Despite the Halo style ending, this game earns its spot in the GoW family.
User Rating: 9.6 | God of War II PS2
It can be pretty damn hard to outdo yourself when you create such an excellent piece of work like the original God of War (just ask Dante's developers and Master Chief). Sony Santa Monica not only met the bar, but surpassed it. Every single excellent thing that made GoW I great is back and sharpened, and almost all the flaws have been smoothed out. The game play has been varied through a number of means; grappling, pegasus levels, platforming, puzzles, and more are interspersed throughout the game. The story is just as strong as ever (although the more straightforward naration, as oposed to its predecessor's en media res style, is noticable), and has an even grander scale than before. And that's another thing. God of War I's set piece was tremendous, rivaled only by that of Shadow of Colossus, but even those two landmark games are dwarfed by this game's scope. There are very few games that can make the claim that one of their bosses, aside from being excellent designed and well varied, is the size of an entire level (and a character so large he represents several levels). But it's not just the enemies that cast a shadow as big as this series' reputation, but the levels and environments as well. Excellent camera manipulation only heightens the scope, giving you an idea just how damn big those chains that you're running for 30 seconds along really are. Ironically, though, it's the camera, along with the overuse of the golden fleece, that is one of this game's major weaknesses. Put simply, graphics are probably as good as they get on this console. Design and detail are tremendous, yes, but character models and environments are all well polished and great to look at. While the art design seems to strike a more independent and less mythological feel than the previous entry, it is still nevertheless wonderfully varied and brilliantly done. Sound. It'll make a break a game. Most people can tolerate a mediocre game, maybe even enjoy it, but if the music is grating, or the characters' voices make you want to rip off your ears, then sound becomes a deal breaker. In games like God of War II, though, where voice acting is almost impecable, sound effects are riveting and powerful, and the soundtrack is as good as any big budget Holluwood production's, it proves to only elevate the work. There's really nothing to dislike here, unless you just truly detest God of War in general (but then your opinion doesn't count for anything). Four difficulties, a bonus mode, two challenge modes, and an entire CD of extras is what every action game should strive for. With a driving plot and reasons to playthrough again, it's very feasible to enter the story mode upwards of three times. And then there are the challenge modes and making of videos to entertain you when you've mastered the regular gameplay.
All in all, God of War II is everybit as good as the first entry (and in my opinion, a tad better). It's not for everyone; I'm pretty sure stylized and brutal violence isn't too appropriate if you're a youngster, but for those enough with enough years, this game is a must.
