This game was so much more enjoyable from the first. Im not quite sure on all of what they changed but it just felt so much better to play. You're not getting staggered constantly, the enemies arent insane bullet sponges and it just felt a lot more balanced and rewarding than the original. The puzzles were also a lot better, so much less frustrating and a lot more enjoyable. I do wish there was less of an emphasis on them though, I feel like the game has way too many and that makes it kinda drag a bit more than needed in the middle. There were still moments the game pissed me off and initial impressions were not great, but the gameplay really stepped it up in the end and I appreciated that immensely. The story does suffer a bit though, It's notably weaker than than the first. Another review mentions this but it definitely suffers from middle child syndrome. The ending especially is pretty akin to Halo 2, a great set up for 3 but a bit of a disappointing finish for the game itself, that being said its not quite as abrupt and I didnt mind it too much
Overall, despite some slow moments and a noticeably weaker story, God of War II is an immense improvement over the first and a genuine joy to play. Hyped to see how this trilogy ends.
On a side note the medusa-like enemies are fucking stupid and I fucking hate them
Trophy Completion - 100% (Platinum 193)
Time Played - 18 hours on the dot
Nancymeter - 81/100
Game Completion #54 of 2022
May Completion #4
Overall, despite some slow moments and a noticeably weaker story, God of War II is an immense improvement over the first and a genuine joy to play. Hyped to see how this trilogy ends.
On a side note the medusa-like enemies are fucking stupid and I fucking hate them
Trophy Completion - 100% (Platinum 193)
Time Played - 18 hours on the dot
Nancymeter - 81/100
Game Completion #54 of 2022
May Completion #4
How to sequel a franchise properly.
God of War 2 pretty much improves on every aspect of the already perfect first game. The graphics have more details and better light and shadow effects. The score is the best in the franchise. The gameplay is the same but more polished and the story builds up alot of new lore to the series, especially with the whole Titans vs. Gods conflict of the great war.
This is the game though that turned Kratos into the meathead most people know him of. It sure makes sense though, since the gods gave him empty promises and refused to free him from his PTSD. It wents so far that it turned Kratos into an anti hero with some slasher villain characteristics. He uses innocent people as objects to overcome certain obstacles just so he can reach his goal to get revenge on Zeus, despite it being "mostly" possible to find other ways around them.
The story is more or less as good as the first game since its the one that builts alot of new lore as mentioned before. Finding out more about the Gods and Titans was really interesting. Also worth mentioning is that this games story feels the most like a true adventure. Mostly because during Kratos' travel he finds all kind of different people that like him search, or either work for the Sisters of Fate so those that search for them can change their destiny, but of course Kratos can't let that happen.
The gameplay as mentioned before is a lot more polished now. Cyclones of Chaos for example is much better to use than in the original game. You get a lot of more weopon and magic variety and you don't lose your Mana that fast so you can use magic attacks more often. The platforming has been improved and reduced offering more replay value for those that dislike them. Enemy variety has also been increased giving some new and old enemy typed to fight. The game has more boss fights and the one in particular against Lahkesis and Atropus is the best in the franchise. It offers the perfect mix between music, enviromental combat and boobies to witness.
The score and levil design are also the best in the franchise. Exploring the Isle is my favorite piece of music in the game. The levels offer far more variety than in the first game and are far more color friendly.
It's easy to say that this the T2 of video game sequels. Kratos adventure to the sisters of fate is pretty much his most epic adventure and the best in the franchise. It offers the right variety between story telling, fast paced gameplay and puzzle solving.
10/10 3 meter tall goddesses with nude boobie.
God of War 2 pretty much improves on every aspect of the already perfect first game. The graphics have more details and better light and shadow effects. The score is the best in the franchise. The gameplay is the same but more polished and the story builds up alot of new lore to the series, especially with the whole Titans vs. Gods conflict of the great war.
This is the game though that turned Kratos into the meathead most people know him of. It sure makes sense though, since the gods gave him empty promises and refused to free him from his PTSD. It wents so far that it turned Kratos into an anti hero with some slasher villain characteristics. He uses innocent people as objects to overcome certain obstacles just so he can reach his goal to get revenge on Zeus, despite it being "mostly" possible to find other ways around them.
The story is more or less as good as the first game since its the one that builts alot of new lore as mentioned before. Finding out more about the Gods and Titans was really interesting. Also worth mentioning is that this games story feels the most like a true adventure. Mostly because during Kratos' travel he finds all kind of different people that like him search, or either work for the Sisters of Fate so those that search for them can change their destiny, but of course Kratos can't let that happen.
The gameplay as mentioned before is a lot more polished now. Cyclones of Chaos for example is much better to use than in the original game. You get a lot of more weopon and magic variety and you don't lose your Mana that fast so you can use magic attacks more often. The platforming has been improved and reduced offering more replay value for those that dislike them. Enemy variety has also been increased giving some new and old enemy typed to fight. The game has more boss fights and the one in particular against Lahkesis and Atropus is the best in the franchise. It offers the perfect mix between music, enviromental combat and boobies to witness.
The score and levil design are also the best in the franchise. Exploring the Isle is my favorite piece of music in the game. The levels offer far more variety than in the first game and are far more color friendly.
It's easy to say that this the T2 of video game sequels. Kratos adventure to the sisters of fate is pretty much his most epic adventure and the best in the franchise. It offers the right variety between story telling, fast paced gameplay and puzzle solving.
10/10 3 meter tall goddesses with nude boobie.
