God of War II Review

By Kristan Reed Published 27 April, 2007

One for the unbelievers.

Version tested: PlayStation 2

How do you top one of the best games ever made? Do you churn out more of the same as quickly as possible and cash in while the demand's there, or do you go through a drawn-out process of reinvention that keeps the series fresh? As a selfish, selfish sonofabitch gamer, you always want a bit of both. Always. You want a quickfire sequel to sate your appetite, but you certainly don't want the creativity to evaporate as sweatshop development cycles turn the 'brand' into a depressingly formulaic cash cow. (Hello, Tomb Raider Chronicles.)

Given that the original God of War was near-as-dammit the best-looking game ever made on the PS2, you could have forgiven Sony's uber-talented Santa Monica team for hopping straight on to the PS3 for the sequel. That is, after all, what most teams would have done (and have done) in a similar situation.

A lot of game development is one giant pissing contest, where stretching a mature platform to its technical limits sees teams racing to get an early advantage as soon as new hardware becomes available. But the God of War team had other ideas, perhaps mindful of the nightmare learning curve that comes with working with unfinished hardware and tools. Refreshingly, they've spotted yet more unfulfilled potential inside the perennially underestimated PlayStation 2 and, incredibly, bettered everything that made the 2005 original such a monumentally compelling prospect.

Tick, tick, boom

'God of War II' Screenshot 1

Get a head, wear it as a hat.

While their contemporaries are sweating Red Bull over how to make the PS3 tick ("please tick!"), this bunch have taken the smart approach: one that involves making a game for a vast installed base, and one that makes the game's visuals so routinely jaw-dropping that it makes a mockery of most of the so-called next generation title currently out there. Quite what they'll pull off when they do turn their attention to the PS3 boggles the mind.

So, to return to the original question: just how did they top God of War? On the surface at least, not a lot has changed. It's still the same Onimusha-inspired hackandslash, with shades of old-school Tomb Raider, a dash of Devil May Cry pyrotechnics and a pinch of the thoughtful Prince of Persia: Sands of Time design for good measure. It still follows the familiar formula of throwing large numbers of minions at you at regular intervals. It still gives you improbable and ever-evolving combat abilities to deal with them. And it still stitches the whole thing together with a smattering of lever-pulling, block-pushing, time-dependent puzzles for good measure. With beautifully lavish FMV and a decent storyline providing the icing on the cake, it always seems to know when to reward and when to punish. It's brutal at times, but never unfair. It's often taxing, yet always logical. This structural ebb and flow holds your attention from start to finish. Simply, God of War II sports one of the most satisfyingly honed game designs we've ever come across.

Where other combat-heavy games like Ninja Gaiden are content to play to the hardcore crowd (and more power to them), God of War II - like its predecessor - finds a comfortable middle ground for the mere mortals among us. It's a game that won't overwhelm you with finger-crippling combos, superhuman timing requirements and outrageous, unfair checkpointing. It's a game you'll actually bother to finish - simply because it never has any of those exasperating difficulty spikes. But nor is it a mindless button-masher that lacks any subtlety; sure, you'll do your fair share of wild flailing to dispatch the lesser grunts, but faced with tough adversaries and stunning bosses on an incredibly regular basis, you need to be mindful of effective counters, blocking strategies and the best use of your growing arsenal of magic attacks.

Big fun

'God of War II' Screenshot 2

In his spare time, Kratos fancied himself as a dentist.

Perhaps the most charming aspect of God of War II is the way you're always motivated to keep going. This isn't a game that has you smashing your pad in hateful, spittle-flecked indignation like so many games down the years, but one that actually inspires you to get better. The balance always feels spot-on, the learning curve just right, so that you only face the really powerful enemies when you're suitably powered up and well practised at certain strategies that the game encourages you to explore (such as learning how to deflect magic attacks). Little things like sensible checkpointing in a game like this are priceless. Only the most insanely masochistic gamer enjoys traipsing through large chunks of the game that they've already proved their worth on, and God of War II almost always (except one memorably tough section near the very end) puts you right back where you copped it. You'll love them for it, too. You won't even mind the occasions when it suggests dropping down to easy mode - it seems to spur you on to not be such a chump to do so, yet at least gives you the option if you're really down on your luck and just want to see the game to its conclusion. If only more games put this kind of emphasis on making the game fun.

Such forgiving features don't exactly chip much off the gameplay length, either. Played on the default normal difficulty, you're still looking at a solid 15 hours - and probably more like 20 hours for most of us, which is exactly where a game of this type needs to be. Not too short, and not padded out unnecessarily. And even when you've run through it, there are a whole raft of enjoyable challenge-based unlockables, as well as extra difficulty settings to test the mettle of those that want a blistering challenge.

But even these gameplay fundamentals don't really answer the original question, because most of them could just as easily be applied to the first game. Perhaps it's more subtle, then. It is the puzzles? They are definitely a little more varied this time. For example, the key addition of a time-slowing element in certain areas of the game opens up plenty of fun (and rather cool) segments where you're rushing around pulling switches, grappling furiously across the level, and generally experimenting with whatever's to hand until something works. Even the bog standard block-shifting sections feel a little more satisfyingly logical, and on balance we definitely weren't as stumped this time around, which made it more fun.

