God of War: Sons of Sparta

Note: The review contains spoilers for God of War: Sons of Sparta and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. 

The God of War series is no stranger to having canon installments developed by other studios outside of Santa Monica Studio, but not a full original console game. Such is the case with God of War: Sons of Sparta (Sons of Sparta), a PS5 exclusive co-developed by Mega Cat Studios, the studio behind Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit. Unusually for the series, let alone for its high profile, the game was shadow-dropped on the PlayStation Store during the February 2026 PlayStation State of Play. Although the release was sudden, I still got the game on release day, though it took a while to finish due to my own personal endurance. Upon completing it and reaching the post-game, I thought it was a worthy entry in the series, but not without some questionable design choices.

Second Look - God of War: Ascension

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

In the time between God of War: Ghost of Sparta and the 2018 Norse entry, a new entry in the Greek series, God of War: Ascension, was released on PS3. This not only sought to fill in another gap in Kratos’ story, it was also the first, and so far only, game in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode. While I did play it when it first came out, even getting the Collector’s Edition that came with a mini Kratos statue, I found it to be a largely underwhelming experience with stale gameplay that left me wanting something new. Revisiting this game again over a decade later did not really change my mind all that much, with technical hiccups and the fact that it was the final Greek game arguably making it worse.

Second Look - God of War III Remastered

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

Following the release of God of War: Chains of Olympus on PSP in 2008 came the long-awaited God of War III in 2010, the first to be released on the PS3. This installment happens to be my personal favorite in the series and one I have a fond memory of playing, in part since I attended a midnight launch of the game in my senior year of high school and, due to the timing of its release, was able to play through the entirety of the game across two days since I was able to skip most of those two days (I was also admittedly a little obsessive of its development during the pre-release hype). While God of War III also got the remaster treatment like most of the other Greek games, in the form of God of War III Remastered, this is also notably the only one of those games to be released on PS4, likely as a way of hyping the then-upcoming 2018 game. Naturally, I also played the remaster when it came out, and found it only fitting to revisit this game through said remaster. While I liked the original version well enough as a teenager, I got a lot more out of the game’s story on this playthrough, allowing me to appreciate it even further.

Second Look - God of War II

Following the release and success of the original God of War, Kratos’ story was allowed to continue in a sequel, aptly titled God of War II. Notably, although the PS3 was around the corner during its development, the game was developed exclusively for the PS2, due to the developers having a better understanding of the PS2’s architecture in addition to the system having the bigger player base at the time. This game and the original God of War would also be ported to the PS3 as part of God of War Legacy Collection, which was made to promote God of War III and ended up popularizing, if not pioneering, HD remasters of retro games. As with the first game, I decided to replay the second through this collection after having not played it for a little over 10 years, coming away with a much better understanding of its plot and themes than I did previously.

Second Look - God of War (2005)

 

Note: This review contains spoilers for God of War (2005).

While my opinions of the God of War series have been mostly positive, as time has passed, I have not been completely satisfied with my original reviews of the entries centered on Greek mythology, which were originally written around the release of God of War: Ascension. Around the release of God of War: Ragnarök, the idea of revisiting Kratos’ roots resurfaced, and I felt more motivated to do so upon finishing that game, starting with the original God of War from 2005. While the game was originally released on the PS2, and I have played it multiple times on that platform, I decided to replay it through the God of War HD Collection on PS3 due to the graphical improvements made for that port, and in the process realizing I had not touched the game in a little over a decade. After diving back into it following such a lengthy absence, while it hasn’t exactly aged well visually, it has aged very well from a storytelling perspective and remains one of the best examples of a Mature-rated game.

God of War: Ragnarök - Valhalla (DLC)

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

In celebration of the anniversary of God of War: Ragnarök (Ragnarök­), a piece of free DLC, known as Valhalla, was announced at The Game Awards 2023, for release later in the month. Not only does this DLC contain new story content, it also provides a unique gameplay experience different from the base game, constructed more like a rougelite and with a separate menu option so you can freely jump into it. Having overall enjoyed the base game, I downloaded and played the DLC as soon as I could, finding the story direction intriguing and the gameplay loop well-executed.

God of War: Ragnarök

Note: This review contains spoilers for God of War (2018).

