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    God of War II

    Game » consists of 9 releases. Released Mar 13, 2007

    God of War II continues the story of Kratos as he wields his newly-bestowed god-like powers, much to the dismay and fear of the other gods.

    spiritof's God of War II (PlayStation 2) review

    Avatar image for spiritof

    Somebody opened a can of whoop Odysseus!

    After having just finished God of War 2 on Spartan mode, it sounds cliché but my ultimate reaction to this action/puzzle game is just a very humble, "Wow". God of War 2 has been defined by a few as "more of the same" and "doesn't tread much new ground", but few can really deny that this is game is a jaw droppingly polished and incredibly more focused sequel to one of the GREATEST games of all time. I, for one, would mark those criticisms for God of War 2 down as a huge win in my book.

    The story picks up almost immediately after the original God of War as we find our "hero" Kratos still sitting at the throne of the defunct god of war, Ares, and it becomes immediately obvious that Kratos is still super pissed. He's taking that rage out on the mortals of the world by inciting a perpetual war between Sparta and, apparently, everyone else. The other gods (Zeus in particular) don't like Kratos' disruptive influence and hatch a plan to rid themselves of him. That's as far as I'm willing to go with the plot though because the rest needs to be seen and enjoyed with minimal spoilers.

    To say that you're probably never going to play a better looking and sounding game on the PS2 is, I think, the understatement of 2007. God of War 2, from start to finish, is a stunning achievement. So stunning that the number of "next gen" games that look inferior could fill the Black Sea. For as awesomely grand and epic as the original God of War looked, you can crank the knob to "11" for God of War 2. If you have played the first game and you enjoyed things like the battle with the Hydra, or the way you got that "flea on a dog's back" feeling when you realized that in order to get into Pandora's Temple you were going to have to somehow get onto the back of the Titan that was carrying it, God of War 2 is filled to over flowing with those kind of moments. Everything about the game, as you progress, just feels far grander that GoW 1. The levels are bigger, the challenges are more engaging, and the enemies are more bad ass.

    It's also a large testament to the designers on the balance with which these gameplay elements are rolled out. Instead of having minor skirmishes, with a flood of minor enemies, then a puzzle, then maybe another skirmish, this game injects a boat load of boss encounters, each one more intimidating than the last. If this game has something about it that helps set it apart from the previous I think it has to be the overall balance of the fights that just keep cranking it up as the game progresses. It helps make the game feel more like one massive boss fight instead of a series of smaller fights leading up to the last and final action packed slugfest. I loved the first game, but I just felt that God of War 2, at its conclusion, gave me a more fulfilled feeling. The feeling that Kratos is this tiny gnat buzzing the collective ear of a grand, epic, mythological world was much more apparent to me in this game than in the first.

    If I had just one small fault with the game (and it's ever so slight), I think it would actually revolve around the final boss fight though. I won't spoil it, but I have to say that I was a little let down with that final encounter. The final fight in God of War 1 was far more "white knuckled" in my opinion than the final face off in God of War 2. The first game practically had me on the ground begging for mercy, but I actually got thru the final boss in the second game on my first attempt. It took away very little from the overall experience, but I think I would have enjoyed it ever so much more if the final boss wasn't such a chump.

    God of War 2 is, without much doubt, one of the singular best action games anyone is going play on the PS2 and easily one of the top ten games of the PS2's vast and deep catalog. It's an absolutely fantastic game to send the PS2 out on also, and after finishing I think I shed a small tear for all the great times I have had on the PS2 platform (and maybe even a small tear for what might have been for this old war horse). I anxiously await the further adventures of our boy Kratos....don't tell him I called him a boy...

    Other reviews for God of War II (PlayStation 2)

      Violence and the 2010 Olympics, part 2 0

        God of War 2 is a lot like the Olympics, if you think about it for a second and no longer. There’s a decidedly Greek undertone, you have multiple nations going to war against each other (in this case, gods vs titans), there’s an overpriced musical score to accompany it, and there’s a torch or two involved. Of course, there are differences, too. One uses torches are part of tradition while the other uses them to charcoal the living. One costs the player $60 at launch while the other costs a ci...

      20 out of 22 found this review helpful.

      Is not as Good as its Predecessor. 0

      God of War 2 is the second installment to the god of War series on Ps2. Like in the first game, you again play as Kratos as he yet again goes on an epic story of revenge against the Gods. God of War 2 directly starts off where the first game left off. Kratos slayer of Ares is now the new God of War. But Kratos is still haunted by the memories of his past and the only way he can deal with it is by fighting. So Kratos sends his Spartan army on a crusade of pillage and destruction. The Gods of Ol...

      3 out of 3 found this review helpful.

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