God of War II

As a first-timer, I've never really played a God of War game before. This will be the first of many for me. I absolutely enjoyed every last aspect of the gameplay down to the plot line, as well as the character development. Nothing is extensively flawed, which is a nice touch for a change, and I'm already experiencing the bitter seduction of God of War III.

...At times, especially after beating the games, I feel rather drawn to the plot line. Perhaps it's the warped view on Greek Mythology or the addicting gameplay. Or maybe it's both. Either way, this makes this incredible sequel an instant smash. I hope to see where the plot goes when I fight my way through Mount Olympus in the next installment.

From the moment this masterpiece begins, it is the most cinematic adventure ever captured in the medium of video gaming. God of War II, the follow-up to the hit action game, follows the anti-hero Kratos on his journey from godhood back to mortality. After being stripped of his godly powers and forced to watch his armies reduced to dust at the start of the adventure, Kratos makes it his mission to do the unthinkable - kill Zeus.

From there, Kratos embarks on an unbelievable adventure that sees him battling a living colossus from the inside-out, ending up with Atlas at the bottom of the Earth, and eventually twisting the very fabric of time in an attempt to achieve his bloody goals. Every other scene is a mini artistic masterpiece come-to-life, with some of the most jaw dropping visuals ever created in any medium. From a lush green valley, filled with crumbling columns to a living, bleeding cavern - your eyes rarely have a moment to rest.

The real icing on the cake is the voice acting, which is award-worthy. Michael Clarke Duncan is wonderful - and hearing Harry Hamlin again playing Perseus (whom he played in Clash of the Titans) gave me geek chills! You simply cannot beat God of War II in terms of story, visuals, gameplay, and all-around fun. Games simply do not get much better than this.

This game is better in every aspect, new creatures more intense bossfights and story moments, the ending it self makes the next part the masterpiece it is.

Absolute phenomenal sequel. I personally preferred the first overall, but the majority of this is more of the same -- and I welcomed it! Must-play for hack 'n slash fans.

'God Of War II (2007)' is a late addition to the PS2's library of titles, yet it stands out as one of its best. It's a hack 'n' slash adventure game set in Ancient Greece, the sequel to 'God Of War (2005)'. Its story centres around Kratos' journey to regain his powers after Zeus, in a trademark power play, tricks him into giving them up. The plot is probably the weakest in the mainline series but it still works well, taking you through various facets of Greek mythology and having a strong sense of pace. It has its stand-out moments and also begins to build towards a much bigger finale. The gameplay is basically the same as that of its predecessor, a mixture of combat and puzzles, but it's more refined in almost every aspect. The combos are tighter, the magic is stronger and the violence is more brutal. From set-piece to set-piece, the game keeps you hooked. As Kratos regains his strength, you gain more abilities; you can really feel the difference in power by the end. Speaking of the end, the final boss battle is great. It feels epic in scope and has a hint of tragedy to it, too. Ultimately, it sets up its sequel remarkably well. Overall, this is an excellent action title. It's really fun throughout. 10/10