The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
For our latest entry, we get embark on sword-slinging adventure through ancient Greece in Hero of Sparta.
——————-
Developer: Gameloft
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1
Gameloft’s addictive, God of War-esque Hero of Sparta is a quintessential beast-slaying hack ‘n slash. You control Sparta supremo Argos, who finds himself the lone survivor of a violent storm that’s decimated his entire fleet of ships. What’s a Spartan king to do in such a pickle? Why, grab a sword and start calving up the local wildlife of course – which just happens to be a diverse gaggle of mythical, sharp-toothed beasts. Argo’s ultimate goal, however, is to extricate the Oracle, who offers our hero the guidance he needs to make it home again. Along the way, you’ll traverse a host of iconic locales, including the legendary sunken lost city of Atlantis and the grisly Underworld. There’s eight levels in total to slay, slash and slice your way through.
As mentioned, Argo finds himself up against a host of lethal adversaries, including run-of-the-mill zombies, scorpions and warriors to hulking heavy weights of ancient Greek mythology, such as Minotaurs, Centaurs and even the mighty Hades himself. Dead foes cough up a variety of orbs for you to gobble up; green for health, blue for magic and red for experience. The latter is particularly useful, allowing Argo to augment his weapons with a higher damage ratio. Max them out, however, and they’ll assume an “ultimate” form, turning them into pimped-out, death-dealing tools of destruction. However, it’s not all mindless mashing.
Duff up an enemy far enough and they’ll be dazed, giving you the opportunity to execute a swanky finishing move – that is, if you successfully input the on-screen command prompts. Do this, and you’ll snuff your enemy’s lights out and bag extra orbs for your troubles. Just as the game packs in a considerable line-up of foes to fight, our spirited Sparta friend receives an equally meaty weapons roster. Aside from swords and shields, you’ll also be able to wield a bow, an axe, as well as the twin swords of Ishtar. Weapons are acquired after pummelling various bosses or completing a certain stage. Meanwhile, Argo can also snap up some swanky equipment to bolster his defence capabilities, including the Helmet of Perseus and Pantheon Armor.
Originally released on iPhone, the 300-flavoured slash ‘em up has also received a minor visual overhaul for Sony’s slab, including improved textures, smoother animations and the addition of buckets of claret spraying about the place. Play it on a PSPgo and you’ll also find it considerably easier to control to boot. Furthermore, the game’s price tag is particularly inviting, weighing in at a paltry $6.99 for what is essentially a bite-sized God of War clone. Can’t be too bad, can it?
Tune in again same time tomorrow for another peak Inside PlayStation Network.