Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2496 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2007-04-27
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review

In a nutshell:
The sleeper hit of 2005 returns with Kratos seeking an escape from his fate as the new god of war. The game’s even more bloody and violent than before as you take on every mythological monster in the book.

The lowdown:
Given the quick turnaround from the first game this isn’t an enormous departure from the original, but that’s no bad thing with a series as accomplished as this. Kratos has a new range of moves, combos and magic to unleash but the biggest changes are in the variety of monsters he has to face. The bigger ones can only be beaten with special button presses, which result in some spectacular finishing moves such as the Cylops whose eye Kratos plucks out of its socket or the cannon fodder zombies he slices in two. One of the best sequences though has Kratos leaping off the back of a Pegasus and onto a Gryphon, whose wings he promptly pulls off before falling to the world below.

Most exciting moment:
Just like the original this game recreates many of the best moments from ancient Greek mythology and movies. One particularly cool sequence involves trying to get a golden fleece that can reflect back the stony gaze of a gorgon.

Since you ask:
Many fans were surprised that this sequel wasn’t on the PS3 but a next generation version is being planned. Original creator David Jaffe isn’t working on either sequel at the moment though, but on an as yet unrevealed PSP project.

The bottom line:
Kratos sticks to what he knows best: the PS2 and ultra violence.
HARRISON DENT

Manufacturer's Description
The story picks up where players last left off with Kratos. Sitting atop his throne on Olympus, Kratos, the once mortal warrior has become a threat far worse than his predecessor Ares, had ever been. Kratos is a ruthless God, whose wrath strikes down anyone who crosses his path or the path of his beloved Sparta. The Ghost of Sparta sets out to alter that which no mortal, or god has ever changed, his fate. Kratos' journey brings him to the very edge of the Earth, facing countless beasts, monsters, and horrors from his previous life, all bent on preventing him from reaching his goal. But this is Kratos, and his defiance is filled with such arrogance and contempt that all of the Ancient World still trembles at his name: Kratos, the God of War.

Customer Reviews

GOW 2
The return of Kratos was eagerly anticipated, ever since I played the original God of War. It was somewhat of an `accident' that I came across the original God of War because it seems to have been a fairly well kept secret and if you have not played it yet then I heartily recommend it. I would liken GOW and its sequel to the Prince of Persia trilogy but without the frustration and uncertainty as to whether you are heading in the right direction and asking yourself why you have just wasted half an hour wandering aimlessly around. Don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed POP 1,2 & 3, I just find GOW ultimately more rewarding and certainly less frustrating.

GOW 2 follows on from the original with the now mighty God of War Kratos directing his Spartan warriors into more conquests and bloodshed. This inevitably leads to disapproval from many Gods on Olympus particularly Zeus - and you don't want to upset him do you!

So as not to spoil the story I will skip the detail but Kratos once again finds himself a `mere mortal' given the task of changing his fate. The journey now truly begins and you will find yourself sucked into the magic of Greek mythology ( although probably not the Greek mythology you were taught at school) and the glorious barbarity of Kratos. It is difficult to reconcile why you feel such real affection for Kratos, an individual who kills so indiscriminately and yet you do.

The basic mechanics of the game remain unchanged and sure there is an awful lot of button mashing in the frequent battles, with little need to change tactics when fighting the lesser foot soldiers. However, GOW 2 never feels dull or repetitive and there is rarely a OH NO! here we go again moment. The frequent battles help you to hone your skills and attacks for the numerous and very rewarding boss battles ahead. Anyone who played the first game will surely have appreciated the glorious boss battles, just hoped there were many more. Well there are as well as some rather tough encounters that aren't truly counted as boss battles, each one requiring you to master a particular skill or tactic.

The violent way in which Kratos manages to dispatch his many foes is a joy to behold, and is certainly why it earns its 18 rating, that and perhaps the unlockable mini game with a couple of ladies! which you may stumble across during the course of the game - parents be warned. I found the puzzles to be ultimately very rewarding and never asked myself `how the he** was I supposed to work that one out'. If you pay attention to the introduction of each scene there should be no need to throw the controller across the room in frustration.

I could continue telling you why you should try this game but if you need more convincing then it probably would not be worthwhile. One final tip, try to avoid easy mode if you want the battles to present any sort of a challenge.

Overall

The Good: Great graphics, Excellent boss battles, Good sound and voice acting, much longer than the original at around 16 hours of gameplay (for me at least). Rewarding puzzles - seldomly frustrating. GOW 2 is probably one of the last great games to come out on the PS2 and is certainly a worthy curtain closer.

The Bad: Not much really, some may find the fixed camera a bit annoying although it generally works fine. Some may feel it is too violent - but hey Kratos is `The God of War'.

Just as Good as the Original
I was seventeen when I played the first God of War, and I was hooked on it all the way through. It had a briliant story, great environments, with a great ancient Greek mythology atmosphere. The story told of a Spartan warrior named Kratos, who is desperate to redeem for his past mistakes. He had pledged his life to the service of the god of war Ares in return for saving his life. Ares had tricked Kratos into killing his wife and only child. In the game he embarked on a quest to get his hands on the unfound pandora's box, containing the ultimate power capable of defeating a god. With this power Kratos managed to defeat Ares and become the new god of war in his place.

I was thrilled when I heard a sequal was being made. However I was annoyed when I went to get this on the orginal release date and found I had to wait an extra month until its release. But I have the game now, so no worries. I got the game on the day it was released (it was a friday) and I completed it on monday. The game is just as good as the other, with the same moves, some extras and new weapons. Zeus betrays and murders Kratos. Kratos then seeks out the three legendary sisters, who are his only hope of returning to the past an changing his fate. He attempts to return to when Zeus betrayed him and murder Zeus himself. The game ended with a cliffhanger, indicating there will be a God of War 3. But that of course will be an extra 2 years. Less hopefully.

Which one is harder to beat? God of war 1, or God of War 2? There was a point in the first game that took ages for me to get through. It was in the underworld, when you climb the rotating spiked tower. Yet there was no difficult moments in God of War 2. Yet in God of War 2 there were more things to get through that required logic skills, some I got stuck on, but I only got stuck on 1 in the first game. That's something I must warn you about. God of War 2 is excellent and very fun to play, It's a game I promise won't dissapoint you.

PS2 at its awsome best
This game is great: visually stunning with engaging gameplay. The character is always impressive by being utterly ruthless and brutal. All the other reviwews will say pretty much the same thing. Therefore all I need to add is that I am actually somewhat disappointed. Somehow, after the brilliance of the original God Of War, I was expecting more. There can be the feeling at times that you are missing big chunks because you suddenly get a cutscene before you've finished exploring. Other times you will spend a long time exploring every nook and cranny for a secret room which isn't there, or a ledge that you can't actually stand on, which really detracts from the fast pace intended. There are more boss fights here and less button bashing destruction of simple foes, occassionaly leaving areas feeling bare. If the first game was a trail of carnage across ancient Greece, this is a far more lonely quest, punctuated by individual fights with single bosses.
That said, this game still beats anything else on any system, hands down. I'd give God of War (1) 5 stars, I just can't quite bring myself to do the same for God of War II.