God of War II is very similar to that of its predecessor. The player controls Kratos in a combination of combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements. Kratos' main weapons are Athena's Blades, blades on the ends of long chains that Kratos is able to swing in destructive paths but also able to use to scale rock faces or swing from special hook points. Kratos received Athena's Blades at the end of the original game. Other weapons and magic abilities are acquired as the plot progresses and can be used in conjunction with the Blades to dispatch enemies. Defeating foes using a combination of attacks, including chaining attacks together in combos, will release red experience orbs, used to power up Kratos' weapons and magic, and green, blue, and yellow orbs to replenish health, magic power, and the Rage of the Titans power, respectively. Chests distributed throughout the levels can also release these orbs, as well as providing Kratos with special artifacts to increase his maximum health and magic levels.
As with many foes in the first game, once Kratos has weakened an enemy, an indicator will appear above it. The player can then initiate a Mortal-Kombat-style fatality minigame, which may require the player to hit a button, turn the analog stick, button-mash, or some combination thereof when prompted on-screen. A successful attempt will release additional orbs or life as a reward, while failure may result in damage to Kratos. Bosses can only be finished via these minigames, allowing the programmers to guarantee them graphic and cinematic demises.
Strengths: Intense and exciting combat; New weapons and magic keep things interesting; Some of the best boss fights ever seen in action games; Amazing graphics; Absolutely beautiful CG cut scenes; Great voice acting & su... Read Full Review
Games can never be perfect. But if there was one game that would come close to perfection, it would be God of War 2 (GOW2). Picking up from where the first game left off, you are once again the anti-hero that you love ... Read Full Review
