God of War
Tell the kids to close their eyes...
It's time to murder, drink alcohol, have sex, and kill a god. Do you like these things? Well, you just might have to play God of War!
God of War takes place in mythological Greece and you play as Kratos, an antihero of sorts who is a brutal and vicious general of the Spartan army. During Krato's lengthy and difficult adventure is full of save points, intelligent puzzles, and epic fights. Kratos will learn many attack combos, skills, spells, and abilities as the adventure goes on. Throughout the game you will be able to upgrade your weapons and spells as well as finding items that upgrade your health and magic bars. The game is also peppered with secret areas that give access to power-ups. After beating the game you will unlock bonus features like artwork and "exclusive making of" footage.
Technically, God of War is an amazing production; intense orchestral music, over the top graphics and animation, a very steady framerate and minimal load times, responsive button combinations, and a difficulty that stays challenging but never penalizes you for dying too much (plenty of continue spots). One of the most impressive aspects of the game are the boss fights. These fights are so cinematic and intense, you get an urge to show your friends, family, and pets. However, one problem with the game is that it lacks a large amount of these boss fights. They become like a drug addiction and soon you find yourself wanting more, but then you realize that there are only a handful. Luckily for us, the game is so full of cutscenes and puzzles that it never becomes boring.
Sometimes the difficulty of the game can be a little unbalanced and the camera, although perfect from almost any angle, is usually fixed and cannot be moved to see the beautiful levels. If you like violence, good controls, and good storyline, God of War is definitely a game you don't want to miss and at it's current price (around $20 at your local Gamestop/EB) you should definitely treat yourself.
-Philosoma
