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God of War II

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God of War II
File:Gow2-2.jpg
The NTSC box art for the game, depicting Kratos overlooking the Palace of the Fates
Developer(s)SCE Studios Santa Monica
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)David Jaffe
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
ReleaseUnited States March 13 2007
European Union April 27, 2007
Australia May 3, 2007
Genre(s)Hack and slash, Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single player

God of War II is the sequel to the popular God of War video game. It was released in America on March 13, 2007[2] for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game was released on April 27, 2007[2] in Europe, and May 3, 2007 in Australia.

The North American NTSC version of God of War II is packaged in a two-disc set. The first disc contains the game, and the second disc is dedicated to the game's development, including a diary of the game production.[3] The European/Australian PAL version comes in two different editions: a single disc standard edition and a two disc "Special Edition" that comes in a case different from the single disc edition. It also includes different box art, a bonus DVD, as well as the PAL version of the game.

Gameplay

The gameplay of God of War II is very similar to that of its predecessor. The player controls Kratos in a combination of combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements. Kratos' main weapons are Athena's Blades, blades on the ends of long chains that Kratos is able to swing in destructive paths but also able to use to scale rock faces or swing from special hook points. Kratos received Athena's Blades at the end of the original game. Other weapons and magic abilities are acquired as the plot progresses and can be used in conjunction with the Blades to dispatch enemies. Defeating foes using a combination of attacks, including chaining attacks together in combos, will release red experience orbs, used to power up Kratos' weapons and magic, and green, blue, and yellow orbs to replenish health, magic power, and the Rage of the Titans power, respectively. Chests distributed throughout the levels can also release these orbs, as well as providing Kratos with special artifacts to increase his maximum health and magic levels.

As with many foes in the first game, once Kratos has weakened an enemy, an indicator will appear above it. The player can then initiate a Mortal-Kombat-style fatality minigame, which may require the player to hit a button, turn the analog stick, button-mash, or some combination thereof when prompted on-screen. A successful attempt will release additional orbs or life as a reward, while failure may result in damage to Kratos. Bosses can only be finished via these minigames, allowing the programmers to guarantee them graphic and cinematic demises.

New features in God of War II include additional relics introduced in the game. These allow Kratos to reflect magic spells back to their target, to slow down time when near special statues, and to open locked doors. Additionally, Kratos takes flight on the back of Pegasus with the combat similar in nature to rail games such as Panzer Dragoon Orta. A new "Challenge of the Titans" mode allows the player to attempt 7 different challenges with increasing difficulty after they have completed the main game once. There is also an "Arena of the Fates", in which the number and types of opponents can be customized. The experience points gained therein carry over to the main game. An overall rank of Titan must be achieved in the Challenge of the Titans in order to unlock the Arena of the Fates. Finally, a series of Grecian urns hidden throughout the game allow the unlocking of additional abilities when starting a New Game Plus, known in this game as a "Bonus Play."

Story

God of War II takes place some time after the events of the first game; Kratos, after his defeat of Ares, has become the new God of War, but has not been accepted by the other members of the Greek pantheon due to his ruthless conquest of The Greek City-States. He finds enjoyment the only way he can, by leading his Spartan army in conquering Greece. Athena begs him to stop, saying she will no longer be able to protect him from the wrath of the gods, and that he owes her for making him God of War, but Kratos storms out, saying he needs no protection and that he owes her nothing. Athena sadly muses that Kratos has left her no choice...The game begins as he descends to Rhodes, where an eagle (Zeus, but Kratos believes it is Athena) robs him of some of his godly powers, and brings to life the Colossus of Rhodes, to kill Kratos. After a protracted conflict with the metal giant that rages across the city, Zeus offers Kratos the Blade of Olympus, which Zeus himself used to overthrow the Titans, who were led by Zeus' father Cronus. At Zeus' behest, Kratos infuses the blade with his own godly power, rendering him mortal but made him victorious. Unfortunately, Kratos is severely wounded by the Collossus' hand in the battle. Zeus, having engineered the entire plot, reveals himself and demands that Kratos swear allegiance to him. Though weakened and unable to fight back, Kratos defies him, and is slain by Lord of Olympus.