Assim como na review do Dark Souls, essa review também vale pro God of War 1 e pro 3, mas como o 2 é o meu favorito, vou escrever nele. Eu não tenho nem palavras pra descrever o que God of War representa pra mim, eu conheci a franquia com God of War 2 do Play 2 em 2012, eu ainda tinha 8 a 9 anos, e é simplesmente uma aventura absurdamente incrível, é maluquice. Pra mim tem três coisas que sustentam a experiência do God of War: a trilha sonora, a direção de arte e a gameplay. E nesses aspectos esse jogo é perfeito, sem nenhum defeito. A começar com a gameplay, ele não foi o jogo que criou o hack and slash, mas ele foi o jogo junto de Devil May Cry que definiu um padrão nesse estilo de jogo com a qualidade da gameplay, ele é literalmente tudo o que um hack and slash deveria ser: rápido, dinâmico, simples, bruto e que te dá essa sensação de poder e vontade de continuar jogando. Segundo: a direção de arte, os cenários desse jogo são maravilhosos, tem colossos, palácios, gigantes, e esse jogo de câmera que eles exploram é sempre genial, a câmera distancia do Kratos enquanto ele anda pra frente, o maior exemplo é aquela clássica cena de quando você passa daquela corrente gigante até o Templo de Lakesis no God of War 2, passa um sentimento de grandeza que eu nunca senti tanto em qualquer outro jogo, a direção de arte e os cenários são perfeitos. E claro, por último, a trilha sonora, que não tem como não falar. Eu sou uma pessoa que gosta muito de música, trilha sonora é muito importante pra mim em um jogo, e a trilha sonora do God of War é simplesmente bizarra, uma das melhores trilhas sonoras que eu já escutei nos jogos, ainda mais considerando a época que ele foi lançado. Ela é épica, é uma orquestra sensacional que te passa muito a sensação de estar na pele do Kratos enquanto você enfrenta os inimigos. E esses três aspectos fazem pra mim o God of War ser um dos jogos mais marcantes de todos, obra de arte absoluta, era impossível não se encantar com ele na época.
Over each generation there's always a trend around certain game design aspects and 2023, the year this review is being written, feels like the ultimate result of the "cinematic vs arcade design" debate. There is no such a thing as a consensus; looking at the Hi-Fi Rush reception, "a game that just wants to be a game", the new Zelda with its extremely emergent mechanics and FFXVI focusing on spectacle... all of these games are being compared with "the PS2 era", regardless of whatever this means. And I have a problem with that.
That's why I don't blame "cinematic games" too much– they're experimental, even if overwhelmingly safe– "PS2 era games" aka "gamey games" trend is a punk reaction to the success of such games as The Last of Us and Red Dead Redemption, which is, on paper, a good thing! But in my books, this is both a bless and a curse.
And that leads us to God of War II; an interesting and ironic case of being "too much cinematic" and "too much gamey" at the same time. While it's an admittedly result of japanese inspirations (see: Onimusha, ICO, Devil May Cry), it's also one of the most influent series of PS2 era: cinematic setpieces and quick time events being the most notorious components; it has a lot of arcade design in its DNA as well.
It's a good adventure with a great combat design, well-crafted enemy encounters and some cool setpieces, but I can't help but go back to the line "I don't blame cinematic games too much", because hell, the cinematic component in this game is, unfortunately, more welcoming than the gamey one. And I say unfortunately because the spectacle in God of War is not my kind of thing.
The Wonderful 101 trying to be as gamey as possible: good
God of War II trying to be as gamey as possible: bad
For every cool fight in GOW2, there is a "push the box to the next switch" kind of puzzle; it feels like the game is afraid to develop its progression further to an extent of being even more cinematic, but it doesn't... for the sake of the "gamey design". And I also don’t like most of the puzzles; I remember that in the beginning of the first God of War, there was a part where the game teaches you that you need to push the box to point B and use it to platform to the next section, while you’re defending yourself against enemy archers WITH the box! That's neat, that’s creative, and I’m disappointed that a lot of GOW2 puzzles/platforming are boring and repetitive.
So, yes, the game wants the player to be pressing buttons all the time with different tasks in the most artificial way possible. It embraces a kind of design that I despise a lot; an action game afraid to impress the player with a non-stop corridor of enemy encounters; God Hand was released a year before, mind you.
I have no problem with an action game being an… action-adventure. God of War II has literally the exact same structure as the first GOW; but that one was a much more consistent adventure, with cool puzzles and platforming, cutscenes, fights, everything was on point. And I say that being very indifferent about those things; is just that GOW2 turned something neutral into annoying. It feels artificial this time, and that’s part of the gamey games, they’re always trying to look, feel, sound, smell and taste like a videogame, and sometimes they disregard the entire experience for the sake of interaction.But sometimes, they don’t!
God of War II problems reflect this trend to this day; Hi-Fi Rush with its bad platforming sections, Resident Evil 4 Remake with that stupid sidequest design, Elden Ring with the busy and exhausting open world… Those are just some examples of, in my eyes, games infected by the gamey trend, in a thoughtless sense.
Back to the God of War, I always wondered “why am I so indifferent about this game?” when I played the first one: it’s a consistent, charming, very thoughtful adventure with a good combat system but I was never interested in talking about it and labbing/replaying it.
In the second God of War, as you may have noticed, I realized part of my problem: I don’t like the structure, the puzzle design and the aesthetics/kinesthetics are not “my kind of thing”. Not to mention the story, which sucks (sorry)
But what about the combat?
I admit I played GOW1 in bad faith because I thought the normal difficulty was too easy; but in GOW2, I played the game with “how about exploring the combat nuances and possibilities this time?” mentality. And now I get it.
Big focus on crowd control and enemy manipulation (collision damage, grabs and ring-outs) results in the most efficiency-based action series in the market besides probably Ninja Gaiden. It’s really cool to see how many interesting quirks and interactions the combat system has based on moment-to-moment decision making (killing normally X finishers, magic management and positioning play), such as petrification damage values and slow effect, how some enemies can only be grabbed mid-air which rewards launchers, roll canceling, the different kinds of parries, etc. Good toolkit, arenas, enemy AI, hit reactions, control – just a great combat system overall. It also has a good camera, and that's unironically very impressive since most of action games cameras tend to be bad.
