God of War could have been just another cookie-cutter hack-and-slash platform hybrid to pop in your PS2. However, fantastic action, levels that are nothing short of massive, an amazing musical score, and beautiful settings create an atmosphere that will leave you craving a sequel before you're even halfway finished the game. The game starts as protagonist Kratos seemingly hurls himself to his death, but we go back in time to see and play the events that led to his fateful decision, guided along the way by Linda Hunt's narration, easily the best I've ever heard in a game. Along the way we learn the story of Ares saving Kratos from death, but at a cost that Kratos could never have imagined. The ultimate goal of the game becomes the acquisition of Pandora's Box, which will give you the power needed for the climactic battles. The combat maneuvers and upgradable weaponry are impressive enough, but the magic powers shine, as they are all tied to Greek mythology. From summoned souls from Hades, to Medusa heads to freeze enemies to stone, the magic "fits" the environment, never just some things the developers threw together to look cool. The foes you face, whether simple undead soldiers, or fearsome minotaurs and cyclops, are all impressively rendered and provide worthy adversaries, especially when fighting several at one time. The levels are gigantic, including a massive palace strapped to a titan's back and fights through the streets and rooftops of ancient Athens, and sometimes just when you think the level may be ending, you discover you've barely scratched the surface. Power up items vary from being out in the open to being deviously hidden. Extra nice is the inclusion of chests that let you choose whether to replenish your health or your magic. Only a few negatives are worth mentioning, the biggest being the lack of a rotating camera. A mere inconvenience for most of the game, the final battle sees it become an outright hindrance, especially on Spartan difficulty, leaving you thinking you're in danger when you actually have a great attack opportunity, and conversely leaving you thinking you can attack when doing so will put you in great jeopardy. The only other gripe is that while there are many underwater caverns, there are no underwater combats; just a few easily solved "avoid being crushed" puzzles. The gameplay could hardly be better. The controls allow for easy combo creations, and only that lack of a camera holds it back, though you do get a handy evade feature with the right analog stick that when used properly can turn certain death into a fairly easy victory. The cut scenes are among the most beautiful I've seen, with the regular game graphics just a notch behind. The score of the game is very impressive, as is the sound of weapons reaching their targets or missing and hitting the ground. You can expect to finish in 10-15 hours of logged gameplay, though on the Spartan level add several hours from battles you will need attempt 30+ times until you get winning strategies worked out. There are a number of "behind the scenes" items, and a delicious clue to what the sequel will entail as bonuses. It would be very tough to make a better game than this, especially given that it is really not that complicated a game; SCEA has taken a simple, tried-and-true concept and made it something that all others of this genre will aspire to. This is very highly recommended for purchase.
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