God of War II almost gold

Though most of the gaming public's attention is focused on the newest generation of consoles, one of the year's most anticipated games is for what can now be called a "last-generation" machine. God of War II, the sequel to the critically lauded 2005 fantasy action adventure game, is set to ship for the PlayStation 2 this quarter. Though the game has no official release date yet, online retailers are listing it as a mid-March release.

Unlike many delay-prone high-profile releases, God of War II may arrive earlier than expected. According to the blog of GOWII game director Cory Barlog, the latest title out of Sony Computer Entertainment America's Santa Monica studio is almost gold.

Under a post titled "My work here is done," Barlog says, "Today is Sunday January 28, and it is safe to say that all of the primary work for God of War 2 has been completed. There are still bugs to be worked out as the game goes through the final bit of Quality Assurance (QA), but for all intents and purposes I am done with everything I can do on the project."

Those awaiting God of War II's release can also learn about the game's weapon system and glean other details on Barlog's blog. The animator also says that the game's demo "has been out in QA for a while now and is on target to get finished and pressed in the beginning of February."