However, as Kratos is being dragged into torment in the Underworld he is saved by Gaia, one of the Titans, who has observed his life up to this point and offers to save his life and help restore his powers. When the Titans were defeated by the Olympians, they were punished and humiliated, and they want Kratos' help to exact revenge. Kratos escapes the Underworld and is bidden by Gaia to find the Sisters of Fate in order to change his past; she then gives Kratos the aid of Pegasus to traverse the distance to the Fates. Kratos and Pegasus fly to the Island of Creation where the Sisters of Fate await, well guarded on both the air and on land. Along these travels, Kratos encounters a number of Titans and defeats many heroes and monsters, gaining new powers, weapons, and magical abilities to replace those lost to Zeus (as in the previous game, this process comprises the bulk of gameplay).

Kratos finally confronts the Sisters, Lakhesis, Atropos, and Clotho, who operate and defend the Loom of Fate, which rules the lives of mortals and gods alike. Though they try everything at their disposal, including attempting to change the outcome of the first game's final battle between Kratos and Ares, Kratos defeats them all and gains control of the Loom. He first goes back to his death at Zeus' hands in Rhodes, leading to a lengthy battle with the King of the Gods. In which Kratos is victorious, but when he is about to strike the deathblow, Athena interposes herself, saving her father at the cost of her life. Her dying words reveal that Zeus' actions are meant to break the cycle in Olympus of son killing father, by killing Kratos (the son) before he can kill Zeus (the father). Kratos then vows to exact retribution on the Gods of Olympus for their petty acts of self-preservation.

Returning to the Loom, which is now collapsing, Kratos uses it once again to go further back in time, into the original war between the Gods and Titans, and offers the Titans the chance to come to the present day, where Zeus is weakened and Olympus in a state of confusion. Thus, the game ends with the Gods of Olympus, in the present, watching in horror as the Titans climb Mount Olympus, led by Kratos: "Zeus! Your son has returned! I bring the destruction of Olympus!"

Characters

Main characters

  • Kratos: At the start of God of War II, Kratos is the God of War after defeating Ares but not being released from his torment made his sorrow boil into hatred. He turns to his mortal army of Sparta to wage war on cities across the land, which raises the anger of Zeus and the other gods. Soon, he finds he is betrayed by Zeus and reduced to a mortal. Kratos must travel to the Sisters of Fate to exact revenge and destroy Zeus once and for all.
  • Athena: The goddess of wisdom, defensive war and industry. Though a constant companion in the first game, Athena appears only thrice in this sequel: once to warn Kratos that his actions are displeasing the other gods, a second through a statue (as in the first game), and the last to save Zeus by stepping in the way of Kratos' killing blow. (Ironically, when Athena's mother, the goddess Metis, was pregnant, Zeus attempted to kill both for fear that the child be the prophecied overthrowing son.)
  • Gaia: One of the Titans, and connected to all things of the Earth. Along with the other Titans, she was banished in the War of the Titans, and seeing Kratos' quest for revenge on Zeus, offers to lend her power to his cause. She helps Kratos throughout his journey in hopes that together they can bring about the fall of Olympus.
  • Zeus: The King of the Olympian gods and the object of Kratos' vengeance. He betrays Kratos at the beginning of the game by killing him, in fear that Kratos was plotting to overthrow him. In his final confrontation with Kratos, he is determined to put an end to Kratos' attempt at revenge by demonstrating his power as a giant, and then dueling with Kratos in using his abilities as a god.
  • Lakhesis: The middle aged Sister of Fate bears a feathered robe and wings along with a staff. She mocks Kratos by telling him that she was the one responsible for deciding both the defeat of the Titans in the Great War and letting Kratos reach the Sisters. She refuses to accept Kratos and tells him that he will fail in his quest to change his fate.
  • Atropos: The oldest Sister of Fate who was inside Lakhesis until she split off to fight Kratos. She mocked Kratos' attempt to change his fate, demonstrating her power by altering the event from the first God of War and attempting to destroy the Blade of the Gods so that Kratos would die by Ares' hand. Kratos is forced to fight in his own past (with the final battle of the first game raging in the background) in order to defeat her and preserve his existence.
  • Clotho: The youngest of the three Sisters of Fate that Kratos encounters. She is a morbidly obese silkworm-like creature with multiple arms and breasts that sits within the multi-leveled Loom Chamber. She spins the thread of every mortal, god and titan. Kratos must defeat Clotho and learn how to work the loom in order to kill Zeus and change his fate.

Common enemies

See also: List of God of War Monsters

Most of the common enemies that Kratos faces are based on mythological creatures including several that return from the original God of War; these include the undead, skeletons, wraiths, harpies, nymphs, gryphons, minotaurs, Gorgons, Cyclopses, Cerberus hounds, Sirens, satyrs, juggernauts, and the armies of the Fates. Many of these common foes can be dealt a more violent finishing blow to earn more experience orbs and other benefits, though can also be finished off by repeated attacks.

