God of War II (PlayStation 2)

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While the combat hasn't seen much alteration in the years since the first game, the level designs absolutely have, and for the better. As well paced as God of War was, God of War II is paced immaculately. Every puzzle, every enemy encounter, and every little piece of the game's action feels like it's in the right place. The puzzle designs themselves are even better than the last game, staying tricky while not getting overly labyrinthine just for the sake of causing a headache. The basic puzzle designs haven't changed much, requiring a lot of lever pulling and switch hitting, but you do get some new twists now and again, such as the areas where you have to pick up random corpses and otherwise incapacitated warriors and use them as weights for switches or mangle their bodies in some horrifically bloody way to keep going. At times the puzzle goals feel arbitrary, but as you do spend the bulk of the game navigating this completely insane maze of an island trying to reach a seemingly unreachable temple, it makes sense that a few of the puzzles would just be there to mess with you.

Even the platforming sections feel tighter and more refined in this game. Suffice it to say, there's nothing like those cursed Hades blades from the last game in this one. There's even a new mechanic in the form of swing points that Kratos can latch onto with his blades. You simply jump up near one and press the R1 button to attach, and then hold that button down to swing. There are some really neat sequences in the game that involve this mechanic, and it's a welcome addition all around.

By the end of God of War II's 12 to 15 hour journey, you'll find yourself a mixture of exhausted, overjoyed, and a bit frustrated. You'll only be frustrated in the sense that the game doesn't wrap things up in an especially neat fashion and leaves you hanging for the inevitable next sequel. Again though, that the quality of the adventure is so high makes up for this one indiscretion. Once you're done with the game, there are the harder difficulty levels to attack, as well as a few bonus challenge modes that really aren't all that great. However, there's a bonus DVD that includes a number of neat behind-the-scenes features that give you some intriguing looks into the making of the game. There's no one feature that really stands out like the lost-levels feature in the last game (there's a version of that here, though it's not quite as deep or interesting), but there's a lot of interesting insight to be had overall.

On the presentation front, God of War II easily matches its predecessor and even surpasses it on several levels. This is another breathtaking game filled with superb art design and immense environments. No joke, the scale of God of War II is really something to behold. It seems like every new area you enter is backgrounded by yet another gigantic structure that you have to trek to, and when you finally get there, the sheer size of it seems even more insurmountable than it did from a distance. It's awe-inspiring stuff, to be sure. That the technical graphics are just as impressive is really saying something. As PlayStation 2 games go, this is one of the most attractive you'll encounter, especially if you run the game in progressive scan and widescreen modes. The character models are equal parts gorgeous and grotesque, the environments are incredible to look at (even when they're not gigantic), and everything runs and animates without a hitch. The fixed-view camera work is once again top notch, almost never giving you any problems during combat and doing a fantastic job of framing the action. The only real visual problem the game has is that you'll see a frequent amount of screen tearing as you run around and force the camera to move quickly. It's not horrible or anything, but it's there often enough to notice.

The audio is just about as fantastic as the original God of War's. Once again, the highlight is the soundtrack, which is the perfect blend of fast, intense orchestral work and soft, sometimes unsettling pieces. It's even more impressive that the music blends so nicely with the action. The choral singing ramps up as each moment of excitement transpires, and then things return to normal almost seamlessly afterward. The voice acting is also all-around excellent, though it's not quite as enjoyable as it was in the last game. Kratos is as gruff and over the top as ever, and some of the supporting performances--such as Linda Hunt as Gaia, the narrator; Hamlin as Perseus; and Corey Burton as Zeus--are top-notch work. On the other hand, a few of the performances feel a bit labored or overwrought. In particular, Michael Clarke Duncan as Atlas feels more wooden than imposing. The voice is right, but his performance is oddly subdued. Still, the few off performances aside, this is another enjoyable voice cast.

You could easily tag God of War II as "more of the same," but while the game definitely feels familiar, there's more to it than just a simple rehash of what made God of War fun. Its tighter, more focused pacing and dedication to creating vast, memorable levels sets it apart from the last game and makes it a better overall experience. Simply put, it's easily one of the best action adventure games of the last console generation, and it even trumps much of what has been shown in the current generation. For fans of the first game, and fans of bloody, violent, exciting action in general, God of War II shouldn't be missed.

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God of War II (PlayStation 2): $18.99 - $19.99

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