If you like action/adventure games, you have to get God of War. The graphics are good, the story is good, the puzzle element is time-consuming but won't drive you crazy.

I can't say I would change anything about this game. The replay value is decent, there is no multiplayer but that is forgivable.

It was a must-have when PS2 was the top of the gaming world, now it's a steal at less than $20. Even new Sony customers who just got a PS3 won't be disappointed!

God of War does an unusual thing: it takes the mindless low-brow concept of a fighting slug-fest game and amplifies everything about it to levels approaching high art.

Based in the Greek Mythos (minus some liberties taken), you play Kratos, a powerful warrior who, in a moment of weakness, sacrifices everything that matters to him to become a tool of Ares, the God of War. From here the action builds, but despite the massive amounts of gore, the horrifyingly cruel ways you can kill your opponents, and the terrible torments you inflict upon all, the substance of God of War is just plain satisfying.

What saves God of War from being a cheapened button-masher is its scope and its depth: you have clear goals, just the right amount of cinematic tie-ins, and puzzles that, while not incredibly hard, are also rather satisfying to complete. You also have to think your way through your combat: not knowing when to block or dodge, and which techniques work best, will be your doom. By the time you reach the end, you feel like you've really accomplished something--you work for your achievements, and they truly feel earned.

The only title better than God of War...is God of War II.

I loved this game. I actually played it a couple of years ago, but whenever I think about a quality game I think of God of War. I played the sequel and loved it as well. I can't wait until GOWIII whenever that is.

I enjoy first person shooters, but really like games where you have to beat your opponents without the use of a gun. The story even makes sense and adds to the game. I usually skip through cut scenes because they often fail to add anything to the game, but GOW cut-scenes added to the experience. If you like up-close fighting action, play this game.

I purchased this game on a lark on Amazon because you can get it real cheap and because of solid word of mouth. I was surprised at the depth of this game and I had a great time playing it. It is extremely violent - almost too violent - but there's gratification from completing levels and I was enthralled throughout. I couldn't wait to come home from work to continue the adventure, and isn't that what good games are all about. Highly recommended.

The story in God of War is epic. It's revenge driven, and truly unrelenting. There is no point in the game where you will feel sympathy for Kratos or his plight, but you WILL revel in his bloodlust.

That said, I fear I have to echo some previous complaints, mainly regarding the repetition in the later levels of the game. For example, in some of the more difficult platforming sections of Hades. There are sections that are frustratingly difficult, but you are robbed of any satisfaction upon completeing said section, because there will be an exact copy of it just over the next ledge. This kills the feeling of "epicness" from many of the platforming sections as they become redundant and frustrating instead of the one-off heroic struggles they should have been.

The boss fights truly are epic, well, almost all of them. There's more strategy and thought required in the first and second bosses then there are in the final boss fight. So it all feels a little anti-climactic when the platforming and enviormental elements of previous boss fights are completely removed from the final battle.

Now, imperfect doesn't mean bad, this is still a good game. The story alone is reason enough to struggle through the more frustrating sections of the game. Also, the game does have some VERY epic moments. There are times where you will feel like you were a God. However, the later platforming levels and the limited amount of epic boss battles does reduce the greatness of this game.

God of War is one heck of an adrenaline rush. The shear immersion of the game is astounding, and you will be left feeling completely devastated by the wake of God of War. If you play this game- Sit down, shut up, and prepare yourself for a roller-coaster ride of intense, heart-pounding action.

Graphics- 10/10. The first thing I noticed while looking at the reviews of "Haze", the new FPS for the PS3, is that the fire textures in God of War actually far surpass those in Haze. This is just one example of the graphical prowess that God of War demonstrates. God of War is just a visual success on so many levels, and what's more, is that God of War does it without hardly any loading times. I cannot remember being interrupted by a loading time during the game, except for the very beginning load. This is so crucial to the game, because no one would want to win a boss fight, be forced to sit through a 30 second long loading screen, then watch the cut-scene.

