I AM THE GOD OF WAR!
The game's mantra of "bigger, better, and louder" smells of tacky navel gazing, but what develops is a final note to the PlayStation 2 that destroys the notion of what can be done with outdated hardware and a button mashing combat system. Within the simple confines of an old school brawler, God of War manages to bring continents together, go to Hell and back, force the world's gods into disarray and battle, and display some of the most ridiculous polygonal portrayal of romantic intimacy (if it could be called that) since Custer's Revenge, all the while baffling anyone who has actually read any mythology.
Kratos' battle cry opens the scene: the gods punish Kratos, the new god of war, for his insolence and rude behaviour by stripping him of his powers and casting him into the fires of hell. Luckily, the Titans, massive beasts of magnificent power, save Kratos from his untimely fate, and revive him in an effort to topple the authority of Zeus and his legion of power hungry gods. The game's opening is better experienced than explained - the game's mild tutorial comes as a fantastically epic and long boss fight with a massive statue that gives Shadow of the Colossus a run for its money. With clever combos, excellent animation and more scripted hit-this-button-now videos than Resident Evil 4 would ever dream of, the game's breathless sense of scope and narrow minded focus are an asset, as long as you like that sort of thing.
If you don't, coming to God of War II for conversion isn't the best choice. The occasional environmental puzzles are amusing at best and infuriating at worst - the camera pans around to show the exit to each cavern, but key interactive sections of the stage are never alluded to, forcing the player to instinctively know what can and cannot be whacked and prodded. The interactive button-pressing videos and movies, while sometimes engaging, often come off as unfairly punishing and can set back a boss fight several minutes of progress multiple times. And while the combat looks and sounds great, in execution there's little to force the player to try something new, so those uninterested in experimenting with the level and combo system will find the game repetitive and routine.
However, those who do dip into this sort of exploration of Kratos' control will be rewarded. The basic combat is polished and lovely, and as the player pulls off fantastic feats of gore, options become available in the menu to upgrade each weapon Kratos finds along his journey that add new powers and button combinations. These combos transform the game from the mindless brawler it initially presents into a finesse a soaring symphony of violence, mayhem and stereotypical masculine domination. Sure, it's all very ridiculous and mindlessly violent, but then again, you did grab God of War II, not Meaningful Relationships And Development JRPG 17. It's big and it looks and sounds better than any other PS2 game - what more do you want?
As for its status as a sequel, God of War II eclipses its brethren to the point where it's simply not worth playing the first one any more. God of War II is bigger, more impressive, and a lot less frustrating - while II didn't fix the puzzles' illogical nature and random dips into frustrating difficulty, it's sure a lot less of an issue than it is in the first game, which feels archaic in comparison. The plot of the games are about equally set at "whatever, who cares" but those who find it important will be delighted to find that II picks up at a good spot and won't leave newcomers behind. Add in the graphical upgrades (and a bit of screen tearing) and the better soundtrack and there's little reason to back to the original game, apart from curiosity or if you bought that PlayStation 3 HD two pack and just want to see what else there is to play.
Altogether, God of War II does come with a lot of caveats. That's only because it has focus and discipline, and it's locked in on one very singular point: to be a bloody awesome combat game with an immense scale and a gigantic macho attitude. Like that bellowing frat boy that God of War resembles so much, its methods are a little unorthodox and ridiculous on paper, but it's hard to not respect it when the outcome is this good. See you in the blood bath.