God of War: Sons of Sparta PS5 Sales Soar Despite Mixed Reviews

PlayStation's surprise God of War spin-off, Sons of Sparta, has proven that a game doesn't need glowing reviews to dominate the sales charts. Despite earning the lowest critical scores in the franchise's long history, the retro-inspired prequel that was shadow-dropped last month has become a massive commercial success. Driven by fierce brand loyalty and eager fans, the title demonstrates that the Sons of Sparta carry immense commercial muscle, even outside of their traditional 2D blockbuster element.

According to recent sales data published by the tracking firm Circana, the $29.99 pixel-art metroidvania secured a highly respectable 14th spot on the overall list of best-selling games for February 2026. This strong player turnout allowed it to outperform major established games and newer releases alike, charting higher than massive hits like Spider-Man 2, Forza Horizon 5, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Ghost of Yotei, and the newly released My Hero Academia: All's Justice.

When looking strictly at the PlayStation ecosystem, the game's success is even more pronounced. Circana reported that Sons of Sparta was the sixth best-selling PlayStation game of the month, successfully beating out the eternal chart-topper Grand Theft Auto V. While it wasn't quite enough to beat out some of the month's biggest heavy hitters like Resident Evil Requiem, Mario Tennis Fever, and Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, securing such a solid spot is a massive win for a smaller-scale release.

Lowest Metacritic Score vs. Player Reception

This strong financial momentum directly contrasts with the game's critical reception. The title holds a middling Metacritic score of 64, officially making it the lowest-rated entry in the series. Outlets have called it an "epic slog" and a "middling metroidvania," criticizing its rigid exploration and dull plotting. 

Even original series creator David Jaffe weighed in, criticizing the toned-down approach for not respecting the license's brutal roots. However, the player base seems much more forgiving. While Metacritic user data shows only 48% of user ratings are strictly positive, the game fares much better directly on the PlayStation Store, where it holds a very healthy 4.1 out of 5 stars, as per the Gamer. 

Developed as a collaborative effort between Mega Cat Studios and Santa Monica Studio, the game launched exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on February 12, 2026. Moving away from the high-fidelity action the series is famous for, Sons of Sparta explores the untold youth of a teenage Kratos and his brother Deimos in the harsh Spartan army. Fans have particularly praised the intricate boss fights and character moments, highlighted by the return of veteran voice actor TC Carson as an older Kratos narrating the story.

Considering Sons of Sparta was likely made with a fairly low budget compared to Sony's usual AAA offerings, it is hard to see it as anything other than a complete success. While it didn't light the world on fire critically, its ability to thrive in a crowded market proves that gamers are still incredibly hungry for Kratos's Greek-era stories.