Review: God of War II (PS2)

Start as you mean to go on. That seems to be the motto of Sony's Santa Monica development studio for the sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War. The first game was so over-the-top in many ways, from its depiction of brutal carnage to the epic storyline, that it seems impossible to even conceive of a way to improve on it and continue the story of Kratos. Simply put, God of War II is bigger, badder (in a good way), bloodier, than its predecessor, and all of this is apparent from the very first level.

The last game saw Kratos ascend to God-hood after slaying his tormentor Ares, but he's still not happy. Angered at his fellow Gods for refusing to end his nightmarish torment over the memory of his slain family, Kratos has been using his Spartan army to conquer all of their patron cities. Despite warnings from former ally Athena, he continues his rampage, descending upon the island of Rhodes to deliver the final blow himself. However, he is betrayed and returned to his mortal stature by Zeus, who also sets the 100-feet-tall Colossus statue on him... thus begins the first level.

Yes, the very first level tasks you with defeating said golden statue brought to life by a god, and it is one of the most spectacular opening sequences Gamestyle has ever seen. While Kratos deals with the blade-fodder of the Rhodes army, the Colossus smashes walls down in hope of capturing the fallen god; managing to do so several times and throwing Kratos clean across the island. By the time you finally get up close and personal to the beast, your jaw will have been sitting ion the floor for a full five minutes. The rest of the game continues on this jaw-dropping scale; after defeating the Colossus and finding new allies in the Titans (the Olympian's Immortal enemies), Kratos sets out to get his revenge by killing the big cheese himself - Zeus.

As you can imagine, such a lofty goal requires more than just walking up to the front door of Mount Olympus and smashing the All-father's face in when he opens it. Kratos must journey to the island of Fate and collect the various powers and abilities that will allow him to achieve his goal of deity destruction. So you must control Kratos as he slices and beats his way through the hordes of enemies who stand in his way. The combat, while very similar to the first game, has been tweaked to allow a more refined experience of wholesale homicide. Indeed, while 80% of the game boils down to relentless button-smashing combat, it still feels as fresh and fun as it did the first time. One feature that returns is the Quick Time Event kills, unique for each enemy type. After dealing enough damage to an opponent, Kratos can grab that enemy and, through a set of on-screen prompts, kill them in a spectacular and brutal fashion (usually yielding health or magic in addition to the standard upgrade orbs). When faced with a raging Minotaur, Kratos grabs the creature's huge mace, smacks them with it, and then uses his Blades of Athena to impale the creature on its own weapon. With far more boss fights in the game compared to the original, you've got a recipe for deliciously enjoyable violence.

Not only does God of War outdo itself on violence, but also manages to improve on the puzzles and platforming sections too. While most puzzles in God of War were made up pushing block A into slot B (no "that's what she said" jokes, please) or finding 'key' items to unlock doors, God of War II mixes things up a little. The moving block and key puzzles do return, but there enough new types of puzzle to satisfy you in between rounds of murderous mêlée mayhem.

And all this carnage is rendered beautifully through the game's graphics and sound. It's hard to deny that God of War II is one of the greatest looking and most epic games on the Playstation 2, but it wouldn't be much of a stretch to call it one of the best looking games on any console. While the PS2's infamous 'jaggies' do make an appearance on closer inspection, you won't care, as the art direction, scale and animation will simply suck you in. One such graphically-impressive scene is approaching the four Steeds of Time - four massive horses who have hairs larger than Kratos - watching the steeds as you approach across a giant chain with epic operatic music adding to the scale. There are many more memorable scenes to follow.

In fact, there is little to depreciate the scale of your own enjoyment from playing God of War II, but it's worth mentioning that there is no 60Hz mode available for us poor PAL users, and there is a smidge of screen tearing, but otherwise the game is graphically breathtaking. Length-wise, the whole adventure can be completed quite comfortable over 10 hours for a first try, and that includes the time spent re-doing certain sections that can cause imminent and honestly frustrating death. Still, these gripes are minor at best and in no way detract from the enjoyment of the game. Gamestyle eagerly awaits the follow-up in the series: "God of War III: Kratos Stabs The Universe In The Face".

Rating: 9 / 10

Words by Garry Webber