Bosses

  • Colossus of Rhodes - The first boss in the game. It is brought to life by Zeus (in the form of a bird) who drains Kratos' power and gives it to the statue. As Kratos fights his way through the city, the Colossus attempts to destroy him. Kratos eventually fights the Colossus from within. When completely drained of its power by Kratos' use of the Blade of Olympus it begins to collapse. Kratos escapes through the mouth onto a platform. He is then crushed and nearly killed by the hand of the falling colossus.
  • Theseus - A famous Greek hero, he wields a twin-bladed spear and can summon ice crystals and Frost Minotaurs. He serves the Sisters of Fate as the 'Horse master' and keeps the key to the chapels on the backs of the Steeds of Time. Kratos offers Theseus' life in exchange for the key he possesses for the door; however Theseus challenges Kratos to a duel to the death to prove who is the greatest warrior in Greece. After an extended battle, Kratos uses Theseus' own spear against him by impaling him to the door, using the key to open the door, then repeatedly smashing the door on his head until he dies.
  • Barbarian King - One of the characters from the original game to return, the Barbarian King was seen repeatedly through the cutscenes in that game as Kratos' adversary who nearly defeated him, forcing Kratos to make a pact with Ares. Kratos is seen decapitating the King in the first game, but in this game he is a corpse riding a decrepit horse and he tells Kratos he is thankful that the Fates granted him this last duel with Kratos for revenge. After Kratos knocks the King off his horse, he uses his own hammer against him, slamming it repeatedly onto his head, before delivering a crushing blow. In another throwback to the original game, the ship captain whom Kratos let perish inside the Hydra is one of the souls the Barbarian King summons. If you kill him, it marks the third time in the series you let him die.
  • Cerberus - A black, three-headed hound who is faster, stronger and can breathe fire, Kratos discovers it has eaten Jason (of the Argonauts) and the Golden Fleece along with him. Kratos must retrieve the Golden Fleece from within the beast.
  • Euryale - Medusa's sister, a much larger, heavier gorgon. She wishes to avenge the death of her sister, who was slain by Kratos in the original God of War, and she praises the Sisters of Fate for luring Kratos to her temple. Her petrification energy is red, as opposed to other gorgons' energy being green. When defeated, her head can be used to turn enemies to stone. This is similar to "Medusa's Gaze" from the first game.
  • Perseus - The Greek hero appears to be on his own quest to seek the Sisters of Fate, to bring his love (presumably Andromeda) back from the dead. Perseus uses the Helmet of Hades that makes him invisible, a sling, a sword, and a reflective shield, all of which he received from various gods. He attempts to kill Kratos believing that the confrontation is a test to prove his worth for an audience with the Sisters (or at least he can bask in the glory of slaying Kratos). Kratos first destroys his helmet then breaks his sword into pieces. Perseus uses his shield to reflect sunlight into Kratos blinding him, when Kratos regains his standings Perseus is near the back of the pool. Kratos renders Perseus vulnerable by smashing him into a wall, then holding him underwater until he loses consciousness. Kratos takes Perseus' shield and throws him through a wall into a hook, killing him instantly.
  • Icarus - Kratos runs into an elderly Icarus upon reaching the Great Chasm. He appears to have lost his sanity, reacting violently to Kratos' arrival. This causes a tussle that takes them both over the edge. Kratos manages to tear off his wings, causing the old man to fall to his death.
  • The Last Spartan - Silhouetted against the sky from behind a framed glass window, Kratos fights this opponent as a shadow. Neither man knows the truth as to who they are fighting until Kratos wins by tackling the Spartan through a window, discovering to his horror that it was the Spartan he had told to defend the city at the start of the game. The Spartan tells Kratos that Zeus had destroyed Sparta and he had hoped to gain an audience with the Sisters of Fate to change the outcome. The Spartan dies having faith in Kratos' ability to save the Spartans. Kratos uses his body to place on a pressure plate several times before the Kraken devours his body.
  • Kraken - Appears after the 'Last Spartan' battle. At this point Kratos has been through so much that he gives up fighting and will not lift his blades. He now believes he cannot change his fate and wishes Zeus to face him at that very moment. This allows Kraken to firmly grab hold of Kratos who is still enraged. Kratos regains his fighting spirit after being convinced by Gaia that he will be eternally tormented by Zeus unless he changes his fate. After a few rounds of battling Kraken, Kratos stabs its tentacles, knocking it off balance, allowing Kratos to use a lever to extend a bridge, sending the bridge straight through Kraken's head.
  • The Sisters of Fate - In order to use the Loom to change his past, Kratos must battle the Three Sisters of Fate that are defending it, frightened that Kratos will bring doom to the world should he use it. Lakhesis confronts Kratos alone trying to kill him using a combination of melee attacks and magic with the use of her staff. When bested by Kratos, Lakhesis releases Atropos from within her. Atropos carries Kratos through the mirror back to the time when Kratos fought Ares. She threatens that she could kill Kratos in the past by destroying the sword he used to kill Ares. Kratos defeats Atropos, bringing him back to Lakhesis' throne room. Both Lakhesis and Atropos fight against Kratos. He defeats them by throwing them into one of their inter-dimensional mirrors, and then destroying it, trapping them in a void between realms. The final sister, Clotho, awaits Kratos a few levels away. While Kratos makes his way to her head he disables five of her smaller arms blocking his way up. Once at the top level, he disables her two main arms, giving him time to bring up a giant swinging blade. With this blade he impales Clotho through her head killing the last of the Sisters of Fate, granting him the power to change the past.
  • Zeus - After using the Loom to return to when Zeus drives the Blade of Olympus into Kratos, Kratos must fight Zeus for control of the blade in order to change his future. Toward the end of the battle Kratos uses both Athena's Blades and the Blade of Olympus to bring him down. After an electrical storm attack from Zeus, Kratos tells Zeus that he gives up and to end his life. Kratos then reverses Zeus' attack with the Blade of Olympus and nearly kills him until Athena interrupts. Kratos, while trying to run Zeus through, accidentally impales Athena who threw herself in the path of the killing blow and mortally wounds her while Zeus escapes with no concern for his fallen daughter.

