Beginning where the last title left off,
Kratos once again finds himself betrayed by the Gods of Mount Olympus who
have rescinded their offer of God status and reduced him back to his
mortal state. As the opening cinema suggests, the theme this time around
is reclaiming what has been taken from him and regaining his status as the
God of War. There's plenty of intrigue and plot twists to go around, which
unfold throughout your adventure. An impressive opening level where you
battle a huge Colossus statue brought to life is indicative of the type of
epic adventure to come. God of War II's structure and layout are
consistent with the first game, as players mix smaller battles with mortal
foes with a larger confrontation with a large boss character. As you begin
the game, you'll find an enormous amount of power in your hands, with
massive hit combos and swords immediately at your disposal. While the
moves are complex and showy, the game's interface isn't hard to master.
This is an immediately accessible title that should allow players of all
abilities to jump right in. You don't need to put a lot of effort into the
game and since a few simple button commands allow you to perform complex
moves such as throwing enemies around and launching them into the air with
little effort. There's a lot of blood shed in the game and its level of
violence is quite intense. God of War II further earns its M rating with
several very adult cut scenes where Kratos entertains maidens - these are
carried over from the first game and add to the main character's sense of
invincibility and omnipotence, despite his return to human form.
This
approach to the controls has the effect of underlining Kratos' powers,
making his movements feel effortless. Since you don't need to perform
elaborate button combinations to perform cool moves, it makes for a
smoother flowing game. Some of this is diminished by the sometimes too
obvious tutorials and hints that interrupt GOW II's flow, but these hints
can be turned off on the options menu. This is both a good and bad thing,
since it does take the edge off the challenge in certain areas, making it
feel less satisfying than it could, especially at the easier difficulty
levels. As you journey deeper into God of War II, you'll find and unlock
additional weapons and items that can be used to enhance Kratos' powers.
You begin with a powerful arsenal and can also call from the heavens to
inflict massive attacks. Since most of God of War II unfolds using a fixed
camera angle, you can focus on the action without having to worry about
camera movements. You can definitely sense the balance and design that's
gone into the gameplay, and this gives the game a distinct feel that
allows the player to use their instincts and reflexes when appropriate
while never compromising its sense of scale or cinematic quality. As you
play through the game, the story and plot develop in interesting ways and
these dramatic breaks feel like they've been integrated more seamlessly
this time. The gameplay effectively builds on the elements that made God
of War such a success, but doesn't stray too far from the original
conventions.
Kratos first adventure definitely set a
high-water mark in terms of pacing, production values and sheer challenge.
With its intimidating screen filling enemies and involving quest, it
definitely brought a new level of polish to the genre. If anything, the
sequel's overall pacing and structure are even more unrelenting and offer
very few breaks in the action. Each level offers an intense series of
sub-quests with enemies and bosses attacking you from all directions.
While it might be problematic in other titles, God of War II's approach
should appeal to those looking for pure action and thrills. While most of
the enemy soldiers you face offer little resistance, harder foes come to
the fore later on as you confront mythical beasts and stronger foes. As in
the first game, there's a good mix between easier to defeat enemies and
harder opponents. God of War II's earlier stages are fairly simple, but
things become more difficult as you move along. This learning curve is
relatively modest and the game does an excellent job in building up your
skills before throwing more difficult obstacles in your path.
This doesn't mean that the game is a
cakewalk, and in God of War II, the action never lets up at any stage of
the game. There are several puzzles that require at least a little bit of
thought to complete but they're fairly simple and shouldn't impede your
progression. One of the signature elements from the first game that makes
a return appearance this time around are the QTE battles where you need to
push buttons in rapid succession in order to attack a boss character.
While it makes the game easy to play on one level, it also disconnects you
from the action and makes the experience feel a bit more distant. The
game's controls could have been refined in these areas, but it feels kind
of cheap in the end. However, the majority of the game allows you to have
complete control over Kratos and these battles make up for their slightly
distant interaction with a far more cinematic feel than the rest of the
game. This approach works fairly well and makes what could have been a
fairly mindless hack and slash title into something that feels genuinely
epic and involving. It also helps to have a somewhat identifiable hero as
well. While Kratos is a violent man, you can understand and relate to his
motivations, making the carnage feel appropriate to God of War II's
evocative atmosphere.
From
a visual standpoint, God of War II is an impressive achievement that
brings gamers into its world quite brilliantly and marks a significant
improvement over the first. The level of detail and animation has been
noticeably improved, giving the game a smoother and richer appearance. As
in the first game, players find a mix of interactive and non-interactive
elements tied together into a cohesive package. Using cinematic techniques
such as close-ups and sweeping camera angles gives God of War II an
incredible sense of place and style. You definitely feel like you've been
transported to an ancient world. The game's elaborate boss battles are
inventive and deliver some of the most intense action sequences seen on
the PS2 to date. The game's fluid animation and character movements make
every element of Kratos' world come to life, as you battle menacing
enemies and foes that feel quite authentic. An epic, orchestral soundtrack
compliments your quest, adding drama and meaning to each thrust of your
sword. Excellent voice acting and characterizations further immerse you
into the action, making God of War II feel more like a movie than a game
at certain points. However, you never lose sight that you're playing a
game and its relentless pacing, brilliant storyline and fluid controls
make this one of the most playable titles on the console to date. While
the game is a bit more linear than you'd expect it to be, and feels a bit
on-rails during certain points, it's definitely one of the more thrilling
experiences to be found in any recent release. God of War II is a
fantastic sequel that offers another solid installment of the thrilling
combat, engaging storyline and invigorating gameplay that made the first
title so appealing.
-Michael Palisano
Grade:
A