For its time, God of War had some of the best visuals on the market. Some graphics don't stand the test of time, and go as quickly as they came. Others, like God of War, stand the test of time, and even 3 years later, God of War still is one of the graphical leaders of the PS2. Seeing how the PS2 is on its deathbed, this game will go down as one of the best looking games in the PS2's reign of supremacy.

Sound- 10/10. The music sums up the game very nicely, as the music is a brutal and no-nonsense thriller of a soundtrack. The theme is fully orchestrated and played by some of the worlds best, as shown in the unlockable extra content. I can't think of any other way to put it- the soundtrack is incredible.

The sound effects are also very, very impressive. From the incredibly well done voice acting (whoever voice acted Kratos sounded genuinely angry during the entire game), to the brilliance of slaying an enemy with the blades of chaos, to something as simple as turning a lever- the sound effects do not disappoint in the least.

Fighting System/Game Play- 8/10. God of War desperately tries to hide behind its clever puzzles so people wouldn't see the fact that it is just a simple hack 'n' slash action game. Sorry Kratos, you stick out like a sore thumb. I mean the puzzles do add a new element to the game, and it requires someone to actually think while engaged in the puzzle, but right after you complete a puzzle, you are right back into the monotonous button mashing. The game has quite a few combo moves that are very nice and fun to play with, but eventually, you'll find yourself just slamming on the square button for the blades of chaos.

The combos in the game do look amazing, even if they do get repetitive. You have the option of just a normal attack, a heavy attack, grabbing an enemy with your blades of chaos, throwing an enemy into the air, etc. And if all of that isn't enough, you also get magical attacks to use on your enemies, so if you get tired of just smashing heads with undead soldiers, you can electrocute them. You also have a meter at the bottom of your screen, called "the rage of the gods" which charges up over time, by gathering orbs from the dead or from chests. Basically, this just makes you a super Kratos for a short period of time.

The game also has some interesting RPG elements, as Kratos levels up in the game. Throughout the main story, Kratos will gain new weapons and magical powers, and all of these can be leveled up. There is a total of 6 of these weapons and powers that can be leveled up, and besides the item just getting stronger in general, you will be able to do new moves and combos with the items, and they will usually change in color or appearance of some sort. I'm not going to say what the weapons are, or what the new combos will be, because for me, that might have been the most fun part of the game. You can also "level up" your health and magic meters, by obtaining Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers.

While playing through the story, Kratos also gets "special" powers that are either bestowed on him by a god, or he gains by defeating a god, and these are very, very fun to play around with. Again, I'm not going to say what they are, but I feel it necessary to tell the reader of these, because they make for some serious plot twists and some epic boss battles that are definitely the high points of the game. During these boss battles, and even in some non-boss battles, you are required to hit a series of buttons, according to what buttons are on the screen to pull off some real sick kills. These mini-games have a very cinematic feel to them, and you'll never forget the Hydra that you have to slay in this manner, during the opening part of the story.

Controls- 6/10. This is probably the biggest issue with God of War. The fact that you cannot control the camera is a major issue, and can really hamper game play. The camera guys do their best to try and point out places you need to be and things you need to grab that are essential to the game. There is really only so much they can do, as things can still be easily missed. Besides just missing things, at times Kratos isn't even visible to the player as he is smushed between two enemies, and this can be very frustrating. For a game that the makers obviously put so much time into, I find it weird that this wasn't corrected in some way. While making it so the player can't control the camera is strange, it isn't that big of a deal. Usually players will get the general idea of what to do in the game, and getting smushed between enemies to a point that you can't see Kratos is so rare, that it isn't as big of a deal to most as it is to me. Besides the non-camera decision, the controller layout is like you might expect, and it is highly functional. Square is normal attack, triangle is heavy attack, L1 is block, L2 is to use magic, the left stick is to walk/run/climb, and instead of doing the obvious thing and making the right stick a camera control, Kratos will dodge enemies when you move it.

