Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), in conjunction with Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica studio, will bring the critically acclaimed franchise, God of War to cell phones this summer in the bloody adventure, God of War: Betrayal. A combination of attractive 2-D sprites and solid controls, the game should serve as a nice appetizer for those looking forward to the forthcoming PSP game God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Betrayal takes place between the first and second God of War, during a time in which numerous people look to conspire against the almighty Kratos. Although SOE won't reveal too many story details, Kratos gets tricked into battling Argos, pet of the gods. Doing this earns him great disfavor among his immortal peers, and he sets out to slaughter all that oppose him.

Although the game takes place within a 2-D plane, the action unfolds similar to the PlayStation 2 adventures, with Kratos using his deadly blades to slice his foes into cold cuts. To attack, gamers simply press the OK/Home key on the phone, tapping it repeatedly to execute vicious combos. Kratos spins around, flinging the blades through the air. Enemies literally fall to pieces, their heads flying off and arms and legs dropping into pools of blood. Taking this a step further, an arrow appears over stunned enemies, and tapping the corresponding direction on the digital pad causes Kratos to perform a brutal finishing move, which includes ripping opponents in half, among other things.

When not tenderizing the opposition, Kratos busts through destructible environments, swings hand over hand along rope and solves puzzles by moving boxes and statues. In addition, he'll tackle various bosses, the aforementioned Argos being one of them.

Overall, the game plays great. Kratos controls well and the action remains hot and vicious. Waves of enemies attempt to unseat the antihero, only to wind up in pieces. The sprites, while pixilated, convey the essence of the series, transporting gamers to a 2-D version of ancient Greece. SOE couldn't include a soundtrack, no thanks to cell phone limitations, but that doesn't ruin the experience.

According to SOE, the game takes roughly four hours to beat, which is significantly longer than most mobile adventure games. With that being said, God of War: Betrayal appears to offer fans a satisfying romp that does the series justice. GameDaily will post its review as soon as the game arrives this summer.