God of War II

Voices of: Linda Hunt, Terrence 'T.C.' Carson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Carole Ruggier, Harry Hamlin, Corey Burton, Paul Eidling, Fred Tatasciore, Susan Silo, Alan Oppenheimer
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Directed by: Cory Barlog
Rating: M
Genre: Hack and Slash
System: Playstation 2
2007

Times Completed:
Tim: 1

Summary: Kratos is betrayed by the Gods of Olympia, sending him on a perilous journey to obtain immense power from the Sisters of Fate so he can confront Zeus.

Review:
Tim: Wow. I loved and loathed (at times) God of War, so I was not prepared for what the sequel would deliver. God of War II improves on the original in every way. It removes most of the aggravating, pointlessly awful challenges, it ramps up the story, and it delivers a pure, high octane playing experience. This is hands-down one of the best video games of all time and immediately puts this franchise in rarefied territory. This is an all-timer for sure.

I was most struck by the insanely epic journey Kratos goes on through this game. It builds upon the exceptional work in the original, but it takes it to another level. The game starts by Kratos having his powers drained from him. He has to battle the Colossus of Rhodes, in one of the great game beginnings. Zeus then betrays Kratos, killing him. Kratos then descends into the Underworld, where he is saved by Gaia. He begins his quest for the Sisters of Fate, obtaining Pegasus, then meets Typhon, Prometheus, and then Kratos flies to the Island of Creation where he finds the Steeds of Time. He battles a number of foes, including Perseus and Icarus. Kratos continues, fights a deadly Kraken and frees a powerful Phoenix. Kratos battles the Sisters to try and obtain the Loom of Fate, which provides him with the ability to travel back in time, ready for his final confrontation with Zeus. I didn't cover all the story points, but that above paragraph is insane. Kratos meets so many iconic Greek myths, achieves so much through this one game- I was stunned, every few minutes it felt like another iconic moment. This game's story is superb. The evolution of Kratos is remarkable. Whereas I really liked him throughout the first game, I loved him by the end of this. His development into one of the all-time iconic game characters really happens in this game.

I have to say, I loved the mix of battles and puzzles in this game. It always felt challenging, but it never felt completely ridiculous (like the first game). Sure, there were some really challenging moments and I grew frustrated. But, I never felt the rage-inducing absurdity of stupidly difficult challenges this time. Even when the game was at its hardest, it was still tons of fun. That's my big takeaway from playing- I had so much fun. The game hits all the right notes, engages you with the story, vastly increases the number of bosses- it felt bigger and better than the original in every single way. It feels cinematic, epic, and you get to play through it all. It's a brilliantly constructed game from beginning to end.

I completed the game in 14:04:23, about four hours longer than the original. My rank was Spartan. I upgraded all weapons to Max, except for Medusa's Stare (same as the original, I just never use that power). I appreciated the different weapons, but I just love clobbering people with the Blades of Athena. I love that weapon. The ability to absorb attacks and throw them back (from the Golden Fleece) was definitely one of the best upgrades. I loved having Icarus' wings and the gliding challenging were superb. Flying on Pegasus gave us some of the most innovative, cinematic levels yet. In the game, I collected all the Gorgon Eyes and all the Phoenix Feathers, so I was at max strength by the end. I collected 3 out of the 6 urns. This isn't a game I replay, I love the story so much, I was intent on just moving on and learning what surprises were in store for Kratos next. I ended the game with 1,275 kills, 217 Brutal Kills, and my Max Combo was 225. I had 21 Shatter Kills, but died a total of 95 times. I've said this before- I'm definitely not the best of these kinds of games. I love playing them, but it's more narrative-driven, verses wanting to perfect my game play. There are far better gamers out there.

I do think the visuals of this game were improved, too. They were great in the original, but even on the same system, the visuals improved immensely. I loved the character design, the brutality of the game. There's still enough here to warrant an "M" rating. The nudity was toned down quite a bit, although it still popped up here and there. This is definitely a violent, adult-focused game.

I really loved God of War II. I do believe it's one of the finest games ever created. The story is amazing, although I have to admit the ending left me feeling a bit cold. It did feel like a lot of build up for not as much payoff as I'd like. Kratos does become one of the most iconic video game characters here, though. He's unbelievably cool and started to get even more depth to him in this game. I can't think of many examples of characters who have been through as much as he has in only two games. The franchise will obviously continue and this game was so amazing, I won't need a year-long break before picking up the next one. In the world of video games, there's so many contenders for truly great games. God of War II absolutely belongs in the conversation among the best. It's iconic, pure fun to play, and provides players with an unforgettable, epic journey. I loved my time here.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Game, We Recommend: Shadow of the Colossus, God of War, Bayonetta, God of War: Chains of Olympus