- Arms of Sparta: a spear and shield, a second fighting style.
- Magic: the Eye of Atlantis (lightning) and the Scourge of Erinys.
Red orbs also buy extras in the Temple of Zeus: concept art, videos and arena enemies. GameSpot's review found "more than 10 hours" of play, longer than HowLongToBeat's players report.
Reviews and awards
Before release, a build shown at E3 2010 won nine "Best of E3" awards, including the Game Critics Awards' Best Handheld Game (a later Sony post said ten). At launch IGN gave it 9.5, GameSpot 8 and PlayStation: The Official Magazine 9.5. Sony counted 1,196,626 units by May 30, 2012, downloads included. See God of War Reviews and God of War Sales.
Where to play Ghost of Sparta
At launch Sony sold a $199.99 Entertainment Pack: a black and red PSP-3000 with the game and a download voucher for Chains of Olympus. Ready at Dawn brought both PSP games to PS3 in God of War: Origins Collection on Sep 13, 2011. As of Nov 4, 2026 there is no PS4 or PS5 version; see God of War Collections and Remasters.
Frequently asked questions
When did God of War: Ghost of Sparta come out? God of War: Ghost of Sparta came out on PSP on Nov 2, 2010 in North America and Nov 4, 2010 in Australia.
Who is Deimos in God of War? Deimos is Kratos's brother, taken from him as a child; God of War: Ghost of Sparta is Kratos's search for him, and God of War Sons of Sparta shows the two as young Spartan cadets.
Who is Thanatos in Ghost of Sparta? Thanatos is the god of death in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, whose realm Kratos enters in his search for Deimos.
Where does Ghost of Sparta fit in the God of War timeline? Ghost of Sparta is set between God of War (2005) and God of War II, picking up right after the first game's ending.
Can you play Ghost of Sparta on PS5? No. As of Nov 4, 2026 God of War: Ghost of Sparta has no PS4 or PS5 version; its last release was God of War: Origins Collection on PS3 (2011).
Sources
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta Announced For PSP!, Richard Yap, PlayStation Blog, May 4, 2010
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta Picks Up 9 Awards, 4 Nominations at E3, PlayStation Blog, Jul 8, 2010
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta Official Release Date and Pre-Order Pack, Ken Chan, PlayStation Blog, Aug 2, 2010
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta Review, Nicole Tanner, IGN, Oct 25, 2010
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta review, Simon Parkin, Eurogamer, Oct 25, 2010
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta Review, Tom Mc Shea, GameSpot, Oct 30, 2010
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta Is Now Available, First Reviews Are In, PlayStation Blog, Nov 2, 2010
- God of War: Origins Collection Bonus Content Detailed, Roundtable Reflections, Dana Jan, PlayStation Blog, Sep 7, 2011
- Award-Winning God of War Franchise Sales Exceed 21 Million Units Worldwide, Sony Computer Entertainment, Jun 5, 2012
- God of War's Top 5 Epic Moments, Number One: The Death of Ares, PlayStation Blog, Oct 5, 2012
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Metacritic, Nov 4, 2026
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta, IGN game database, Nov 4, 2026
- God of War Greek trilogy remake in development & God of War Sons of Sparta out now, Grace Orlady, PlayStation Blog, Feb 12, 2026
- God of War Sons of Sparta: What you need to know, Santa Monica Studio, PlayStation Blog, Feb 13, 2026
- God Of War: Sons Of Sparta Review, Steve Watts, GameSpot, Mar 3, 2026
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta, HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta - Longplay | PSP, Project Longplay, Jun 2, 2018 (video)
- The Complete GOD OF WAR Timeline Explained!, GameSpot, Sep 26, 2022 (video)
Moments
God of War: Ghost of Sparta - Longplay | PSP
Project Longplay
The Complete GOD OF WAR Timeline Explained!
