Kratos is back, and he wants to stab something.
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enterNow Playing: God of War II Video Review
God of War II picks up not terribly long after the original game's end (meaning if you haven't played the first game, you ought to before checking this one out, both for story continuity purposes, and because God of War is awesome), with Kratos having exacted his revenge upon the previous god of war, Ares, and assumed his role on Mount Olympus. But even with all these newfangled godly powers, Kratos is unsatisfied. He continues to command the Spartan army and directs them to tear through the known world, conquering city after city. This utter disregard for the other citizens of Greece displeases the pantheon, and Kratos suddenly finds himself on the outs with the Olympians. Betrayed by Athena and seemingly killed by Zeus, Kratos is rescued by Gaia of the Titans, the old race that the gods felled to eventually take power on Olympus. Gaia instructs Kratos that his fate can be changed, but only if he can reach the ridiculously remote temple that houses the Sisters of Fate. What follows is an epic and daunting journey that has Kratos suffering through trials that make his last outing seem like a lighthearted romp in comparison.
It's an interesting tale that God of War II tells, almost more so because so much of it is about what happens around Kratos, rather than Kratos himself. The game spends long stretches focusing on the myths and legends that surround the battles between the gods and the Titans, setting up backstory for the mess that Kratos has gotten himself involved in. In this regard, there's a bit less of an emotional connection to this game. You don't have any of those moments of personal horror as you did in the first game concerning Kratos and his savage past that led him astray--but that's OK. This isn't exactly a game that requires emotional storytelling to get by. God of War II is much more about the journey, the mythos, and the desire to just kill anything that comes within a step of your path.
Fortunately, the game gives you plenty to kill and makes it plenty fun to do so. Apart from the usual array of Cyclopes, minotaurs, and zombie warriors, there's a whole host of new characters to fight, not the least of which are several recognizable figures from Greek mythology, such as Icarus, Perseus (voiced by, of all people, Clash of the Titans' Harry Hamlin), and big-daddy Olympus himself, Zeus. Mind you, the God of War universe doesn't treat the mythology on which it's based with much regard for accuracy. This is basically Greek fan fiction, with the only real goal being to bring together as many characters from Greek mythology as possible and then provide fun ways to kill all of them. On this front, the game doesn't disappoint.
You could easily call God of War II a significantly more brutal game than the last. Though the core combat engine hasn't changed a lick, the action itself feels even more hysterically violent than before. Many of the goriest moves continue to come from context-sensitive button-pressing minigames. Larger, more powerful enemies can often be killed in some completely awesome way by wearing them down until a button icon appears above their head. From there, you press the buttons that pop up onscreen, and Kratos will, for example, yank the eye out of the head of a Cyclops or twist off the head of a medusa like a pop-top, among others. Many of the final blows delivered to the game's bosses follow the same type of formula, and not only are there more of them than in the last game, but they're even more fun to kill as well. The whole game is basically a giggle fest for violence junkies. If you aren't hooting, hollering, or standing up and slow clapping after each elaborate and barbarous kill, you've officially invested yourself in the wrong game.
The brutality has definitely been ramped up in this sequel.
With all that said, it's a bit disappointing that more wasn't done to the combat engine this time around. Kratos still looks extremely hardcore as he whips his dual blades around in every direction and murders everything in sight, but at its core, the combat feels pretty much identical to the last game, in that it's prone to button mashing and can be easygoing. That's not to suggest that the enemy fights are breezy, as there are some legitimately tough fights scattered all throughout the game, but there are times where you'll find yourself pining for a bit more depth to the combo system as you hammer on the attack buttons and find yourself making solid progress without much thought or care. Granted, that's only on the bottom two difficulty levels, and you'll more than likely find yourself in grave shape if you try that technique on the higher levels. But then again, most people won't want to put up with the fully sadistic nature of the higher difficulty levels for very long, so that's a bit of a double-edged sword, so to speak.
You do get some new combat abilities in God of War II, including new magic and weapons. Some of these are excellent, such as the earthquake magic that sends everything on the ground flying into the air and large chunks of rock flying every which way, or the giant hammer weapon that's agonizingly slow but delivers incredible damage. But like the original game, God of War II has a bit of trouble making some of these weapons and abilities consistently useful. Each time you earn a new magic, the older magic becomes irrelevant, and some magic, such as the medusa head that turns enemies to stone, is only useful for very specific segments of the game, which are pretty plainly called out. Weapons suffer from a similar fate. While they all do solid damage (especially if you upgrade them), the default dual blades that Kratos rocks from the get-go are just better all-purpose weapons and tend to be easier to use against most enemies. The one addition of real significance is a pair of flying sequences, where you board one of a couple of types of winged creatures and fly to your next destination on rails, while enemies fly in and try to kill you. These sequences don't involve much beyond swiping at bad guys that get close, periodically dash attacking them, and doing more contextual moves, but they're a nice distraction from the standard action. It's just a pity there's only two of these sequences.