After God of War: Ascension milked the God of War series’ Greek mythology roots for all it was worth, the franchise went in a new direction and began exploring the realm of Norse mythology, seemingly inspired by creator David Jaffe’s original vision for God of War III, starting with God of War (2018). While this new chapter in the franchise was initially planned for at least three games, the increased development time and cost for AAA games led the Norse Era to be capped off at two games, concluding with God of War: Ragnarök (Ragnarök) in 2022. While I did not play this game at launch, I did play the PS5 version as soon as I could when I got it as a gift, as the game was high on my radar once it came out. While Ragnarök is an overall fantastic conclusion to the Norse Era that was worth the wait, the experience was still affected by the amount of content and some technical issues.

[OLD] God of War III Remastered - ...Or Does It?

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-iii-remastered.html

 

Following the original release of God of War III on the PS3 in 2010, the game would later be ported and remastered for the PS4 in 2015 as God of War III Remastered, with all DLC costumes included on-disc. God of War Collection (collecting God of War I and II) had been released for PS Vita the previous year, however it does feel a little odd that said Collection would not have also been ported to PS4 alongside God of War III. Getting back on track, though I had gotten this port around the time it was released, with the intention to play it prior to God of War (2018) for PS4, it was only after a release date for the new game was officially announced that I finally started to play it as a primer, during whatever free time I had in my schedule. As I played it, I found it to have aged pretty well, even if the remaster generally felt a little unnecessary.

All of the content remains the same is with the original God of War III, just with a minor visual upgrade. I didn’t really notice any major difference in the visuals, however it looked really good nonetheless; this slight graphical upgrade makes the pre-rendered cutscenes slightly more noticeable against the real-time rendered ones, however it wasn't enough to be immersion-breaking. The music was just as good as ever (to the point where I had purchased a copy of the soundtrack beforehand), with the Gerard Marino track “Rage of Sparta” standing out the most. The voice acting was also still good and it was nice to hear Terrence C. Carson’s Kratos again, however I’m confident Christopher Judge will do a good job voicing the character in the new game. I didn’t really run into many technical issues while playing, save for one where I had some difficulty getting a double jump to work in places; I don’t know how much of it was me or some issue introduced in the port, as has been seen with some good remasters such as Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX.

As noted in the opening paragraph, all of the costume DLC for the game is included on the disc. This even includes the 7-Eleven-exclusive Morpheus skin (previously only available through a Slurpee promotion that included a special flavor) and the Deimos skin tying into God of War: Ghost of Sparta on PSP. I should mention that you are only required to beat the game once to unlock all of the costumes, which saves a lot of the effort that was originally required.

Overall, God of War III Remastered is a great port, save for whatever technical issues I faced while playing. When I initially (awkwardly) reviewed God of War III, I considered it “a perfect game”; my opinion has since mellowed out, since the idea of a “perfect game” is highly subjective, however I would still consider it one of the best God of War games and it reminded me why I thought it was worth attending the midnight release of the original PS3 version. Though it is a good entry, I would still highly recommend playing the previous entries in the series, at minimum the numbered games, prior to this one should you wish to play it, as this game serves as the chronological end to Kratos’ story prior to the upcoming new entry. Now that Kratos’ journey through Greek mythology is over, it will be interesting to see what he does in the realm of Norse mythology in God of War (2018).

[OLD] God of War: Ascension - It All Begins Here

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-ascension.html

Following 2010's God of War III, which saw the conclusion of Kratos' story, Santa Monica Studio developed the recently-released God of War: Ascension, with two collections released in the intervening time. The idea behind this game is that it shows the very beginnings of Kratos' storyline while also introducing Online Multiplayer to the God of War series. Personally, I was worried about there being an online function in the first place, since God of War is usually known for its story and I didn't want this to be a game where story clarity was sacrificed in favor of a better multiplayer (not helped by the fact that most adverts I saw online centered on the multiplayer, including one with music that was decidedly not God of War-like). When getting this game, I decided to go for the Collector's Edition since it came with several extras, including a 6" Kratos statue. Even then, I wasn't sure how well this game would turn out, but after playing the game I can say is that my fears about my experience were alleviated...sort of.

The game takes place before any of the other God of War games, starting off with Kratos escaping from being chained up by the Furies. As he battles Megaera, one of the Furies, across a prison inside the body of Aegaeon the Hecatonchires, Kratos also has to fend off several enemies brought forth by Megaera's parasites, including a part of Aegaeon himself. During all of this, Kratos begins to flash back to an earlier point in time, when he had to deal with the Furies after attempting to break his oath to Ares, the God of War.

