Game: God of WarSystem: Playstation 2
Release date: March 22, 2005
Developed by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Greek mythology gets a bit of a facelift in Sony's God of War, a dark and bloody tale of war, revenge and betrayal. Players control Kratos, a Spartan warrior who once swore allegiance to Ares, the Greek god of war, but who now seeks to destroy his former patron. Aided by other Olympians, Kratos embarks on an odyssey that brings him into contact with mythological beasts, deadly traps and horrible memories from his past.
Kratos is a formidable warrior, physically and tactically. Covered in crimson tattoos, his skin ghostly pale, Kratos attacks his enemies with the "Blades of Chaos," jagged short swords attached to chains fused to his forearms. Throughout his journeys, Kratos collects red orbs which can be used to power up the Blades or enhance the range/power of magical spells gifted to the Spartan by Athena, Poseidon, etc.
God of War is not merely an action game; it features adventure elements, like puzzle-solving, and platform elements, like scaling vertical cliffs and swinging from rope to rope. The Temple of Pandora, by far the largest and most challenging episode in the game, requires players to solve the temple's riddles, evade dangerous traps and dive deep into submerged chambers.
Make no mistake: God of War is a mature game. It contains huge amounts of blood and gruesome finishing moves, along with nudity and sexual content. But God of War is not gratuitously violent or ghastly; it is a story of the violence, wickedness and weakness of humanity. It is very clear from the beginning that Kratos is no hero.
God of War could justifiably be called the Playstation 2 franchise; critics and consumers certainly loved it, along with God of War II, and are eagerly awaiting the soon-to-be-released God of War III for Playstation 3. It is undoubtedly a great game, but it may be slightly overrated, especially by IGN, which placed it above Resident Evil 4 as their 2005 Game of the Year.
Score: 95/100
RE4 has a liberating world filled with twists and turns, heart pounding action, and fantastic items.
ReplyDeleteGoW is pretty straight forward with its linear gameplay. Items are basic and don't contribute majorly to the story. I really could care less about combos.
The tell all difference is I felt involved with the world of RE4. GoW was so far from reality it was hard to involve myself. I do love Greek mythology, but I can't see myself a part of it...and with all the action.