I’m interested in replaying it on higher difficulties just for the combat – because I still dislike the gamey structure. At some point I stopped feeling that I was playing as Kratos in a greek adventure, because the organicity of the game’s progression was gone – and unfortunately most of my good memories of the second God of War will be about the combat.
That's why I don't blame "cinematic games" too much– they're experimental, even if overwhelmingly safe– "PS2 era games" aka "gamey games" trend is a punk reaction to the success of such games as The Last of Us and Red Dead Redemption, which is, on paper, a good thing! But in my books, this is both a bless and a curse.
And that leads us to God of War II; an interesting and ironic case of being "too much cinematic" and "too much gamey" at the same time. While it's an admittedly result of japanese inspirations (see: Onimusha, ICO, Devil May Cry), it's also one of the most influent series of PS2 era: cinematic setpieces and quick time events being the most notorious components; it has a lot of arcade design in its DNA as well.
It's a good adventure with a great combat design, well-crafted enemy encounters and some cool setpieces, but I can't help but go back to the line "I don't blame cinematic games too much", because hell, the cinematic component in this game is, unfortunately, more welcoming than the gamey one. And I say unfortunately because the spectacle in God of War is not my kind of thing.
For every cool fight in GOW2, there is a "push the box to the next switch" kind of puzzle; it feels like the game is afraid to develop its progression further to an extent of being even more cinematic, but it doesn't... for the sake of the "gamey design". And I also don’t like most of the puzzles; I remember that in the beginning of the first God of War, there was a part where the game teaches you that you need to push the box to point B and use it to platform to the next section, while you’re defending yourself against enemy archers WITH the box! That's neat, that’s creative, and I’m disappointed that a lot of GOW2 puzzles/platforming are boring and repetitive.
So, yes, the game wants the player to be pressing buttons all the time with different tasks in the most artificial way possible. It embraces a kind of design that I despise a lot; an action game afraid to impress the player with a non-stop corridor of enemy encounters; God Hand was released a year before, mind you.
I have no problem with an action game being an… action-adventure. God of War II has literally the exact same structure as the first GOW; but that one was a much more consistent adventure, with cool puzzles and platforming, cutscenes, fights, everything was on point. And I say that being very indifferent about those things; is just that GOW2 turned something neutral into annoying. It feels artificial this time, and that’s part of the gamey games, they’re always trying to look, feel, sound, smell and taste like a videogame, and sometimes they disregard the entire experience for the sake of interaction.
God of War II problems reflect this trend to this day; Hi-Fi Rush with its bad platforming sections, Resident Evil 4 Remake with that stupid sidequest design, Elden Ring with the busy and exhausting open world… Those are just some examples of, in my eyes, games infected by the gamey trend, in a thoughtless sense.
Back to the God of War, I always wondered “why am I so indifferent about this game?” when I played the first one: it’s a consistent, charming, very thoughtful adventure with a good combat system but I was never interested in talking about it and labbing/replaying it.
In the second God of War, as you may have noticed, I realized part of my problem: I don’t like the structure, the puzzle design and the aesthetics/kinesthetics are not “my kind of thing”. Not to mention the story, which sucks (sorry)
But what about the combat?
I admit I played GOW1 in bad faith because I thought the normal difficulty was too easy; but in GOW2, I played the game with “how about exploring the combat nuances and possibilities this time?” mentality. And now I get it.
Big focus on crowd control and enemy manipulation (collision damage, grabs and ring-outs) results in the most efficiency-based action series in the market besides probably Ninja Gaiden. It’s really cool to see how many interesting quirks and interactions the combat system has based on moment-to-moment decision making (killing normally X finishers, magic management and positioning play), such as petrification damage values and slow effect, how some enemies can only be grabbed mid-air which rewards launchers, roll canceling, the different kinds of parries, etc. Good toolkit, arenas, enemy AI, hit reactions, control – just a great combat system overall. It also has a good camera, and that's unironically very impressive since most of action games cameras tend to be bad.
I’m interested in replaying it on higher difficulties just for the combat – because I still dislike the gamey structure. At some point I stopped feeling that I was playing as Kratos in a greek adventure, because the organicity of the game’s progression was gone – and unfortunately most of my good memories of the second God of War will be about the combat.
Easily has to be one of the best improvements from its predecessor. I can understand a lot more of the complaints about the first game now with having the second God of War as a comparison. This game just FEELS so, so, so much better. Your attacks actually feel rewarding, as the enemies are significantly less spongy, and the move sets you learn throughout feel much more effective.
The boss battles are awesome, and even more immersive than the first game, with some even having really unique and cool elements that help them stand out in comparison to other games (Perseus' invisibility comes fresh to mind). The game moved a lot more smoothly, with barely any backtracking in comparison to God of War 1, and with a fun variety of environments and enemies that kept the story more engaging.
The story was still dumb, just like the last one, but was also more fun to explore and figure out. There was a lot more reference to different Ancient Greek stories, and even featured the Titans as prominent characters! Again, stuff isn't the most historically accurate, but I don't think it's too expected when God of War is clearly an entertainment > education kind-of game, so it's not something to really knock against it. The "twist" with Zeus being Kratos' father didn't get much reaction from me, and seemed too hellbent on forcing in a twist à la Star Wars without much thought besides it allowing a twist into the story. I think it would have had more impact on me if it was someone I was used to hearing about throughout the series' story, like if Ares was revealed to be Kratos' father instead, making the story force him to question his killings even more so, but at this point, I don't think the game actually wants to make Kratos come to terms with his actions lmao (at least not yet)...
Overall though, God of War II is a very, very fun game with not much more to it. I had a really good time playing it, but don't think it's something I'm going to rush back to play again anytime soon. It is absolutely a high-recommendation I'll give to someone looking for a gnarly hack and slash, though! Won and done!
