Kratos was never meant to be small. When Ready at Dawn first squeezed the Ghost of Sparta onto the PSP back in 2008, it felt like a technical miracle, a tiny disc spinning fast enough to conjure ancient Greece in the palm of your hand. But let’s be real. Playing a God of War game on a handheld with one analog stick and mushy shoulder buttons was always a compromise. That is exactly why the God of War Chains of Olympus PS3 walkthrough became such a hot topic when Sony dropped the Origins Collection. You finally got the scale the game deserved.
It’s weird. People usually overlook this one because it's a prequel to a prequel. It sits in the timeline before the original 2005 game, showing Kratos during his ten years of service to the gods. He’s not the world-ending rage monster yet; he’s more like Olympus’s reluctant errand boy. This walkthrough isn't just about hitting square and triangle until things die. It’s about navigating the transition from a 480x272 handheld screen to a full 1080p, 60fps console experience that actually holds up surprisingly well in 2026.
Getting Started: The Basics of the PS3 Port
The very first thing you’ll notice when booting up the PS3 version is the DualShock 3 (or DualSense if you're playing via backward compatibility/streaming) makes a massive difference. On the PSP, you had to hold the triggers and use the stick to dodge. It was clunky. On PS3? You have the right analog stick. Use it.
Honestly, the game is significantly easier with a proper controller. You’ll start on the shores of Attica. The Persian Army is invading, and a giant Basilisk is chewing on the scenery. This serves as your combat tutorial. You’ve got the Blades of Chaos—classic—but you’ll notice Kratos feels a bit snappier here. The frame rate boost on the PS3 version reduces input lag, making parrying (hitting L1 just as an attack lands) much more consistent than it ever was on the original hardware.
Don't Ignore the Red Orbs
In this specific God of War entry, the economy of Red Orbs is a bit tighter than in God of War III. You need to smash every crate. Seriously. If you see a wooden bucket or a random amphora, break it. Your priority for upgrades should always be the Blades of Chaos first. Why? Because the Efreet—your first magic spell—is powerful, but it eats through your blue meter too fast in the early game. Leveling the Blades unlocks the "Cyclone of Chaos" (L1 + Square), which is your primary tool for crowd control.
Navigating the City of Marathon and the Temple of Helios
After you've dealt with the Persian King (just mash Circle during the mini-game, don't overthink it), you'll head into Marathon. The atmosphere shifts here. It’s foggy. Dark. This is where the God of War Chains of Olympus PS3 walkthrough usually trips people up because of the light puzzles.
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You’ll eventually reach the Temple of Helios. The sun god has been kidnapped by Morpheus, and the world is falling into a permanent slumber. You need to wake up the fire steeds. The puzzles here involve pulling statues to reflect beams of light. It’s basic "God of War 101," but on the PS3’s high-definition output, the visual cues for where the light hits are much clearer.
The Sun Shield: Your New Best Friend
Midway through the temple, you get the Sun Shield. This is arguably the most important item in the game. It’s not just for blocking. Once you upgrade it, you can perform the "Helios Flash," a counter-move that blinds enemies. In the PS3 version, the visual effects of the flash can actually be a bit jarring if you're playing in a dark room, but the tactical advantage is huge. It works on almost everything, including those annoying Harpies that stay out of reach.
Crossing into the Underworld
The game takes a massive turn once you leave the temple and head into the Underworld. This is where the story actually gets some emotional weight. Kratos sees his daughter, Calliope.
If you're looking for a smooth God of War Chains of Olympus PS3 walkthrough, this is the section where you need to watch your footing. The platforming in the Underworld is notorious for "fixed camera" frustrations. Since the game was designed for a small screen, the camera is often zoomed in tight. On a big TV, this can mess with your depth perception during the jumping sequences over the River Styx.
Fighting Charon
The ferryman is the first real wall players hit. Charon is a jerk. He has a massive scythe and loves to teleport to his boat to heal.
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- Phase 1: Stay close. Use the Gauntlet of Zeus (which you get right before this) to break his guard.
- Phase 2: When he goes to the pillars to heal, don't stand there. Use the Gauntlet to smash the pillars.