GameSpot
Related
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Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of Olympus is the 2008 PSP prequel made by Ready at Dawn, released in North America on Mar 4, 2008, in which Kratos, still serving the gods, goes into the Underworld to rescue the sun god Helios. It scored 91 on Metacritic and sold 3.3 million copies by 2012.
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God of War (2005)God of War (2005) is the original God of War, Santa Monica Studio's PlayStation 2 game created and directed by David Jaffe, released in North America on Mar 22, 2005. Kratos, a Spartan bound to the gods of Olympus, hunts Ares with the Blades of Chaos; it scored 94 on Metacritic and sold 4.6 million copies by 2012.
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God of War Collections and RemastersThe Greek God of War games were collected four times: God of War Collection (PS3, 2009, by Bluepoint Games; PS Vita 2014), God of War: Origins Collection (PS3, 2011, by Ready at Dawn), God of War Saga (PS3, 2012) and God of War III Remastered (PS4, 2015, by Wholesale Algorithms). Only God of War III Remastered is still sold, as of Nov 4, 2026.
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God of War IIGod of War II is the 2007 PlayStation 2 sequel, directed by Cory Barlog and released in North America on Mar 13, 2007. Betrayed by Zeus, Kratos allies with the Titans and seeks the Sisters of Fate; it scored 93 on Metacritic and IGN called it possibly the best action game ever made.
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God of War IIIGod of War III is the 2010 PlayStation 3 game that ends Kratos's Greek trilogy, released in North America on Mar 16, 2010 and directed by Stig Asmussen; Kratos climbs Mount Olympus and kills Zeus. It scored 92 on Metacritic, and God of War III Remastered (PS4, Jul 14, 2015) is the only one of the first three games still sold.
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God of War Trilogy RemakeSanta Monica Studio announced on Feb 12, 2026 that the original God of War trilogy (God of War, God of War II and God of War III) is being remade, calling it very early in development. As of Nov 4, 2026 there is no release date, platform list, price or footage.
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God of War: AscensionGod of War: Ascension is the 2013 PlayStation 3 prequel directed by Todd Papy, released in North America on Mar 12, 2013, set ten years before the first game as Kratos breaks his blood oath with the gods and is hunted by the Furies. It added the series' first online multiplayer and scored 80 on Metacritic, the lowest of the Greek-era console games before Sons of Sparta.
- God of War: BetrayalGod of War: Betrayal is a 2D God of War game for mobile phones, released in the US on Jun 20, 2007 and set between God of War and God of War II, in which Kratos is wrongly accused of betraying Olympus. IGN scored it 9; it is no longer sold anywhere.
See also
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KratosKratos is the Spartan warrior turned god at the center of God of War, who killed the gods of Olympus and later raised his son Atreus in the Norse realms. TC Carson voiced him in the Greek games and Christopher Judge since 2018.
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God of War Sons of SpartaGod of War Sons of Sparta is a 2D pixel-art God of War prequel by Mega Cat Studios with Santa Monica Studio, released on PS5 on Feb 12, 2026 for $29.99, in which teenage Kratos and his brother Deimos search for a missing cadet. It scored 64 on Metacritic and 65 on OpenCritic.
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God of War Games in OrderThere are 11 God of War games and one free epilogue from God of War (2005) to God of War Sons of Sparta (2026), with God of War Laufey next on May 20, 2027. In story order the Greek saga runs from Sons of Sparta to God of War III, then the Norse saga from God of War (2018) to Valhalla, with Laufey beside the 2018 game.
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God of War CharactersEvery major God of War character by era, from Faye, Phranque and Rue in God of War Laufey (May 20, 2027) to the Norse cast of 2018 and Ragnarok and the Greek gods Kratos fought, with the actors where sourced.
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God of War ReviewsThree God of War games share the series' best Metacritic score, 94: God of War (2005), God of War (2018) on PS4 and God of War Ragnarok on PS5. The lowest is God of War Sons of Sparta at 64; God of War Laufey has no reviews before its May 20, 2027 release.