3.5/5
The boss battles are awesome, and even more immersive than the first game, with some even having really unique and cool elements that help them stand out in comparison to other games (Perseus' invisibility comes fresh to mind). The game moved a lot more smoothly, with barely any backtracking in comparison to God of War 1, and with a fun variety of environments and enemies that kept the story more engaging.
The story was still dumb, just like the last one, but was also more fun to explore and figure out. There was a lot more reference to different Ancient Greek stories, and even featured the Titans as prominent characters! Again, stuff isn't the most historically accurate, but I don't think it's too expected when God of War is clearly an entertainment > education kind-of game, so it's not something to really knock against it. The "twist" with Zeus being Kratos' father didn't get much reaction from me, and seemed too hellbent on forcing in a twist à la Star Wars without much thought besides it allowing a twist into the story. I think it would have had more impact on me if it was someone I was used to hearing about throughout the series' story, like if Ares was revealed to be Kratos' father instead, making the story force him to question his killings even more so, but at this point, I don't think the game actually wants to make Kratos come to terms with his actions lmao (at least not yet)...
Overall though, God of War II is a very, very fun game with not much more to it. I had a really good time playing it, but don't think it's something I'm going to rush back to play again anytime soon. It is absolutely a high-recommendation I'll give to someone looking for a gnarly hack and slash, though! Won and done!
3.5/5
Like the first game, god of war two offers incredible combat and puzzles, however it felt a little bit repetitive compared to the first, and never offered much change aside from some quality of life improvements. Still, if you loved the first game you'll love this one.
A worthy sequel to the first game, God of War II was a PS2 exclusive that interestingly came out several months after the PS3 was already out. I think it might be the last really good exclusive title to the best-selling console of all time.
God of War II wastes no time at all getting going, throwing Kratos into a cinematic battle against the Colossus of Rhodes that serves as a lengthy and genuinely thrilling cold open. Like the first game, this sequel never lets up on the momentum, a constant sturdy blend of combat encounters and intuitive environmental puzzle-solving that gives the game a great flow and pace. I could see some players not enjoying the puzzles, but I think they're important for shaking up the gameplay since players would get battle fatigue if it was all just hacking and slashing. I will say that I wish the puzzles seemed a little more natural in the environment sometimes and not so gamey- with levers, blocks, and buttons feeling like they exist just for the sake of the puzzle rather than organically in the environment. Meanwhile, the platforming has been made less frustrating. Any part that requires some accuracy has a checkpoint nearby this time around so you won't get too frustrated with the traversal.
Not a lot has changed from the first game's sturdy combat foundation, though there are definitely some subtle improvements. For one, enemies aren't the frustrating damage sponges like in the first game. There was definitely some tedium in waiting forever for some of the enemies to go down, but that's definitely cut down some here. God of War II is a little less challenging as a result, but it makes for a more fun and less tedious experience.
Since the game is a bit less punishing this time out, I found myself experimenting with the different combos and magic abilities more and getting a pretty solid handle on the combat system. The game doesn't give you enough experience to level up too many of your abilities in one play-through, but the new combos I did unlock for my primary weapon were fun to try out. I also really liked the new timed counter move, which takes some getting used to but proves really powerful once you get to using it regularly and effectively.
This game also just moves along a little better overall, even though it follows the same progression system as the first game (and has that lame "stripped of your powers" trope that a lot of game sequels use). There are still a few frustrating moments- I'm probably not going to forget the damn skeleton elevator sequence late in the game anytime soon- but they are much fewer this time out. I always felt like I was visiting an exciting new vista, or facing off against a new powerful foe.
The story is still very basic and extremely cheesy, and honestly is even more shallow than the first game which at least tried a little with its tragic backstory for Kratos. It gets the job done but is definitely one area where the franchise could've been greater at this juncture, especially because its presentation is so cinematic. Despite that simplicity, it's still fun to take on another rage-fueled, blood-soaked journey for revenge with Kratos. The adventure builds to a cliffhanger that no doubt had fans chomping at the bit for the third and "final" chapter.
God of War II wastes no time at all getting going, throwing Kratos into a cinematic battle against the Colossus of Rhodes that serves as a lengthy and genuinely thrilling cold open. Like the first game, this sequel never lets up on the momentum, a constant sturdy blend of combat encounters and intuitive environmental puzzle-solving that gives the game a great flow and pace. I could see some players not enjoying the puzzles, but I think they're important for shaking up the gameplay since players would get battle fatigue if it was all just hacking and slashing. I will say that I wish the puzzles seemed a little more natural in the environment sometimes and not so gamey- with levers, blocks, and buttons feeling like they exist just for the sake of the puzzle rather than organically in the environment. Meanwhile, the platforming has been made less frustrating. Any part that requires some accuracy has a checkpoint nearby this time around so you won't get too frustrated with the traversal.
Not a lot has changed from the first game's sturdy combat foundation, though there are definitely some subtle improvements. For one, enemies aren't the frustrating damage sponges like in the first game. There was definitely some tedium in waiting forever for some of the enemies to go down, but that's definitely cut down some here. God of War II is a little less challenging as a result, but it makes for a more fun and less tedious experience.
Since the game is a bit less punishing this time out, I found myself experimenting with the different combos and magic abilities more and getting a pretty solid handle on the combat system. The game doesn't give you enough experience to level up too many of your abilities in one play-through, but the new combos I did unlock for my primary weapon were fun to try out. I also really liked the new timed counter move, which takes some getting used to but proves really powerful once you get to using it regularly and effectively.
This game also just moves along a little better overall, even though it follows the same progression system as the first game (and has that lame "stripped of your powers" trope that a lot of game sequels use). There are still a few frustrating moments- I'm probably not going to forget the damn skeleton elevator sequence late in the game anytime soon- but they are much fewer this time out. I always felt like I was visiting an exciting new vista, or facing off against a new powerful foe.