Flying around on the back of a gryphon or Pegasus is pretty cool, though there isn't necessarily a whole lot to these parts.While the combat hasn't seen much alteration in the years since the first game, the level designs absolutely have, and for the better. As well paced as God of War was, God of War II is paced immaculately. Every puzzle, every enemy encounter, and every little piece of the game's action feels like it's in the right place. The puzzle designs themselves are even better than the last game, staying tricky while not getting overly labyrinthine just for the sake of causing a headache. The basic puzzle designs haven't changed much, requiring a lot of lever pulling and switch hitting, but you do get some new twists now and again, such as the areas where you have to pick up random corpses and otherwise incapacitated warriors and use them as weights for switches or mangle their bodies in some horrifically bloody way to keep going. At times the puzzle goals feel arbitrary, but as you do spend the bulk of the game navigating this completely insane maze of an island trying to reach a seemingly unreachable temple, it makes sense that a few of the puzzles would just be there to mess with you.
Even the platforming sections feel tighter and more refined in this game. Suffice it to say, there's nothing like those cursed Hades blades from the last game in this one. There's even a new mechanic in the form of swing points that Kratos can latch onto with his blades. You simply jump up near one and press the R1 button to attach, and then hold that button down to swing. There are some really neat sequences in the game that involve this mechanic, and it's a welcome addition all around.
By the end of God of War II's 12 to 15 hour journey, you'll find yourself a mixture of exhausted, overjoyed, and a bit frustrated. You'll only be frustrated in the sense that the game doesn't wrap things up in an especially neat fashion and leaves you hanging for the inevitable next sequel. Again though, that the quality of the adventure is so high makes up for this one indiscretion. Once you're done with the game, there are the harder difficulty levels to attack, as well as a few bonus challenge modes that really aren't all that great. However, there's a bonus DVD that includes a number of neat behind-the-scenes features that give you some intriguing looks into the making of the game. There's no one feature that really stands out like the lost-levels feature in the last game (there's a version of that here, though it's not quite as deep or interesting), but there's a lot of interesting insight to be had overall.
On the presentation front, God of War II easily matches its predecessor and even surpasses it on several levels. This is another breathtaking game filled with superb art design and immense environments. No joke, the scale of God of War II is really something to behold. It seems like every new area you enter is backgrounded by yet another gigantic structure that you have to trek to, and when you finally get there, the sheer size of it seems even more insurmountable than it did from a distance. It's awe-inspiring stuff, to be sure. That the technical graphics are just as impressive is really saying something. As PlayStation 2 games go, this is one of the most attractive you'll encounter, especially if you run the game in progressive scan and widescreen modes. The character models are equal parts gorgeous and grotesque, the environments are incredible to look at (even when they're not gigantic), and everything runs and animates without a hitch. The fixed-view camera work is once again top notch, almost never giving you any problems during combat and doing a fantastic job of framing the action. The only real visual problem the game has is that you'll see a frequent amount of screen tearing as you run around and force the camera to move quickly. It's not horrible or anything, but it's there often enough to notice.
God of War II can really be summed up in a single word: Big.The audio is just about as fantastic as the original God of War's. Once again, the highlight is the soundtrack, which is the perfect blend of fast, intense orchestral work and soft, sometimes unsettling pieces. It's even more impressive that the music blends so nicely with the action. The choral singing ramps up as each moment of excitement transpires, and then things return to normal almost seamlessly afterward. The voice acting is also all-around excellent, though it's not quite as enjoyable as it was in the last game. Kratos is as gruff and over the top as ever, and some of the supporting performances--such as Linda Hunt as Gaia, the narrator; Hamlin as Perseus; and Corey Burton as Zeus--are top-notch work. On the other hand, a few of the performances feel a bit labored or overwrought. In particular, Michael Clarke Duncan as Atlas feels more wooden than imposing. The voice is right, but his performance is oddly subdued. Still, the few off performances aside, this is another enjoyable voice cast.
You could easily tag God of War II as "more of the same," but while the game definitely feels familiar, there's more to it than just a simple rehash of what made God of War fun. Its tighter, more focused pacing and dedication to creating vast, memorable levels sets it apart from the last game and makes it a better overall experience. Simply put, it's easily one of the best action adventure games of the last console generation, and it even trumps much of what has been shown in the current generation. For fans of the first game, and fans of bloody, violent, exciting action in general, God of War II shouldn't be missed.