No messing

As for the combat, the same applies. In a broad sense, they haven't messed with what was already as slick a hackandslash control set-up as there has ever been. So rather than break it with pointlessly complex combos, what you get is broadly the same abilities to swish Athena's Blades around (with the good old L1 plus triangle or square serving you well for much of the game), as well as a few secondary weapons that you can whip out with L2 if you feel like trying something different. In truth, having a bloody great Barbarian Hammer or the Spear of Destiny is quite cool, but the amount of 'orbs' required to power them up means that you tend to focus on continuing to upgrade the main default weaponry, and some of your magic attacks.

Talking of which, we seemed to find the magic attacks a little more useful this time, especially the Atlas Quake attack which pounds anyone in range into submission with a barrage of falling rocks, while being able to whip out a bow and fire off a volley of arrows from Typhon's

Bane always comes in handy for those attacking from distance or high up in the air. But in the right context, using the Head of Euryale (essentially Medusa's Gaze by another name) and turning everyone to stone can be a real godsend, while the lightning-spitting Cronos Rage does a good job of frying everyone stupid enough to get in your way. All round, you're given a decent amount of strategies to choose from, and working out how to spend the orbs you earn from your killing rampage helps shape that. But the fact that there's no 'right' way to upgrade your abilities only adds to its charm.

'God of War II' Screenshot 3

Sadly, the procedure didn't quite go to plan.

Expanded jumping/platforming elements play their part throughout the game, too, and once you've earned some wings the overall level design starts to demand a little more from you than previously. For example, with grapple points and air vents dotted around, you'll find yourself guiding Kratos in all manner of impressive new ways, from the usual rock climbs, jumps, shimmies, and ceiling-climbing, to the new ability to haul yourself up to previously inaccessible grapple points, or gently glide down to a distant platform. And just like the rest of the game, it feels hugely intuitive - thanks, in part, to one of the best uses of a dynamic camera we've seen. Far from being a hindrance, not having to tweak the camera leaves your right thumb to get on with the business of fighting off all manner of despicable enemies. It's still by no means perfect, but it really didn't cause any of the problems you would normally associate with fixed/dynamic cameras, with your enemies always visible, and jumps always manageable. The game rarely tries anything too ambitious in terms of switching the camera angle unless it knows you're safe from harm. Panning back and swooping around is left either to the more explorational sections, or platforming when it's not a problem, so we'll happily salute Sony for that.

A different planet

'God of War II' Screenshot 4

Three heads? That's just cheating.

And as we've already mentioned several times, on a technical level the game is simply sublime in every area - a benchmark for third-person action games. In particular, playing it on a PS3 sharpens up the visuals no end (it's revelation if you've got a massive screen), plus you have the added benefit of being able to play it with a wireless pad. From the opening section to the climactic battles, the game is simply a joy to behold. It's blessed with the sort of attention to detail that you'd expect to see in lavish cut-scenes, not in everyday run of the mill locations, and at no stage did we ever see even a hint of frame-rate drop or v-syncing glitches or any of that nonsense. As you'd expect, the animation is superb, and the character models (particularly of the bosses) are among the most lavish we've seen - better even than those in Shadow of the Colossus. Even the soundtrack and voice acting is top notch. If you can find a flaw in God of War II, it'll be down to personal taste. For those that love these brooding action adventures that drip with atmosphere, this is as good as it gets.

So why isn't it a 10? Perhaps in purely PS2 terms it deserves that sort of hysterical mark, but we can't rate games in a vacuum, so it's a 9, but a 9 that stands up to any other game regardless of the platform. Maybe the one notable down-side of this incredible sequel is that it is 'just' the second part of a game we all loved two years ago, and even die-hards like myself have to acknowledge that. As such, as refined and honed as the gameplay is as a whole, you can never quite replicate the wow factor of the original - even if it ends up being a better game. Lack of innovation or not, the important thing to stress is that God of War II boasts some notable improvements in every area, and is therefore a game that any fan of action-adventures should rush out and buy immediately. Satisfaction guaranteed.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (119) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • enzima #1 5 years ago

    i'm waiting to see how the game will look on my ps3....want...play....now!!!!!!!!!!

  • The_Don #2 5 years ago

    Looks and runs fine on the ps3, as much as a ps2 game could look anyway. Shame the HD mode has been removed for the PAL VERSION.

  • Packs21 #3 5 years ago

    In PAL version there is no Progressive Scan, no HD mode... only Widescreen selectiable:(
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 13:21

  • dirigiblebill #4 5 years ago

    'So can we forget about the PS2 now and move on?'

    Not until we get shot of TR Anniversary and Silmeria, it seems. I knew I shouldn't have sold the bloody thing.

  • Benjaminos #5 5 years ago

    This is by far the most epic game I have ever played, second only to the original GoW - even the first level is breathtaking. Think of the initial Hydra boss from the first game, then multiply it 100x, then extend that single boss encounter into an extended, sweeping, 20-30 minute level where you just beat the crap out of everything and feel.. well, godlike (funnily enough). This is the game that will most make you feel like a true badass, no doubt. Even more than Ninja Gaiden.

