David Jaffe's bald-headed, albino badass returns
Several years ago, David Jaffe and the gang at Sony Santa Monica set out to create a game steeped in Greek mythology that would allow players to unleash their violent fantasies by playing as a bald-headed, albino badass. That game was the highly acclaimed and popular God of War, and it broke new ground in the action-adventure genre.
God of War II picks up where God of War left off and delivers a satisfying experience that exceeds its predecessor in scale, violence, art style, graphics, and length. The basic gameplay here is the same: Kratos hacks, slashes, and beheads his way through hordes of mythological enemies using his trusty bladed chains. Here is where the game suffers its main potential fault: while God of War II is better than the first, it doesn't really re-invent anything in the core gameplay formula.
Nevertheless, the game is a fun, worthwhile romp that is sure to satisfy fans of violent combat. If ripping out a cyclop's eyeball or tearing out an undead soldier's arm and beating him over the head with it sounds fun to you, God of War II is your game.
While combat with regular enemies is fun, the highlight of the game lies in its boss battles. There is plenty of variety here, but the most fun fights pit you against giant adversaries that you take down with gruesome measures.
All of this violence is wrapped in a world of stunning artistic quality, and the CG movies which unfold the compelling story are more impressive than the first game.
In sum, if you own a PS2, like action/adventure games, and are not turned off by violence, you should definitely check out God of War II. After playing this game, I cannot express how hyped I am for God of War III on the PS3.
