 "God of war review" | 2009-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A38QPSP26NMBEJ |
| I know this game would be good the day i received it. The reviews on other gaming websites ( IGN, Gametrailer, etc) say this game is one of the best for the playstation 2 console. Only thing is... the game i recieved from amazon looked new but dint even work. This disapointed me tons but i know the game is really good so i rate it 5 stars. |
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 "Great, solid, action game." | 2009-09-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: A178X4VI9WOF0Q |
1.) Story - It begins with Kratos committing suicide after feeling betrayed by the ancient greek gods by throwing himself off a cliff. It cuts to black right before impact and goes into flashback mode, retelling the events that led up to this moment for the player. I think the story is balanced very well for the title. The segments that drive the plot are just the right length for the kind of game this is, but still offers enough character development and back story to make you interested in what happens next. And the structure and plot devices used in the story are very ancient greek. There are a couple of key moments in the story where something that happened earlier comes full circle. Anyone who has ever read or been forced to read an ancient greek story will recognize the style, and it will help immerse you.
2.) Gameplay/Controls - This game has one of the best fighting systems of the hack and slash action games that I have played. It is both simple and deep. Simple enough that anyone can pick it up and play through, and just deep enough that those willing to practice a bit will be able to pull off some great feats in-game. The block button for this game is also really well implemented. You can block mid-attack, which is something you won't find in some other action games(Ninja Gaiden) which really helps take away the frustration. But that doesn't mean it's not challenging, the enemies can be tough and there are lots of them. Another thing that makes combat great in this game is that there is not a mile-long list of combos that are too long to actually use in combat. The list is short enough to only have what you need and the combos are never too long to actually use against a room full of enemies. And none of the button combinations feel awkward or uncomfortable.
You will start off with one weapon, the Blades of Chaos. These are two, one-handed blades that are attached to your arms by chains burned into your wrists. They can act both as a close combat weapon, but also allow you to hit enemies from a decent range as well. Eventually, you will gain access to an alternative weapon, but I personally did not find it to be as fun as the Blades.
You also have access to a wide variety of magic spells in the game. All of them are cool and have their purpose. Some will be more useful than others, however, since they don't require much magical energy and can therefore do more damage in the long run than one burst from your ultra powerful spell that you only have enough energy to do one shot. You can replenish health and magic by finding chests with green or blue orbs or by killing certain enemies that happen to give you those orbs when you beat them.
In the game, you "level up" in a number of ways. Your maximum health and magic are increased by finding pheonix feathers and gorgons eyes. You weapons and magic are leveled up by spending red orbs on them. These are orbs of energy left behind by pretty much every enemy in the game and can also be found in chests throughout the game. You use a certain amount on a weapon or spell, and it will level up. Leveling up weapons and spells don't just increase attack power though. Leveling up your blades will give you access to more useful combos. And leveling up your magic attacks can give you added benefits or will slightly alter the affects of that spell.
One of the best aspects of this game that really seperates it from the rest of the action games out there are the boss battles. They are challenging, epic, and above all fun. All boses have several aspects or phases and will require some creative thinking to best them. The only problem with the bosses is that there are far too few of them. The number will vary depending on what you consider to be a boss fight, but by my reconing, there were only 3 actual boses in the game.
You will also come across several puzzles that are just challenging enough to make you use your brain, but not tough enough to scare away anyone who is not a rocket scientist.
God of War uses a third person camera that you have no control over, but it is very well programmed. It never gets in too close and you can always see the majority of the action happening on screen.
There is also barely any loading. Loading screen very rarely appear during a level once it has loaded and even if it does, it lasts less than a second. And the loading times for the levels as a whole are quick compared to other games.
On the downside in the gameplay department are just a couple of minor things that could have be done differently. First is the fact that there are numerous times where you will have to play a quick time event against a large enemy or boss. These are events where buttons are flashed on the screen and you have to press them qucikly in order to deal damage, or kill the enemy or boss. I personally don't like these in games. I want a game to let me play, and let me play the way I want. These little events take away the control from the player and, in my opinion, make it less fun.
