Some have accused the movie upon which 300: March To Glory is based of being style over substance. If only the same could be said of this rather lacklustre offering we might have been more enthusiastic about it. The big disappointment was its total lack of visual association with the brilliant looking movie and only the merest of references to the comic book in the form of narrated cutscenes. As it stands there isn’t very much more to sell this game with other than the licence, so a stronger link between game and movie could only have been beneficial. Where the hell is it? Possibly it’s off gallivanting with the other 291 Spartans who aren’t in this game. It’s supposed to be about the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians who managed to hold Thermopylae against an army of Persia who are believed to have numbered five million or more. However, there’s no sense of anything even approaching that kind of scale here. The PSP may have its limitations, but we’re sure that it can do better than a half-dozen measly troops. Neither is it the best looking game on the PSP, with so many rough edges and sloppy animation.

And the bosses are hardly the most challenging. There is often a warning given to you that you will need to activate your ‘bloodlust’ ability in order to do damage and while this is excusable, it is ridiculous that a single throw of your spear could then topple them in one hit. Where’s the challenge in that? However while it is uninspired in most areas there is still enough to keep you occupied for a short amount of time. Persian arrow attacks that make the sky go dark before they fall are a nice touch and there’s plenty of bloodletting to be enjoyed. If only there was more depth than that.

Jon Gordon