Genre: Action platformer
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft

Ghost of Sparta is set in ancient Greece, and its choice of aesthetic motifs, unsurprisingly, imitates the God of War series as opposed to other titles with the same setting, such as Titan Quest. Solid art direction and tricks, such as faux shaders, paper over the relatively primitive technology that the game's engine employs.

The in-game soundtrack is a typical combination of orchestral work mixed with chip-tune instrumentation. It's generally forgettable but suits the game during play. Sound effects, such as environmental noises, are up to the task although they are sparsely used.

Like other contemporary action-based titles, Ghost of Sparta is much easier and less gratifying than its forebears, such as the Golden Axe or Streets of Rage titles. While all it involves is pressing the attack virtual button over and over, the combat does have a certain tempo to it, and each stage has good pacing and features interesting themes.

It's a shame that Gameloft feels the need to so ridiculously and blatently rip off other game series-- God of War in this case-- because the company's solidly-designed titles can stand on their own. Hero of Sparta is hardly a work of art, nor is it revolutionary in any way. But as a mind-numbing, cellphone-based time waster, one can imagine worse titles.