    I'd give it a 10, myself - but then I'd have given the original a 10 too.

  • El_MUERkO #6 5 years ago

    you justify the score quiet a bit, i get the feeling the game jumped between a 9 and a 10 as you played it

    god of war has an enjoyment factor second to none and if god of war 2 is a step up, even a baby step then its most likely the best 'game' ever to get a 9

  • Killerbee #7 5 years ago

    Just been out to buy this, so I can't wait to get home and give it a spin.

    Based on the words in this review, it almost seems harsh not to have given it a 10, but no matter.

    If this is the PS2's swansong, it's really a pretty damn good way to go...

  • Carlo #8 5 years ago

    Ps2 pwns again!

  • dr_faulk #9 5 years ago

    OoOoh t3h fIrSt 1 sUck3D t3h $h1T! gOes 4 h4l0 2!

  • FlamingCarrot #10 5 years ago

    Finally a game i can play on my PS3!

    Thinks / Why did i buy it again?

    Actually it really is a cracking game and GOW3 should be simply stunning. Here's hoping....
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 13:39

  • justsomeone #11 5 years ago

    last report i read stated that HD modes (720p) were *never* going on any version of this game, and the idea that there would be HD upscaling on PS3 started from an error on the IGN website.

    in other words, HD on PAL wasn' removed cos there never was any HD to begin with.

    can anyone confirm if this is still the case?

  • SomaticSense #12 5 years ago

    "How do you top one of the best games ever made"

    Oh, come off it. Yes, it was a great game, possibly brilliant in fact, but it certainly wasn't anywhere near "one of the best games ever made". If that list is a top 100, then maybe. But seriously, even the first and third Devil May Crys were better, and I'd not even put either of those in the catergory of "one of the best games ever made". In fact, there were a bunch of games better than it on the PS2 alone.

    Yeah it would be one of the best........ if the PS2 was the only console ever in existence.
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 13:47

  • r0gerr0ger #13 5 years ago

    I just took PS3 FEAR back to GAME (lets not talk about it) and got this for free plus one pence change ...

  • Darren #14 5 years ago

    God of War II is absolutely stunning... a breathtakingly good sequel to a brilliant game in the first place. More of the same admittedly but when it was that good anyway who's complaining? Not me, that's for sure...

  • captbirdseye #15 5 years ago

    "this not being on the PS3 in the first place is both surprising and astonishingly typical of the whole sad story that is the advent of the PS3 for PS2 owners

    why are deverlopers still making games like this on the PS2?
    because the PS3 is a total failure of a precedent set by Sony and so much of it lost through sheer stupidity

    EG saying that it 'looks even better on the PS3' is really, really quite tactless
    it's almost encouraging PS3 owners to BUY a PS2 game

    if I hear one more thing about Folding@Paper on the PS3 from EG, I will quite literally rip my nasal hair out with a fucking tweezer"

    There's always one .

  • dirigiblebill #16 5 years ago

    @ Xiphos

    Where exactly is the logic in demanding that they stop making decent ps2 games now that ps3 is around? Go troll elsewhere.

  • lennon #17 5 years ago

    I liked God of War. Like SotC in my opinion largely over rated though. Still gonna get it as I still enjoy the first game and especially as my ps2 to ps3 save converter has turned up today I can play it again without having to start from scratch. Yay although I suspect I might continue playing Okami first. :)

    Oh and is it really surprising that one of the PS2's biggest sellers is going to come out on the PS2 with its huge number of installed units? Surprising perhaps there is not a ps3 version as well but not instead.
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 13:56

  • enzima #18 5 years ago

    the "more of the same" concept is strange. When its about a shooter its perceived negatively, probably 'cause there are too many similar games out there. On games that are not so popular, its sustainable. boh!

  • SeesThroughAll #19 5 years ago

    I don't see what's wrong for PS3 owners to still have PS2 games to look forward to while the big ones didn't arrive the freshly released PS3 yet. Also, MotorStorm is getting patched, and Oblivion (for people who missed it on the PC and 360) is just out.

    I mean, aren't there people who still fire up Halo and Ninja Gaiden Black on their 360? Nothing wrong with that either, is there?

    But no... a great PS2 game has to be spun into doom for the PS3. Ridiculous.
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 13:59

  • AcidSnake #20 5 years ago

    Damn...

    I was planning on not getting pulled in by this one...
    But the first one was so magnificent!

    Looks like I'll have to go get it after work...
    Can you download the soundtrack like the first one?
    "The Vengeful Spartan" was an excellent track...

  • SeesThroughAll #21 5 years ago

    @ AcidSnake:

    Say, where can I get the GOW1 soundtrack nowadays, couldn't get it from connect.com?

  • FlamingCarrot #22 5 years ago

    Please God, let the PS3 get some good games as i am using it as a DVD player at present and Super Rub a Dub is not for me.

  • enzima #23 5 years ago

    @SeesThroughAll
    Honestly 360 owners can play many originally developped games on their system. ps3 best game is...a ps2 game. I think it was a very wrong decision to develop gow2 on the ps2. If it was an exclusive for ps3, it could change the way ps3 is viewed. hell, maybe even sella couple systems....

