Remains excellent and was improved where it was still possible, especially in the dimension.
The style of God of War II is exactly like the first. The essence is the fighting - many, varied, intense and violent - but also has a lot of exploration and a little puzzle. Balance and rhythm are the watchwords. The game never drops the ball and almost no time when you feel you are not progressing.
The story begins shortly after the events of the first episode. Now, Kratos is a god, but the powers he gained in his divine new condition - not revenge against former war god Ares - do not excuse you from the torment of a personal tragedy. He turns his life to command the armies of Sparta and win more and more regions, and this caused dissatisfaction of other deities such as Athena and Zeus almighty, once allies of Kratos.
But as in every tragedy worthy of the title, the embittered character suffers fresh losses: he dies. But gods are not immortal? Yes, but it is a death in the divine plan, that is, it returns to its origin of humans. To reverse this, explaining the new allies of the former general, the Titans, you must reverse the heavenly providence. And fortunately, as we are talking about Greek mythology, this is more concrete than you can imagine: there are entities that take care of it and go by the name Sisters of Fate.
The plot has no depth and not intended as a lesson in Greek mythology, but a fiction with some of the most famous characters by Western civilization. This time the story is not focused on the protagonist, but the battle between the Titans and the gods. All washed down with a lot of blood, of course.
David Jaffe has said he does not really like non-interactive scenes and, indeed, "God of War" was the minimum needed for this feature. In continuation, there are more scenes like that, but there is a huge effort to tell the story through the game itself. Initially, Kratos is a god and, therefore, begins with the powers to maximum level. But this is just to give a taste of tearing everything out, because soon it all gets back and he will have to start from below.
As in the first game, the first phase works as business card: everything in it is calculated to make the best impression possible. Therefore, it is an action sequence with adrenaline a thousand: in this case, Kratos is chased by a giant statue that comes alive, the Colossus of Rhodes. Has been started alternating between ordinary and fighting the battles against the head, that not only beat, but get the right procedure, using elements of the scenario, for example. And here is the ideal time for the minigame press the buttons as they appear on the screen, concomitant with the action sequence that rival Hollywood movies.
After this first moment of breathtaking, it's time to get a little more relaxed (and this includes the erotic minigame that is becoming a trademark of the series), interspersed with scenes of exploration and puzzle, even when there is a new boss who are more numerous and varied: not all are giants, but it do not cease to be easy. It is always necessary to crack her head a little to "grab" the action that takes the power of chiefs. Anyway, it seems that every challenge popcorn at the right time.
The puzzles are not much: just enough to give more variety, but without dropping the pace too. Most are fairly simple, but some may require attention. However, the more difficult it is to find or reach the secret items. They are not required (or can be, depending on the difficulty level), but greatly facilitate the journey. It's a relatively friendly to novice and reward those who devote themselves more.
Fighting continues fluids and brutal as before. Many of the scams are inherited, but there are a number of new moves. They do not really change the way you play, but that is a pleasure for the eyes, that is, in general, the attacks seem more "angry". The battles also include both beginners and experts: you can move using just one button (less against bosses), but the efficiency increases when using "combos" sophisticated.
Violence is rampant and is undoubtedly one of the attractions of the game. Head behead, dismember, pulling eyes of Cyclops and saber throats are some of the brutal actions of the anti-hero. And the show gets more radical of carnage against the chiefs. The graphical representation of such acts can be a shock, but is mitigated by the fact that enemies are hideous monsters unscrupulous.
Kratos has new weapons at his disposal, but like its predecessor, the more balanced and better in general terms is even the original: the blades of Athens. The system upgrade is identical: red soul is deposited on the weapon you want, so it gets stronger and releases new movements. The spells also cause enough damage and every time it gets a new, the former is somewhat outdated.
Minor adjustments have made the game become even more agile. Now, Kratos can go down faster when you're climbing a wall, and the objects move faster and be able to kick them further. Another novelty is in parts the former God uses his power to hang in certain places and a flight phase, mounted on a Pegasus, great fun.
There is no way to express the adventure of "God of War" without using the word epic. The scenarios are grandiloquent and brings back a superb art direction, mixing elements of classical Greek architecture with the impressive nature of the Mediterranean (or the imaginary world of mythology, how the hell of Hades). There are more kinds of environments like a forest and icy mountains (which brings a nice effect snowstorm). Often, the enemies blend with the environment, since some are enormous, as is the case of the titans and the Colossus of Rhodes.
If not for the resolution of standard PlayStation 2 God of War II "could pass for one game for PlayStation 3. This is an impressive technical achievement (combined with already touted artistic quality), with many details and effects, and animate incredibly giant enemies. Continued gains mainly in the atmosphere, showing particulate matter and light effects.
In terms of character design, there is clearly that there is a difference between treatments "dolls" for male and female. While Athens and the women's bathroom is extremely well done and polished, Zeus and his peers seem a little rough, though that its rustic accent.
The adventure of Kratos has a considerable size: around 15 hours. And the replay is definitely inviting, since most of the extras is only open on the highest difficulty. The game brings a new "Challenge of the Gods," which is to fight in an arena with a series of enemies. Now you can save each stage (there are seven in total). Skip internship is not as difficult, but the big challenge is getting the best rank, and consequently release the best extras. By the way, there's a whole damn DVD with only the "making of" the game.
The sound is still masterful. The style of the soundtrack echoes the epic aspect: all the pieces are orchestrated, sometimes fast and intense, others are more quiet, always according to the situation. In moments of climax, comes the inevitable chorus, and it almost always works. The voice acting is also excellent: the actors who provided voices for Kratos, Zeus and Athens, for example, do an impeccable job. However, Michael Clarke Dunca (the Kingpin in "Daredevil"), for example, are not entitled to fame.
God of War II "is basically an extension of the first game. That means still remains excellent and was improved where possible, especially in the size and intensity of the adventure. It is not enough to offset the loss of impact - after all the same "trick" does not work so well a second time - but the balance is still very positive. With an exquisite production, the title should not only please those who are not accustomed to action and violence. It's the best closing that the series could have on the PlayStation 2.