The story itself, while having an interesting concept, isn't as engaging as those of other God of War games. Granted, I knew from the start that it was not going to be able to top the epicness of God of War III, but there didn't seem to be anything to help the audience care more about the Ghost of Sparta. What I can say, however, is that the writers did seem to have some sort of idea of the direction they wanted to take. Dialogue over the course of the game gives many call forwards to events in chronologically-later installments, while also hinting at a particular plot twist in the first game, keeping it expertly hidden until it is spoiled for newcomers at the very end. The story also introduces an instant rivalry between Kratos and Megaera at the very beginning of the story, which gets explained later down the line. In a way, it also seems to be written as though the game was meant to be played at the start of a marathon of the games in chronological order, which, thinking about it, I think makes the story somewhat more redeemable (but not by much). The game was, to put it simply, written well, but not well enough to hold up to previously-released entries in the saga.

Three of the Furies (from left): Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone

Then there's the combat. While God of War is known for having fluid combat that gets much improved upon as the series progresses, Ascension begs to differ. While Kratos still retains the familiar Blades of Chaos, which still work really well, secondary weapons are completely thrown out the window in favor of World Weapons, which are scattered on the battlefield and dropped after defeating or removing them from certain enemies. these weapons vary in ability and can prove useful in certain situations, though you can only carry one at a time. These weapons also have a Special Discard, which lets you discard your weapon in front of an enemy while dealing some extra damage. I have used the weapons on occasion as I had them, but I wasn't really that motivated to keep using them and relied almost solely on the Blades.

In addition to this, you also get a variety of magics to upgrade your blades with. Each one represents a different element tied to a God, and using them on enemies can provide you with a different type of orb depending on the magic used. The benefits between each weapon can suit you best depending on your play style, but I found myself using the Fire of Ares (the first one you get) more since I had access to a powerful crowd controlling move. The Rage Meter also works a bit differently in this game compared to the others, in that using it gives you more power used in a single shot rather than giving you power for a longer, but still limited amount of time (on top of this it won't stay filled for long, rather it drains unless you are still hacking away at enemies during combat and don't take damage). In this way it's kind of like the Devil Trigger in DmC Devil May Cry: it takes a while to fill up, but the extra boost is over too quickly.

There's also a few useful items Kratos picks up along the way, a couple of which can be upgraded using red orbs. Rather than using an Item Meter like in God of War III, the game opts to have these items have their own "meters" displaying time needed for the weapon to cool down before it can be used again in combat. Outside of combat, they are used to help solve the more difficult puzzles throughout the game. While the quality of the story is debatable, let it never be said that the puzzles in this installment were not well thought out. A few of them took me a while to solve, but they weren't nigh impossible to do, which I take as a sign of excellent puzzle crafting.

There are some things I would also like to bring up that are absent in this game that is seen in every other game (I apologize if this sounds like nitpicking). For starters, there are no longer any specified Save Altars, rather instead the game constantly saves your game to create checkpoints to continue from. The game also introduces a system of Chapters as well as New Game +, which I found odd at first since the other games didn't have this feature (I didn't say they were bad). You also won't see half of Kratos' face in the title screen like usual, although you do see it when you start the campaign, so at least there's something resembling it. There also isn't a sex mini-game as veterans have come to expect, although Betrayal didn't have one either so I'm not sure what to make of it, even if that one was a cell phone game.

The graphics are, as expected, simply amazing, rivaling God of War III in terms of overall quality. However, the enhanced graphics only serve to make a few moments particularly squicky. To put it bluntly, this is the first time I can recall ever actually squirming at a video game, which is really saying something since I have played all the other God of War games and American McGee's Alice games. Megaera, for example, releases parasites through what my brother and I have dubbed "Hive Boobs"; the parasites come out of her breasts and then go into pores on an arm of Aegaeon to form an enemy monster that subsequently bursts out of it (and that's just in the demo), and later done on a larger scale by going into Aegaeon's eyelid to possess his head. And to top it all off, there's an enemy somewhere halfway that has someone else attached to him like Kuato in the 1990 version of Total Recall. Along with a few other things, Ascension just feels a little more squicky than usual, but thankfully these are few and far between.

Concept art of an Infected Hand of Aegaeon. Yes, this is a monster, bursting out of an arm.
Born from parasites. That came out of breasts. And that's just in the demo. Sweet dreams!

