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Consoles, like newspaper reporters and offensive lineman, tend to merit lousy send-offs as their careers hit twilight: Nintendo gave Gamecubers a watered-down version of Wii A-lister Zelda: Legend of Twilight Princess, while the words “quality software” disappeared from the Xbox lexicon a good six months before its death rattle ceased.
The PlayStation 2, however, gets the best—and bloodiest—farewell party ever, in the form of a ghost-skinned, flame-tattooed mass of anger and unbridled aggression: Kratos, the unforgettable star of 2005’s God of War and, now, its ass-kicking sequel. Stick a blade in any thoughts of a mythical sophomore slump: God of War II is a masterful balance of storytelling and ignite-the-screen action.
 Bloody, brilliant: God of War II combines baffling puzzles and heroic myth with a bit of the ol’ horror show. |
Apparently, ol’ baldy was brooding during the World Lit class where they covered the whole “the gods giveth and the gods taketh away” thing: Kratos’ deific status as Ares’ assassin lasts five of the game’s first minutes. Betrayed by Athena, he is killed, resurrected and given a chance to alter his fate by Gaia…but only if he can survive another romp through some of the most exciting spins on Greek mythology gaming has ever seen.
Boss battles, so rare in the original, are now legion: a mano-a-mano throwdown with Perseus (voiced by Harry Hamlin, in a kitschy nod to that ’80s cheesefest, Clash of the Titans); an in-the-air tug of wings with Icarus; and an unforgettable opener with the Colossus of Rhodes that requires multiple encounters to finally vanquish. Epic? We got your epic right here, baby.
The visceral joy of whipping those flaming dual blades around like a dervish of death never gets old (although it does trump most of the game’s specialized weapons). Frankly, I didn’t think it was possible to up the violence quotient of the original game—but it’s gone beyond even 300 territory. Whether you’re shredding chimerae while soaring on a pegasus or obliterating soldiers with 100-hit combo kills, the carnage flows more freely than cheap beer at Miller’s. And that’s a good, good thing.