Behold! One of the decade's best action games!
As far as action games go, God of War was an incredible achievement that has become one of the greatest games of all time. GoW II is exactly that, possibly nothing more and nothing less, aside from the continuation of a great story. This is probably thanks to the fact that Kratos is one of the baddest good guys out there. That, and the rich use of Greek Mythology to bring the entire story to life with appearances from characters like Prometheus, Perseus, Athena and best of all, the Titans.
Game play is without a doubt flawless as it always has been with this series. Controls are responsive and easy to master. The action is constant with hordes of enemies coming at you as you unleash the fury of the titans on them and anything else in your way. You're armed with Athena's blades and several other weapons you find on your way, like a bow that shoots magic missiles. The simple and easy to use upgrade system is back and so are your special powers, only now you'll rely on the powers of the Titans. Attacks like Atlas' Quake that destroys everything around you, or Chronos' Rage that paralyzes enemies with electricity.
The locations in this game are gigantic and absolutely beautiful. Also there's nothing more breathtaking than the boss fights. Not only are there more, but they are so much more challenging, some requiring you to solve puzzles. The puzzles in general are also very enjoyable and are spaced far apart enough so as not to interfere with the action. This game has an overall incredible presentation. The musical score is strong and goes well with the action. The cut scenes take you in and out of the game play and the CG Animation is very delightful.
I was surprised to see that it took me about 15 hours to finish the game on Normal mode, and if that weren't enough, there are tons of unlockables, including a 7 stage Challenge Mode and a Titan Mode Difficulty for die hard gamers. I have to apologize for the constant flow of positivity, but I just can't seem to find anything wrong with this game, aside from the annoying button mashing minigames. I'm shocked by how much I enjoyed the whole ride. This isn't even my type of game, after all.