Some of the best games are those that push your skills to the limit, look amazing, and always have you coming back for more. Luckily, Sony have done just that with God of War, a thrilling actioner based on greek mythology. The game is set in Ancient Greece, and follows the invasion of Athens by the minions of Ares, the God of War, who is obsessed with proving he is the strongest God. Although the Gods are forbidden from fighting each other, they have chosen a champion to defeat Ares' armies and the deranged diety himself. Unfortunatly for Athens, that champion is Kratos, a Spartan warrior who has slaughtered thousands in his career as a general. You know, for the hell of it. He has spent the last 10 years trying to prove his worth to the Gods for a horrible deed he commited, but he has personal reasons for doing so as well. All he has to do is brave war-torn Athens and the Temple of Pandora to kill a God... On the surface, this appears as a standard hack-and-slasher. But its much more than that. Kratos' weapons, the Blades of Chaos, are flaming blades attatched to chains on his wrists, allowing him to pull off long-range combos, lauching blows, spinning cuts and much more. All this works around a simple 3 button system, for light and heavy blows, and to also grab opponents. There are variations for in the air, and the whole system feels natural and flowing. For instance, in a typical skirmish, Kratos can lay into a group of foes with simple attacks, launch them into the air, juggle them with more strikes, grab one and throw him down, then finish the rest with a devastating slam attack. It looks amazing. Then throw other enemies into the mix and it becomes really exciting. Its easy to be carried away in it all. Being a champion of the Gods, Kratos has access to their powers. Well, more like magical attacks to tip the balance. For instance, Posieden's Rage unleashes a lightning blast that strikes all in the vincinity, while Medusa's Gaze turns people to stone to be shattered. With these upgrades for use, its possible for Kratos to rack up an insane amount of hits, recorded in an on-screen display. Like in Devil May Cry, huge scores reward you with extra blood. I know its possible to score up to 300 hit combos, I've done it. Talking of blood, you use what's left of your victims to upgrade your blades and magic attacks, improving damage and unlocking new attacks to use. As the game grinds on, Kratos becomes near-unstoppable. Kratos' foes are more than just undead legions; Mythology's greatest beasts, including minotaurs, centaurs, Gorgons, harpies, and many more. Each requires a different strategy, often revolving around use of the right stick to dodge attacks and good knowledge of your own skills. Oh, and using the O button. Grabbing enemies often trigger Kratos' most brutal moves, as he uses his hideous strength to batter them. For instance, grab a burrowing wraith creature, and he tears of its arm and uses it to cut its head off, soldiers get impaled on their own swords, a Cerberus gets stabbed in the middle skull, Centaurs get hacked apart, and, best of all, Minotaurs get a sword rammed down the throat. Tasty. Graphically, this is amazing. Each environment is a sweeping region, bustling with sumptuos textures, solid structures, and burrery-smooth animation. There are some brilliant sights to behold, such as Ares laying waste to the Athenian armies, a bridge spanning a massive lake below, and the sight of the Temple of Pandora, an immense structure perched atop Kronos, the last living titan. Better still, all these environments are streamed, so there's barely any loading between areas. Very impressive. Music backs the intense combat, all epic operatic fare, designed to thrill and give a sense of being involved in an unforgetable experience. This is especially prevalant in the intense boss battles. elsewhere, compleating the game unlocks the impossibly-hard God Mode (which has reduced men to tears), and a set of challenge of the Gods, which throw you into unique challenges designed to test you. Though, you cant carry through your upgrades from an old save to your new game, so its rather pointless. Regardless, this is one of the most thrilling games of the year, with kick-ass combat, impeccable graphics, and a sweeping, epic style. buy this now!
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