  • FlamingCarrot #24 5 years ago

    I got it yesterday, and its superb, although i do miss dual shock on PS3. I pray that Sony release some DS controllers for it soon.

  • septimus #25 5 years ago

    Didn't think I'd even consider buying another PS2 game since I got the 360/PS3... but this seems hard to resist.

    Guess I have some spare change from all the games that I don't want on the Wii so why not ;)

  • Santino #26 5 years ago

    i really liked the first game but definitely think it was overrated. the combat system actually got boring for me towards the end of the game. hopefully it is much deeper this time around, oh and no more stupid 'hell' level.

  • AcidSnake #27 5 years ago

    @SeesThroughAll:
    Rejoice & enjoy

    It's single track downloads...But they're worth it... :)

  • scoobii #28 5 years ago

    No progressive scan?

  • dirigiblebill #29 5 years ago

    'I think it was a very wrong decision to develop gow2 on the ps2. If it was an exclusive for ps3, it could change the way ps3 is viewed. hell, maybe even sella couple systems...'

    That's what GoW3 is for, genius.

  • Yaster #30 5 years ago

    @ Disc
    "So can we forget about the PS2 now and move on?"

    When it's still churning out games better than those avaliable for 360 AND PlayStation 3? Why should we do that?

  • enzima #31 5 years ago

    I dont want it in 2 years, Einstein


    And when was is it announced, since you are so informed?
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 14:23

  • IAmBatman #32 5 years ago

    > last report i read stated that HD modes (720p) were *never*
    > going on any version of this game

    http://ti mmoss.blogspot.com/2007/04/talk...

  • Spiral #33 5 years ago

    Two questions for the people who have played it: Is Kratos still an unlikeable cunt and does it have anything as stupidly unfair as the bit set in his head at the end of the first one?

    If the answer to either of those questions is no then I might pick it up at some point. I thought the first one was massively overrated but aside from those two points it was quite a good game.

  • LOLLERS #34 5 years ago

    Not as good as Ghost rider then...oh wai

  • Killerbee #35 5 years ago

    Is Kratos still an unlikeable cunt

    That is kind of the point of Kratos. He's a nasty bastard, but (as you'll understand if you completed the first game) with a damn good reason for it!

  • dirigiblebill #36 5 years ago

    'I dont want it in 2 years, Einstein


    And when was is it announced, since you are so informed?'

    At the GoW2 launch party for one, Sherlock.

    And you'll have other tasty ps3 games (both new and established IPs) to play in the intervening time.

    /loves being catty

  • AcidSnake #37 5 years ago

    @Killerbee:
    SPOILER ALERT

    Well not really...
    He just wanted to smite his adversary, he already was an insufferable bastard...
    And in blind rage he then chopped up his family...
    Which certainly didn't help his position...
    It's basically a tale of comeuppance...

    END SPOILER

  • enzima #38 5 years ago

    @ dirigiblebill

    a link to the announcement? I doubt there is anything official...

  • skillian #39 5 years ago

    if I hear one more thing about Folding@Paper on the PS3 from EG, I will quite literally rip my nasal hair out with a fucking tweezer

    Wait till you get to 28. I have to do that regularly, and not because of any gaming-related ultimatums.

  • dirigiblebill #40 5 years ago

    @ enzima

    Nope nothing official Watson, but when the lead developer of a (Sony-owned) studio sounds off on the possibilities of Sixaxis for the franchise, you can make a few logical deductions, yes?

    [link url=http://ww w.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3157967
    ]http://ww w.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3157...[/link]

    Off to work now :)

  • AcidSnake #41 5 years ago

    Errr...sure don't mention it...
    That was the first GOW obviously...
    I hear that in the second one martians attack Olympus and Kratos must construct an army of cyborgs to shoot the living snot out of those invading bastards...
    More interesting?

  • menage #42 5 years ago

    Great game, but I don't know which system you're playing on. But v-synch and framerate issues are all over the place.

  • enzima #43 5 years ago

    @ dirigiblebill


    Oh i see, so basically you are just making things up as you talk, in order to back up your falsely reported announcement. Wow, talk about displaying insecurity...
    Re-read your posts and be ashamed of yourself (if you are more then 12 years old, that is...)
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 14:53

  • dirigiblebill #44 5 years ago

    I never said there was anything official. Cool it mate :)

    /re-reads posts
    /marvels at his own excellence
    /really off to work now

  • zuljin #45 5 years ago

    @Enzima + dirigiblebill
    God of War isn't made by studio owned by Sony, it IS by Sony. Considering the massive hit the first one was, I think its fair to say there would be at least a few sequels... I think the article where he talks about the sixaxis and stuff does speak volumes.

    I like God Of War, but I found out the other day that the narrator is actually this woman (Linda Hunt):
    [link url=http://www.movieactors.com/freezes1/KindergardenCop12. jpeg
    ]http://ww w.movieactors.com/freezes1/Kind...[/link]
    The game all of a sudden doesn't seem so badass anymore...