Items and abilities

Weapons

Kratos' main weapon is Athena's Blades, bestowed on him by the goddess Athena. They function as the same weapon as the Blades of Chaos, but these were given to Kratos as he ascends to Godhood by Athena, and after Ares had taken the Blades of Chaos from Kratos during the final battle. During the game, Kratos also gains the Barbarian Hammer (a slow but powerful close combat weapon originally wielded by the Barbarian King), the Spear of Destiny (a fast weapon with piercing attacks originally used by the Dark Rider), and the Blade of Olympus (a divine sword so powerful it was what allowed Zeus to defeat the Titans.) Each weapon can be powered up with experience orbs to increase their power and add new attacks. However, the Blade of Olympus, normally a weapon provided solely by plot developments, can only be used via Bonus Play.

Magic

Kratos is bestowed with magical powers as he successfully completes certain tasks during the plot. Initially, Kratos starts with the Poseidon's Rage magic, carried over from the original game, but loses this after sacrificing his magic power in an attempt to defeat the Colossus. However, Kratos regains other magic spells, including Typhon's Bane (a bow-like long range attack weapon), Cronus' Rage (an attack using electricity to strike multiple targets), the Head of Euryale (similar to the Medusa's Gaze from the first game, able to turn enemies to stone), and Atlas Quake (a wide area ground pounding attack). As with his weapons, Kratos can improve the potency and abilities of these spells by spending experience orbs.

Kratos also gains the Rage of the Titans power from Prometheus, which is similar to the "Rage of the Gods" from the first game. This power can only be activated initially when a meter has been filled either due to Kratos taking damage or collecting yellow/gold orbs from defeated foes. Activating the power increases Kratos' attack power for a short time and makes him invincible to knockback, stun, and petrify effects, though not invincible to damage. The player is allowed to activate and deactivate Rage of the Titans whenever they wish, unlike Rage of the Gods which had to be fully charged and then could only be fully drained.

Relics

There are two primary types of relics in the game that Kratos will collect. The first are special keys to open locked doors throughout the game, but otherwise have no power of their own. The other type of Relics are those that provide Kratos with a special power. Kratos starts the game with the Trident of Poseidon that lets Kratos to swim and breathe underwater indefinitely. Kratos also gains three additional Relics of this nature in the game: The Amulet of the Fates that allows Kratos to slow down time when close to a Fate statue, the Wings of Icarus that allow Kratos to glide after jumping, and the Golden Fleece which Kratos can use to reflect directed shots back at their sender.

Urns

In the game the Urns give Kratos special abilities and attributes when activated in a bonus play, which is unlockable after you beat the game, such as by giving Kratos infinite magic or Rage of the Titans. The Urns are either found during gameplay in well hidden spots or earned in Challenge of the Titans. The six urns are the Urns of Gaia, Gorgons, Olympus, Prometheus, the Fates, and Poseidon.

