God of War: Sons of Sparta Arrives on PS4 on 16 November, With Two New Modes

God of War: Sons of Sparta is due on PlayStation 4 on 16 November, at midnight local time. A patch adding two new modes will arrive for the PS4 version at the same time, and it will also reach the PS5 version, according to Video Games Chronicle.

The game first launched on PS5 in February. It was developed by Mega Cat Studios in partnership with Santa Monica Studio, which made the main God of War games. Sons of Sparta is a spin-off, and its story is part of the official God of War timeline. It is set during Kratos' youth, when he trains at the Agoge, the harsh military school of ancient Sparta, alongside his brother Deimos.

The first new mode is Hermes Mode. It is a race against the clock, built for speedrunning, the practice of finishing a game as quickly as possible. It includes a split-based timer, which records the time taken for each section of the game, and a persistent scoreboard that keeps results between attempts.

Players can unlock Hermes Mode in two ways. The first is to finish Sons of Sparta. The second is to enter a button sequence on the start menu: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1, R1, then Touchpad. L1 and R1 are the shoulder buttons on the controller, and the Touchpad is the flat, touch-sensitive panel in the middle of it.

The second mode is Erebus Mode, and it is much less forgiving. In this challenge, a single hit knocks out both the player and the enemies. Players pick it when they start a new game and choose a save slot.

For players who want a new route through the game, the two modes offer different kinds of play. Hermes Mode rewards a fast clock and repeated runs. Erebus Mode asks for patience, since every mistake and every enemy attack carries the same weight.

The PS4 release date is the main news here. Players who already own the PS5 version will get the new modes through the patch, so they do not need to buy the game again.