God of War: Sons of Sparta stars a young Kratos and his brother, Deimos, as they set off on a journey to find a lost Spartan. The two will have to work together throughout the journey to overcome the dangers lurking throughout this perilous Metroidvania, so it might not shock you to see that the PlayStation Store listing for the game indicates that it supports two-player co-op. But when you get into the game, what will likely shock you is that there appears to be no way to actually have a second player join you.
Unfortunately, God of War: Sons of Sparta doesn’t have a traditional cooperative mode, meaning you won’t be able to play through the main campaign with two players. It does, however, feature an unlockable co-op mode — though you may be frustrated to hear what you’ll need to do to earn it. Let’s get into it.
How to unlock co-op in God of War: Sons of Sparta
While God of War: Sons of Sparta’s main campaign is single-player only, you will unlock a co-op mode by beating the game. Even then, you can’t jump back into the campaign with a friend. Instead, this co-op mode is called The Pit of Agonies, which is only available from the main menu.
The Pit of Agonies can be played solo or in couch co-op (no online matchmaking is available for this mode). When loading into the mode, you’ll receive a bit of lore about the Pit of Agonies, followed by the option to take the challenge on alone as Kratos or with another player, who will take control of Deimos.
It’s no doubt a bit disappointing to find that the campaign isn’t playable in co-op, but at least there’s some kind of option for two players to work together in God of War: Sons of Sparta. In the Pit of Agonies, you’ll encounter some of the game’s most difficult fights, so get your spears ready and your mind right, Spartan.
God of War: Sons of Sparta is available now on PlayStation 5.
