Oh my goddess, this game looks great!

The pre-rendered cut scenes seamlessly reveal themselves to you. No load times, whatsoever. Not only is this stylistically pleasing, it also keeps the flow of the game as consistent as possible. A fine example of game to cut scene transition is available right from the beginning of a new game, where you see half of Kratos’ face shift from an in-game image into the full rendered cut scene of him stepping off the cliff.

An Epic Orchestra Is Playing for You

There is no denying that God of War’s musical score is nothing short of spectacular. Right from the beginning of the game, the feeling of an chaotic battle is portrayed through the music alone. This works very well with the flow of the game, changing to match Kratos present situation. If Kratos is fighting a giant hydra, the music will shift to reflect the dangerous dilemma. If Kratos is wading through the depths of Hades itself, the ominous anthem of suffering will be played. Just like the graphical characteristics of this game, the musical elements are well integrated and do not over exert itself upon you.

Sound effects in God of War constantly remind you of your achievements. Whether it is the gratifying sound of shattering undead spines or the chimes triggered by Kratos absorbing those orbs of life, every sound effect was produced well. Alongside the satisfying sound effects is the voice acting. The voice of Kratos and especially that of the narrator was selected and performed at the highest caliber. The narrator’s voice is reminiscent of the ones you would find in documentaries or movies pertaining to Greek mythology. Ambient noise was also well produced, especially in the areas where battle rages on in the background and Kratos has to traverse through all the carnage. The subtle screams of dying warriors and clanging of swords striking shields is an exclamation point to the success of SCEA’s audio efforts in creating a living, breathing Greek mythological environment. It is very apparent; SCEA strived to create this environment in God of War through not only visual, but also audio mediums.

Violence, Kratos and You

If you have not grasped it yet, God of War is a violent game. Taking full advantage of its ERSB M (17 years and older) rating, there are plenty of scenes of bloody violence and even a scene of frontal nudity and insinuated sex. God of War is definitely not for the youngsters. Could SCEA create a game without the aforementioned faux pas? Yes, but it would have soured the experience immensely. We all know all those pretty sparks flying from those sword slashes should be blood, so there’s no point in hiding it!
It is not only the blood splatters that make God of War and Kratos violent; it is Kratos means of destruction. If he is not slicing is way through individuals with his “Blades of Chaos”, he can launch them into the air and then grab by the abdomen and deliver a bone crunching back breaker. Brilliant! You will find that Kratos has a variety of methods in which to deliver death to his opponents. Part of the fun in this game is the exploration and uncovering of these death moves. If you are not one to explore, there is a comprehensive move list, which you can peruse. Do not worry, you will not be memorizing Street Fighter caliber moves, they are all relatively easy 2 button moves. In addition to the moves he receives from the beginning of the game, Kratos is occasionally blessed with a gift from the gods themselves. They will aid him with new weapons and abilities, which will be explained to you by the gods who deliver them.

Each of the different types of enemies in God of War delivers a unique challenge. While clever blocking and attacking can thwart most of these enemies, some of the tougher enemies will provide an opportunity for Kratos to enter a mini-game where he can deliver a more devastating finish. These mini-games require you to follow a series of button presses or joystick motions. Not overly difficult to master and a nice addition in terms of game play variety. God of War also has its share of bosses. The boss battles in God of War are the shining moments of the game. Not only does Kratos go up against some worthy bosses, they also provide the much-needed twists from the waves of regular enemies Kratos trudges through. Giant hydras, armored Minotaur and Medusa herself are just some of the bosses you will encounter.

Delivering death, up close and personal

Controlling Kratos in God of War feels similar to that of the recent Prince of Persia games and Devil May Cry games. The direction you face is the direction you will attack. Simple enough? The controls are responsive and laid out very well. The entire PS2 controller is well utilised, including the now “must have” vibration feature. Without these excellent controls, tight rope walking or even fighting enemies can prove rather difficult, if not all out frustrating! Thank Zeus, SCEA did a great job with it.

You may be wondering what these “Blades of Chaos” are. I will not spoil any of the story elements for you, so I will tell you that it is all explained in the game. Even the origins of his pale white skin is explained. God of War starts off with very little knowledge of Kratos. As the game progresses, back-story to our anti-hero is revealed through the beautifully rendered cut scenes and other narrative interludes. By the end of the game, you will know everything there is to know about Kratos. Will you be left out of the loop due to missing “secret” or “hidden” plot points? No, God of War is very linear and you will not miss anything relevant at all.

God of War is not just an action packed game; it also has its share of puzzles. The puzzles are challenging and does an excellent job of making you stop and think. Some puzzles require you to think beyond what you are given, while others are quite obvious. Some of these puzzles take place in the heat of battle, while others give you time to ponder the problem at hand. You should not be tearing yourself bald like Kratos over these mind games.

So where are the collectible items in the game? There are three types of orbs that you can collect to replenish your health, mana and enhance your known abilities. There are also more unique items you can collect to extend your life bar or mana bars. What about lives you ask? God of War does not employ limited lives. To reduce possible frustrations, when you die, you merely start at the last save point or checkpoint.

Camera work in God of War was well implemented. You are nearly in constant view of the action. The game even goes into slow motion when you block or parry an attack successfully. By zooming in closer to the action, the crafty acrobatics of Kratos and his capable death moves are brought closer to you during those mini-game sessions with various enemies throughout the game. Yes, you guessed it. Another technique to bring you into the God of War experience was successfully executed by SCEA.

Right in there with the action, sometimes literally

God of War’s Future

When I think about God of War, the phrase “short and sweet” come to mind. The game is not very long and can take a mere 11 hours to complete with a generous amount of exploring on the normal difficulty setting. If you want to enjoy this game thoroughly, I suggest shifting the difficulty up to hard and take your time with it. There is absolutely no reason for you to kill as fast as humanly possible just to advance the game. It is possible to beat the game with a weekend rental, however you may find other incentives to buy the game.

God of War has a plethora of unlockable content. A fair amount of it is unlocked once you beat the game once, however others require the standard “Beat the game at <insert higher difficulty here> mod.”. The unlockables include alternate costumes to featurettes such as “The Making of God of War” and “Deleted Levels”. Extra content like this is a sure welcome in the gaming industry. I hope SCEA take the time to include these added bonuses in future titles as well.

Should there be a God of War sequel? I am sure if SCEA wanted to milk the success of this game, they could, but I would leave the game as it is. A solitary success story, which gamers can look back on and say, “Yeah, God of War was a fantastic game for the PS2.”

Conclusion

God of War is a monumental achievement and a pleasant surprise from SCEA. It has been awhile since we could play such a violent game and say it was “violence used well”. From its entertaining combat system to its superb storytelling, the experience is refreshing! Except for the small technical issue and the faint presence of repetitiveness