Ripping The Head Off Of A God: Why God Of War 2 Is The Best In The Series - GamesRadar+
God of War 3 may be getting the fancy PS4 HD treatment, but it's God of War 2 that stands head and angry shoulders above the rest of the series…
How do you make a deity vulnerable? After all, when you’re a strapping slab of irritable Ancient Greek muscle who can zap himself into a skyscraper-sized slaphead, you’re not going to sweat a narked-off Harpy. After Kratos conquered Ares and claimed his godly seat on Mount Olympus in the original, Sony Santa Monica had set itself quite the challenge in creating a worthy follow-up to PS2’s most iconic actioner.
Sensibly, God Of War 2 immediately nerfs your antihero’s Olympian powers, reducing him to a mere… uh, near-unstoppable killing machine. Ah well, at least your freshly man-sized, surly Spartan has to contend with a sentient statue that makes the giant metal dude in Jason And The Argonauts look like a garden gnome. And that’s what really defines this sequel: scale.
You may likeAs the Colossus Of Rhodes politely reveals before stomping you into a squidgy paste, it’s definitely about the size of the Cerberus in this fight. Bigger in almost every conceivable way, GOW is a veritable kill list scrawled with the names of Greek mythology’s A-listers. It’s this irresistible combination of sprawling grandeur and X-rated monster murder that makes old homicidal britches’ pursuit of the Sisters Of Fate such a success.
Now, while Kratos’ first tale was a lean and muscular action game carved out of sturdy combat and set-piece spectacle, it was also a bit of a tease. After opening with one of best sustained scraps on PlayStation, GOW’s mighty Hydra scuffle is followed up by just two other boss fights in the entire game. Compare that to the sequel’s dozen offerings and the increased scale of Ghost Of Sparta 2.0 is as striking as a tiara-sporting Cyclops entering the Miss Teen USA Bikini Finals.
And oh, what bosses they are. Eviscerating Perseus (cutely played by Clash Of The Titans’ Harry Hamlin), yanking off the serpent-encrusted noggin of a big-boned Gorgon that looks like a cross between Kaa and Lisa Riley, or impaling the monstrous Kraken on what’s essentially a giant fish tackle; God Of War II’s headline battles are a masterclass in spectacle and controlled fury. Oh, and did we mention the baddy with a thousand boobs? Yeah, perhaps we’ll save that story until the young ‘uns have trotted off to bed.
What we will tell you about is the game’s impeccable pacing. Although this is an experience still based on decapitating hundreds of identical beasties, Sony Santa Monica keeps your journey constantly breezing, thanks to varied set-pieces and a revolving carousel of evocative locations. Whether it’s clambering across the Steeds Of Time (imagine four Mount Rushmore-sized ponies) or tumbling down a near-bottomless cavern as you tussle with Icarus over his wings, God Of War II constantly cycles through grisly sights to keep you enthralled. Hell, there’s even a Pegasus flying bit where you gut an armada of Griffins.
Released in the UK just over a month after PS3, Kratos showed PS2 was still capable of technical feats that could wow in the era of the Cell chip. Indeed, in terms of sheer spectacle, Sony’s new baby arguably had nothing to match God Of War II until the Titan-taming third adventure. It also proved the series could blossom without the vision of David Jaffe, as the first game’s lead animator Cory Barlog effortlessly slid into the sweary creator’s loafers to steer the sequel to critical acclaim.
It’s a dirty great barrelling boulder of a game. Relishing in over-the-top pantomime violence, God Of War II reimagines the works of Homer and Hesiod as an R-rated Ray Harryhausen picture where gory polygons, not plasticine, prove God is a Greek.
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Is God Of War 2 Still Great 10 Years Later? - PlayStation LifeStyle
Sony was in a strange place when God of War II released 10 years ago today. The highly successful PlayStation 2 continued to have a healthy library of new releases despite the PlayStation 3 being released in late 2006. A hefty price tag and lack of must-have titles early on put Sony behind Microsoft, which was an unfathomable position just a few years prior. To hurt things further, Sony’s biggest release in 2007 was for the PlayStation 2, not their new system they were trying to get off store shelves.
What a release it was, though. The sequel to 2005’s God of War was a huge title, and essentially the swan song to one of the most successful consoles of all time. It was a critical and commercial success, as it ended up pleasing over four million PS2 owners. It was one final bow for Sony’s beloved console, as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Halo 3, and Wii Fit obliterated sales records the rest of the year and showed that players had moved onto new systems.
In the 10 years since, the God of War series saw four major releases (two on PSP, and two on PS3). Despite continuing to find success, the series managed to stagnate as the gameplay never really evolved past God of War 2. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as all four God of War titles were well received, but it did lead to Santa Monica Studio deciding to go in a drastic new direction for its new PlayStation 4 entry.
Does It Hold Up?
As someone who likes to revisit older releases quite often, I was interested in seeing if God of War II was as much fun in 2017 as it was originally in 2007. That led to me replaying the game in the past week, as I dusted off my PlayStation 2, and finally got around to checking out the HD version that Sony put out for PlayStation 3. Much to my surprise, God of War II has aged very well, and is still a blast to play.
