God of War Review (no fat)

Game Description

In God of War, you control the Spartan Krakos who cruises ancient Greece in an epic quest that calls upon all his skills and knowledge of fighting. His journey, started and supervised by the other Greek gods, ultimately leads to a monumental fight against Ares, the lethal God of War.

This quest is far from being easy though, as Krakos needs to face off against some of mythology’s vilest blood-driven monsters such as the sly Medusa and the brutally effective Cyclops. Along the way, Krakos must also solve several puzzles so he can get closer to the insanely powerful Ares.

God of War Gameplay

Krakos is far from being your typical hero, as he has a passion for violence, and only seeks vengeance against Ares. The fate of Greece doesn’t matter to him. Krakos has a past clouded in blood and despicable acts, and enjoys slaughtering everything and everyone that dares cross his path. Nothing makes him happier than tearing a hydra’s limbs apart and hearing them snap like twigs. It’s David against Goliath on dope, and it’s exciting.

The way he fights, which sets a milestone in video game violence, attests to that. God of War is not for the faint of heart, as it incorporates some of the goriest scenes you will encounter in a game, as well as a lot of nudity. There’s also the inclusion of a sexually explicit mini-game that has triggered much debate since this title’s release.

In any case, Krakos won’t reach his goal just by loitering around and wasting his time. God of War’s main protagonist thus undertakes a long and perilous journey across Greece. Ares is obviously no fool though and certainly doesn’t underestimate the inhumane Spartan, as he sends an absurd amount of minions to dispose of him. You will thus need to cross through an amazing variety of locales, which includes a sun-soaked desert and decrepit cities, and fight an equally insane collection of opponents before finally having the privilege of ripping your weapons through Ares.

God of War Weapons

Speaking of weapons, Krakos carries sharp blades that are actually sewn onto his forearms via a couple of chains. This unique set of weaponry allows Krakos to dispose of his already-withered foes in an array of systematically brutal ways.

As a Spartan, Krakos is obviously a very skilled fighter blessed with incredible endurance. His attacks include both a medium and a strong version, and he can also rely on magic from time to time. He can additionally grapple his opponents, thereby preventing them from countering his hard-hitting attacks.

Krakos also gains help from the other Greek Ares-loathing gods in the form of power-ups that allow him to become even stronger. Discover these upgrades, and they will allow you to turn your fearsome alternate ego into an unstoppable war machine.

God of War Controls

Although the control scheme is quite simple, the result is a ludicrously exhaustive, yet easy-to-pull, combo system that no doubt constitutes the game’s highlight. By using the right combination of attacks, which isn’t that hard to achieve since the game’s system allows almost every hit to be piled upon one another, you can perform combos that effortlessly exceed the one hundred-mark. This gives the game a lot of replay value, as it’s always fun to aim for even longer combos. Don’t think your enemies are wimps though, as they also have the ability to resort to combinations and will often know how to punish you for your errors.

God of War Adversaries

The enemy cast is of gigantic proportions too with mythological beasts of all kinds that range from Cretan-loving minotaur's to vomit-inducing harpies that swarm towards you at the slightest noise. Unleash your plethora of moves on them and brutally kill them, as their blood splatters around you. One such method involves turning your unsuspecting foes into stone by brandishing Medusa’s head towards them…which you can rip off after you’ve killed her.

God of War Mini-games

Mini-games also abound in the game. Simply pour all your energy into beating the monsters, and once you’ve sufficiently pummeled them, you will be prompted to start the corresponding mini-games. These typically involve inputting a particular button sequence to finish off your opponent with panache. The feature unfortunately suffers from poor implementation, as the mini-games sometimes fail to be unlocked in spite of all your button-mashing.

Whats More?

God of War is not just about mindless action though, as it also includes platform elements amidst all its slashing. While the producers’ effort to add some variety to the game is commendable, such parts don’t quite fit into the game. The inclusion of puzzles, which are either extremely easy to figure out or just a matter of luckily stumbling upon the shamelessly obscure solution, also comes across as an additional feature that could entirely have been left out. Thankfully, the poor execution of either aspect never gets irritating, and the game is still fun.

Another thing you’ll quickly notice is the pleasant absence of loading screens from the game. This helps in maintaining the enticing and almost oppressive atmosphere God of War boasts. This benefit is, however, somewhat negated by the dumb prompts that frequently pop up during the game and whose messages seem to have been included only for comic purposes.

God of War Visuals

God of War is assuredly a visual feast due to the spectacular designs and the astounding attention to detail present throughout the game. Krakos is depicted as a cynically effective warrior, as you can even make out his bulging muscles as he sways his arms back and forth.

The backgrounds constitute the greatest accomplishment though with superb locales whose textures and color palettes seemingly push the PlayStation 2 to its limits. You’ll trek through the most formidable locations that literally make the whole of ancient Greece live in your system.

God of War Sound

The audio is another aspect where God of War excels. The latter uses an orchestrated soundtrack whose magnificence is matched by the high quality voice-acting. The literally fiery music strengthens the game’s gripping atmosphere, and seamlessly blends into the game with amazing precision. The voices are also excellent, as they do have a mythological feel about them, and the synchronization is always correct.

God of War Overall

God of War is without doubt one of the finest games on the PlayStation 2. From beginning to end, it provides a majestic experience where the true essence of gaming is brilliantly brought forward. No game collection would be complete without it.

God of War Cost

God of War retails for $49.99, at the time of writing.