The story is still very basic and extremely cheesy, and honestly is even more shallow than the first game which at least tried a little with its tragic backstory for Kratos. It gets the job done but is definitely one area where the franchise could've been greater at this juncture, especially because its presentation is so cinematic. Despite that simplicity, it's still fun to take on another rage-fueled, blood-soaked journey for revenge with Kratos. The adventure builds to a cliffhanger that no doubt had fans chomping at the bit for the third and "final" chapter.
I can’t even imagine the level of hype surrounding God of War III after the cliffhanger this left players on…
God of War II is an improvement over the first game in just about every regard. The gameplay is more refined, the storytelling is of epic scale without sacrificing the interpersonal storytelling, and the level design is just as good as the first game… if not even better.
It’s a more exciting experience as there’s so many new features that keep the game fresh. The infamous “Pegasus” sequences are exhilarating. Infamous during development… iconic while playing. The new weapons are welcomed… as are the new abilities. They were much more fun to use this time around, and felt like they served a real purpose.
The first game was the perfect origin story, told through the frame work of a revenge plot, and while this does something similar, it dials up the scope and makes the storytelling more grandiose. It’s so big that they couldn’t fit the whole thing into just this game.
It pays off so much after having played the first, and I can only imagine how it all culminates by the end of the third game. I’m really looking forward to it, as this was an awesome surprise.
God of War II is an improvement over the first game in just about every regard. The gameplay is more refined, the storytelling is of epic scale without sacrificing the interpersonal storytelling, and the level design is just as good as the first game… if not even better.
It’s a more exciting experience as there’s so many new features that keep the game fresh. The infamous “Pegasus” sequences are exhilarating. Infamous during development… iconic while playing. The new weapons are welcomed… as are the new abilities. They were much more fun to use this time around, and felt like they served a real purpose.
The first game was the perfect origin story, told through the frame work of a revenge plot, and while this does something similar, it dials up the scope and makes the storytelling more grandiose. It’s so big that they couldn’t fit the whole thing into just this game.
It pays off so much after having played the first, and I can only imagine how it all culminates by the end of the third game. I’m really looking forward to it, as this was an awesome surprise.
this game rocked! for sure a peak of the hack n slash action game genre! the gameplay doesn’t fully captivate me but it’s mindless fun and this game was full of fun set pieces and exciting moments! a little reliant on QTEs compared to the norse sequels and some of the timing is frustratingly tight (namely they don’t give enough buffer to mash O on the mash QTEs imo) but i never minded QTEs so i wasn’t bothered. a fun time for sure! less of a whole experience (and IMO less fun) than the norse sequels but still well worth playthroughs.
classico absoluto, tem o final mais foda da franquia e a melhor trilha sonora da franquia, alem da gameplay do hack n slash ser incrivel e sugar o maximo da qualidade artistica que o ps2 podia fazer, muito pica
Um dos melhores jogos do ps2 com certeza e pra mim o melhor God of war
Now this is what I'm talking about.
GOW1 was some decent fun and engaging with its combat and story, it left much to be desired with its execution of platforming and puzzles. God of War II not only builds on the foundation that the first uniquely had, but fundamentally improves on every single aspect of the original I had a hard time dealing with.
Plotwise, it takes place many years after GOW1 with Kratos as the God of War, and we continue on his journey of revenge against the gods, especially against Zeus who betrays him in fear of Kratos killing him. The story here was pretty good and it's crazy how much worldbuilding was done here in this entry. The development of various legends like the Sisters of Fate and the Titans and appearances of other Greek icons like Prometheus, Icarus, Jason, Perseus and others. These storylines really added a lot to the game and levels we explore all the way towards the end.
Gameplay wise, it resembles much of the original while adding in more sub weapons and magic. The Barbarian Hammer got much playtime for me as it becomes incredibly powerful and versatile to one shot many common enemies and even two or three shot some others that sometimes give me trouble. The blades as usual are great and the spells were decent this time around, with the Atlas Quake getting a lot of use in the final fight against Zeus. Kratos also has the ability to grapple things, control and stop time with an Amulet, and can briefly glide with wings, which all added more dimensions and intrigue to the puzzles and general level design of the worlds we explore.
While there were a few moments of frustration with the game, I really enjoyed my time with God of War II. It's an excellent ass action game and my favorite game in the series as of right now. Hate that it's stuck on the ps2 and ps3 (and also to the highest tier of PS Plus as a streaming only option), I'd be down with a re-release or new collection for modern consoles.
GOW1 was some decent fun and engaging with its combat and story, it left much to be desired with its execution of platforming and puzzles. God of War II not only builds on the foundation that the first uniquely had, but fundamentally improves on every single aspect of the original I had a hard time dealing with.
Plotwise, it takes place many years after GOW1 with Kratos as the God of War, and we continue on his journey of revenge against the gods, especially against Zeus who betrays him in fear of Kratos killing him. The story here was pretty good and it's crazy how much worldbuilding was done here in this entry. The development of various legends like the Sisters of Fate and the Titans and appearances of other Greek icons like Prometheus, Icarus, Jason, Perseus and others. These storylines really added a lot to the game and levels we explore all the way towards the end.
Gameplay wise, it resembles much of the original while adding in more sub weapons and magic. The Barbarian Hammer got much playtime for me as it becomes incredibly powerful and versatile to one shot many common enemies and even two or three shot some others that sometimes give me trouble. The blades as usual are great and the spells were decent this time around, with the Atlas Quake getting a lot of use in the final fight against Zeus. Kratos also has the ability to grapple things, control and stop time with an Amulet, and can briefly glide with wings, which all added more dimensions and intrigue to the puzzles and general level design of the worlds we explore.