Replay Value- 5/10. For those who don't know there is NOT multiplayer for God of War, but the makers of the game do try to throw in some extra content after you beat the main story. If you beat the story on any of easy, medium, or hard settings, you will unlock some extensive footage showing the making of God of War, which is actually quite entertaining. You will also get an arena full of enemies that were cut from the game, God Mode, which is a new difficulty that is very, very hard, and a mini-game type challenge in which you have 10 challenges to complete. God mode is the most rewarding of all of these, as you will get even more replay value if you complete that, including new outfits for Kratos, and a pair of secret messages from the game's creators.

Frankly, the bonus content you get for completing the game doesn't add on that much replay value. The real replay value is just playing the story mode again, as it is one heck of a ride.

Story- 10/10. Based on Greek mythology, the story is the heart and sole of God of War. You play as Kratos, and your task is to murder a god, not just any god, but the God of War. Kratos was once a great warrior, but during a battle that he knew he could not win, Kratos sold his sole to Aries (He's the God of War, for people who don't know), vowing that he would serve Aries for the rest of his life. In return, Aries killed all of his enemies for him during that battle, and embedded the "Blades of Chaos" on his back. Kratos is haunted with this decision every day after this, and becomes bent on getting his life back from Aries, by killing him. If I were forced to sum up the story in one word, it would be epic. At first, the story doesn't overwhelm you with details that you don't need, rather, it just gives you the basic gist of what's going on. However, once you get deeper into God of War, the story thickens, and has plot twists a plenty, and will leave you begging for more. For being a game that is based so heavily on the story, the story mode is actually very short. I completed it in about 18 hours on the medium difficulty, but I was playing casually. If you wanted to, you could probably sprint through the main story in 10-12 hours. I promise though, you will want to play the main story more than once, and if you try to play through the God mode, you will get a significantly longer experience, not from added levels, but from the shear difficulty of it. The story is just such a refreshing change from all the first-person shooters being put out there right now, that focus on shooting first, and story second. The awesome thing about God of War, is that it succeeds at both the game play and story.

God of War is the thinking man's Hack 'n' slash game. That may sound like an oxymoron, but it's true. Fans of smashing up some enemies and getting wicked combos will definitely be satisfied, while people looking for a strong narrative, and tricky puzzles will be satisfied as well. This game is well deserving of a 9.6/10 in my opinion, and by the end of the game, God of War will have you on your knees bowing down to it's shear greatness.

GOD OF W A R ! !
this game is awesome i have never played a better game the graphics are outstanding the story u wont want to put it down and the game play is perfect dont rent this game B U Y I T !

I started this game just after completing the Prince of Persia series. I loved PoP for the action, ease of motion and the ability to have total 360 vision. With God Of War, we've got a similar style of action. Taking out the baddies, solving situations, hidden treasures and Kratos can move like the dickens!
But, my one issue is you can't change the camera angles. Many a time I get caught in a battle and I can't see what I'm doing because a Minotaur is in my way. I guess that's where the ability to evade will come in, but it's hard when you don't even know if you're standing up or lying half dead on the ground!
All in all, this game is really good and I would recommend it totally. I'm looking forward to playing God of War 2.

This game is a very action packed game. Tons of blood and violence and even a little adult content at times. The ONLY bad thing i found in the game was that at the end there is nothing to go back and do except God mode. Other than the ending i found nothing wrong. Many people complain about certain parts being too hard and they rate the game super low, but i think if they rate it low just because it is hard they are just being little girls who can't accept a challenge. Overall i find this game to be one of my favorite.

First let me say that Ive been gaming since the days of the Apple IIc. In that time, God of War is the first game where Ive made it all the way to the very end boss, and just stopped playing because I was so exhausted and bored with it.

I still give this game 2-1/2 stars. When you first start out, you'll be blown away by the cleanness of the execution (pun intended). As other reviewers have pointed out ad nauseum, there are few if any load times, creating a sense of seamless action-packed exhilaration right from the very start. Are you averse to lengthy cut scenes? Well, God of War throws you right into the middle of some epic battles starting about 2 seconds into the game. Gory, blood-soaked, and with some nudity thrown in for good measure.... it's all that the 13-year-old-boy in you could possibly want; sort of like the movie "Conan the Barbarian" brought to life on the PS2.

