NIGHTMARE
ANGEL OF DEATH
God of War
BY:NIGHTMARE
Opening
Describing God of War as godly is an understatement. Released on March 22, 2005, developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division, God of War is action-adventure game loosely based on Greek mythology. The winner of over a dozen Game of the Year awards, God of War is certainly the best PS2 game of 2005, if not the best game on the console itself.
Story
“You are Kratos and you will murder the God of War…” The story unfolds through in game sequences complemented by some of the most beautiful (and gory!) FMV’s on par with the likes of Final Fantasy, though with a very different style and undertone. As Kratos, you begin on a complex of ships which you must travel over and traverse through in order to rid the seas of the fearsome Hydra. Kratos does this because he must serve the gods in order to rid himself of his terrible nightmares which spawned from a gruesome event in his past. After defeating the Hydra, Athena asks Kratos of one final task - to kill a god. In order to do this he must use the only weapon, the only power capable of defeating a god: Pandora’s Box. So begins the epic adventure of Kratos as he sets out to murder his former master Ares, the God of War.
*img244.imageshack.us/img244/2563/godofwarmn1.th.jpg
Graphics
“The graphics are on par or better than any game with the Playstation 2's current generation including Xbox and Gamecube.”(IGN.com) Graphics are seamless and realistic, capable in running in HDTV 480p widescreen. At the beginning of the Playstation 2’s era, these graphics might seem impossible to achieve. The polygon count is incredibly high for a PS2 game, the textures are great, and the frame rate is a rock solid 60 FPS (running in progressive scan). The game itself just feels perfectly polished when played through. Kratos’s blades of chaos are particularly well done, leaving behind a fiery streak when swung. The environments are stunning and unbelievably detailed to say the least. They perfectly portray the feeling of Ancient Greece. The enemies and bosses are mostly recognizable from Ancient Greek myths, full of minotaurs, gorgons, and undead soldiers just to name a few. Also, you have to keep in mind the mature title isn’t misleading, as there are buckets of blood, intense violence, and nudity practically teeming inside this game. Not that that’s a bad thing… just keep the young’uns away from this one.
Sound
Graphics alone don’t fully immerse the player in the setting of a game; sound has to back that up -- otherwise you’re just sitting in your living room watching a pretty picture. In God of War, you’re in a hidden temple stabbing a minotaur in the head. That is to say, the sound in this game fully immerses you in its setting. The musical scores are epic featuring Ancient Greek scores that insert flair, pressure, and overall emotion into the package. Of course the sound quality is top notch as well, and those with good speakers will truly appreciate it. The voice acting is another great feature of God of War. Judi Dench (Bond movies, The Chronicles of Riddick) plays the narrator, which really helps set the attitude during the unbelievable FMV’s. In the simplest terms possible, Kratos acts and sounds like a badass. He’s out for revenge and you can feel his anger and passion throughout the game. Ares also plays his part with his contemptuous attitude. The rest of the sound effects fill their place; whether it is listening to the blades of chaos hiss as they slice through the air, the sound of metal on metal as Kratos blocks an enemy attack, or the sound of a gorgon’s head being ripped off its shoulders, everything just fits. This is beyond doubt one of the most dramatic games ever.
Gameplay
God of War’s gameplay is by far the most fluid experience I’ve had with a game - ever. I’ve played a lot of games in the action adventure genre you know; the Devil May Cry’s, the Onimusha’s, etc… but none of them match the God of War’s gameplay mechanics. The blades of chaos are the heart of your arsenal, effectively combining knives with chain whips. The chains are attached to Kratos’s arms, and as he swoops around his enemies, the blades swing around him. Blocking and dodging is also a necessary part of the game, especially on either of the hard or god modes. You can combine various types of attacks (light, heavy, rush, and more) to create devastating combos. The combo system is flawless, allowing for maximum freedom and hundreds of ways to defeat enemies, never getting boring.
