God of War II Review

Aries!! Oh wait this is God of War II…Zeus!! Yes, everyone’s loveable, ruthless, not-give-a-fuck Kratos is back in the sequel to one of the best action games ever made. The first GoW was not perfect, but it was damn close. Sony Studios Santa Monica knew this, so GoW II is more of the same, which is really, really good.

The story is the weakest part of Gow II, which is saying something because it is as engaging as ever. After a cold shoulder from Zeus is turned on Kratos, he vows to find the Sisters of Fate in order to change his destiny. With the help of the Titans, Kratos declares war upon Mt. Olympus; only him and his burning blades will be standing upon the rubble in the kingdom of gods. The problem is that reaching the Sisters of Fate is a near-impossible task, and one which the majority of GoW II is comprised of.

The gameplay department remains almost the same. If you played GoW you can pick up the controller and jump right into GoW II, the buttons are mapped identically. Also returning are the on-screen button-matching mini games that provide the gruesome final blows to the larger enemies and bosses. I must admit, as I took down my first Minotaur, I had forgotten how delightfully violent some of the kills were in this series. It felt so right to be back delivering godly judgment to those who dare stand in Kratos’ way while bathing in fountains of their ill-fated blood.


There are some new secondary weapons for Kratos to find and power-up. Fortunately GoW II lets players swap them in and out on the fly with R2, avoiding annoying time-outs in the action to go into the menu and change weapons. Another new power for Kratos are the Wings of Icarus. While not allowing Kratos to fly but rather float farther distances than normal jumping would allow, the wings do not drastically change gameplay but instead allow for better level design and puzzles.

The puzzles in GoW II are well thought out and do not detract from the action too much, though there are a handful of them that will have gamers using their problem solving skills. Much of this has to do with the terrific level design, which spans cities, temples, forests, and even a few flying levels to mix things up. But do not be fooled, there are some intense moments in the game and you will die often. Thank Zeus that Santa Monica implemented an often and accurate checkpoint system. Because checkpoints occur so regularly, trial and error is encouraged and the pace of the game flows instead of having to play the same fifteen-minute section over and over.


There were some really engaging and epic boss battles in GoW and GoW II gives us even more. While there are three which stand out above the rest, the other battles are a nice mix of humans and mythological beasts, all which are enjoyable. The top three however, are three that will not be forgotten easily in gaming history.

GoW surprised everyone with what it could do using the PS2 hardware and being the last major title before the PS2 is retired, GoW II pushes it to the edge. More detailed and technically stunning than its prequel, GoW II must be seen first hand. I am having trouble writing about the graphics because I cannot think of any faults. Character design and animations are top-notch, cinematography and camera angles are used at blockbuster movie levels, and environments are both varied and lush. The CG cutscenes steal the show and viewers may find something wet on their chin; it’s called drool. Along with Metal Gear Solid 3 and Final Fantasy XII, GoW II is the best it gets on the PS2. Mix in perfect audio comprised of epic, sweeping orchestras and superb sound effect to complete this legendary package.

It is sad to see the PS2 go but I am glad it went out with a bang. PS2 owners and action game fanatics everywhere must play this game. As for Kratos, the end is just the beginning…