One word to describe this game...hmm...awesome.
The gameplay hasn't changed much from God of War, but it is still an excellent action game. I was glad that I was familiar with the buttons. The cinematic gameplay was truly what made me like the gameplay, but it felt kind of like a substitute for doing flashy stuff, but whatever. It is still great. At times, I can still feel the button mashing effect coming upon the game.
Graphics...gee where do I start? The designs in the game were very artistic and really felt like you were immersed in this huge world that has traps and dangers. The light bloom at some spots made the visuals really good and felt like next-gen. I was slightly disappointed in the beast designs. Although most were good, some of the designs didn't really have that "awe" feeling that God of War had. The monsters didn't look all that imposing like the Hydra was in the first one.
Sound...phenomenal. Great. Amazing. The sound was just masterful. The musical scores really iced the cake for me, because it just seemed to fit the setting so perfectly well. You'll have to play the game to know what I mean. Kudos to TC Carson for capturing the voice and anger of Kratos once again.
The game's replay value could've been a lot better, but vastly improved because of the Urns and bonus play. I could really enjoy the game a lot more because of so. It still feels like it is missing something, because when you play, it's just for the storyline once again, but with all your upgrades.
Overall, I loved this game. It didn't let me down one bit, except for the ending that kind of leaves you wanting more. Either way, God of War II is one of the prominent Sony games that will leave players in awe. A fitting closeout to the PS2 era for me.