God of War II Review

Played on PlayStation 4 (base)

Developed by Santa Monica Studio

Released 13th March 2007

Before directing 2018's Game of the Year, Cory Barlog functioned as the director behind the acclaimed "swan song" of the PS2 era, and 2007's Game of the Year. God of War II is often seen as a continuation of the first, rather than a sequel, and this is evident since the game isn't trying to be grander, but greater: and it is pretty damn great.

Story

The story of God of War 2 is a spectacle throughout and offers unforgettable moments, just like its predecessor did. The story follows Kratos, this time crowned as the new God of War after defeating Ares in the previous game. However, this overwhelming power that he possesses is something that fuels Zeus' fear of betraying him and resulting in Kratos climbing out of the Underworld and going on a mission to reverse his destiny using the Sisters of Fate. An excellent aspect of this game is that this time around, the story feels like it is the focal point, instead of a bonus to the upcoming carnage. Unlike what the first game did, sticking Kratos' motives as an indolent excuse for his massacres, God of War II takes a different route. There is more exposition for hardcore fans to indulge in and the cutscenes are occasionally more narrative-focused, proven from the very beginning. The only major turn-offs about the story are that it does drag along excessively like it did 2 years beforehand, with what feels like unnecessary halts in the journey, and also ends with an infuriating cliffhanger; better suited for TV shows rather than video games.

Gameplay

The gameplay is an incredible improvement in comparison to the first game. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is as successful as Gears of War 2 in being a sequel, with an overall improvement in quality and advancement in what the original offered. While the first suffered from many flaws, fortunately, its sequel doesn't carry as heavy a burden. The parry is so much more enticing to use and is vital in many situations, to the point of being integrated into the redesigned puzzles that are still designed for a beginner's difficulty. The dodge mechanic felt more responsive, yet the game was still prone to excessive button mashing for easier wins, none of which was helped by the still redundant QTEs, whose detrimental presence often led players away from the spectacle of the cutscenes instead of towards them, and heavily reinforced infuriating moments when timings were expected to be frame-perfect.

That being said: some things were improved, but a lot was advanced using the original formula. The achievable endgame arsenal can be described as overall more impressive. The weapons were interesting; offering up a Barbarian King's hammer that summoned spirits, or a Glaive that violently violates at a range over the first game's classic Blades of Chaos and generic "big sword". The same can’t be said for the magic though, as I much rather prefer Army of Hades and its flurry of attacks over Atlas' Quake AOE (Area of Effect) rampage, but the magic this time did also make an effort to be inclusive in the puzzles.

Another foundation of God of War is platforming, and it has improved a significant amount. New platforming moments that include swinging on your Blades of Chaos or using the time freeze are great, as they provide a creative blend of puzzle and platforming that isn't forceful. However, the basic ingredients of climbing on walls and dangling on ceilings that were already previously present have remained at a serviceable degree, despite fixing nit-picked flaws like its slow-moving speed. Finally are the great action set pieces that were easily the cherry on top, the cream of the crop, the great in greatness: the other way of saying amazing. Being able to brawl with Icarus as you're falling to the Titan Atlas, duelling with someone and flying on a Pegasus simultaneously or even swinging around collapsing pillars was great fun. OH, BOY WAS THE SWINGING INCREDIBLE. The simple addition of swinging using the Blades is probably the best 'light bulb' moment someone had in video game history - swinging is simply the best part of this already fun game.

Bossfights

The boss fights receive their newfound triumph in battles via gameplay improvement. That being said, I can't say that they're better in this game than they were previously. Yes, they are more enjoyable in combat but that's only because the overall gameplay is significantly better. In actuality, the bosses and their quality were traded for quantity, repping a 14-boss catalogue that felt forgettable compared to the great trinity of 2005. Not all bosses are identical to each other's vanilla encounters, such as Zeus, Barbarian King Alrik and Colossus of Rhodes, but even then, these three are the best this game has to offer and that at most are a 7/10 challenging duel.

Characters

To make it brief, the characters in this game have either gotten a better writer behind the scenes, making them sound more natural and less dramatic, or I've gotten used to the Shakespearean presentations. Either way, the characters still sit in a bland state of immersion.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is superb once again. It continues the legacy of a battling orchestra as a soundtrack and the diversity in its environments. The music and sound effects haven't changed much since the original and that is understandable as they were fantastic and in no need of altering. The visual presentation may not offer the same level of uniquity in most areas, but it remains impressive as the game is contained to one linear goal instead of the separated journeys of the first. From the backs of titanic horses to a polished pearl palace, I did find myself enjoying these locations. Once again, I managed to play this game using PlayStation Now's streaming service so those who succumbed to poor internet quality may want to stay wary of playing this unless you plan on physically playing this game on a PS2.

Story - 7/10

Gameplay - 8.5/10

Bossfights - 6/10

Characters - 5.5/10

Atmosphere - 8/10

Great

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