God of War II provides the perfect swan song for the PlayStation 2.
The story picks off not very long after God of War although a few things have changed in between the time line. For starters due to the God's broken promise of taking away the nightmares from Kratos's past, which was perhaps the only reason why Kratos went through all the events in the first game, not being fulfilled by the Gods Kratos has grown to despise them. He hates the very presence of them around him and so has become an outcast among them but Kratos doesn't care about any of that as he had found his own family of sorts from his Spartan army whom he guides to lead wars around Greece and soon around the world. His goal from all of this is to exact revenge from the Gods who had refused to take away the nightmare's from his past. His actions reach a peak point and lead to the City of Rhodes where the Spartan army makes it's latest attack. During the heat of battle Kratos finds his powers drained from the Gods, assuming it was Athena, he vows revenge only to find out it was Zeus who betrayed him. After being seemingly killed Kratos is resurrected from the mysterious titan Gaia and after that begins the epic tale of God of War II. The game introduces many of the classic Greek mythological figures including many a few titans who have Kratos on their side to try and reclaim their fallen glory. Although experience from God of War is mandatory in order to understand the main story line. . From Hell to the edge of the Earth and to Olympus the game takes Kratos on his greatest journey yet and is one not to be missed.
Game Play remains pretty much the same if the core mechanics are considered. Kratos uses the fast paced Athena's blades in this installment, a similar yet worthy replacement to the original Blades of Chaos. In addition to the default weapon there are newer weapons which can be used, these include the Barbarian hammer for powerful attacks in order to get rid of annoying enemies quickly. The spear of destiny which, in contrast to the hammer offers quicker movement so as to bamboozle larger or enemies in larger quantities and also the Blade of Olympus the holy weapon used by Zeus himself which is the most powerful asset in the player's disposal. Magic returns from the previous game, a very helpful feature to be used when running low of health or to get out of tight spots. Magical amnesties include the Rage of Cronos, similar to the Rage of Posiedon, Atlus's Rage which grants the ability to summon huge boulders from the Earth, Typhon's bane a bow which helps to kill off enemies in distance and Euryale's head which is like the Medusa's head acquired in the first game. Another feature is the Rage of the Titan's, like the Rage of the God's but this time round it is of much more value. This ability grants Kratos Titan like strength, it can be used and closed at will according to the player's use. These abilities come with their disadvantages as well for instance the Barbarian hammer is of not much value as it is agonizingly slow and you may not find yourself using it that much. Euryale's head is also of minimal use barring places where it is necessary to use it. There are also certain relics featured one being the golden fleece which has the ability to reverse projectiles back at the opponent. Enemies come in different varieties ranging from Minotaurs to Undead soldiers.
Combat has gone much more brutal from the last time and even saying this seems to be an understatement. Kratos on more than one occasion will definitely bash on his opponents head or either simply thrust it off. Quick time events make a return too, Bosses can only be finished of this way, it can also be used to kill a normal enemy. This will feature Kratos finishing the enemy in a more brutal way than the norm. A new addition sequence consists of Kratos riding on a Pegasus and fighting off against other birdlike monsters. These sequences don't involve much beyond swiping at bad guys that get close, periodically dash attacking them, and doing more contextual moves, but they're a nice distraction from the standard action. It's just a pity there's only two of these sequences. It wouldn't be God of War without the Platforming events and that makes a return too. There are many situations where Kratos will be required to pull levers or climb up mountains. A great addition is a hanging feature which allows Kratos to swing from one point to another using his blades this is displayed in a superb interaction sequence played out in real time using the quick time mechanism, resembling a movie scene it is one of the most entertaining parts of the game. There are also lots of puzzles to be solved like in the first installment, in Kratos's quest it comes at the right times so as not to tire down the player from all the action.
These thinking moments are far from boring and are as much as fun as the rest of the game. The most distinctive and arguably the most fun part of the game are the boss fights. This is the most revamped sector of the sequel, where God of War had only 3 boss's this game has triple that amount. The boss's provide a mixture of all the features of the gaming in it you will have to jump, solve puzzles and fight all at once making it a true masterpiece. Elaboration would only ruin the fun and this is best experienced first hand.
Graphics are definitely the best seen on the PlayStation 2 and the game has cemented that berth for it self. The in game graphics are great, every color illuminates especially the color blue being displayed the best. Although not used that much the CGI graphics are a treat to watch. Closely resembling an actual movie it makes Kratos look absolutely real, even the destruction looks beautiful. There tons of extras in the game to enjoy after the main part is over. There are new features in God of War II such as additional relics. These enable Kratos to reflect projectiles, slow down time and open locked doors. The Challenge of the Titans, a game mode that is enabled after completing the game once, contains 7 different challenges with increasing difficulty. There is also Arena of the Fates, customized battleground with user-selected numbers and type of opponents. The experience points gained therein can be used in the main game. A rank of Titan must be achieved in the Challenge of the Titans in order to unlock the Arena of the Fates. Grecian urns are hidden urns throughout the game that unlock additional abilities when starting a Bonus Play.
As stated previously and it cannot be said enough God of War II is a perfect game which cannot be improved upon. Although some may feel its more of the same, it cannot be classified as a bad thing for as goes the phrase 'You cannot improve upon perfection'. The game gives a great give away to the PlayStation 2 and reaffirms the fact that it has stayed true to the fans. God of War II is an action packed extravaganza that should not be missed by anyone.