Armor

By completing the game or through other special criteria, the player can unlock armor for Kratos. The armor changes both Kratos' appearance and alters the benefits from the orbs in both positive and negative ways, thus altering the difficulty of the game. The armors include different costumes: a fish costume, making him the "Cod of War," armor made from the Hydra Kratos defeated in the first game, and even complete appearance changes to either Athena or Hercules. The player can also wear the armor worn by Kratos at the start of the game in Rhodes which is the armor of the "God of War." The player can only change armor when starting a new game on bonus play.

Critical reception

Publication Score
1UP.com 9.7/10
Game Informer 9.75/10
G4's X-Play 5/5
GamePro 5/5
GameSpot 9.2/10
IGN 9.7/10
Total Gamer Zone 9.4/10
EGM 9.2/10
Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) 9/10
Official PlayStation Magazine (Australia) 10/10
Hammered Bros. 5/5
Game Rankings 93%
PSM 9.5/10
Gaming Trend 94%[4]
Metacritic 93%[5]

Upon its release, God of War II garnered overwhelming critical and commercial acclaim. Many consider it to be one of the PlayStation 2's best games,[6][7] and also one of the best action games of all time.[8][9][10] It is considered to be far superior to the original, with four times as many boss fights, and improved puzzles.[8][11][12][13][14][15]The game is also considered to be the swan song of the PlayStation 2 era — in other words, the last great game released exclusively for the console.[8][16]

In North America, by the end of March 2007, the game had sold over 833,209 units, twice as many copies as the next-best selling game.[17] In its first week of release in Europe, the game took the top spot in the UK charts as well.[18]

Soundtrack

Main article: God of War II Soundtrack

§==Trivia==

  • By achieving a 999,999 hit combo,[19] the player is treated to a secret web site. www.islandofrhodes.org. The site became active on midnight of April 12, 2007, and contains videos with commentary on the first two levels, a story about the Colossus of Rhodes and an exclusive wallpaper. Further material is available through solving the several puzzles on the site, including other videos with commentary, a story about the Isle of Creation, a method to run God of War II in a resolution slightly higher than 480p at the cost of rendering speed (only on NTSC versions of the game[20]), and another countdown ending on April 24 at midnight.[1] This second countdown led to the site announcing the PlayStation Portable game, God of War: Chains of Olympus.
  • In the web-based video series, God of War II: From Myth To Legend, David Jaffe hints at the future of the series. He says, "God of War explains, or ultimately will explain, why there are no more Greek myths."[21]
  • This marked the second time Harry Hamlin took the role of Perseus, the first being in the 1981 film Clash of the Titans; Hamlin was cast specifically for this role.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Kotaku - Isle of Rhodes Site Unlocks GoW 2 HD Mode, New Countdown
  2. ^ a b "IGN: God of War II". IGN PlayStation 2. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
  3. ^ Roper, Chris (2007-02-12). "IGN: God of War II Review". IGN PlayStation 2. pp. 3 of 3. Retrieved 2007-02-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "God of War II". Gaming Trend. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  5. ^ "God of War II". Meta Critic. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  6. ^ "God of War II Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  7. ^ "GameTrailers.com - God of War II (PlayStation 2)". GameTrailers.com. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  8. ^ a b c "IGN: God of War II Review". IGN PlayStation 2. Retrieved 2007-03-12. Cite error: The named reference "IGN Review" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ "CANOE -- WHAM Gaming - PS2: 'God of War' sequel a PS2 epic". Wham. Canoe.PA. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  10. ^ Electronic Gaming Monthly, April 2007, p.90
  11. ^ "GameSpy: God of War II Review". GameSpy PS2. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  12. ^ "God of War II for PlayStation 2 Review - GameDaily". GameDaily.com. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  13. ^ "Review: God of War II for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro.com. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  14. ^ "Game Informer Online". Game Informer. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  15. ^ "GamingTrend Review". GamingTrend. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  16. ^ "GameSpot: God of War II Review". GameSpot PlayStation 2. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  17. ^ "IGN: NPD: Kratos is God of March". IGN Playstation 2. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  18. ^ "gamesindustry.biz: UK charts: God of War II takes top spot". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
  19. ^ GameTrailers: 999 999 hit combo in God of War 2
  20. ^ Kikizo - No High-Res God of War II for Europe
  21. ^ God of War II: From Myth to Legend (Part 1 of 6)[1]
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference hamlin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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