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Some people are off renting sports games to earn achievement points.  Others are trying to get their PlayStation 3’s friends list in order.  The rest of us gamers have been dusting off their PlayStation 2's anxiously awaiting God of War II.  The sequel to 2005’s award winning action/adventure game lives up to its predecessor in scale, excitement and generous amounts of spewing blood. 

Ghost of Sparta

God of War II picks up were the first game left off as Kratos sits atop his throne until the pull of revenge tosses him into battle.  Since the gods still refuse to release Kratos from his inner torment, he has taking solace in the people of Sparta becoming their war god.  Like the first God of War, the tutorial level throws Kratos immediately into battle to fighting a boss million times his size.  This is God of War IIs breathless way of getting you reacquainted with slashing Cyclops and stabbing out eyeballs. These large-scale, cinematic boss battles are a staple of God of War gameplay and they return in full force for the sequel.  Nothing will rival the excitement from your first Hydra battle, but they come pretty close to replacing the nostalgia.   God of War II's use of size and scale rivals the awe of Shadow of the Colossus.  At times Kratos is a small spot on the screen trekking through sprawling landscapes and unbelievable areas.  Even though there is little to no graphical upgrade over the original, the animations and backgrounds are top notch against the rest of the PlayStation 2 library. 
 

Holy Platforming Hell Atlas!

Fans of the first game will be relieved to know that at its core, the control system remains untouched.  Combos are executed seamlessly and you will be tossing guys up in the air, ripping their arms off and then beat them with their own limbs within the first few minutes.  Levers, cranks and shiny points are still your bff’s during puzzles.  Luckily the platforming has been fine-tuned so while challenging, there are no points that will make you throw in the towel.  Death sequences in God of War II are everything you would expect from a classy god of war – over the top, gory, and completely satisfying.  Pulling out Gorgon eyes, ripping off Gryphon wings and kicking Cerberus puppies never gets old. 

New to the franchise is a third meter below your heath and magic bars.  This power lets you slow down time when in close proximity to a glowing statue which adds a new level of difficulty to puzzles.  Luckily, it doesn’t come off as a cheesy bullet-time knock off, as combat remains untainted and the Amulet of the Fates is used primarily during puzzle solving.  At times the puzzles in God of War II had me using a phone-a-friend lifeline, but solutions were always intelligent and made sense in the context of the situation, unlike other titles (I’m looking at you, Resident Evil).  For those gamers that are in the camp who prefer smashing heads to kicking blocks, the game keeps a healthy harmony between the two; satisfying even to a hardened action addict.

A few weapons return from the original and remain largely unchanged.  You will still have the power to turn people to stone, attack from a distance and dismember the hell out of the unsuspecting masses.  Kratos retains a few of his past powers, such as breathing underwater, but, Sony has added some new fun relics such as Icarus wings you earn later in the game.  Kratos with wings doesn’t get much more devastating, but why is he forced to glide?  Gliding is for PilotWings, Gods of War should fly.  Regardless, as the story unfolds a few new secondary weapons are thrown into your arsenal, including a Donatello-esque two-headed spear and a hammer that mashes skulls into a fine paste.  While these alternate weapons look menacing, it’s never really necessary to switch away from the upgraded Athena’s Blade.  L1 + Square will be your new best friend. 

Only A Coward Accepts Death

If you loved the first God of War more then your first born child, get ready to throw out your second child for this sequel.  Likewise, if the first wasn’t your jam then this installment will do little to change your mind.  In the end, God of War II’s mechanics and it’s knack for epic storytelling stay true to the original, and deliver the cinematic title we were waiting for.  It’s always easy to criticize sequels for not making leaps and bounds in gameplay innovation, but in this case we’re glad that Kratos is still the same ruthless, badass, chick-mackin… well, god of war, that he was in the original.

Article by: James Youngblood
Video produced by: Michael Benson