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Sony’s Santa Monica studio scores a major hit. God of War is an incredible action game, one that manages to provide enough gameplay to stimulate your thumbs and mind. This is certainly a major feat for action games. Aside from the great gameplay, you’re going to find one of the best looking games the PlayStation 2 can put out.
The game’s story is actually pretty enjoyable. In God of War, you play as Kratos, a deeply troubled warrior, whose reputation was wronged by Ares, the god of war. You’ll begin the game as Kratos apparently jumps to his death, though the game will backtrack and show you how this all came about. It doesn’t take much time for you to realize that Kratos is an ass-kicking machine. As such, he is charged with recovering Pandora’s Box to kill Ares before he destroys Athens. SCEA Santa Monica gives you insight to Kratos along the way, learning more about his past, and his motivation. Although nothing spectacular, God of War’s story is at least told elegantly.
As I will mention below, the game’s production values make it shine. It is simply presented wonderfully. That said, the gameplay is just as outstanding. Kratos spends much of his time fighting enemies as he goes through the game. The game’s combat system is nimble, allowing you to link together combos with ease. As you progress, you’ll to earn new weapon types from the gods you will encounter. For example, Zeus will enable you to throw lighting bolts. Many different types of magic can be found, as well. The game also lets you collect red orbs, which you then use the upgrade your weapons. God of War mixes up the combat by introducing some moves for a specific situation. Usually with a larger boss, you’ll be able to engage in either a rhythm-based or button-mashing minigame to counter a boss. While not a particularly major addition, it does keep the game interesting. The bosses, while few, are exceptional. They’re all incredibly quick, forcing you to use all the skills you have earned up to that point. If there is one criticism, it is that more are not included.
Aside from combat, the game has a rather fleshed-out puzzle element. They are truly something unique in terms of scope. Although they seem simple initially, the puzzles are quite involved. You’ll need to solve many smaller pieces before the puzzle is solved, and the result is something you can be proud of. That said, these pieces involve the staples of action game puzzles. You’ll push a few levers, move some statues, and hit some switches.
God of War provides plenty for your money. The game isn’t too difficult on the regular difficulty mode, although it will probably suit most gamers. Thankfully, a hard mode is available from the beginning and is recommended to play through once you grasp the game’s basic skills. Completing the game once will unlock a new “God Mode,” which will surely challenge even Ninja Gaiden veterans. Aside from God Mode, you’ll unlock a lot of DVD-style bonus material for completing the game. A minigame is also unlocked. It should be noted that completing God Mode unlocks even more bonus material.
God of War is one of the best looking PS2 games. The game pushes the hardware incredibly hard, probably to the limits. The game’s character models, particularly Krotos, are excellent. Moreover, the animation is top-notch. Ubisoft Montreal’s games are usually incredibly well-animated, and God of War sits comfortably along their best. The game manages to push a lot of enemies on screen, though sometimes the framerate will drop if you’re in too detailed of an environment. Speaking of the environments, they are huge. The game gives you plenty of opportunities to explore, and all of the levels are wonderfully designed. Greek mythology obviously has a strong impact in the artwork, and it comes through wonderfully. The camerawork is also impressive, adding to the already top-notch production values. Aside from the technical aspects, the game is also very stylish. The game is quite violent, however. You’ll see blood everywhere, at one point you’ll even need to carry an entrapped soldier. The game flirts with some sexually mature concepts, but these are light-hearted in nature.
The game’s audio is just as amazing. All aspects of it were carefully thought out and perfectly complement the visuals, for a true show of excellent production values. The game’s narration is probably the highpoint as you’ll hear the relaxed narration of an older village female, and feel compelled to listen. The rest of the voice acting is solid, too. Kratos, in particular, comes across exceptionally well. The score is just fantastic, too. It is highly interactive, so you’ll hear a slower, more relaxed score when the game has a calm moment and truly epic music when things heat up.
God of War is one of the best games available on the PlayStation 2. Everything from the game screams high production values. The visuals are amazing, the audio is remarkable, and the gameplay is top-notch. It all comes together in a rare package. The game is definitely recommended. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Apr 7, 2005
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