The voice acting is still amazing, which is a great consistency with the God of War franchise. T. C. Carson's Kratos voice has really evolved over the years and it shows, displaying a great range of emotion throughout the story. The other characters in the game also have good performances, and the background music is as good as ever. However, unusually for God of War, I actually ran into a few audio problems along the way. During battle and a few times outside of it, the music would occasionally just stop for a second or two, and at one point I even saw one of Kratos' lines not play when it was supposed to, making it overlap with another character's dialogue. The latter was combined with a visual glitch that left me with a very unplayable perspective, which thankfully played smoothly once I restarted the chapter I was on (thankfully it all occurred at the very beginning of that chapter, so it's not like I had to redo a ton of progress). Glitches aside, the audio is very well done.

One thing that's very notable about Ascension is that it is the first God of War game to feature Online Multiplayer. As I said earlier, I was initially very confused by the prospect of this, since God of War games are known for being very single-player focused, not to mention very heavily story-driven. However, based on this idea alone, I decided to check it out after beating the story mode (in case you're confused like I was at first, the game does not tell you you can use the D-Pad to navigate the main menu in order to access Multiplayer and Extras). I will admit that I am simply not the type of person who plays a game for its Online component, rather I say whether a game is good based on how good the story mode is. As such, I stopped playing after going through a couple of quick rounds, both because of when I tried it and out of lack of motivation to keep playing. With this, I will say that if Multiplayer is what you've always wanted in God of War for some reason, you'll be the happiest. If not, then I will leave you to judge whether or not it's worth taking a look.

Finally, the experience half of you never wanted!

I am also aware of players having problems with a particular area near the end of the game known as the Trial of Archimedes. This particular area is known to be rather frustrating for people, to the point where the developers have considered releasing a patch to make it easier. Now, I didn't face any of the frustration myself because I played on Easy, but I can totally see how it would be a rather crippling experience for those playing on higher difficulties, especially given the combat, and I do hope a patch is released to alleviate madness for future players.

In the end (beginning?), God of War: Ascension is still a God of War game. There are some things that could have used a little polishing, like the story and the combat, but overall you can tell that they were at least trying to have a good story mode, even if it's not on the same level as God of War III (then again, how exactly do you top that?). The combat mechanics themselves, while interesting, simply do not belong in a God of War game. In my opinion, I think the story mode might have turned out better if they didn't try to introduce Multiplayer to God of War, no matter how good it may have turned out. Given its place in the God of War timeline, I would say that if you're new to the series and are seeking to play the games in story order, I would tell you to start with Ascension. Otherwise, I would tell you to start with the first God of War and tell you to go in release order from there (I, II, Betrayal [Optional], Chains of Olympus, III, Ghost of Sparta, Ascension). If you pick the former, I would remind you that the story gets better and more fulfilling from then on.

[OLD] God of War Saga - A Worthy Package

Another quick God of War review before God of War: Ascension comes out, this time of last year's God of War Saga, one of the first in Sony's new Collection series. This review will be short, not because the collection is bad, but because it's a collection of games I have already reviewed.

God of War Saga is a new God of War collection that collects God of War Collection (which collects I and II), God of War III, and God of War Origins Collection (which collects Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta). This means you get 5 games for the price of one, making it possibly one of the best gaming deals you could ever have. Unfortunately, there is a catch: Yes, you do get 1 amazing game and 2 amazing collections of 2 games in a single package, which would be awesome except for the fact that Origins Collection is available via download. On a code. With an expiration date (3/31/13 for future reference). My beef is, if you're going to go through the effort to do this, why not go the whole way and put all of them on-disc? There's already a thing in the middle to hold another disc, so why isn't it double-sided? Well, you see Saga advertises that it has "Exclusive Bonus Content", which it turns out is a Directors Live Featurette (you're welcome) that comes with the download for Origins Collection. I know Sony is trying to make a profit off of new game sales, but why not have the Featurette be a stand-alone download code instead if they wanted to include one (aside from the one for a free month of PlayStation +)? The voucher doesn't even tell you that the video is even included, which may lead those that already have Origins Collection to miss the opportunity to grab it. *End of rant*

Despite that upset, this is probably one of the better Collections out there. It is a great bundle, and I encourage those who have not yet played any of the God of War games (and are of the right age) to pick it up. I don't know how God of War: Ascension will turn out yet, but if you don't have a PS3 yet and want to experience God of War, there is a special bundles that includes the system, Ascension, and Saga, which seems like a great deal to me (6 games at once!). If you already have a PS3 and want to play the games, but wish to buy it used or want everything physically, I would tell you to also drop some extra cash on the physical Origins Collection. Trust me, you will get your money's worth.