But something is just a little bit rotten in Denmark, and by the time you've made it 3/4ths through the Temple of Pandora's Box, the stench is unbearable. To make a long story short, there just isn't enough here, and it becomes the same stuff over and over and over and over and over and over (and over). Even the music is repetitive: I havent played this stupid game in months now, and the annoying theme song is still stuck in my head, not to mention the "grunting" sounds Kratos makes every 2 seconds (just go to the bathroom already, dude!). The action that seemed so fresh at first just starts to get boring after a while, and some of the puzzles are so frustrating that you feel like breaking the controller, to the point where even when you DO complete them, they leave a sour taste in your mouth.

This game should have been about 25% shorter: the last quarter of the game is just more and more (and more) of the same. And it's predictable. You know exactly what's going to happen, you know you'll end up in Hades, have to kill a bunch of dumb monsters and get through some fiery puzzles, and you literally know exactly where you'll end up when you get out of there.

So yeah, by the time I made it to the final boss battle, I was just too bored and tired with it to continue. This game has a lot of cool stuff going for it, hence the mostly positive rating Im giving it here, but just be forewarned that it suffers from a lack of ideas stretched too thin, and way way too much repetition. All the hype surrounding this game is, well, it's just that: hype. But in an era where many videogames lack ANY sort of originality, some of it is warranted.

Simply the second best PS2 game, because the first is God Of War 2.
It's amazing game.

This is one of the best games ever created. It ranks up there with Contra for NES. I loved it. Play with a friend, you may need the extra set of eyes.

This game will be one of the legends for PS2. Everything looks amazing on here and I'm amazed of how well this game was put. The puzzles do tend to get a little difficult but the fighting will keep you motivated. If you want something brutal and unlike any adventure games you've played, you should definitely get this copy. There's really nothing else to say I mean it was the game of the year if anyone didn't know.

Way better than Devil May Cry in one aspect, does not have a ranking system. Get it if you like carnage.

"You are Kratos, and you will murder the God of War."

This game is amazing, just absolutely incredible. God of War is one of the greatest games I have played, but it is challenging and sometimes puts your mind to it's limits. This game can be very confusing and sometimes make you want to throw your controller though the TV screen, but this is not a game for those who expect an easy game they could beat with no effort.

The difficulty of this game lies not in combat, (that will very on your skill and the way you fight and level up Kratos.) but this game's difficultly is derived from its obstacles and near-impossible tasks. Example, in the Paths of Hades, and in the Underworld Area, there are many obstacles such as rotating pillars that are covered in spikes that you must climb, and are very hard to avoid, and infinite health and abilities with Game Shark will not help you there at all. There are also jumping areas with easy pitfalls, but my point is this: you will come to areas that you must examine greatly, find a tactic for it, and go with it, even if you die 20 times in the process.

Pros:

-Stunningly good graphics and amazing scenery will keep you captivated throughout the game.

-A good fighting system with easy to learn combos and button combinations, and a wide verity of attacks will keep the battles from never getting old.

-A very deep and rich storyline with genuine Greek Mythology, as it talks of the Gods, the Titans, and various other things deprived from Greek legends of old.

Cons:

-Game play may become dragged out and tedious at times, and some stages may leave you with a desire for new scenery.

-Obstacles in the game can become extremely difficult and you may attempt certain parts over 20 times before you finally succeed. When I said this game was challenging I meant it.

-The game is relatively short, but it is satisfying.


So all-in-all I give this game 5 stars, It is amazingly awesome and amazingly difficult, but any game is difficult the first time you play it. The more you play it, the more you will get used to the controls and you shouldn't have too hard of a time. I highly recommend this game if you want a challenge, and if you want to try something different. This game can be short, but it is satisfying in the end, and you can play it again in new modes and conditions as well. I hope this review helped, and may the God's of Olympus watch over you! Now go forth and buy this game, go forth, in the name of Olympus!