While there were a few moments of frustration with the game, I really enjoyed my time with God of War II. It's an excellent ass action game and my favorite game in the series as of right now. Hate that it's stuck on the ps2 and ps3 (and also to the highest tier of PS Plus as a streaming only option), I'd be down with a re-release or new collection for modern consoles.
Acho que é uma das melhores sequências da história, ver o Kratos aumentar seu ódio pelos deuses gregos e ter uma justificativa para isso é incrivel, sem falar no plot do final do game.
Melhora em tudo o que o primeiro trás. História fantástica, gráficos incríveis e ambientação fabulosa.
A maneira que decidiram dar continuidade a história, foi muito boa. Kratos mais implacável, descontrolado e sedento por vingança.
A maneira que decidiram dar continuidade a história, foi muito boa. Kratos mais implacável, descontrolado e sedento por vingança.
If you're following me, you probably know that I found the first God of War to be a big disappointment, with the moment-to-moment gameplay being the biggest sinner. Tedious puzzles and platforming, and an overreliance on QTE's that made the already sluggish combat feel even more meaningless. Needless to say I wasn't exactly looking forward to this second installment, but now that I've played it…eh? It's honestly not as bad.
The first game was almost entirely carried by its story and setting. Such a delightful tale of revenge and sorrow set to the backdrop of gods and myths. It's hard to make a followup story that continues in the same vein, and overall I don't think they did quite as good a job in this game. Whereas Kratos's motivation in the first game was a "You made me your humble servant and dealt me irreversible emotional damage, therefore you have to die", in this game it's more "You made me angry by playing on my hubris.", which isn't nearly as compelling. The story in general feels way more like generic here, and it's not helped by the abundance of greek myths present. In the first game, every mythological element served a clear purpose, but in this one it kinda feels like they just threw as many in as possible to make the story feel grander, a tactic that didn't really click with me.
While the story in GoW 2 is notably weaker than in GoW 1, the gameplay has had some very important upgrades. First of all, you now get an item that lets you parry with every weapon, and that's honestly a godsend. One of my biggest complaints in the first game was how the slower weapon was basically useless against multiple enemies because you couldn't parry with it, and I'm glad to see it was fixed here. Granted, there is a little stretch after you get the hammer but before you get the fleece, but the second half of the game had infinietly smoother combat than the first game. It's not just that though, I also got the feeling that the enemies weren't as tanky, and I certainly had an easier time against smaller foes. Unfortunately, while it does improve on the first game's combat quite a bit, there are still imperfections. The QTE-heavy bossfights are still there, and the hitboxes are still really janky. Still, it's a vast improvement over the nightmareish grind the first game threw at me, so overall the combat is a success.
There are other improvements as well, most of them being small, but together they accomplish quite a lot. The way you progress in this game feel way more fluid, the levels loop back around more often, and every task feels like it has purpose, as your goals are typically tied to finding a path to the next areas. I also really liked the wings you get, they make the platforming a lot more managable. The puzzles are better in this game as well, I didn't get stuck nearly as much. Granted, there were still a few times where I had no idea what to do, and often it was tied to the game being really bad at communicating what parts of the environments can be interacted with. This has mostly to do with some blurry visual designs, but it's a shame that some conceptually clever puzzles were butchered by some pieces blending too much in with the environment.
Other random thoughts: I like how a lot of the items are taken from bosses, it makes them feel more grounded in the story, rather than just being given to you for plot convenience. The game has a similar difficulty spike problem as the first, with some late game challenges being absurdly hard and tedious to do. The ending suffers a lot from being in the second game in a trilogy. I assume the somewhat meaningless elements in the finale was added to avoid clearing up too many plotlines before the third game, but at the same time the ending didn't really get me that interested in playing the third game. Too many characters have reached a logical end to their arc, and that left me feeling disinterested in the story moving forward. Still, I am somewhat curious as to what happens next, so I suppose the game did its job.
I don't have much else to say, just that I was very happy with how this game turned out, it's much better than the first in most ways, and I actually feel optimistic regarding the later entries in the series. Time will tell if my interest is misplaced, but for now I don't care.
The first game was almost entirely carried by its story and setting. Such a delightful tale of revenge and sorrow set to the backdrop of gods and myths. It's hard to make a followup story that continues in the same vein, and overall I don't think they did quite as good a job in this game. Whereas Kratos's motivation in the first game was a "You made me your humble servant and dealt me irreversible emotional damage, therefore you have to die", in this game it's more "You made me angry by playing on my hubris.", which isn't nearly as compelling. The story in general feels way more like generic here, and it's not helped by the abundance of greek myths present. In the first game, every mythological element served a clear purpose, but in this one it kinda feels like they just threw as many in as possible to make the story feel grander, a tactic that didn't really click with me.
While the story in GoW 2 is notably weaker than in GoW 1, the gameplay has had some very important upgrades. First of all, you now get an item that lets you parry with every weapon, and that's honestly a godsend. One of my biggest complaints in the first game was how the slower weapon was basically useless against multiple enemies because you couldn't parry with it, and I'm glad to see it was fixed here. Granted, there is a little stretch after you get the hammer but before you get the fleece, but the second half of the game had infinietly smoother combat than the first game. It's not just that though, I also got the feeling that the enemies weren't as tanky, and I certainly had an easier time against smaller foes. Unfortunately, while it does improve on the first game's combat quite a bit, there are still imperfections. The QTE-heavy bossfights are still there, and the hitboxes are still really janky. Still, it's a vast improvement over the nightmareish grind the first game threw at me, so overall the combat is a success.
There are other improvements as well, most of them being small, but together they accomplish quite a lot. The way you progress in this game feel way more fluid, the levels loop back around more often, and every task feels like it has purpose, as your goals are typically tied to finding a path to the next areas. I also really liked the wings you get, they make the platforming a lot more managable. The puzzles are better in this game as well, I didn't get stuck nearly as much. Granted, there were still a few times where I had no idea what to do, and often it was tied to the game being really bad at communicating what parts of the environments can be interacted with. This has mostly to do with some blurry visual designs, but it's a shame that some conceptually clever puzzles were butchered by some pieces blending too much in with the environment.
