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Offering a visceral experience and genuinely great story-telling, God of War is the pinnacle of action gaming on the PS2.
Set in ancient Greek mythology, the game opens with your character taking a long walk off a short ledge, plummeting to his own demise on the rocks far below. But, as the narrator points out, "...it had not always been this way."
You play the game as Kratos, an angry Spartan who likes to kill things. You start off on a ship at sea that is under siege by the Hydra. The game quickly brings you up to speed with the various game mechanics by the in-game instructions at applicable points.
The combat is immediately accessible, but offers plenty of depth. This can be as simple as one or two button-mashing strategies or as complex as multiple hit combos and stringing moves together to juggle one or more enemies. Either way, the combat is both brutal and rewarding. Kratos can slash and stab enemies, but he can also litterally tear them apart. Watching the special features on the disc, it is clear that this kind of brutal game experience is exactly what the creators were shooting for, and it is exactly what they delivered.
The puzzles are, for the most part, equally rewarding. Some of the puzzles are simple one-room block-moving jobs. Others are larger puzzles that are solved in stages over multiple areas. One very rewarding aspect of the puzzle solving is the way some of the solutions affect the environment. For instance, a huge statue may rise up in dramatic fashion or a beam of light shines to illuminate your path.
Unfortunately, the puzzles are also the one point of contention that kept this game from getting a perfect 10 rating. In at least three different areas, Kratos must navigate narrow walkways while avoiding moving blades that will almost invariably knock him off. In a couple of cases, knocking him off is a setback, while in others it results in his death. The problem here is two-fold. First, the collsions are slightly off, so while you are standing near a blade, waiting for it to pass, it actually hits you and you fall, much to your dismay. Second, the blades are moving so slow that it doesn't make any sense why they would cause Kratos to reel back as if he had just been impaled by a speeding harpoon or shot at close range by a 12-guage shotgun. Worse, this reaction occurs even if Kratos touches the flat part of one of these blades. Huh? That being said, it is important to remember that this is a small subset of the puzzles and a very small percentage of the game. For some people, this may not even be a problem at all, but perhaps just my personal issue.
The story-telling in God of War is superb. The story of Kratos, set in Greek mythology, is developed primarily through narrative and flashbacks. Beyond the story specific to Kratos, the game uses the mythology to introduce bigger stories that are not fully told, but left to mystery and imagination. The temple is one example of this. In fact, one of the most breath-taking scenes, from the mythology standpoint, is walking out onto a platform in the desert and seeing the titan Kronos with the temple on his back, "doomed to wander the desert for all eternity".
Kronos, with the temple on his back, is not the only breath-taking scene in God of War either. This game is filled with magnificent scenery throughout. In fact, all of the art, from the characters to the giant statues to the mountain ranges, are all stunningly beautiful creations. The camera helps to bring out the beauty of these things in many of its angles and movement patterns.
Overall, God of War offers a great story, excellent game play, and fantastic visuals. Were it not for the annoying spinning-blade platforming aspects mentioned above, this game would be an absolute perfect 10. As it stands, this phenomenal game is not to be missed by anyone who likes video games.
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