P.S. The God's used in this game are: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Aphrodite, Artemis, Ares, and Athena. The only Titan used is Cronos, but the Titans are mentioned much more in God of War II.

One of the best titles on PS2 (Along with God of War II) this game pushes the limits on the PS2, Great graphics, awesome storyline, cool music, great combat system, great environments and textures, very cool places to explore. Very brutal, and violent this is a must have for everyone, even if you're under 17 get someone older to buy it for you, there is quite abit of nudity in this game (mostly girls) so beware of the adults if you're a kid. 10.5/10 -- 5.5/5 stars. GET IT!

Graphics, game play, difficulty, fun were all top notch. favorite video game of all time and im 31

God of War begins with Kratos, a mysteriously ghost-pale Spartan, standing at the top of the highest mountain in all of Olympus, claiming that the Gods have abandoned him, and casting himself off the cliff towards his death. The game then rewinds three weeks. Kratos, betrayed by the only one he had left had begun traveling the Aegean Sea to ask for repentence for his sins. After ten years of serving the Gods, Kratos demands Athena finally rid him of his nightmares. Athena informs him that before his deeds can be forgiven, there is one final task that stands before him. Ares, the God of War, has seen fit to destroy Athens. However, Zeus, the King of the Gods, has forbidden the Gods to wage war on one another. She informs Kratos that it is because of that reason that he must be the one to kill Ares and save Athens. In order to do so, Kratos must find Pandora's Box, because only then will he have the power to kill Ares.

Through his quest, Kratos will encounter many of the beasts and demons in Greek mythology, such as minotaurs and gorgons (for those who may be unfamiliar, Medusa was queen of the gorgons). Kratos will come to develop many powers which, along with his Blades of Chaos, include powers borrowed from the likes of Poseidon and Zeus. The gameplay is a great mix of puzzles and battle and the battles themselves come with a good deal of strategy to them, as well. God of War introduced the gaming world to what is known as "interactive cutscenes," during which a cutscene of a pre-scripted event (usually a kill) is shown, interrupted by a certain button popping up on-screen, which must be correctly entered to continue. If the incorrect button is entered or it is not pressed fast enough, Kratos will end up taking damage from the enemy. However, if correctly performed (except in the case of bosses, as they take more than one interactive cutscene), Kratos will come away with the kill. The other benefit to these is that certain enemies yield either health or magic orbs which, once collected, regenerate lost health or magic points. The game also has a ton of red "experience orbs," which can be used to upgrade both magic and weapons to deal more damage and learn new combinations.

God of War is a technically superior game, as the graphics and sound are both top notch. The gameplay is as high on the scale as it can get, with the mix of puzzles, combat (both hectic and strategic), and especially the interactive cutscenes. With a number of different playable difficulties and a bevy of unlockables to go along with it, God of War is one game that should not be missed, and is certainly one of the best on the PS2. This is one of the few games in my life that I can honestly say I felt deserved a standing ovation when I finished it.

Overall: 9.6
Gameplay: 10
Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Value: 9
Tilt: 10

This game is absolutely amazing. The controls are great, the gameplay is fun and varied, and the story is very good for a game. If you can only own a few PS2 games, this definitely should be one of them.

Most surprising thing about God Of War: The graphics hold up EXTREMELY well today. I played this on my PS3 with widescreen and progressive scan on, and the game looks as good as some of the early PS3 games. It's really a great looking title.

The only bad thing I can say about this game is that there are a few portions of this game that are extremely difficult, especially at the end. I won't spoil anything, but there were two parts in particular that took a lot of tries to get past. Luckily the load times are short, and the check points frequent. So don't hesitate to buy this game, it's one of the best console games out there.

What's more fun that one buffed up character going around slicing monsters. This game is fantastic!!!. This only negative thing I have is, it's short (approx 5 hours to beat the game). This is a definate game to aadd to your collection.

