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227 of 239 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Near Flawless, March 28, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Do you remember that thrill when you played Devil May Cry for the first time? That experience that was familiar in some aspects but so different in a completely bad ass way? The opening moments of God of War exceed that thrill. In fact it brings to mind what comedian Dane Cook would call a BAMF. I'll let you do the math.
The opening moments are filled with creatures both small and large that you can effortlessly kill, the game subtly teaching you the mechanics. But all of that is just setup for a truly epic first boss fight against the Hydra that not only kicks the game into high gear, but also is better than practically any "end boss" fights of most games. With context sensitive button pushes, the game incorporates a cinematic experience into your fighting. By pushing buttons at the right time, you are dodging, climbing and killing each Hydra head thrown at you. It is intense and immensely satisfying. Never before have I felt this immersion in a video game. Instead of watching a cutscene of Kratos finishing a Hydra, YOU are doing it. You are swinging off its nose, jamming your blades into its eyes. It is awesome.
Graphically, the game excels. I have been constantly surprised recently with the graphic quality of PS2 games. God of War is almost seamless. The game moves from gameplay, to cutscene, to gameplay, level to level without a load screen. In fact, with the exception of the initial load, I don't remember ever seeing a load screen. It is beautiful to watch, gruesome to play and just fantastic.
Sound-wise, the game also is gold. It has a fully orchestrated soundtrack that fits perfectly with the Greek time period. In fact, the soundtrack is available for a free download if you buy the game and its definitely worth it to those who like this kind of music. The voice work is well done and the lip synching for once matches perfectly.
For all of the graphic prowess, there are some problems. The biggest of which is a kind of scanning problem. When the camera moves, sometimes the areas get...squiggly?...I don't how to explain it, but there's lines moving through the game because it can't handle it. There's also a little bit of slowdown when battles get hectic. Neither of these are major problems but it does detract from what really are wonderful graphics.
The camera also generally shows the best angle for the action. You can't control the camera, it's preset like Devil May Cry. There are a couple instances, however, where you can get sandwiched between two or more huge brutes and you can't see yourself because of the camera. It can be incredibly annoying when it happens but it is so rare that it isn't much of a complaint.
Finally, the game isn't too long. It's a 10-15 hour game depending on how well you play and what difficulty setting you choose. They actually had to cut the game down to get it done on time. You can check out the levels and monsters that were cut after finishing the game. Along with the shortness, there aren't many bosses. In fact, there's only three. But man, when they throw a boss at you, they really throw a boss at you.
Note of warning: This game is definitely rated M. The violence and gore is in your face as there are decapitations, breaking necks, wings ripped off, people cut in half, violence against women, etc. And there's nudity and sexual situations. Copious breast shots follow suit.
I can't recommend this game enough. If you are a fan of action games, this game redefines the stylish action Devil May Cry heralded back in the day. Playing as Kratos gives you the same bad ass feeling Dante did, only God of War ramps this up to the extremes. Play this game, you'll be glad you did.
UPDATE: I don't know if there's anyone out there who hasn't played this game yet, but if you haven't, why not? At 19.99, this game is a complete steal! There is a sequel on the way, coming out on the PS2 in early 2007.
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132 of 157 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Play it with your shirt off., July 9, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
That's what I've started doing. It's a game that drips testosterone from marble columns of Athens to (but not quenching) the infernals of Hades. There's not much happy in Krato's Ancient Greece. Well, strike that. Maybe Aries is happy because he's ripping Athens to shreds. Fires, thunderstorms, Aries' steel clanging, while the helpless humans fire arrows at the God of War unleashed. Pah! Human Arrows. It's like trying to put out Hades' flames by blowing bubbles.
There is so much amazing about God of War. First, I'll talk about thought. There's folly about. That's the theme of Greek Mythology, ALWAYS. Folly between the gods and "their human playthings". However, Greek gods are flawed just like the human pawns. For the gods of Olympus err clumbsiness then clean-up their mistakes after. What folly! God of War WORKS as Greek Mythology. I love the concept of "destroying a god" through Pandora's Box. Opening Pandora's Box, the colloquialism, is to unleash a maelstrom of unpredictable chaotic events. Is that what happens when a god is killed? Absolutely. This is what I mean regarding thought. There are philosphical gems that glisten in Ancient Greece.