Now to wait for an HD re-release of this thing.

[OLD] God of War III - It All Ends Here

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-iii-remastered.html

At last we have come to the end of the God of War saga. Chronologically. As I mentioned in my review of Lollipop Chainsaw, this is the first game where I was so excited for it that I actually went to a midnight launch party at a GameStop when the game came out in March 2010. The timing of this release could actually not have been more perfect, since I was a senior in high school at the time, which meant that I was exempt from taking a certain test that all the other non-senior students had to take (though I still had to show up for a brief period of time). Since testing took a couple of days, this meant that I had practically two whole days to do nothing except play this game. What made the experience even more worth it was that I had gotten the Ultimate Edition of the game at that midnight launch, which included, among other things, a sculpted replica of Pandora's Box as it appears in the games. In a God of War mood, I fully enjoyed my time with this game during those two days. Replaying it now so close to the release of God of War: Ascension (which I will play, but was not building up to), this game is still fun and exciting to play three years later.

The story of this game follows right from the end of God of War II, as Kratos continues his pursuit to kill Zeus. Like with Harry Potter, this is as far as I can go with a story like this, since it would only serve to create massive spoilers for those who haven't played the previous entry yet. What I can say however is that the story is very nicely written. As Kratos interacts with (and kills) the various Gods, we learn more about the back stories of Kratos and the various bits of the game world. In all the chaos, you still get to feel the same way as the Ghost of Sparta and care about him and others in the process.

Nothing will stand in the way of Kratos' revenge.

Then there's the combat, which is similar to the previous games, but with a few tweaks. Button prompts during Quick-Time Events are now placed all around the screen in correspondence to their placement on the controller, leaving more of the screen to display the brutal kills and, oddly enough, being less distracted by the button prompts to focus on Kratos' actions. This change in the button prompts is a welcome addition to the series, which also appeared in the later PSP game Ghost of Sparta and will hopefully be improved upon further in Ascension. Then there's the weapons, which you acquire at various points in the game after killing certain Gods. Their functions are similar to the Blades of Exile (replacing the Blades of Athena), but they each have their own unique attributes that encourage you to actually use them rather than relying solely on the Blades. As an example, the Nemian Cestus  is a weapon more suited to close-quarters combat, but is also needed to break certain surfaces to accomplish various tasks, mainly used to take on specific enemies.

Another change includes items you obtain throughout the game, such as the Bow of Apollo to burn down bramble, which is necessary to advance. As shown in the demo released before this game, one of the many deaths in the game is that of Helios, God of the Sun, accomplished by ripping his head off. After that, his head becomes an item that can be used to find hidden chests and unlock doorways, as seen by a yellow glow around the area (delving further would create a bigger spoiler for later on). To make items like these easier to use, there is now a special Item bar underneath Health and Magic, which refills quickly and doesn't require the use of orbs. However, it can still be upgraded by acquiring three Minotaur Horns; the number of Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers needed to upgrade the Health and Magic bars respectively has also been reduced to three from the usual six, which not only provides easier balance with the Minotaur Horns, but also makes them much easier to upgrade in general. And of course, Kratos gets to keep the Golden Fleece from God of War II, which not only provides a quick defense during combat, but also serves as a nice bit of continuity.

There's also a bit of variety when it comes to the magic. Aside from the magical ability you get with the Blades of Exile, activated with L2 each weapon has its own magical power that has great use in combat. This allows you to further change up your playing style during combat, ensuring that slaughtering various enemy hordes stays fresh and never gets tiring.

This will not end well for Helios.

And then there's the boss fights. Santa Monica Studio has really topped themselves with God of War on this one, being some of the most interesting and creative boss fights I've seen in a hack-and-slash, even when played on Easy. There's one fight where you finish them off from their perspective (which I thought was interesting) and an epic battle with a titan, among other things. Since the whole driving force of the game's plot is to kill Zeus, King of the Gods, you can probably guess that he would saved for last, and without ruining anything, I can tell you that it is very satisfying. No one is safe in this series, with each boss dying in different, often gory, ways, and they manage to keep each one interesting and different to prevent monotony.

