God of War II has recieved critical acclaim from critics and fans of the series. The sequel of the first game featured new gameplay, new characters, new and recurring bosses, and so on. The flaws in this game almost seem as very few, which makes this game almost perfect.
Plot. After the defeat of Ares, Kratos sat down on his throne and became the new God of War. But he was far more ruthless than Ares, and was shunned by his fellow gods. As he goes down to deliver the final blow on the city of Rhodes, Athena tries to persuade him to stop before Olympus' wrath has reached it's highest peak, but Kratos rebuffs her. A mysterious bird hurls lightning at Kratos shrinking his colossal form, believing it's Athena. When the Colossus of Rhodes begins attacking, Kratos fights back, and with help from Zeus he uses the Blade of Olympus. But by using it, he sacrifices his godhood, and was betrayed by Zeus who also kills him. When Kratos escapes from death once more with the help of the Earth Titan Gaia, his only way to defeat Zeus is to find the Sisters of Fate, and change his destiny. Vengeance is the central part of the game's plot.
Players must complete a set of puzzles and trials to reach their goals, the game features four times as many boss fights and improved puzzles in comparison to the original. Players wield the Blades of Athena, with other new weapons, including the Barbarian's Hammer, the Spear of Destiny and periodically, the Blade of Olympus. To upgrade health, players must find Gorgon Eyes, and to upgrade magic, they must find Phoenix Feathers. There are also a new set of magical powers to use in the game. Rage of the Titans replaces the Rage of the Gods, and this time you can deactivate it manually. The sex-mini game also returns as well, but it is only at the city of Rhodes in the beginning
Concept. Kratos begins at Rhodes, where players must go through enemies and various puzzles in order to defeat the Colossus of Rhodes. After that, when Zeus betrays Kratos, players must escape from the arms of Hades in the Underworld. Players take flight on a Pegasus, fighting against a horde of griffins and harpies in Typhon's Lair, and also on their way to the Island of Creation, where they must also face many enemies, pass trials and puzzles in order to change the fate of Kratos.
Design. Cory Balrog is the lead designer of the game, while David Jaffe who designed and directed the first game only directs in this second installment. The graphics are the same as the first game, but the CGI sequences are enhanced, which makes them look even more real.
Voice Acting and Music. The composers of the first game return once again, and the music of this game is far more epic than the first one. The music has orchestral themes, and operatic ones as well, giving it a good feeling to the time of the Greek Mythology. TC Carson once again voices Kratos, and this time he is more badass than before. Carole Ruggier who voiced Athena in the first game also reprises her role. Harry Hamlin voices Perseus, and he was the original Perseus in the 1981 movie "Clash of the Titans". Other notable voice actors include: Linda Hunt and Michael Clarke Duncan.
Rantings. The Harpies and Medusa continue to be a problem. Since I was a kid, I always hated flying creatures like the Harpy in video games. In the Pegasus flight, what I hate the most is the griffins. Sometimes the control mechanics can be a little bit rough at times. The boss fight of Cerberus and the Barbarian King had my gaming skills put to the test.
Good Aspects. The action mini-games were like having me jump at the edge of my seat. Of the original trilogy of the game series, this is the best one, and I am really looking forward to play God of War 3 and Ghost of Sparta since I've only played them in demos. The music of the game made it very epic, and I really enjoyed those suspenseful themes, especially the theme of fighting against Zeus. The graphics, gameplay and storyline were flawless, and it has very high replay value.
Overall. For those who haven't played this game, you actually do NOT know what you are missing. I give this game a 10 out of 10