As you defeat enemies and do combos, you get orbs which you can then use to level up your weapons, or your magic. Over the game you acquire four different spells and one new weapon, which can all be leveled up a maximum of three times for power upgrades and slightly more useful mechanics. The new weapon you receive is Artemis’s blade, which is fun but not nearly as useful or fluid as the blades of chaos. You get four magic spells which include Poseidon’s Rage (hits all enemies around you), Medusa’s Gaze (turns enemies to stone), Zeus’ Fury (lightning bolts), and finally Army of Hades (unleashes the souls of the dead upon your enemies). When any enemies life is low, you can initiate a minigame, which depending on the type of enemy your facing can be quickly pressing circle to stab a minotaur’s head, rolling the analog stick to rip off a gorgon’s head, quickly timing button presses to kill your enemies in a very cool, acrobatic fashion, and a ton more. These minigames are also initiated during miniboss and boss battles, often being really unique ways to kill and glorious to watch. Not to forget the sex minigame either (I won’t go into the details here, I’ll leave you to imagine what you do). There are also some puzzles you need to solve in order to progress, never being mind boggling but sometimes you have to act quickly or die. While there are only three main boss battles, they are so epic and incredible they make up for the small number.
When you finish the game on either easy, normal, or hard, you unlock god mode as well as a ton of new content such as videos on making the game, the enemies, levels, and more. You also unlock “the challenge of the gods” which is a ridiculously hard set of 10 challenges that will keep you playing for a while. After beating god mode you unlock even more videos which give many different paths for a sequel. There is so much replay-ability in this game, it certainly warrants your hard earned cash.
Awards
That’s right; God of War is so groundbreaking it gets its own special section for awards! Bow down to the sheer number of honors it has been bestowed.
• GameSpot's Best PS2 Game of E3 2004
• Daily Game's Best Action Game of E3 2004
• GameSpy E3 Awards 2004 - PS2 Game of Show
• GameRevolution - Best of E3 2004 Action/Adventure
• GameSpot's Best of 2005:
o Best PS2 Game
o Best Original Music
o Reader's Choice: Best PS2 Game
• 6th Annual PSX Extreme's Awards:
o Game of the Year
o Reader's Choice for Game of the Year
• PAX Gamers: GOTY Awards - 2005:
o Best PS2 Game
o Best Action Game
o Best Sound
o Surprise of the Year
o Game of the Year
• Game Daily's 2005 Game Awards:
o Best Action Game
o Best Soundtrack
o Game of the Year
• IGN PS2:
o Best Action Game
o Best Graphics Technology
o Best Original Score
o Best Story
o PS2 Game of the Year
o Game of the Year 2005
• Third-Annual G-Phoria Awards:
o Best Action Game
o Best Cinematic
o Best Original Game
o Favorite Character
• Included on Game Informer's "Top 50 Games of 2005" list
• PSM 100% Independent Playstation 2 Magazine
o Game of the Year 2005
o Special Achievement Award 2005: Best Story
o Special Achievement Award 2005: Best Voice Acting
• 2005 Spike TV's Video Game Awards - Best Action Game
• Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences 9th Annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Create, Entertain) Awards:
o Overall Game of the year
o Console Game of the Year
o Outstanding Achievement: Animation
o Outstanding Achievement: Original Music Composition
o Outstanding Achievement: Sound Design
o Outstanding Character Performance: Male
o Action/Adventure Game of the Year
• GameZone 2005 Game of the Year Awards:
o PS2 Game of the Year
o Best Original Score
• 2005 Free Press Game of the Year
• GameSpy's PS2 Game of the Year 2005
• ControllerFreaks' 2005 Game Awards:
o PlayStation 2 Game of the Year
o Action Game of the Year
• Electronic Gaming Monthly 2005 Game Awards
o Best PS2 Game
o Game of the Year Runner-Up
o Best New Character Who Deserves a Sequel
o Best Game Designer (David Jaffe)
• Gaming Target:
o 52 Games From 2005 We'd Still Be Playing (The Top 12)
o PS2 Game of the Year
• GameShadow Innovation in Games Awards
o Nominated in Best Character Category
Final Thoughts
God of War is one of those rare games you just can’t afford to miss. With groundbreaking visuals, sound, and gameplay, this title will go down in history. Experience the phenomenon that is God of War.