  • Steroyd #46 5 years ago

    God Of War II is the dogs bollocks.

    that is all.

  • DNM #47 5 years ago

    Finally, recognition that giving a game a 10 is hysterical! :)

  • Spiral #48 5 years ago

    That is kind of the point of Kratos. He's a nasty bastard, but (as you'll understand if you completed the first game) with a damn good reason for it!

    I finished it but at the end I just thought he was a prick who refused to accept responsibility for his actions and would rather blame everyone else. It's just a foible of mine I guess, I can't seem to like something if I actively dislike the protagonist.

  • Introspectre #49 5 years ago

    No tearing?

    LOL


    The review was a tad generous, I think. Still a very good game though.

  • SeesThroughAll #50 5 years ago

    @ zuljin: What's wrong about it? Best female voice-acting you can find! That lady IS a Titan where it comes to acting! Only way to make the GOW cast even better would be to have Patrick Stewart voicing Zeus!
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 15:23

  • Pac #51 5 years ago

    I've been playing this for a couple of hours now and the v-sync tearing is terrible.

    I have also had quite bad tearing on other games recently such as Okami and several games on the 360.

    Is it my set up?

    It all seems to have started since I bought a Sony Bravia LCD TV.

  • SeesThroughAll #52 5 years ago

    @ Pac: Nope, that really is the PS2 hardware struggling to keep up.

  • Pac #53 5 years ago

    @SeesThroughAll

    Well if everyone has to put up with it then that makes a little easier to bear.

    /must...stop...looking...at...tearing...aaaagghhhh

    BTW I never noticed any games tearing when I had an SD TV

  • menage #54 5 years ago

    Phew, glad I'm not the only one noticing the tearing. The reviewer must have been drunk or something.:p
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 15:38

  • KTroopA #55 5 years ago

    just got this rumbling on my ps3. v1.70fm plus usb adpater . winz :D

  • JediMasterMalik #56 5 years ago

    I can't beleive people complain about Sony continuing support for their older console.

    Anyway, I'm gonna have to get this now. My exams will be a good distraction from the game. ;)

  • SeesThroughAll #57 5 years ago

    "hope it's out soon"?

    It's out NOW! Go get it dammit!

  • nickthegun #58 5 years ago

    Soooooooo..........the best thing you can currently play on your PS3 is a PS2 game?

    /walks away whistling....

  • TriodeBliss #59 5 years ago

    @ menage

    I presume it's playing it on the PS3 which gets rid of the tearing and wonky framerate.

  • PlugMonkey #60 5 years ago

    "why are deverlopers still making games like this on the PS2?
    because the PS3 is a total failure of a precedent set by Sony and so much of it lost through sheer stupidity

    As someone else mentioned, the 100,000,000 installed user base might have something to do with it. If any other publisher started solely supporting the niche market of the PS3 at this stage it would come across as utter madness; and I think the same applies to SCE. S'funny - hardware generations have always taken a couple of years to change over in the past, but some people seem to expect this one to be all done and dusted in 10 minutes. I suppose it's because PS2 slaughtered its competition so thoroughly that it's the only one left standing.

    "Honestly 360 owners can play many originally developped games on their system. ps3 best game is...a ps2 game. I think it was a very wrong decision to develop gow2 on the ps2. If it was an exclusive for ps3, it could change the way ps3 is viewed. hell, maybe even sella couple systems...."

    "I dont want it in 2 years, Einstein"

    The thing is, what exactly makes you so sure that if this game had been developed for PS3 it would be ready by now, and not still be another year away like, say, all the other big PS3 titles? Putting out another current gen version while you set about the lengthy task of stepping up to the next-gen sounds like a reasonable plan to me.

    Supporting your previous format while your new one takes root is the norm, folks, not the exception.

  • menage #61 5 years ago

    That's just grand, reviewing a PS2 game on a superiour console. WTF is that all about.

  • JediMasterMalik #62 5 years ago

    @Plugmonkey - No, it is the exception, but it's a good exception.

  • Introspectre #63 5 years ago

    Still better to review a PS2 game, on, you know, a PS2.

    Peeps playing this PS2 game on, you know, their PS2 will experience quite horrific tearing.

    Still, as long as the reviewer is playing this game on a PS3 that doesn't have tearing that he then relays his opinion of the game and says there isn't any tearing at all that is the main thin...

    /gasps for breath

  • JediMasterMalik #64 5 years ago

    I thought the PS3 did nothing, technically, to improve PS2 games.

  • menage #65 5 years ago

    So everyone reading the review who own a PS2 will get a false impression of the game. I hate tearing. Review the game on the system it's designed for.

  • JediMasterMalik #66 5 years ago

    You don't even know if he did play it on a PS3, and afaik there should't be any difference. Maybe it's a TV issue. :/

  • menage #67 5 years ago

    If you read the review you'd know he did play it on PS3

    And to be honest I also thought the PS3 did nothing to enhance graphics
    But considering he doesn't see any tearing he must have. I see it.

    Oh and tearing is in no way TV depenable. That's just nonsense.