Other random thoughts: I like how a lot of the items are taken from bosses, it makes them feel more grounded in the story, rather than just being given to you for plot convenience. The game has a similar difficulty spike problem as the first, with some late game challenges being absurdly hard and tedious to do. The ending suffers a lot from being in the second game in a trilogy. I assume the somewhat meaningless elements in the finale was added to avoid clearing up too many plotlines before the third game, but at the same time the ending didn't really get me that interested in playing the third game. Too many characters have reached a logical end to their arc, and that left me feeling disinterested in the story moving forward. Still, I am somewhat curious as to what happens next, so I suppose the game did its job.
I don't have much else to say, just that I was very happy with how this game turned out, it's much better than the first in most ways, and I actually feel optimistic regarding the later entries in the series. Time will tell if my interest is misplaced, but for now I don't care.
(I guess this is my Christmas review........kinda weird but eh.)
literally every problem or nitpick I had with GOW1 has been addressed and rectified; this is hands down the best GOW game and one of the most fluid and well-made spectacle fighters I've ever played. It's the special kind of game where the game's core combat is either shallow as fuck or surprisingly deep depending on how you wanna play it, it's the best kind of game I can think of.
Along with its great core gameplay the visuals look outstanding (for PS2), and the music is just HHHHHMMMMMHHHHHHHHH IT'S GOOD.
The story is still very "video gamey" where it's not amazing but it serves its purpose as a narrative to push the player forward; but does a good job of roping in a pretty accurate Greek story (for this series anyways), and uses it as a way to show Kratos's true fall into Garth Ennis's Punisher levels of needless killing for very questionable reasons.
they even used a bunch of well know Greek figures in a well-done way, they have characters now that either bounce off of Krato's character and his arc, or are mirrors of Krato's ineffable end.
literally every problem or nitpick I had with GOW1 has been addressed and rectified; this is hands down the best GOW game and one of the most fluid and well-made spectacle fighters I've ever played. It's the special kind of game where the game's core combat is either shallow as fuck or surprisingly deep depending on how you wanna play it, it's the best kind of game I can think of.
Along with its great core gameplay the visuals look outstanding (for PS2), and the music is just HHHHHMMMMMHHHHHHHHH IT'S GOOD.
The story is still very "video gamey" where it's not amazing but it serves its purpose as a narrative to push the player forward; but does a good job of roping in a pretty accurate Greek story (for this series anyways), and uses it as a way to show Kratos's true fall into Garth Ennis's Punisher levels of needless killing for very questionable reasons.
they even used a bunch of well know Greek figures in a well-done way, they have characters now that either bounce off of Krato's character and his arc, or are mirrors of Krato's ineffable end.
ZEUS YOUR SON HAS RETURNED
I BRING THE DESTRUCTION OF OLYMPUS
I BRING THE DESTRUCTION OF OLYMPUS
Well this is how you make a sequel and build a upon your game. The story was excellent, the game play satisfying, Kratos is even more awesome, much better puzzles, no horrible platforming because of a terrible camera. God of War 2 took what God of War built and fixed everything that was wrong with it. Another plus is the first game had very few bosses while GoW2 was packed with boss battles. This game is very high on my 4.5 star rating and I legitimately thought about giving it my elusive 5 star rating. I can’t recommend this game enough.
It also gave me one of my favorite quotes in the history of gaming in the ending what Kratos yells to Zues.
It also gave me one of my favorite quotes in the history of gaming in the ending what Kratos yells to Zues.
This review contains spoilers
"ZEUS, YOUR SON HAS RETURNED! I BRING THE DESTRUCTION OF OLYMPUS!"
Refines every aspect from the previous one except the story, which is now just a generic revenge fantasy. Climbing is less annoying, there's a tighter orb collection window, Kratos looks far more hideous outside of cutscenes (what did they do to my poor maniac) and none of that storytelling charm or the magic of Kratos' exceedingly tragic backstory is present here. The weight of his actions are invisible. Whenever the guy tortured or maimed or did whatever horrible acts you felt a bit of wince. But now, Kratos' actions are just, there. He sacrifices random people in the most inhumane way and all you can think of is just, "oh okay he's doing that again."
I guess there is a hint of poetry in how the player is equally desensitized to bloodshed as Kratos. But idk man I just want a good story that isn't a middle ground between purportedly more exciting events, which unfortunately this one seems to be. So yeah overall it's a cool time but it definitely won't leave as much of a mark as the first game did.
(also who the fuck gives a shit about athena liek 😹😹😹)
7/10
Refines every aspect from the previous one except the story, which is now just a generic revenge fantasy. Climbing is less annoying, there's a tighter orb collection window, Kratos looks far more hideous outside of cutscenes (what did they do to my poor maniac) and none of that storytelling charm or the magic of Kratos' exceedingly tragic backstory is present here. The weight of his actions are invisible. Whenever the guy tortured or maimed or did whatever horrible acts you felt a bit of wince. But now, Kratos' actions are just, there. He sacrifices random people in the most inhumane way and all you can think of is just, "oh okay he's doing that again."
I guess there is a hint of poetry in how the player is equally desensitized to bloodshed as Kratos. But idk man I just want a good story that isn't a middle ground between purportedly more exciting events, which unfortunately this one seems to be. So yeah overall it's a cool time but it definitely won't leave as much of a mark as the first game did.
(also who the fuck gives a shit about athena liek 😹😹😹)
7/10
Não leve essa nota em consideração, a nostalgia me domina nesse momento. E não tenho nada pra falar desse jogo também, todo mundo já jogou essa merda kkkkkk, um clássico de PS2.
