The
Gods have spoken. God of War has been created and
they saw that it was good. They have put a good word
into Santa Claus for the developers so that they may
expect some extra goodies for their hard work come
next Holiday Season when we've all but forgotten about
what it was they did.
God
of War is a game that got it right. It's as though
the developers have actually been reading our reviews
here and decided to take some things that we typically
criticize into consideration. The voiceacting is good,
there is a deep story, the combat system is fun and
relatively easy to use, the music is perfect and the
graphics are staggering. What did we mere mortals
do to deserve a game like this? No doubt the Gods
felt sorry for all of the Varmint Hunter and Big Rigs:
Offroad Racing games that we reviewers have had to
endure over the years. Thanks boys, it's nice to know
we're appreciated. Yes, we're in tight with the Gods.
Where do you think we get our cheat codes from?
This
is one of the best games that I've played in a while,
and by that I mean every aspect of this game is great.
I have so few complaints that they're not even worth
mentioning. How often does that happen? The story
alone would have made a great novel. Using ancient
Greek mythology as a backdrop is not new to movies
and comics but God of War makes it more accessible
than ever. It really comes alive as you feel part
of the world and not alienated by it. This is due
to the fearlessness of the title character. His powers
and mental predilection gives us not only unprecedented
access to this world but the ability to challenge
it. Never have we dared to be so bold in the faces
of the Gods.
I
don't want to scare potential players by mentioning
role playing because even though it does exist in
this game it enhances the action adventure experience
rather than overshadowing it. All of the elements
in this game, including platforming, puzzles and skill
upgrades have been included in such a way that they
feel natural to the overall experience.
Ares
is one of the sons of Zeus. He's become very dangerous
and unpredictable. His brothers fear that he's insane.
Ares, with the help of his Earth-bound slave warrior,
Kratos, help spread terror among the mortals. Zeus
has prohibited the brothers from directly confronting
each other. In an effort to stop Ares, the brothers
will have to turn to the mortals for help. It turns
out that Kratos is becoming disillusioned with his
master and agrees to destroy him. Kratos is still
an evil bastard and is not doing this for any good
but for his own pleasure. The good Gods, having no
recourse, try to help Kratos by upgrading his abilities
and making resources available to him.
Kratos
is like the Hulk on crack. He's evil and viscous and
he's got the means to carry out his murderous activity.
Through a series of cutscenes you will witness acts
of senseless brutality that define your character's
role in this game. It doesn't take long for you to
assume or at least accept some of these characteristics.
The content of this game is not intended for children.
It displays scenes of nudity and violence on a scale
that's literally off the scale.
Enemies
are culled from ancient mythology. You'll encounter
creatures such as centaurs, hydras, Cyclops, giant
stone statues, armies of skeletons and winged flying
beasts. Each enemy has different strengths and weaknesses.
Your fighting style will vary from creature to creature,
often in the middle of a combo since you will face
numerous different enemies at the same time. Thankfully
the combat system is flexible and responsive.
Basic
moves include strong and medium attacks, grapple,
dash and a modifier. You can also block and dodge.
Weapons and magic are also very effective for eliminating
enemies. You can expect to get lots of hits off of
a single chain. You can change course in mid combo
if you see a better opportunity. Sometimes there's
nothing like a giant blade to slice through an enemy
but you won't find it very effective against a thousand-foot-tall
statue. To finish off the enemy you'll have to activate
a rhythmic mini-game of sorts.
The
attention to detail is incredible. All of the locations
have an ancient "lived-in" look to them.
The marble columns expose the scars of past battles
while the rusted chains and manacles speak of man's
inhumanity to man. Corpses litter mountain plateaus,
majestic waterfalls wash away the lingering scent
of evil while ancient cities burn to ash in the distance.
All of this is just going on in the background.
The
graphics should be seen on a high definition TV, but
you'll be able to appreciate them on virtually any
TV. With virtually no load times this game rivals
some of the best Xbox games. The character models
are excellent and really excel at instilling a sense
of awe at the gargantuan proportions of some of the
enemies and Gods. The score is original and although
you will hear some main strains repeated, every scene
has its own theme and incidental music. The voiceover
work compliments an equally excellent storyline.
God
of War came as an incredible surprise. I wasn't anticipating
much, and even if I had, what is presented here would
have blown me away anyway. May this game be with you.
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