  • platinum #68 5 years ago

    9/10 ?!
    I'm usually not the one to argue about a score but to me this just feels like Eurogamer is trying to be different just for the sake of it … Common guys you realy don't need that.

    I've got to agree though, just thinking about what this team might pull out of a PS3 is a wild orgasmic dream …

  • Pac #69 5 years ago

    Please don't say there's no tearing on the PS3 version.

    I am already tempted to buy one just for the wireless pads!
    If I could get rid of the tearing on God of War 2 and Okami that might just swing it. It's just a pity the games are all 360 ports ;)

    Does anyone know if tearing is worse through different connectors (RGB, SCART, S-VHS). I'm currently using S-VHS as it's the only connector free on my LCD TV
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 16:13

  • menage #70 5 years ago

    No. Tearing is caused by the PS2 itself. It won't dissappear when you hook it up differntly. That's just changing the output channel, not the content.

  • Fyzzu #71 5 years ago

    So I'm still the only person in the world who thought God of War was merely "pretty good", then.

    I'd probably have liked it a lot more before playing Ninja Gaiden, as that game ruined Devil May Cry and God of War for me. I'll likely pick this up eventually, but I've no real desire right now. Same as with Devil May Cry 3, I guess.

  • zuljin #72 5 years ago

    @Menage
    From reading the review, I was under the impression it was played on both the PS2 and PS3.

    "...playing it on a PS3 sharpens up the visuals no end..."
    I take that to mean he at least tried it on the PS2 and saw the difference in visuals...

    But it'd prob be best to ask the reviewer himself.

  • bicky316 #73 5 years ago

    Damn I knew it!!

    /wishes hadn't sold PS2

  • krudster #74 5 years ago

    Yes, I started on the PS2 for the first six hours or so, then got the PS2 promo disk that runs on the retail PS3, and couldn't believe the difference in the visual quality. No V-sync issues, massively sharpened up graphics, no frame rate problems.

    Basically, the lack of progscan in the PAL version is irrelevant the second you run it on a PS3. Normally PS2 games are a jaggy mess on this 50" Plasma, but on a PS3 it's one hell of an improvement, and that applies to all PS2 games I've run on the PS3. I'm really surprised more people aren't shouting about how much better the PS3 makes PS2 games look on big HD screens.

  • Steroyd #75 5 years ago

    Supporting your previous format while your new one takes root is the norm, folks, not the exception.

    I think you've got it the other way round I don't think any other company has supported their previous console at all when the new one launches admittedly the Nes and Snes was before my time.

  • JediMasterMalik #76 5 years ago

    /buys big HD telly

    Is 32" big enough?

  • Santino #77 5 years ago

    Fyzzu, dont worry i am in the same boat. I've completed Ninja Gaiden around 5 times, and am still having fun playing the demo of sigma. That game really does affect the enjoyment of other action games i've found. It makes GoW and DMC seem merely ok even though GoW is a fairly good game in it's own right. I don't rate DMC though as i hate the cheesy Dante character who talks too much, and the dumb as shit enemies are poor, that game comes across as targeted at very young teenage boys or something with it's attempts at being 'cool'. but yes, i just picked this up and am hoping the rest of the game is improved enough to keep the combat system from getting boring again as it did in the 1st otherwise i'll just stick on NGB again.
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 17:06

  • Killerbee #78 5 years ago

    Is 32" big enough?

    It's what you do with it that counts.

    :)

  • krudster #79 5 years ago

    I'm not convinced you'd see a huge improvement on a 32" screen. I think the benefits of improved image quality really kicks in at 42" and above running at 720p or above. Clearly this is of minimal interest to most people, but it's definitely worth bearing in mind if you're thinking of upgrading your TV soon.

  • JediMasterMalik #80 5 years ago

    Dam small living room!

    A 42" would be far too large for our room. Oh well, I'm still in SD so anything will be an improvement anyway. :)

  • Spiral #81 5 years ago

    Jaggy mess is a pretty good description of all my PS2 games on my 32" screen. The console looks far less blocky on my 21" non-widescreen CRT. If the PS3 solves that problem then I recommend it.

  • Pac #82 5 years ago

    @JediMasterMalik

    I've got a 32" HD Telly and it's fine for a small sitting room.

    I have been putting off buying a PS3 so far as it did not work fully with FFX12 and Okami but from what Krudster says about the improvement in v-sync and image quality I think a trip down the shops is on the cards after I have finished them off.

    /hmm, how to tell the wife
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 18:16

  • menage #83 5 years ago

    Well, at least that clears it up. But the review could have made it a lot clearer. GoW2 is a PS2 game and should be treated as such.

  • captainrentboy #84 5 years ago

    I've played it for four hours so far, and it is facking brilliant,like the review states it pretty much puts all these next gen games to shame.
    But the tearing is bloody awful, I've only played it on a normal tv in work but the tearing is everywhere, some of the most noticeable I've seen, even more so than the 360 games.

  • drumbaby #85 5 years ago

    Can someone clarify that if you're outputting to an HD display, the PS3 makes GOW2 display at 560p, whether you like it or not?

