Jon22: The Website of Jonathan Dobres

Ah, Kratos. The Ghost of Sparta. The God of War. The original God of War is one of my favorite videogames. It goes on the short list along with The Legend of Zelda series, Guitar Hero, Final Fantasy VII, and Super Smash Brothers. It’s just a game done right. It raised the bar for an entire genre. It was gorgeous, struck the sweet spot on difficulty, told a simple but great story, and transmuted its relentless violence into a greater device to make Kratos into a believable antihero. It was an epic in every regard, perfectly executed.

So God of War II has big, murderous shoes to fill, and it absolutely succeeds. The gameplay is unbelievable. This is one of the few games that I can honestly describe using the word “thrilling.” The action starts in a matter of minutes and doesn’t ever let go. Penny-Arcade captures the mood nicely, (please note that their mouths are constantly agape). Like the first God of War, this game is consciously designed to feel like one long, unbroken experience. It never feels like the world is chopped into discrete dungeons. This world is huge, and you are going to break it in half with your bare hands.

God of War II is physically exhausting, using its signature minigame tricks to really immerse you in the action. Even the story is enhanced with this trademark. Your first fight with Zeus, for instance, is futile. The battle is scripted and you are going to lose. Rather than simply watch this play out as a nice animation, the game has you play along, desperately mashing buttons in an attempt to stop your vastly more powerful opponent. You’re not just watching Kratos lose the fight, you are losing the fight, and the difference in presentation is not trivial.

If God of War II has any great flaw, it might be that it has been released for the PS2 and not the PS3. Despite this, it’s still one of the best looking games on the market right now. Really, it’s amazing how far the Sony team has pushed the limits of the PS2 for this game. I just worry that this “last-gen” title may be overlooked by gamers who have been blinded by HDMI, their hunger for resolution insatiable.

The plot isn’t quite as strong as the first game, and it ends on a huge, if you will, cliffhanger. Then again, it’d be quite a feat to top the first game’s ending of, “You murder a 50-foot tall Aries and then ascend to his position as the God of War.” God of War II’s story picks up where you left off, only this time, a freshly betrayed and de-godded Kratos joins forces with the surviving Titans to take revenge on Olympus. You will meet Atlas on your journeys, and, as if by divine providence, he will be voiced by Michael Clark Duncan. God, I love this game.

As with the first God of War, this one leaves the player hungering for more. The bonus modes certainly go a long way toward easing the withdrawal symptoms, but still I wish there were, say, one or seven more areas to play.

So, you know, five stars, 10/10, Full Turnip, or whatever scoring system you like. I was terrified that the sequel couldn’t possibly live up to the original, but it really does. It’s really great, and I’m going to play at many more times.