For added replay value, there's also a number of Godly Possessions you can find throughout the game, which can provide you with special skills on a second playthrough. This encourages you to look around the area for these hidden collectibles, most, but not all, of which can be obtained after defeating a boss. With this in mind, bu sure to do a clean sweep of the area before you press on (you may even find a hidden chest or two in the process).

The graphics of this game are simply amazing, even three years after the game's release. They are some of the most realistic graphics I have ever seen, though they are thankfully not so realistic as to be a turn-off. Thanks to the increase in the graphical detail, the game is truly a spectacle, even during some of the gorier moments (including ones that render internal organs); while this may be a turn-off for those who are especially squeamish (I kind of am, admittedly), the gorier moments aren't enough to actually make you squirm, depending on your tolerance level for this sort of thing.

Look at that detail!

Despite all of this, this is probably one of the smoothest games I have ever played. Even with the high level of detail the game possesses, the animations are very fluid and lifelike, but not to the point of uncanny valley, further displaying the increasing graphical power of the God of War franchise. On top of this, the truly amazing thing is that this is finally a game where the in-game graphics and cut scenes are exactly the same, thanks to both using the God of War III Engine. This on its own is a real technological feat, especially since most of the cut scenes are rendered in real time and are almost completely indistinguishable from the pre-rendered ones, which is something I wish that other developers would be able to do.

In terms of sound quality, the game really shines here as well, with an epic orchestral soundtrack that fits the moment just right and knows how to pump you up for the next fight. Even on CD, which I have, the soundtrack is pretty amazing to listen to and is a must-have for fans of this game. The voice-acting is also amazing, which each of the major players delivering a solid performance. There is not a single moment of bad  or sub-par work in this game, especially with performances from the likes Corey Burton as Zeus and Clancy Brown as Hades, God of the Underworld; T. C. Carson also shows that he can still pull of a good performance as Kratos, giving a performance fitting to his rage (and other emotions) that doesn't feel over-the-top. A more surprising casting choice would be Rip Torn as Hephaestus, the Smith God, though he shows he was a good choice for the role by delivering a fitting performance. There are many others I could list here, but to make it short, I repeat that all of the voice work in this game is very top-notch.

Clancy Brown takes over for Nolan North as Hades.

If there's one thing that bogs down the game for some, it's this one one particular puzzle that seems to incorporate the PlayStation icons into the game world. However, I have heard that the resulting icons are actually Greek symbols resembling said icons colored to make them easier to identify for the player. Even with this explanation, it seems a bit jarring to include this, but if you take the time to look at the symbols, you can actually tell that they are, indeed, those Greek symbols. The puzzle felt more authentic to me when I played it again with this knowledge, though whether this adds to or detracts from the overall value of the game is up to you.

That aside, God of War III is, simply put, a perfect game. The voice acting and soundtrack are amazing, the graphics are highly advanced, the story is engaging, and overall it feels like the perfect end to Kratos' story. If you have played at least the first two main entries in the series (and fit age requirements), you must play this game. If you are new to the God of War series, play at least God of War I and II first before playing III, simply because the story would otherwise make no sense. If you wish, you can also play Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta (and Betrayal if possible), since they add more to God of War's world and certain references made in this game actually make a lot more sense once you play them. Kratos' end may have been executed spectacularly, but the question remains with how well Santa Monica Studio can handle his very beginnings.

[OLD] God of War Collection

In anticipation for the release of God of War III in 2010, Sony released an HD remaster in 2009 of the first two God of War games in a special set known simply as God of War Collection. One thing that should be noted is that this particular set was the first HD Collection ever released, its success spawning a trend leading to further HD remasters, some of which we have discussed (and will get to later) on this blog. The intention of this particular HD Collection was to not only build up hype for God of War III, but also to allow newcomers to get some experience with the franchise. Having already played the original games on PS2 games, I was naturally excited about this, although I didn't actually get to playing it until now. That said, one has to wonder: Is this a worthy investment?

The answer is yes. There aren't any gameplay changes to speak of, save for Trophy support for the hardcore crowd, but there are some graphical improvements to be found. The in-game graphics look cleaner than they did in the two games' original PS2 versions and seem to run more smoothly. The cinematic cutscenes look as amazing as ever, perhaps even better than they originally did, though the cutscenes that use in-game graphics in God of War II look a tad dated, even with the HD shine.

