God of War Sons of Sparta Expands to PS4 With Hermes and Erebus Modes

God of War Sons of Sparta is heading to PlayStation 4 on November 16, giving players on Sony's last-generation console a chance to experience the smaller-scale, side-scrolling chapter in Kratos' history. The PS4 edition is scheduled to unlock at midnight local time, and it will not arrive alone: developer Mega Cat Studios is also adding two new challenge-focused modes to both the PS4 and PS5 versions.

The update introduces Hermes Mode, which is built around speedrunning, and Erebus Mode, a high-stakes option where a single hit can kill either Kratos or an enemy. Both additions fit the game's retro-minded design and provide a more specialized way to revisit its journey through the harsh world of ancient Greece.

For a project that was initially presented as an experimental, surprise-released PlayStation 5 entry earlier this year, a PS4 launch is a notable expansion. It opens the prequel to a much broader PlayStation audience while adding replay-oriented features for players who have already completed the main campaign.

PS4 players join Kratos' earliest adventure

Sons of Sparta takes the long-running God of War series back to a far earlier period in Kratos' life. Instead of following the older warrior seen in the modern Norse-era games, this story centers on a young Spartan still enduring the brutal discipline and expectations of military training.

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The adventure also brings Kratos' brother, Deimos, into the foreground. The pair set out after a fellow cadet disappears, beginning a search that tests their training, loyalty, and resolve. The setting returns the series to ancient Greece, an era that many fans have wanted to revisit after the franchise's shift toward Norse mythology.

Terrence "T.C." Carson, the original voice of Kratos, returned for the game, reinforcing its connection to the earlier Greek-era installments. That creative decision gives Sons of Sparta a distinct place within the broader series: it is not simply another chapter starring Kratos, but an attempt to depict him before he became the god--and before he became the father players know from the more recent games.

Its approach is markedly different from the blockbuster third-person action format associated with the mainline PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles. Sons of Sparta is a 2.5D action-platforming adventure with Metroidvania elements, built around exploration, combat, progression, and traversal in a more compact presentation.

Hermes Mode puts speedrunning at the center

Hermes Mode is the most detailed of the two incoming options. It turns the game into a race against the clock and includes tools intended to make speedrun attempts easier to track and compare. Players will have access to a split-based timer, allowing them to monitor performance across different segments, as well as a persistent scoreboard.

The mode is not immediately available from the start. Players must first finish the game once, then enter a specific button input to activate it:

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1, R1, Touchpad

The classic cheat-code-style sequence is an especially fitting touch for a game drawing on older design traditions. It also means Hermes Mode functions as a post-completion reward rather than an option for a player's first journey through the campaign.

Once enabled, the mode should appeal to players interested in optimizing routes, improving combat execution, and cutting down completion times. Split timers are particularly useful in this kind of challenge because they show where time is being gained or lost during individual portions of a run instead of only displaying an overall final result.

The persistent scoreboard, meanwhile, gives the mode a competitive dimension even for players who are primarily trying to beat their own times. With God of War's combat history and the game's platforming structure, Hermes Mode could encourage players to revisit encounters and routes with a much more efficiency-focused mindset.

Erebus Mode raises the danger for everyone

Erebus Mode takes a simpler but potentially much harsher approach. In this mode, one hit is enough to kill Kratos, but enemies are subject to the same rule. The result is a lethal ruleset where every encounter can end almost instantly.

That design can transform familiar combat scenarios. A player may be able to dispatch an opponent with a clean opening strike, but an ill-timed dodge, mistimed jump, or brief lapse in attention can end the attempt just as quickly. It places a premium on positioning, enemy knowledge, and patience.

There is currently no confirmation that Erebus Mode requires its own secret input or a prior completion in the same way Hermes Mode does. Players will be able to choose a mode when beginning a new game and selecting a save slot, but the selected mode cannot be changed afterward. Anyone planning to attempt a one-hit-kill run will therefore need to commit that save to Erebus Mode from the outset.

That limitation also makes the choice meaningful. Standard play, speedrunning, and one-hit-kill challenge attempts are intended as separate experiences rather than settings that can be freely switched during a campaign. Players who want to keep a conventional playthrough available may want to use separate save slots for the more demanding modes.

A fresh reason to revisit the prequel

The arrival of these modes gives Sons of Sparta more replay value at the same time that it broadens platform access. Hermes Mode offers a structured avenue for repeat runs, while Erebus Mode provides an entirely different risk-reward rhythm. Neither appears to change the story, but each can substantially change how players engage with the game's action and progression.

This is especially important for a title that did not initially generate the level of excitement commonly attached to major God of War launches. Its surprise debut and experimental format made it a different kind of release for the franchise, and its reception was mixed among both critics and fans.

Some criticism focused on the game's Metroidvania ambitions and whether its systems reached the same level as leading games in that genre. David Jaffe, the creator of the God of War franchise, also expressed disappointment with the release at launch. While he said the idea of a 2.5D God of War game was something he had long wanted to see, he ultimately did not recommend this particular execution and questioned why the project had been made in its current form.

Those reactions underline the unusual position Sons of Sparta occupies. It carries one of PlayStation's most recognizable names, but it is a smaller, more experimental entry rather than the next huge cinematic sequel. For some players, that scale and style may be part of the appeal; for others, the new modes may offer the sharper challenge and repeatability they felt was missing from a standard playthrough.

A bridge to God of War Laufey

Sons of Sparta also arrives on PS4 as PlayStation continues work on the franchise's next major installment, God of War Laufey. That PS5-exclusive game is currently planned for May 20, 2027, following a delay.

The wait leaves Sons of Sparta as a smaller stopgap chapter for fans looking for more Kratos in the meantime. Its PS4 release ensures that role is not limited solely to the PlayStation 5 audience, while the new content creates an incentive for existing PS5 owners to return.

The November 16 update is therefore doing two things at once. It makes the prequel available to more players, and it reframes the experience with modes aimed at mastery and survival. Whether players are approaching the young Kratos story for the first time on PS4 or coming back on PS5 to chase faster times and flawless runs, Hermes Mode and Erebus Mode promise a more demanding version of the Spartan's earliest adventure.