God of War II Preview
MAY 15, 2006
God of War 2: A Bigger and Better Sequel
-- By Des Manttari, Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis
Sony Computer Entertainment America's Santa Monica Studios is releasing God of War II for the PlayStation 2 in first quarter 2007. However, most gamers will probably be retiring their PS2 for Sony's new PlayStation 3. In any event, if this game lives up to its predecessor, God of War, it is surely to reach the PlayStation greatest hits pantheon. The original God of War received numerous 2005 Game of the Year Awards by Play Magazine, Gamezone, PSM, Sound and Vision, and IGN. The sequel will fall into the action-adventure genre with a mature target age and will once again be a single-player experience.
The original God of War featured an angst ridden ex-Spartan warrior by the name of Kratos. Consumed by power and plagued by endless nightmares, Kratos went on an epic search across ancient Athens in his quest to do what no other mortal has done: to find Pandora's Box and defeat the God of War. Armed with powerful weapons, magical abilities, and a plethora of combo moves, Kratos fought a myriad of mythological creatures and solved the puzzles presented to him.
In God of War II, the player once again controls Kratos as he embarks on a new epic quest laden with mythological
creatures, Greek gods and goddesses, and sweeping landscapes. Sony promises to provide Kratos with all-new
"brutal" combat moves and magic. Can Kratos alter the fate of mortals as well as the Gods? Sony promises more
unique levels with "vividly striking environments" that are "exceptionally detailed." Again, there will be
puzzles to solve and epic boss battles to fight.
The gameplay will integrate a strong storyline with the theme of revenge. Kratos now sits on the throne of Olympus, apparently more brutal than Ares, the God of War he defeated. Despite his newfound power and position, Kratos cannot rid himself of his unending torment. To alter his fate, Kratos sets out to the far reaches of the earth to take part in a "mythological war to end all wars."
The original God of War had several annoying problems. First was the fixed camera. In an exploration game that
involves platform jumping and puzzle solving, it would have been a much more satisfying gameplay experience
if the player was able to move the camera around to take in the full 3D environment. Secondly, save points
weren't always in the most convenient place. After defeating countless enemies, navigating the vast
environments, and solving yet another riddle, I was stuck on a backwards-flip move that I could not do.
However, I was unable to save my game progress at this point as there was no save point. Sometimes, the
original God of War appeared to be a designer's game rather than a player's game. I hope these problems
are fixed in the sequel.
I give the original game a big plus in that if the player attempted a level of difficulty that was in fact too difficult, the game offered the option of switching to a lower level. This did not affect the overall game experience, but only related to the difficult of enemy and boss encounters. This was a welcome relief in tight spots and a much better alternative than restarting the entire game.
Armed with all-new brutal combat moves and magic, players retake the role of Kratos in God of War II and embark on a new epic adventure to change the fate of mortals and Gods alike. As Kratos, players will travel through unique levels of exceptionally detailed and vividly striking environments, unfolding story driven puzzles and competing in numerous, epic boss battles in the quest for revenge.
Key features of God of War II include the original combo attacks in addition to new moves and new magic
including wide, ice, and other fantasy staples. New characters include Cyclops, Cerebus, and Flying Gryphon,
among creatures from Greek mythology. The game promises more enemies and more bosses. This time, puzzle
solving is entwined with the storyline. Sony states that the puzzles will be more challenging and
progressively more complicated. Curiously, Sony stresses "brutal elements" in not only the puzzles,
but in the exploration aspects of the game. The levels are described as "treacherous," "brutal", and
"violent," thus justifying its mature rating. Levels are to include the undiscovered Sisters of Fate
and the Dark Swamp.
God of War II will perhaps push the limits of the now antiquated PlayStation 2 entertainment system. It will be interesting to see if Sony continues the God of War franchise for PlayStation 3 and what their Santa Monica Studio could do armed with this new technology. It is apparent that Kratos not only conquered the God of War, but the hearts and minds of players everywhere.
See also our God of War Review.
Links
- More Video Game Reviews by PG Editor
- Go to Dave's Gaming Domain
- Go to Dave's Slaves
- E3 Expo 2006 Index
- God of War Review
- God of War 2 Official Site