- Phase 3: He gets faster. Use your magic. The Light of Dawn (projectile magic) is great for chipping away at his health when he’s flying.
The Gauntlet of Zeus is the "hidden" MVP of this game. It’s a heavy weapon, similar to the Nemean Cestus from the third game. It deals massive damage to shields. If you’re playing on Spartan (Hard) or God (Very Hard) difficulty, the Gauntlet is the only way to survive the later encounters with the armored Cyclops.
The Tartarus Puzzles and the Gauntlet of Zeus
Once you’re deep in Tartarus, the game stops being a brawler for a minute and becomes a puzzler. You have to chain up the Titan Atlas. This involves a lot of crank-turning and block-pushing.
One thing the PS3 port highlights is the texture work. Ready at Dawn did a great job upscaling these environments, but you’ll still see some muddy textures in the background of Tartarus. Don't let it distract you. The "God of War Chains of Olympus PS3 walkthrough" secret for this area is simply speed. The enemies respawn infinitely in certain corridors until you complete the objective. If you find yourself fighting the same three Minotaurs for ten minutes, you’ve missed a lever.
The Ending: Persephone and the Choice
The climax happens in the Fields of Elysium. It’s one of the few times we see Kratos genuinely happy, which of course means something terrible is about to happen. You have to play a mini-game to "push Calliope away" to regain your powers. It’s genuinely uncomfortable to play, which was the point.
The Final Boss Fight
Persephone is a two-stage fight.
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- On the ground: She’s fast. Use the Sun Shield to parry her projectiles. This is where the 60fps of the PS3 version makes the fight feel totally different from the PSP. The timing window for the parry is much more predictable.
- In the air: She’ll fly around and throw rocks. You need to use the Helios Reflect. When she fires a green beam, mash the buttons to send it back.
Once she’s tethered by Atlas, you have to hit her with a final light beam puzzle. It’s a bit of a cinematic finish, but if you miss the QTE (Quick Time Event), she can still one-shot you even with a full health bar.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Game
A lot of players treat Chains of Olympus as a "side quest." They skip it and go straight from God of War 1 to God of War 2. That’s a mistake. This game explains why Kratos is so bitter toward the gods specifically in the first game. It shows that he actually tried to save them, and they still screwed him over.
Also, the "Combat Room" challenges you unlock after beating the game are surprisingly robust. On the PS3, there’s a Trophy for completing them. The "don't get hit" challenge is the hardest thing in the game. You'll want to use the Gauntlet of Zeus for the ground-pound area of effect (AoE) to keep enemies away from you.
Actionable Strategy for Your Playthrough
If you’re sitting down to run through this on your PS3 today, follow this upgrade path to make the "God" difficulty trivial:
- Blades of Chaos Level 2: Get this immediately after the Persian King.
- Sun Shield Level 2: The "Helios Flash" is mandatory for the Medusa fights.
- Gauntlet of Zeus Level Max: Once you get the Gauntlet, dump every single orb into it. It is objectively more powerful than the Blades for 90% of the late-game enemies.
- Health over Magic: In the hidden chests, prioritize Gorgon Eyes. You can dodge most magic attacks, but you can’t dodge a missed QTE that drains half your life.
The PS3 version remains the definitive way to experience this chapter. The lack of a second analog stick on the PSP was always its biggest hurdle, and seeing the scale of the Atlas fight on a 50-inch screen finally gives the art direction the credit it deserves.
To wrap this up, focus on your parries, don't get greedy with your combos, and remember that the Gauntlet of Zeus is your best friend. Once you finish Chains of Olympus, you're perfectly set up to jump into God of War: Ghost of Sparta, which is the second half of the Origins Collection and arguably even better.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
- Check your "Treasures" menu after the first boss to see if you've unlocked any initial concept art—it tracks your orb progress.
- Locate the three hidden chests in the City of Marathon before entering the Temple of Helios to max your health early.
- Practice the "Shield Sweep" move once the Sun Shield is upgraded; it's the fastest way to clear the "death birds" in the Underworld.