  • Introspectre #86 5 years ago

    "Well, at least that clears it up. But the review could have made it a lot clearer. GoW2 is a PS2 game and should be treated as such"

    +1

  • captain-future #87 5 years ago

    8 because it's the "same same", very very very well done and comes with all the bells and whistles but I've really always got the impression "God of War, the first one, already did it.

    Also I have one big complaint, TEARING and FRAME RATE ISSUES all over the place!!!
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 20:22

  • _Price_ #88 5 years ago

    Ok. Digital Devil Saga, then Okami, then FF XII, then God of War II.

    I'm sure Sony are very happy.

  • sillak #89 5 years ago


    Got to agree with Fyzzu and Santino...

    ...enjoyed God of War, but Ninja Gaiden is still the benchmark for me. After I finished NG, it was ages before I could play an action game and enjoy it. NG just made everything else seem so pointless (and easy!).

    Having said that, GoW is the only actioner that came close to that level of brilliance, so I'll def-o be picking GoW2 up. Better finish it before Sigma comes out though...

  • VMerken #90 5 years ago

    God of War was quite overrated in my opinion - it'll be interesting to see in how far gameplay balance has been improved to make the game worthy of the praise it gets. And as far as this genre is concerned - in my book, Devil May Cry started it all and still outdances everything currently on the market. Dante Must Die S rank Special Bonus, oh yeah. This title, Ninja Gaiden "Reworked" Sigma and/or Devil May Cry 4 may change this in the future, though.
    Edited by 1 at 27/04/07 @ 23:40

  • JediMasterMalik #91 5 years ago

    @Pac - I was saying 42" would be too big, 32" is fine I know. :)

    As for comparisons between GoW and DMC or NG, I think Krud already explained it well in his review.

    DMC and NG have always been solely about combat, and little else.

    GoW gives you the whole package, but of course if none of that other stuff matters to you, then that's fine too.

  • VMerken #92 5 years ago

    Uhm... the God of War I played is mainly directed towards combat. The game is about the fighting. The other stuff thrown in there, the platformy-puzzly stuff, feels like filler to get from one fight to the other.

    *insert "personal opinion and all that from this point" disclaimer here*

    Some of it is quite boring, really (spinning blades in various places come to mind - oh god, now I can't get those bloody things out of my head). Personally, I prefer depth over width as it means that gameplay elements will be much more tuned and polished. In DMC, everything feels just right - not a single element in the game is unnecessary. In GoW, that is much less the case. Enemy/boss battle is not so polished, as are the platform/exploration elements. Gameplay contains a few annoying balancing issues. A consequence of going for width. That's not to say that GoW is a bad game, of course, but at the end of the day it's just not a jawdropper for me.

    Criticism aside, you can feel the love the developers put into the title, Kratos really is a badass character and the story is good. For that, I definitely pay tribute and thus bought GoW II. To re-experience the fun (and hopefully not the un-fun from spinning blades). Which is what matters in the end.

  • Tango #93 5 years ago

    Is it worth getting a PS3 for this?

  • smelly #94 5 years ago

    No.

    But it's worth getting a ps2 for.

  • smelly #95 5 years ago

    "8 because it's the "same same", very very very well done and comes with all the bells and whistles but I've really always got the impression "God of War, the first one, already did it. "


    But.. But,... But.. you START in hell.. Fighting what would normally be the end of game boss!

    It's fooking ace!

    As for framerate/tearing.. presume must be a PAL problem.

  • menage #96 5 years ago

    No, the trailers had it to.

  • AOFanboi #97 5 years ago

    <em>I think you've got it the other way round I don't think any other company has supported their previous console at all when the new one launches admittedly the Nes and Snes was before my time.</em>

    Don't base your world view of Microsoft's cut and run from XBox. Sony (with the PSOne during the PS2 lifecycle) and Nintendo (with the Gameboy Micro during the DS lifecycle) supported their old systems. GBA titles are stiull being launched, and if game companies bothered, PS/PSOne titles would probably also be able to find release.

  • Les #98 5 years ago

    Best game on PS3. Who needs 720p or 1080p? More pixels does not equal more fun as has been proven over the past 1,5 year.
    Edited by 1 at 28/04/07 @ 12:09

  • samadriel #99 5 years ago

    "All bar the most insanely masochistic gamers enjoy traipsing through large chunks of the game that they've already proved their worth on"

    I think you mean 'No-one but...' Unless I'm really out of touch with the gaming public...
    Edited by 1 at 28/04/07 @ 17:57

  • JediMasterMalik #100 5 years ago

    "Bar" means "but".

  • Fyzzu #101 5 years ago

    Yes, it does. But "All bar the most insanely masochistic gamers enjoy traipsing through large chunks of the game that they've already proved their worth on" means "Everyone except for masochistic gamers really likes this stuff" when it should be the other way around. It's the all/none switch that matters, not the bar/but.

    Out of interest, and wholly off-topic, how does DMC3 compare to Ninja Gaiden? I remember everyone going on about how insanely hard it was, but I never found anyone saying which one was actually more of a challenge. Or more of an enjoyable challenge, either, which I thought NG nailed.
    Edited by 1 at 28/04/07 @ 18:56

  • JediMasterMalik #102 5 years ago

    You missed the point, not me.

