God of War 2 improves upon its predecessor in nearly every department: cinematics are more detailed, setpieces are bigger, and combat and general controls were improved as well. Thankfully, there are way less platforming sections and box shoving puzzles this time around, and the QTEs no longer feel like they were designed to make you destroy your controller's circle button.
Unfortunately, the game suffers heavily from being the second installment in a trilogy. Concluding the story on the more powerful ps3 was the right call to make, but it also left God of War 2 with very little plot development to work with. Most of Kratos' backstory was already explored in the first game, so his character doesn't develop and he starts to feel like a one dimensional revenge machine. There's also a solid two hours in the middle of the game that feel like inconsequential filler and while the level design is never truly bad, it's also not engaging enough to keep players from getting bored.
Luckily, the game ends on a high note, with several impressive boss fights and an excellent setup for the third game. I just really wish it was shorter, as I don't see myself slogging through that middle part again anytime soon.
Lastly, a note on the ps3 port: as with the first game, the GoW collection presents the game in 16:9 widescreen, cutting off the top and bottom of the original 4:3 image in the process. I've encountered some minor glitches and a lot of performance issues (mostly due to fire and particle effects) during my time with the game. None of that is really game breaking, as the game is mostly running at 60 fps, but there are certainly better remasters out there.
Unfortunately, the game suffers heavily from being the second installment in a trilogy. Concluding the story on the more powerful ps3 was the right call to make, but it also left God of War 2 with very little plot development to work with. Most of Kratos' backstory was already explored in the first game, so his character doesn't develop and he starts to feel like a one dimensional revenge machine. There's also a solid two hours in the middle of the game that feel like inconsequential filler and while the level design is never truly bad, it's also not engaging enough to keep players from getting bored.
Luckily, the game ends on a high note, with several impressive boss fights and an excellent setup for the third game. I just really wish it was shorter, as I don't see myself slogging through that middle part again anytime soon.
Lastly, a note on the ps3 port: as with the first game, the GoW collection presents the game in 16:9 widescreen, cutting off the top and bottom of the original 4:3 image in the process. I've encountered some minor glitches and a lot of performance issues (mostly due to fire and particle effects) during my time with the game. None of that is really game breaking, as the game is mostly running at 60 fps, but there are certainly better remasters out there.