First time experiencing this game and I knew it was something different from anything else. The bosses alone are mad fun and satisfying to defeat. Highly recommend this classic
ice in my veins the entire opening sequence. a true blue Sequel in every sense.
"If all on Olympus would deny me my vengeance, then all on Olympus will die."
My favorite game of all time.
My favorite game of all time.
Fighting the R$1 coin as a prologue boss is such an amazing idea, one of the best starts to a game
A great game with an amazing first half, and although it never quite reaches the heights of that first half again, it’s still a solid ride from start to finish, leaving me wanting more and wanting to jump into God Of War 3 right now, but it’s 3am on Christmas, so probably not the best idea to start it right now.
Uma boa sequência para um jogo ruim. Esse jogo entende os acertos do primeiro jogo e improvisa tudo, o problema é que continua tendo um combate sem graça e repetitivo que só se segura pela animação. Da metade pro final, o jogo fica bem mais cansativo, as seções de combate passam a ficar desnecessariamente longas, e repetem bastante, tem milhares de seções que só te trancam numa sala qualquer e te manda matar todo mundo, e milhares de seções onde você tem que fazer algum puzzle simples com inimigos te enchendo o saco. Pra piorar, tem o fato da progressão do jogo em questão de combate ser fraca, maior parte dos ataques das lâminas de Athena são inúteis, as outras armas não são tão boas, e os poderes não são interessantes o suficiente pra trazer alguma variação mais forte no combate.
PSTV version sucked so much I had to emulate it
this is one of those games that honestly i kinda wanted to dislike, especially after how mediocre the first game was, but i cannot deny it. sure, this game (and series as a whole) suffers from painfully bad storytelling via male power fantasy narrative with little depth. but, much like when i play a capcom game, the feminism leaves my body when i play this and i have fun with the game's combat.
in a funny way this game is sort of the opposite of paper mario ttyd (which i just recently replayed, hence the comparison) in that with ttyd, i liked everything BUT the combat, and here, i basically dislike everything BUT the combat. the level design might be spared from "everything" to a certain extent, and it does feel like gowii takes advantage of its mythological setting to much greater effect and variety. the level design hits higher highs but much lower lows, and good god some of these lategame obstacles are frustrating. but! as frustrated and mad as i could get, i still could get into it each time i sat down with it.
i want to go back to gowi and see what exactly was so drastically changed, because i do not recall having nearly as much fun in that game. combat is more fluid, juggling is a lot easier and more viable to do, your moveset feels more padded out so you have a lot more options for each situation, and the enemy variety keeps you on your toes while also presenting problems with answers. nearly every time i was struggling with a boss or enemy encounter, i would realize i wasn't using something in my kit enough, and every time i was able to problem-solve the situation, it felt nice. whether it be "you can use eurydale's gaze kill the heavies easier/quicker" or "parrying zeus' lightning balls gives you HP", it was always a nice little organic catharsis.
i don't want to dwell on the negatives with this game because i feel like i've already shown my cards. i find the dialogue to be really corny and hackneyed, the story is loosely threaded with "go here to do [thing]!" for most of the plot and kratos will just encounter random mythological figures along the way like prometheus, perseus, atlas, etc. i don't hate any of it and none of it is like, objectionable, but it leaves me wanting. also, i know 2007 feels like a long time ago, but why the hell did this game not have subtitles as an option?
fun game if you can get past the brainless, meathead nature of playing a game JUST for its gameplay. golly. what a weird and novel concept.
in a funny way this game is sort of the opposite of paper mario ttyd (which i just recently replayed, hence the comparison) in that with ttyd, i liked everything BUT the combat, and here, i basically dislike everything BUT the combat. the level design might be spared from "everything" to a certain extent, and it does feel like gowii takes advantage of its mythological setting to much greater effect and variety. the level design hits higher highs but much lower lows, and good god some of these lategame obstacles are frustrating. but! as frustrated and mad as i could get, i still could get into it each time i sat down with it.
i want to go back to gowi and see what exactly was so drastically changed, because i do not recall having nearly as much fun in that game. combat is more fluid, juggling is a lot easier and more viable to do, your moveset feels more padded out so you have a lot more options for each situation, and the enemy variety keeps you on your toes while also presenting problems with answers. nearly every time i was struggling with a boss or enemy encounter, i would realize i wasn't using something in my kit enough, and every time i was able to problem-solve the situation, it felt nice. whether it be "you can use eurydale's gaze kill the heavies easier/quicker" or "parrying zeus' lightning balls gives you HP", it was always a nice little organic catharsis.
i don't want to dwell on the negatives with this game because i feel like i've already shown my cards. i find the dialogue to be really corny and hackneyed, the story is loosely threaded with "go here to do [thing]!" for most of the plot and kratos will just encounter random mythological figures along the way like prometheus, perseus, atlas, etc. i don't hate any of it and none of it is like, objectionable, but it leaves me wanting. also, i know 2007 feels like a long time ago, but why the hell did this game not have subtitles as an option?
fun game if you can get past the brainless, meathead nature of playing a game JUST for its gameplay. golly. what a weird and novel concept.
This is HOW sequel should look like. Better than the first game in terms of everything. More interesting puzzles, more various enemies, more lore, more colorful locations, balanced combat, boss fights here are amazingly wide-ranging and brilliant ending. Idk how much I played this in childhood, since remember almost everything here and yep, I kinda speedruned the game xD.
Overall, this is one of the best sequel game I've ever played. Hope 3rd part will be on the same level or even better
Overall, this is one of the best sequel game I've ever played. Hope 3rd part will be on the same level or even better
Houve uma boa evolução, melhorou alguns aspectos do primeiro jogo, o gráfico, variedade de armas, cenários e algumas mecânicas. Eu gostei mais desse em relação ao primeiro jogo, a continuação da história foi mais interessante e também mais grandiosa com um cliffhanger gigante no final.