WARNING: THERE IS WAY TOO MUCH VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL THEMES IN THE GAME. PARENTS BEWARE.

This is a fantastic game all around. I'm still on the roof tops of Athens, grappling with the hanging vines. Thank goodness I whipped that Hydra. What a pain that was!

The graphics, the soundtrack, everything is a top rate production. A few months from now, (as I'm a slow learner) I hope to finish and go on the God of War II.

This is a game I will play again.

i like a mystery
but if this game didn't give you hints on the screen you might never figure it out
and there is one spot
you have to have perfect timing to get past this spot
or its all the way back to the start of an incredibly long segment

This game is just not that great. You flail around. GTA (any of the series), or Hitman (same), or most sports games, blow this out of the water. Don't waste your time with this primitive game.

There is no better adventure game than this one!...this game really goes beyond Prince of Persia (which was one of my fave games until i played this one) and those games, simply the best!!

Absolutely not a game for a child!!! :-P

GOD OF WAR opens with a cut scene showing the main character of the story, a Spartan warrior named Kratos, jumping off of the highest mountain in Athens saying that the gods have rejected him. The game then rewinds to a time period three weeks earlier. Kratos is aboard a ship that is attacked by the Hydra. Later Kratos is sent on a grand journey to save the city of Athens from Ares who is attacking the city and reigning destruction upon it. Kratos' mission takes him through Athens, into the desert, and down to Hades. Kratos takes on harpies, gorgons, cyclopes, minotaurs, centaurs, undead warriors, wraiths, Cerberus dogs, and satyrs. In order to defeat Ares, he has to find Pandora's box (ironic isn't it that the box that brought all terrible things into the world is the one item that can be used to defeat a god). It's an engaging story.

The graphics are of excellent quality. The scenery is both majestic and savage. The fighting is violent and graphic as Kratos rips creatures in half, tears off their heads, or savagely beats beings to death. Blood splatters all over and the sound of breaking bones is common.

The game play combines elements from role-playing, fighting games, platform games, and puzzle games. The game can originally be played one of three different modes: Mortal (Easy), Hero (Average), and Spartan (Hard). I played the game in Hero mode and other than two or three instances didn't have much difficulty during the fighting sequences. I found the most challenging elements of the game to be the puzzle solving sequences.

After beating the game, a series of extras are unlocked including God (Super-Hard) mode. Defeat the game in Spartan mode and more extras are unlocked. The extras that are unlocked regardless of the level played include some deleted scenes, a documentary about the creation of the game, a cut-scene telling about Kratos' younger brother who grew up to hate Kratos, all the in-game movies, character graveyard, a challenge of the gods mini-game of ten challenges, and a few others. This was the first time I've ever played a video game that included more extras and special features than most DVDs.

The game only takes about 8-10 hours to beat and with the different levels, makes it user friendly for any skill level. The game is quite violent and also includes a few scenes with woman baring their breasts so it's not a game for younger children. However, overall GOD OF WAR is a great video game. Recommended for adult gamers and highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in Greek mythology.

This is one of the best games I have ever played on Playstation 2 or any other system. It has action, adventure , mystery. You just can't stop playing once you start. I must warned you that this game is very addictive, so take it easy. I usually rent a game before deciding to buy it or not. Not with GOW. I trusted in peoples comments in the street (which is not wise) and bought it with my eyes close.And it turned out to be one of the few games that I don't feel dissapointed in purchasing.I finished it in about a month and a half (I got things to do, like a job you know)unlike most people that would probably finish it in less time. I finished it twice already, and planning to give it another shot in a few weeks.The sequel is great too. Can't wait for part III. Have fun and enjoy.

This will be short, because I am still playing. Don't play this game if you do not enough time! It's very fun and additive, and the greek history is great icing on the cake. I also have Gow 2 which is just as fun, still have soft spot for Gow 1.