While there isn't that much to say about it, God of War Collection is a must-have for PS3 owners. If you own a PS3 but have not played the original God of War games and are of age, pick this game up now. If you have already played these games before, this is a great way to re-live the God of War experience in the current generation of consoles. The two games included on this disk are great games in their own right and for that, whether you are a God of War veteran or a newcomer, owning this Collection is a no-brainer.

[OLD] God of War II - The Beginning of the End

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-ii.html

The first God of War is simply an amazing game. The combat is simple, the story is engaging, and you really get to sympathize with the main character, Kratos. While it feels like a stand-alone game, the end of it assures more God of War, which is exactly what players got in 2007 with the release of God of War II. With two years between this game and the one that started it all, I feel that this sequel keeps up the quality of the first.

After defeating Ares and becoming the new God of War, Kratos still can't shake the nightmares of his past. The Spartans call for help, which Kratos sets out to do as Athena tries to stop him. Suddenly he is reduced to the size of a mortal, with the Colossus of Rhodes coming to life in order to kill him. Zeus then tries to help Kratos by giving him the Blade of Olympus, requiring him to channel his godly powers into it. After defeating the Colossus, Zeus reveals that it was a set-up, and sends Kratos to Hades. Kratos, however, manages to literally climb back out with the help of the Titan Gaia, setting on a journey to find the Sisters of Fate in order to change his...fate and, along with help from the Titans, get revenge on Zeus.

This game features a number of improvements graphically, with sharper and more detailed graphics while sticking to the visual aesthetic of the original. The cinematic cutscenes are a vast upgrade from the ones in the previous game, putting a lot more detail into the animations and at the same time retaining their overall fluidity, if not becoming more realistic. Occasionally there are flashbacks to Kratos' past, which generally recycle footage from the first game's flashbacks. Though it is a convenient shortcut, one can use this to see just how different the cinematics are between each installment.

The combat is carried over from the first game, making it familiar to previous players; I am unable to delve further into it since I played on Easy, but I can say that there are some slight tweaks in the controls. For instance, rather than pressing Circle for some actions, they have been replaced with pressing R1. This takes a little time to get used to, but it does introduce some variety. By pressing R1, you are also able to slide down climbable walls, which really helps get through some areas faster.

The music for this game, much like the first, perfectly captures the atmosphere of the story, due in part thanks to some more amazing choir work, including at least one or two recognizable pieces thrown in that really sell it. While playing the game I discovered that the soundtrack has also been released by itself, so I hope to pick it up when I see it. The voice acting continues to be equally impressive, with TC Carson's role as Kratos becoming somewhat more hammy than before. Excluding Carson and Linda Hunt, there has been some change in the voice actors, but they still do a really good job. Though Paul Eiding is no longer Zeus, he is replaced by the equally talented Corey Burton, who some may recognize as Shockwave from Transformers (G1 and Animated). Overall, this game still has some amazing talent behind it.

The PS2 version of God of War II also comes with a special bonus, in the form of a second disc containing special features. These features are a number of videos, much of them a peek at what happened behind the scenes while the game was in production. I haven't looked at all of them, but what I have seen contains some interesting information, including the design process of Kratos and what happened during playtesting (did you know that the Hades level in the first game wasn't playtested?); from what I've seen I got the impression that the testers were treated well and the developers listened to their feedback, which is more than I can say for what I've read on Tales from the Trenches. These videos are grouped together in categories, including one marked "Spoilers", which I can confirm is labelled as such for a reason. I would tell you to wait until actually beating the game before checking out this disc; even if you don't watch all of them, it is definitely worth  a look.

As a whole, God of War II is a good follow-up to the experience provided in the original game. The story doesn't have the same consistent impact on the player that the first one had, but, like Iron Man 2, it's best to think of this game as the middle portion of a trilogy (though it does present a really good plot twist at the end). The overall experience is still worth the time in the end, and is a necessary stop for players (of age, of course) who are just getting into God of War (in addition to aiding the flow of the story).

As a side note, for those that enjoy the first God of War, I would highly recommend the novel adaptation by Matthew Stover and Robert E. Vardeman. It does take a few creative liberties here and there, but it's still a fairly faithful adaptation of the game and a rather enjoyable read on its own.