Final scores
Story: 9
Graphics: 9.5
Sound: 10
Replay Value: 9
Gameplay: 10
Overall: 9.5
BY:NIGHTMARE
Opening
Describing God of War as godly is an understatement. Released on March 22, 2005, developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division, God of War is action-adventure game loosely based on Greek mythology. The winner of over a dozen Game of the Year awards, God of War is certainly the best PS2 game of 2005, if not the best game on the console itself.
Story
“You are Kratos and you will murder the God of War…” The story unfolds through in game sequences complemented by some of the most beautiful (and gory!) FMV’s on par with the likes of Final Fantasy, though with a very different style and undertone. As Kratos, you begin on a complex of ships which you must travel over and traverse through in order to rid the seas of the fearsome Hydra. Kratos does this because he must serve the gods in order to rid himself of his terrible nightmares which spawned from a gruesome event in his past. After defeating the Hydra, Athena asks Kratos of one final task - to kill a god. In order to do this he must use the only weapon, the only power capable of defeating a god: Pandora’s Box. So begins the epic adventure of Kratos as he sets out to murder his former master Ares, the God of War.
*img244.imageshack.us/img244/2563/godofwarmn1.th.jpg
Graphics
“The graphics are on par or better than any game with the Playstation 2's current generation including Xbox and Gamecube.”(IGN.com) Graphics are seamless and realistic, capable in running in HDTV 480p widescreen. At the beginning of the Playstation 2’s era, these graphics might seem impossible to achieve. The polygon count is incredibly high for a PS2 game, the textures are great, and the frame rate is a rock solid 60 FPS (running in progressive scan). The game itself just feels perfectly polished when played through. Kratos’s blades of chaos are particularly well done, leaving behind a fiery streak when swung. The environments are stunning and unbelievably detailed to say the least. They perfectly portray the feeling of Ancient Greece. The enemies and bosses are mostly recognizable from Ancient Greek myths, full of minotaurs, gorgons, and undead soldiers just to name a few. Also, you have to keep in mind the mature title isn’t misleading, as there are buckets of blood, intense violence, and nudity practically teeming inside this game. Not that that’s a bad thing… just keep the young’uns away from this one.
Sound
Graphics alone don’t fully immerse the player in the setting of a game; sound has to back that up -- otherwise you’re just sitting in your living room watching a pretty picture. In God of War, you’re in a hidden temple stabbing a minotaur in the head. That is to say, the sound in this game fully immerses you in its setting. The musical scores are epic featuring Ancient Greek scores that insert flair, pressure, and overall emotion into the package. Of course the sound quality is top notch as well, and those with good speakers will truly appreciate it. The voice acting is another great feature of God of War. Judi Dench (Bond movies, The Chronicles of Riddick) plays the narrator, which really helps set the attitude during the unbelievable FMV’s. In the simplest terms possible, Kratos acts and sounds like a badass. He’s out for revenge and you can feel his anger and passion throughout the game. Ares also plays his part with his contemptuous attitude. The rest of the sound effects fill their place; whether it is listening to the blades of chaos hiss as they slice through the air, the sound of metal on metal as Kratos blocks an enemy attack, or the sound of a gorgon’s head being ripped off its shoulders, everything just fits. This is beyond doubt one of the most dramatic games ever.
Gameplay
God of War’s gameplay is by far the most fluid experience I’ve had with a game - ever. I’ve played a lot of games in the action adventure genre you know; the Devil May Cry’s, the Onimusha’s, etc… but none of them match the God of War’s gameplay mechanics. The blades of chaos are the heart of your arsenal, effectively combining knives with chain whips. The chains are attached to Kratos’s arms, and as he swoops around his enemies, the blades swing around him. Blocking and dodging is also a necessary part of the game, especially on either of the hard or god modes. You can combine various types of attacks (light, heavy, rush, and more) to create devastating combos. The combo system is flawless, allowing for maximum freedom and hundreds of ways to defeat enemies, never getting boring.