    The reviewer said that's not what this game does, and isn't for masochistic gamers.
    Ninja Gaiden does do this, and is more for those types of people.

  • Overlush #103 5 years ago

    /ignores better judgement and buys GOW2

    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence
    button bash button bash button bash boss battle button sequence

    /scratches head, looks in mirror at grey hairs and fishes out receipt from bin

  • SeesThroughAll #104 5 years ago

    Overlush, if you're getting the impression that the gameplay is so shallow, try playing it in Titan mode, you certainly won't go far with button bashing. In fact, the final boss(es) here are much tougher than in the first one.

  • Tomo #105 5 years ago

    Overlush speaks the truth!

    /runs

  • MrBiggles #106 5 years ago

    God of war 2 is a simple button masher, same as the first. Ninja Gaiden destroys it in depth of combat and so does DMC.

    God of war 2 is just as fun as those games though and has better story, bosses, gore, production values, music, characters.

    They are all equal in there own way, best action games ever made,

    after RE4 :)

  • Overlush #107 5 years ago

    Mars

  • JediMasterMalik #108 5 years ago

    That's completely subjective you know?

  • Garibaldi #109 5 years ago

    Why does this keep getting bumped back to being the main article on the site?

  • Fyzzu #110 5 years ago

    JediMasterMalik: Yeees, but that's not what the review says at that point. It says that masochistic people *don't* enjoy the backtracking, and everyone else does.

    "All bar the most insanely masochistic gamers enjoy traipsing through large chunks of the game that they've already proved their worth on, and God of War II almost always (except one memorably tough section near the very end) puts you right back where you copped it."

    Rephrased: "Everyone except (all bar...) masochistic gamers really like going back through bits of the game they've already done, and God of War 2 puts you back where you died." Unless I'm really reading this wrong, it should still be "None bar" rather than "All bar". The words are wrong - regardless of saying that God of War 2 puts you back where you died, it still has it the wrong way round, suggesting that everyone likes going back through the earlier bits, and masochistic gamers don't.

    I can't really clarify the way I'm reading this much further. Am I just horribly misreading this, or what?

    And yes, I know this is a largely pointless argument :p

  • Bongo #111 5 years ago

    Fyzzu:
    you're reading it correctly, and it is written wrong.

  • Darren #112 5 years ago

    Odd that people are complaining about tearing in God of War II; on the PS3 there is none whatsoever nor is there any in Okami either. Trust me, I despise v-sync tearing so if it was there, even a little bit, I'm sure I'd have seen it by now. I have noticed that the game running on the PS3 lacks real-time character shadows though which I swear are there in the GameTrailers.com video review I've seen. No framerate issues though but the game can look a tad jaggy at times through HDMI but that's forgiveable considering how amazing the graphics look otherwise and the age of the hardware the game is running on. Very, very impressed overall.

  • smelly #113 5 years ago

    Best game on PS3. Who needs 720p or 1080p? More pixels does not equal more fun as has been proven over the past 1,5 year.

    Well that was £500 well spent then.

  • sillak #114 5 years ago

    Dagnabit, Smelly!

    Ironically, GoW was the first game I played on my PS3. Currently busy with FF12 (which rocks). Still haven't played a next-gen game on it - I have Resistance, but it's desperately disappointing when compared with my newer 360 games like Gears, LP and Vegas.

    So sad...

    And, to weigh in on the DMC vs. NG vs. GoW debate...yes, GoW was fantastic, but it was and will always be a button-masher rather than a skill proposition. The depth of the combat system in NG is what made it so compelling. Fewer, simpler combinations than GoW, but requiring true mastery, and dead-on timing; these are the elements that elevate NG above GoW for the seasoned action gamer.

    Still, brilliant as it was, the soul-rending difficulty reduced me to a weeping wreck on too many occasions, so I guess I have to concede that GoW was better balanced and infinitely more accessible. Maybe NG Sigma will fix that and give everyone a chance to enjoy the game.

  • Bongo #115 5 years ago

    @Sillak
    Have you played GoW on the hardest difficulty?
    Also, have you played the Challenges Of The Gods?
    I agree - to an extent - that NG is probably a more challenging and in-depth game, but playing GoW on the hardest difficulty is also very, very tricky.

  • krudster #116 5 years ago

    Fyzuu: You are correct. Damn my rubbishness. I've reworded it to make the point I was *actually* trying to make :)

  • FlamingCarrot #117 5 years ago

    Works beautifully on my PS3 with no tearing at all. No next gen game touches it on the PS3 yet...

  • Les #118 5 years ago

    "Well that was £500 well spent then."

    What are you talking about?! It's the game with the highest review score so far, that's playable on PS3. (Or is FF XII also playable on PS3, that got a 10 didn't it?)

  • SeesThroughAll #119 5 years ago

    smelly, what's the problem with you lately, mate?

    Don't you play GC games on a Wii?

    I mean, it's not like the best Wii game actually isn't a GC one either.
    You are aware that Twilight Princess was developed for the GC, and had the Wiimote controls plugged in in time for launch, right?