[OLD] God of War (2005)

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-2005.html

If you've been playing games long enough or have have done enough research into them, chances are you've heard of David Jaffe. You may have heard that name through his best known creations Twisted Metal and God of War, both of which remain exclusive to PlayStation. While he's been involved with the majority of Twisted Metal games, including this year's reboot, he has only been involved with the first two God of War games, the first one more intimately. While there is the upcoming God of War: Ascension early next year, that is not the only reason why I'm reviewing the first game right now, since the new game is another prequel; rather, it is a combination of boredom (due to any new games that interest me not coming out for a while), my recent acquisition of God of War Saga and the fact that the only God of War reviews on this blog are of handheld and mobile games. Surprisingly, even 7 years from its initial release, this highly-regarded PS2 classic still holds up after all this time.

The story of the game seems simple enough: Kratos is a Spartan who has served under the Gods for ten years. Tired of his servitude and experiencing visions of his past, he seeks to kill Ares, the God of War, with help of the other Gods along the way in order to finally be free of his contract with him. While this appears simple on the surface, there is more depth to it revealed as the game progresses. This is actually made very interesting, since once every layer has been revealed on what set Kratos on his (lengthy) act of revenge against Ares, you begin to feel a bit of sympathy for him.

Though this game is from 2005, the graphics aren't really all that bad. They don't hold up to today's standards of realistic graphics, but for a later PS2 title the visuals still look pretty good and hit all the right marks. There's still a great amount of detail for the limitations of the time and everything can be easily made out thanks to a good balance of light and dark colors. While the in-game graphics are good, by contrast the cutscenes are animated beautifully. Each one uses an amazing blend of still art and amazingly detailed realistic animations and each one transitions and flows very smoothly. The animations have an incredible amount of detail, with hair, fur, and clothing moving very realistically. Even the various forms of cloth in the game, including flags and particularly Kratos' loincloth, have a good deal of this animation, which is still amazing for the time.

The combat system of the game is simple, which may or may not sound familiar to you. Kratos' pimary weapon is the Blades of Chaos, which can be swung at an incredible distance to slaughter anyone who stands in his way. As you kill enemies or destroy breakable objects, you obtain red orbs that can be used to power up your available arsenal to open up a whole slew of new combos with each upgrade. As you progress through the story, the other gods, including Zeus and Hades among others, grant you special weapons and magical abilities they posses in order to help slay Ares as he goes on a rampage against Athens. Opening chests gives you orbs to increase your health, magic, and red orb count, as well as Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers that can upgrade your health and magic meters respectively. In addition, when prompted, you can perform a Quick Time Event on an enemy in order to deal a finishing blow and gain an extra reward, such as increased health.

On the audio side of things, I don't really have any complaints. The voice acting, I felt, was solid. TC Carson's role as Kratos continues on from here, and while it does evolve somewhat over the course of the franchise, it's interesting to revisit the roots of his performance after so many games. Though the other characters change voice actors over time, some performances that stood out to me were Steve Blum as Ares, Nolan North as Hades (he surprisingly doesn't do a bad job voicing the God of Death), and Paul Eiding as Zeus, ruler of the Gods. Linda Hunt's voice is perfect for the narrations, becoming a staple throughout the rest of the franchise (save for Betrayal, which didn't even have voice work). The music also works perfectly well with the game itself, including the talents of a massive choir to create the game's epic atmosphere.

While God of War is an excellent game all around, I do have only one complaint, a nightmare that can be summed up in a single word: Hades. And I'm not talking about the God here, I'm referring to the location that is the ancient Greek version of Hell. When Kratos gets sent there during the game, you are almost immediately faced with what is guaranteed to be one of the most frustrating experiences of your Mature gaming career. While the environment is appropriately totally disgusting, there is a large section where you must traverse across spinning ledges (covered in blades), after which you must climb up a pair of spinning columns (covered in blades), and by the end you must create your pathway out by fighting off a group of Satyrs (wielding blades). Even when I took the opportunity earlier in the game to go down to Easy, this section was the source of the majority of all of my deaths and I nearly wanted to throw my controller in rage. However, given that it's Hell, the difficulty is probably appropriate.

After so many years, the original God of War is still a great game. It has an interesting concept and executes it extremely well, earning its rightful spot in gaming history. If you still own a PS2, are of age, and have not yet played this game, I suggest you look for a copy and play it as soon as you can. You will not be disappointed. And don't worry: On this blog, Kratos will return.