As you defeat enemies and do combos, you get orbs which you can then use to level up your weapons, or your magic. Over the game you acquire four different spells and one new weapon, which can all be leveled up a maximum of three times for power upgrades and slightly more useful mechanics. The new weapon you receive is Artemis’s blade, which is fun but not nearly as useful or fluid as the blades of chaos. You get four magic spells which include Poseidon’s Rage (hits all enemies around you), Medusa’s Gaze (turns enemies to stone), Zeus’ Fury (lightning bolts), and finally Army of Hades (unleashes the souls of the dead upon your enemies). When any enemies life is low, you can initiate a minigame, which depending on the type of enemy your facing can be quickly pressing circle to stab a minotaur’s head, rolling the analog stick to rip off a gorgon’s head, quickly timing button presses to kill your enemies in a very cool, acrobatic fashion, and a ton more. These minigames are also initiated during miniboss and boss battles, often being really unique ways to kill and glorious to watch. Not to forget the sex minigame either (I won’t go into the details here, I’ll leave you to imagine what you do). There are also some puzzles you need to solve in order to progress, never being mind boggling but sometimes you have to act quickly or die. While there are only three main boss battles, they are so epic and incredible they make up for the small number.
When you finish the game on either easy, normal, or hard, you unlock god mode as well as a ton of new content such as videos on making the game, the enemies, levels, and more. You also unlock “the challenge of the gods” which is a ridiculously hard set of 10 challenges that will keep you playing for a while. After beating god mode you unlock even more videos which give many different paths for a sequel. There is so much replay-ability in this game, it certainly warrants your hard earned cash.
Awards
That’s right; God of War is so groundbreaking it gets its own special section for awards! Bow down to the sheer number of honors it has been bestowed.
• GameSpot's Best PS2 Game of E3 2004
• Daily Game's Best Action Game of E3 2004
• GameSpy E3 Awards 2004 - PS2 Game of Show
• GameRevolution - Best of E3 2004 Action/Adventure
• GameSpot's Best of 2005:
o Best PS2 Game
o Best Original Music
o Reader's Choice: Best PS2 Game
• 6th Annual PSX Extreme's Awards:
o Game of the Year
o Reader's Choice for Game of the Year
• PAX Gamers: GOTY Awards - 2005:
o Best PS2 Game
o Best Action Game
o Best Sound
o Surprise of the Year
o Game of the Year
• Game Daily's 2005 Game Awards:
o Best Action Game
o Best Soundtrack
o Game of the Year
• IGN PS2:
o Best Action Game
o Best Graphics Technology
o Best Original Score
o Best Story
o PS2 Game of the Year
o Game of the Year 2005
• Third-Annual G-Phoria Awards:
o Best Action Game
o Best Cinematic
o Best Original Game
o Favorite Character
• Included on Game Informer's "Top 50 Games of 2005" list
• PSM 100% Independent Playstation 2 Magazine
o Game of the Year 2005
o Special Achievement Award 2005: Best Story
o Special Achievement Award 2005: Best Voice Acting
• 2005 Spike TV's Video Game Awards - Best Action Game
• Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences 9th Annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Create, Entertain) Awards:
o Overall Game of the year
o Console Game of the Year
o Outstanding Achievement: Animation
o Outstanding Achievement: Original Music Composition
o Outstanding Achievement: Sound Design
o Outstanding Character Performance: Male
o Action/Adventure Game of the Year
• GameZone 2005 Game of the Year Awards:
o PS2 Game of the Year
o Best Original Score
• 2005 Free Press Game of the Year
• GameSpy's PS2 Game of the Year 2005
• ControllerFreaks' 2005 Game Awards:
o PlayStation 2 Game of the Year
o Action Game of the Year
• Electronic Gaming Monthly 2005 Game Awards
o Best PS2 Game
o Game of the Year Runner-Up
o Best New Character Who Deserves a Sequel
o Best Game Designer (David Jaffe)
• Gaming Target:
o 52 Games From 2005 We'd Still Be Playing (The Top 12)
o PS2 Game of the Year
• GameShadow Innovation in Games Awards
o Nominated in Best Character Category
Final Thoughts
God of War is one of those rare games you just can’t afford to miss. With groundbreaking visuals, sound, and gameplay, this title will go down in history. Experience the phenomenon that is God of War.
Final scores
Story: 9
Graphics: 9.5
Sound: 10
Replay Value: 9
Gameplay: 10
Overall: 9.5
) should look out for.