Second, the gameplay and controls are extremely tight. You'll use every button on the contoller when battling. You'll use every move. Rolling/evasion, blocking, comboes that can rise to triple digit numbers (my highest is 124) are necessary to avoid becoming burger to Aries' black-hearted baddies. This said, tight controls are necessary, work perfect, creating some ridiculously fast paced/intense action.
Third, is balance. Now some friends say I smoke too much over drinking, but I understand balance is required. God of War balances action and puzzle solving, and not once do the scales dip to one side. Sure, the game gets difficult and frustrating the further you take Kratos, but never is there too much fighting, too much puzzle-solving, or too much drinking. Wah? The balance is great.
Did I mention level design? No? It's brilliant. Sometimes it reminds me of Prince of Persia:SOT and sometimes Tomb Raider. Environments are very fluid, from the details of statues and Greek architecture, to Kratos' ugly reflection on a highly polished floor? I'd hate to be the sap who keeps those Greek floors so spickitty span clean. I wonder what that dude makes an hour. Benefits are worth it, especially if you get to glimpse the Oracle of Athens in her sheer top. Huh? Great level design.
To add one more edge on Kratos already sharp blades, God of War has a wonderful soundtrack. The music is ambiant sometimes, orchestral at others. Should I say it again? Ok. Balanced soundtrack.
I'll wrap it up. My wife came down when I was playing and she said, "Honey, why do you have your shirt off?" I looked at her. My eyes were bloodshot but not from God of War. I replied, "Kratos doesn't wear a shirt. If he doesn't, I don't."
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
god of action, March 23, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
holy crap this game is awesome! i was skeptical at first, but then i started seeing all the good reviews in magazines, so i had to go out and pick me up a copy and see what all the fuss was about. and i couldn't be happier that i did.
you play as a warrior named Kratos, and he got screwed over by the god of war, Ares, so now he wants to kill Ares. The plot is pretty good, and told quite well through flashback cinemas, and present time ones, too. But the story isn't where it's at with this game, oh no, this game is all about the killin'. And trust me, you'll be doin' lots of it, in the coolest ways possible. Ripping people's heads off, tearing them in half, breaking their backs, gouging their eyes out, ramming your Blades of Chaos down their gullets...the list goes on and on.
The graphics in God of War are flat out amazing. from the highly details character models (even the regular enemies look amazing), to the awe-inspiring backgrounds that are almost always filled with fighting and some type of storm (sand, rain, lots of buildings on fire), and the first time you see Ares just marchin' around town (and you being about the size of one of his huge hands), you will crap yourself. you obtain different god powers throughout your quest of vengeance (and sadism...), such as Medusa's Gaze, which temporarily petrifies enemies in a stone casing, Poseidon's Rage, which is a large electrical blast to surrounding foes, Artemis' Blade, a massive, razor-sharp weapon that helps you just plain smack the crap out of enemies, and there are others, but i won't ruin all the fun for everyone. the bosses look amazing, too. from the Hydra to Ares, you'll be half kicking ass, and half admiring the graphics with which you are doing so.
the game isn't terribly hard, and i think i beat it in just under ten hours...i think. i could be wrong. that might sound relatively short, but trust me, it's just the right amount of time for a game like this. Sure, the developers could have tacked on a bunch of half-assed side-quests or backtracking missions to lengthen your adventure, but then the game would just feel...i don't know...tainted, somehow. like it was perfect, but then they had to get greedy and try to throw in some cheap crap to boost the number of hours it takes to complete the game. i'm glad they didn't though, because as it is, the game is flat out amazing. and you'll be playing it for a long time anyway, just for the action. but anyway, when you beat it, you unlock a harder mode, which i haven't touched yet, and you also can unlock a ton of other goodies that will keep you playing, if you aren't already hooked on beating the pants off every enemy and trying to rack up a huge chain of hits while you do it. I do like how the game flows, though. There isn't really any traditional level design, everything just goes right from one stage to the next, with little to no loading time, which is always a plus. but i don't even think an irritating loading time could harm this game's greatness. it is by far the best game of the year, already, and will probably stand as one of the best action/adventure games of all time...until God of War II comes out, anyway....
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