God Of War pulls no punches. You'll find yourself ripping people in half, killing innocents and slaying all manner of mythical beasts in a variety of violent ways. It also happens to be one of the freshest and most fun action games to come this way in many years.
You play as Kratos, a Spartan in ancient Greece. He is tormented by awful nightmares and takes his own life. You pick up the game three weeks before his suicide to see why he killed himself, and to learn about his nightmares. Honestly though, the story isn't the driving force in this game. You keep playing because it is amazingly fun, and killing enemies as Kratos is wonderfully satisfying.
The combat is deeper than most action titles, and manages to just remain out and out entertaining. When you grapple an enemy you only have three options, but they never really get old. You can pummel them with Kratos' short swords, impale them and throw them, or jam your hand into their stomach and literally tear them asunder.
God Of War's graphics team deserves special acclaim. The levels are absolutely gorgeous, pushing the aging PS2 without any signs of slowdown, jagged edges, or any of the other hallmarks associated with system pushing games. The transition from cinema to real time is seamless. The characters models all look vivid and real, and the monsters are no exception. Special care went into reinventing Greek mythological monsters so they remain familiar, but look more sinister and evil than usual.
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(This may be a subscription only article, but I was able to access it freely today)
The game's inventor says:
I have loved the Greek mythology since my dad took me to see Ray Harryhausen's JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS as a kid. After that, I read all I could on the legends of ancient Greece and just fell in love with the amazing fantasy of those stories. I love how they blend the little kid fantasies of monsters and heroes with the adult fantasies of sex, power, and violence. To me, that is a perfect blend for an action/adventure game aimed at adults. As for why others have not mined this amazing subject matter, I don't really know.
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