In the spirit of Devil May Cry and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, God of War delivers deep combat, rich puzzles and gorgeous graphics that continually push the envelope and the limits of the PlayStation 2.
In God of War, gamers guide Kratos, a fictional ex-Spartan warrior looking to save the city of Athens from the wrath of the God Ares, avenge his brutal past and repay a debt to the Gods. More and more of Kratos' past is revealed as the game progresses, and the engaging narrative does a good job of developing the protagonist at a consistent pace.
God of War's voice acting is strong as well, but the storyline especially shines in beautiful and grandiose cinematic sequences. In-game graphics are on par with the best that's been seen on the PS2 -- all of the character models are extremely detailed and move with a rare fluidity and wide variety of motions. God of War features an array of immersive atmospheres, as Kratos finds himself fighting in a cramped, barren underground corridor one minute and a massive outdoor courtyard the next.
The game sounds great too, combining an astounding rhythmic, ethereal, symphonic soundtrack with raw, worldly sounds that immerse players in the game world.
A game is nothing if it doesn't play well, and luckily, God of War again does not disappoint. At first, the game seems like a fairly straightforward action-adventurer -- Kratos eviscerates anything and everything that crosses his path. God of War is absolutely relentless, however, and the game works hard to make each subsequent enemy encounter more challenging and overwhelming than the last.
Kratos' main weapons are the Blades of Chaos, a pair of long-range blades on chains attached to his wrists, which strike out at enemies and return in a boomerang-like fashion. Throughout the course of the game, over 20 unique attacks can be purchased with cash gained from defeated enemies and the occasional treasure chest. The incorporation of an assortment of attacks keeps each battle fresh, as each enemy reacts differently to Kratos' attacks.
Kratos also wields a sword, which is stronger than the Blades of Chaos, but has a shorter range and fewer attacks. And magic spells are handy when fighting at a distance or against overwhelming enemy hordes.
God of War takes 10 to 15 hours to beat on the default difficulty setting, but offers quite a few extras, including six making-of video featurettes, a challenging mini-game and a "God Mode" difficulty setting (which unlocks even more content when completed).
Overall, God of War is one of the best action games on any console this generation and a must-have for any and every PS2 owner.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
