In this era of high definition gaming, the only time my PSP gets any love is when I travel. Such an occasion recently arose, so I dusted it off for some portable time-killing – “killing” being the operative word.

Still loaded in the UMD slot was “God of War: Chains of Olympus.” I’m a huge fan of this series and I loved the original “God of War.” In fact, with the E3 announcement of “God of War III” coming to the PS3, the Sony console will be a definite purchase in the future (doesn’t hurt that the movies “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight” will be out on Blu-ray also).

I’d be preaching to the choir of Kratos fans when I say that anyone who enjoyed the previous “God of War” games is going to enjoy this prequel of the original game. You probably have already played and finished it a year ago…

Neither the graphics, animations, controls nor story have been sacrificed to Zeus in order to get this onto the PSP. In fact, at times, the game is very cinematic in its style. Developer Ready at Dawn Studios has done a good job of camera placement both for gameplay and style. Your favorite cast of enemies is back, including Cyclopes, gorgons and minotaurs, with a few Titans and Gods sprinkled in for good measure. The puzzles are elaborate and satisfying once you’ve figured them out and the boss battles are epic in scale. While short, the story is a good length for a portable title. Upon completion of the game, there are nice treats to keep you playing this game. From repeating the game in ‘God Mode’ to slashing your way through the “Challenges of Hades,” you’ll find more ways to kill both mythological creatures and time on the road with this must-have title for any PSP owner.