"(Insert Random 300 Quote Here)"

With the recent release of 300 at the box office, and the long-awaited return of Kratos to the PS2, Sparta has quickly become the most famous, and most blood-thirsty, of the Ancient Greek city-states. The world's most merciless anti-hero has debuted in the curtain call to the critically acclaimed God of War, and his blades are just a sharp and deadly as ever.
*Warning: Spoilers for the end of the first game, as well as the first hour of God of War II appear below*

When we last left our tortured hero, he had brutally slain Ares and claimed his place on Olympus as the new God of War. His ascent has made him all the more brutal, and Kratos has ordered his Spartan soldiers to lay waste to all of Ancient Greece. With his omnipotent power, his minions have looted and pillaged across the land, and they request Kratos to join them for the destruction and desecration of Rhodes. As Kratos prepares to go play, Athena warns him that he has gone too far, but he will not heed her. Therefore, Athena sends an envoy to Rhodes, and steals away some of Kratos' godly powers to animate the legendary Colossus of Rhodes. As our protagonist and the giant bronze statue do battle, Zeus himself offers aid by sending Kratos the Blade of Olympus, and as the newly throned god drains all his powers into the sword he gains the power to defeat the Colossus. All is not as it seems however, as the transfer of his powers has rendered Kratos mortal, and Zeus stills the blade and kills Kratos (it is apparently now customary for our hero to die at least once in every game). However, before Hades can claim him, the Earth Titan Gaia offers Kratos the power of the Titans, which he must use to find and defeat Zeus. What follows is another tale of revenge and rage, as Kratos sets out to kill the very gods who had once given him his power.

The battle with the Colossus spreads out into the entire first level of the game, and acts as a tutorial to reacquaint gamers with the gameplay. Basically, all is at it was before, with all of Kratos' previous moves intact and the game controlling almost identically to the first installment. This installation opens up new attacks and maneuvers, which will obviously be gained by discovering new weapons, and using red orbs to upgrade your attacks and magic. In an interesting twist, the developers have allowed Kratos to gain various magic attacks from the Titans, which are similar to his old attacks but contain distinct differences. You will still be able to utilize your magic in familiar ways, but the subtle changes make the attacks feel fresh and new. The Rage Meter returns as well, though this time it is the “Rage of the Titans” and it's actually more powerful than the original. The game also utilizes tons of new puzzles; some are simple, and others are utterly brain-bending. While you'll breeze through the early puzzles, the later contraptions will leave you scratching your head and dying many, many times. With the exception of one or two devious traps, the puzzles are never overly frustrating, and figuring them out warrants a well-deserved sense of accomplishment. Finally, the game is packed with boss battles, all of which require one or more instances of the infamous timed button pressing mini-games. Successful execution of the sequence lead to brutal and beautiful death sequences, failure leads to Kratos being brutalized at the hands of his foe, how he hasn't broken every bone in his body… I'll never know. Thankfully, the developers of the game decided to not mess with a good thing, and most of the changes made in GoW II are merely cosmetic. Those tweaks and additions that were made have only added to the value of the game. The design team resisted the urge to mess with a good thing, with terrific results.

Speaking of cosmetics, this is a very, very pretty game. The original God of War wowed with beautiful environments and a load-free world, and GoW II looks even better. The world is huge and epic, and the moments that show just how comparatively small you are really take your breath away. The game's engine chugs along nicely, with never a hint of slowdown or glitching to be seen. Making this all the more impressive is that the game is once again load-free, oh blessed jubilation! Words are not enough to describe just how good the game looks, pop it in and make sure you're wearing your diaper, because it doesn't get much better than this.

It's a pretty game to look at, and she ain't bad to listen to either. The voice-actors from the original all return, and they reprise their roles perfectly. Kratos still sounds eternally conflicted and vengeful, Athena pleads for an end to the madness in a manner which coveys her wisdom, and the narrator fills the story with brevity and gravitas. You'll hang on their every word, and no story-advancing cutscene ever feels boring or poorly acted. On top of the top-notch voice talent, the game's music is also excellent. Poignant without being overpowering, the sound is a perfect compliment to the gameplay. The tone is usually somber, almost tragic, and tense strains alert you to impending battle. It all really fits together perfectly, a theme that seems to be ever-present in this game.

The other major component of gameplay to examine is the game's controls, and there's no real news here. The control scheme is essentially identical to the original, and combos still flow forth freely. Each move flows into another exceptionally smoothly, and brutal attacks come fast and furious. As always, there's nothing quite so satisfying as racking up a huge attack combo, and my personal best of 1100 felt very fulfilling when the last enemy fell. The controls in the series have always been supremely responsive, and this iteration stays true to form. Simply tap the buttons, and watch Kratos ginsu all who dare oppose him.

The original God of War had a boatload of extras, from bonus costumes to special challenges that were designed to test even the heartiest mortal. This game takes that formula and supercharges it, cramming a whole disc full of extras on top of the already plentiful bonuses. Deleted levels, interviews with the design team, and special unlocks for each difficulty level will have you playing the game over and over again. I'm currently on my second trip through Ancient Greece, and I still love every minute. The game's replayability is utterly sublime, and fatigue won't set in for a long, long time.

In short, God of War II is pure gaming nirvana, possibly one of the greatest games for a system that has seen its share of hits. I honestly have no complaints about this game, and that's truly saying something. With its impressive showing in all areas, God of War II earns highest praise, and a perfect score.

Overall Score: 10 out of 10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/27/07