God of War introduced a game that was just so unbelievably remarkable. This title garnered countless awards in 2005 and is considered my many to be the greatest game on the PlayStation 2. If you looked up the word action in the dictionary, then you should see a picture of the game God of War. The storyline transpires around the merciless protagonist Kratos. One of the best introductions to a video game begins with Kratos striving to commit suicide by walking right off a cliff in Greece. Since he believes that the “Gods” have forsaken him, he no longer wants to live his life. After that, the scene shifts to three weeks prior to Kratos’ suicide attempt. The plot is leading up the that fateful day where he ultimately takes the plunge off the cliff. This has quite possibly the most amazing way of story telling on a PlayStation 2.

The gameplay has a certain fluidity to it that makes the kills more than satisfying. Kratos is a formidable Spartan fighter that takes no prisoners. There is even a moment in the game where Kratos is faced with saving or sacrificing a man in order to progress. Obviously, Kratos does not hesitate to barbeque him into smoking ashes. Sequences like that is really a testament to the vile demeanor we have come to expect from Kratos. A great bulk of the combat is done with the handy Blades of Chaos. These are two blades (hence the name Blades of Chaos) that attach to your arms with long chains. It is the quintessential weapon that is perfect for most of the action segments because a tremendous amount of distance is covered. Gamers can hurl foes in the air and use the Blades of Chaos to smash them back down on the ground (ala Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden). That is not to say that this game is exactly like Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden. As a matter of fact, God of War is unique enough that it has carved out its own engrossing niche. There are numerous orbs to collect which have various benefits. Blue orbs replenish magic, green orbs restore health, and red orbs are experiences orbs are used to upgrade weapons/ magic. A interesting counterattack mechanic allows players to pull off those devastating moves without any trouble. All of the usual things are there such as jumping, dodging, and attacking. But it executed with an amazing style. This is especially exemplified in the contact sensitive sections. For example, there are countless times where you will see a circle icon that appears above an adversary. When this occurs, gamers should approach the enemy and press the circle button. This initiates a game within a game by having certain button commands show up on screen. If the mini game is completed correctly, then the player is rewarded with a grotesque and exhilarating animation usually ending with a climactic finish. This is especially conspicuous in the boss encounters. Although there are only three boss battles, they are all epic fights that are fulfilling. Not all of the gameplay is about slicing and dicing; furthermore, there are puzzles that provide an adequate change of pace from the brisk action. The puzzles are not too arduous. Most of them are completed by pushing a block to a certain location or something to that effect. Although the gameplay might seem intricate, it is immensely intuitive because there is no memorization. There are a slew of games that work poorly because of the camerawork, but that is not the case in God of War. This is because the camera does an exemplary job of zooming in and out at the perfect moments. Additionally, the camera views are done in such a way that it feels like a cinematic experience.

The manner in which the plot unfolds is grandiose. It is told via in game cut scenes and highly detailed computer generated images. For PlayStation 2’s standards, the visuals are pretty. God of War has solid audio with remarkable voice acting and sound effects. After beating God of War, there are some features that are available like hidden costumes and documentaries (the usual stuff seen in other games). Overall, God of War is one of those titles that was the start of something special just like the first Metal Gear Solid. Now do yourself a favor and try not to defy the God of War.