God-like
God of War 1 & 2 are often considered to be the last truly amazing games to be released for the Playstation 2, pushing the system to its very limits and providing plenty of jaw-dropping moments that seem like they'd be more at home on the silver screen. Providing a gameplay experience akin to that of Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden, God of War is a must have for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the Hack and Slash Action genre. With truly addictive gameplay, stunning graphics and crisp sound effects, God of War is a great reason to whip your Dualshock 2 out and remind yourself of some of the great times your PS2 has given you over the years.
From the very beginning of the game, on a Spartan warship in the Aegean Sea, the stage is set for an epic series of events. The game eases you into the combat system, with Poseidon granting you your first magic power within a few minutes of starting up. There are no long cinematics or brain-congealing tutorial sequences - you are thrown into the middle of a bloody battle and expected to climb out. It makes for a great deal of intensity and fun from the start. One crucial gameplay aspect are 'context sensitive commands' - quick time events by another name. These usually take place when enough damage has been done to an enemy to stun them, then, you must either hit a series of buttons in quick succession, or mash a single button for a few seconds. Compared with other games I have played, the quick time events in God of War do not detract from the action quite so much, and the punishment for messing them up can be quite severe.
Combat is not the only area in which the gameplay excels. The game is also full of brain teasers - these can range from the simple, like pushing a few crates around, to puzzles that will make you feel overcome with rage one moment and flooded with satisfaction the next. Often times these puzzles will give you a brief break from the relentless combat, leaving you with just the ambient music as your companion. The longest puzzle actually takes up a whole mission, that might take you a few sessions to get through.
Thankfully, the gameplay is backed up by a fantastic story, which is, as the title suggests, about the Greek God of War (this is not the player character - it is difficult to explain without revealing too much). The story telling is handled by short cutscenes, which give us brief glimpses into the main character Kratos' past. It is a truly epic tale, with references to many of the characters and locations that people identify Greek Mythology with. Fans of 2007's 300 will feel right at home here, and anyone who enjoys the occasional Hollywood Blockbuster will at least gain some satisfaction from the game's events.
The graphics in God of War are distinct, to say the least, with terrifying renditions of classic beings like the Cyclops, Minotaur and even the the Greek God of the Underworld, Hades. The game is littered with beautiful particle effects, and the set pieces look spectacular - the image of Kratos edging along a cliff edge of a mountain being carried by a huge Titan through a stormy desert is one that will remain with many gamers for weeks after playing. The framerate stays consistent through most of the game, with only the occasional stutter during intense moments with many enemies on screen. The game is rated M for Mature for a reason - it seems as though the enemies all suffer from a severe case of Haemophilia, with blood filling the screen at a moment's notice. One element that truly stands out is the water - small pools appear just as fluid and glistening as they do in current generation titles, and it just goes to show that the Playstation 2 can still put up a good fight when compared with the newest consoles.
Of course, graphics are nothing without sound effects, and there are plenty to go around. From the ear splitting roar of the harpie, to the satisfying crunch of a gorgon's head being ripped from its body, God of War definitely delivers in this department. While the voice work could have been slightly better, there is never any extended dialogue, so this is not much of a problem. Even if it was, the soundtrack would more than make up for it - the game is accompanied by a sweeping score that changes from lively to sedate and vice versa at just the right moments. The instruments never sound like cheap imitations created on a budget MIDI device, either: this is definitely the real deal. The music fits incredibly well, and would fit right in to films like Gladiator and such like.
Overall, God of War is a fantastic play, and few bad things can be said about it. Seeing as it is now available for a steal on sites like Amazon.com (my copy was under $10) I would certainly recommend it. If you need more, I would also recommend God of War 2 - after that, you'll just have to be patient and wait for God of War 3.