There’s many reasons why the game has aged well, but a lot of it comes down to fun gameplay design. God of War was never about technical combat like Devil May Cry, but it was all about snapping the jaws off of enemies. This meant that Sony Santa Monica wasn’t trying to revolutionize gaming (although God of War‘s production values did set a new high), but provide a game that was fun from beginning to end. They succeed in that aspect.
It’s also helped by a very strong opening. One of God of War II‘s finest moments is its tutorial sequence that has the player facing off against a statue come to life called the Colossus of Rhodes. It’s an epic battle as Kratos has to tear down the structure from the inside-out, and it’s one of the best examples of an “abili-tease” in gaming. By the end of the battle, Kratos has lost all of the power that he had worked so hard to gain in God of War, and the player has a million reasons to regain them and battle against the Gods once again.
Variety
This strong start is just setting the table for things to come, as God of War II really never lets off the gas pedal. Memorable scenes follow one after another, and it’s really just an enjoyable game to take in. One of the reasons why it was such a great sequel, was that it built upon all of God of War‘s strengths, while also adding some much needed variety.
One of the best examples of this is when Kratos takes flight with Pegasus, and battles enemies in the air. Not only does this scene make for an awesome visual, it breaks up the monotony of grounded combat that takes up the bulk of the game. This is also something that NieR: Automata did so well, as it constantly shifted between genres and it shows just how important variety is to gaming
What really differentiates God of War II from other action games is how much polish that went into the game. Every attack looks brutal, the death animations are just as violent as I had remembered them, and there’s constantly new types of enemies being introduced. By always providing something new, it avoids becoming overly repetitive, and it’s why the highly accessible combat works here yet fails in other games.
Visual Splendor
One of the reasons why I had doubts about God of War II holding up well, was due to the game (and the series as a whole) relying so much on big moments. After all, when someone thinks about God of War, they think about battling gigantic enemies, and scaling incredible landscapes. Since 10 years had passed, and gaming has taken such huge graphical leaps, I thought this would be the area where the game simply wouldn’t hold up.
I was wrong. The big moments in God of War II are still absolutely thrilling, and more than a few times I found myself just appreciating the game’s visuals. One of the biggest reasons why it’s still so impressive is that it was one of the best looking PlayStation 2 games. The larger than life environments are still awesome depictions of Greek mythology, and some fantastic art direction has helped the game age better than games that went for a realistic look. While the lack of detail is still very noticeable, I couldn’t help but be impressed when I saw Kratos battling a cool looking boss.
Another reason why the game really stood out graphically was due to some fabulous camera work. Moments when the camera would pan out and show just how tiny Kratos was in comparison to the huge areas he was traversing left me impressed, and it’s this cinematic quality that has been a long running staple of the series. It still works very well, and the game wouldn’t be nearly as impressive if the player had full control over the camera.
Verdict: Still RadIf you’re looking for something nostalgic to play this week, you can’t do much better than God of War II. Even 10 years later, Kratos’ best adventure is still a blast to play, and it’s proof that fun design stands the test of time. There’s no better time to get your revenge on the Gods once again as Sony Santa Moniac Studio works on the fantastic looking PlayStation 4 entry in the series.
Essential Reading: Ranking God of War
Kratos' most recent adventure wasn't his greatest. God of War: Ascension is still a very good time, but it just felt like more of the same. Even the addition of multiplayer didn't make this feel like a fresh entry to the series. Here's to hoping that the next game changes things up in a bigger way.
While it certainly wowed in 2005, the same can't be said today. Since it's the first game in the series, it makes sense that God of War is rough around the edges, and has aged more poorly than more recent entries. Some of the puzzles are more of a hassle than clever, and the level design can be tedious at times. While it's by far the most important game, it's simply not the best.
God of War: Chains of Olympus was a revelation on the PlayStation Portable. Players got to experience a full-blown console like experience on the go, and not a watered down version. Ready at Dawn did a fantastic job with each of the two portable games, but Chains of Olympus is the weaker of the two.
Ready at Dawn was one of the PlayStation Portable's top developers, and God of War: Ghost of Sparta is their crowning achievement. The portable adventure told a more personal tale about Kratos than other entries have, and it was fascinating learning more about the enigmatic hero. It also featured some of the most fun skills in a God of War game which manages to get it into the top 3.
Kratos' first HD adventure was a great one. God of War III is graphically stunning, especially in the PlayStation 4 remastered version, and features some of the most epic moments in the series. Memorable boss fights, and a great ending scene brings this to number two on our list.
The last God of War game that David Jaffe worked on is also the best in the series. God of War II featured a much better story than the original game, and managed to build upon it mechanically. Everything that was good about God of War was great in God of War II.