Another small negative is that there could be a greater variety of enemies. There is a variety in the game, but they recycle enemies alot. They do this by giving you blue minotaurs at the beginning of the game, then later in the game the minotaurs will be a different color and stronger. Or skeleton warriors will be wearing slightly more ornate armor later in the game and be stronger. It feels very cheap for a game with so many positives elsewhere.
The other thing they do that I don't like is enemy respawning. This is where you kill off an enemy, and then another one magically pops up out of the ground to replace it. Sometimes this happens in open areas, other times it happens in a room that has a magical barrier around the exits, trapping you in. And depending on the position the camera is in, you might not see the replacement enemy spawn in before he is beating the pulp out of you. I think this is a cheap gameplay mechanic that needs to go away. Just put however many enemies you want in the room and leave it at that.
3.) Graphics - For a PS2 game the graphics are without equal. Everything is detailed. Shiny, tile floors have detailed reflections, Kratos and his enemies are very detailed, environments look really nice. The level of visual polish is amazing.
4.) Sound - The music for this game is dead-on. It is the right genre for a game about ancient greece, and feels epic, or creepy, or motivating, at just the right moments. The sound effects are also well-done. The voice acting as a whole is good, some people excel, like the narrator, others are just ok depending on the situation, but some of it has to do with the dialogue they have to say.
Overall, this is a top notch game in every department. However, with the quick time events and the respawning enemies mechanic, I just can't give this game a 5. |
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| "Gritty, gory, GREAT" | 2009-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By pvs_3 |
Simply superb. This game offers intuitive game-play and immense enjoyment. This is an video game for adults, and the epic scale is something to appreciate.
The fighting gets quite intuitive after a while, and the magic weapons system (though simple) offers enough options to remain interesting. Especially on the harder difficulties, the game rewards you for learning the combat system, and punishes you for mindless button mashing. Learning to BLOCK is required, which is nice. It is a change of pace for a game to require defense as a consideration.
Pros: Exciting and action packed game that feels like you are playing an interactive movie.
Cons: Only two bosses, enemies can be repetitive. Difficulty can change drastically from one area to the next, especially in the final stages.
Conclusion: This should be on your "Must Play" list. |
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| "My favorite PS2 game!" | 2009-08-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: AP1NKNOSOKDEV |
When I first heard of god of war I thought it would become a very complicated game but I figure alot out as I go along. The story was excellent the game play was alot of fun that you will not want to stop playing for anything. My most favorite part was the journey through the temple of pandora for the search of pandoras box.
The whole game play was longer and more fun that you would play again to harder modes, I own the second one too and that one was awesome as hell too.
My advice:
Buy the god of war games instead of these crappy GTA ripoff 50 cent games! |
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| "Hard Core Mature Combat Game" | 2009-07-16 |
| - Reviewed By wineintro |
God of War PS2 is a high energy fighting game that has you - Kratos - taking on tons of bad guys in a mythological world. The bloodshed is staggering. Great hard core action.
It's an epic Greek saga - the Gods are playing with you, you take on the gods. Along the way there are millions of minions to take care of. You are a beefy gladiator style warrior, whipping chains around your head. You don't just take on one bad guy at a time. You are slaying down legions of them, racking up the kill count, decapitating, eye-gounging, you name it. This game definitely earns its M for Mature rating.
The sound gets kudos here. Lots of heavy full orchestra style of music that many gamers play on their MP3 players even when they're not enjoying the game. You really get drawn into the battles.
The visuals were great for the PS2, but I do have to admit in current times that they seem very dark and blocky. The blockiness is fine, I am still happy playing Adventure with its duck-dragons. The darkness is another issue, though. I get frustrated when I can't see the enemies on the screen to slay.
They do a great job with smooth loading screens and integrated boss battles. You could easily keep playing and playing this for days on end, as long as someone was ferrying you in food and water.
If you're looking for a quiet puzzle game, this probably isn't for you. But if you're a mature gamer, OK with seeing violence, looking for some hard core hack and slash with a real feeling of being in the action, then I definitely recommend this game. Even better, once you finish up with this one, you can know that God of War 2 is waiting right around the corner for you.
Rating: 5/5
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| "Good" | 2009-06-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1O021PDE0HMNO |
| One of the best games for PS2. I wouldn't recommend it for kids though. |
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