I dont see what the hypes about , you go around killing people with a stupid flam thing and the games about 2 hours to beat , really let me down

My real reason for playing this game is both simple and embarassing. I bought it used for my PS2 only to discover it had trouble plaing on my old model. It then sat gathering dust until I bought my PS3. So after an uncertain futre, it has become the first test of the PS3's interplatform compatability.

Heaven knows what I expected when I cranked up the game - certainly the lavish explosion of graphics and action that appeared. It's easy to see, once you start playing, why this game quickly became a favorite of platform and action advention players alike. And even I, someone who prefers the RPG genre, was quickly drawn into the experience. the people who put this game together knew how to get the most out of a PS2.

You find yourself in a mythical version of Greek mythology as Kratos, a Apartan warrion who, in a moment of rashness, promised his soul to Aries if the god would save his life. Aries comes through, but abuses Kratos' trust, tricking him into the destruction of his own family. Kratos desperately seeks to forget the horrors of his misdeeds, and, when offered an opportunity to seek out and destroy Aries, snaps up the opportunity.

This is going to drag you through an unending supply of Greek scenery - hacking, maiming, and generally slaughtering everything you meet. You will get new weapons and magic, power them up, and generally run a bloodbath for the 40 hours or so it takes to play through. This kind of exhuberant athleticism accompanied by flying parts is sheer fun. Lots of puzzles must also be solved and some incredible bosses. You're going to die a lot in the process, but the game generally puts you back someplace reasonably convenient.

I don't think you can go wrong with God of War, and I can testifiy that it survives the trip to the PS3 without a hiccup.

God of War is one of the best games to be released in recent times. From graphics/environment to gameplay, to story, this game is about as well-rounded as you will find.

There would not be enough room to go into detail about all of the positive points about this game, but here are some of the top performers:

Graphics: By far the top feature in my mind. Clearly this game was designed to push the limits of the PS2. The result is a series of beautiful and immersive environments. You get the feeling you are standing in ancient Greece fighting frighteningly realistic enemies. Bosses in particular stand out as master achievements in gaming graphics.

Gameplay: Nothing kills a game like a difficult control scheme and nothing makes a game like a truly intuitive one. This game offers a wide array of combos that are easy to use so you'll be owning monsters like Zeus himself imbued you with special powers. In fact, in the game he does! You obtain several special powers from different Gods throughout the story. Some games leave you wanting to use the same special power all the time, but not so with this one. Each power is useful in a particular type of situation so you find yourself using each of your powers regularly, depending on the situation you face. In addition, an innovative concept I loved was the "mini-game" method of defeating a foe. These bits of spice really add to the excitement and go a long way to avoid the monotony of typical hack & slash games.

Summary:
As action games go, this one tops a lot of lists. Within the first thirty seconds you will be drawn in and you likely won't want to put the controller down until you've finished the game. (As an aside there are plenty of save points for those pesky interruptions like work, school, etc.)

Unless you bought a PS2 to play Tetris Worlds and nothing else, you should check out this game- you'll be quite happy you did!

GOW... the game to ruin other games!

After finishing this game and Resident Evil 4, I couldn't get myself to enjoy other games that moved too slowly such as Silent Hill 4 or Second Sight. There is something to be said for getting into intense 'hack'n'slash' gore games that make you simply cry for more. I have to admit I get bored easily and I for one need much much stimulation when it comes to gaming so after reading all these stellar reviews, I decided to pick up a version. (Glad I only spent twenty bucks)I'm going to pretty much agree with most of these reviews. The game is fantasticaly produced and the controls were easy to pickup. I rarely ever got bored and was eager to move on to the next level/world. What amazed me was how some of the puzzles were simple while some of them took me a while to figure out. Some of the levels you'll breeze through and others are very difficult. Anything to do with a balance maze and I was getting frustrated, falling then yelling at the screen. This is where much finesse comes in and a whole bucket full of patience which is such a shift from the heart pounding shredding you'll do to a great assortment of enemies and bosses. I really really enjoyed this game and the story-line. I hoped for a more exciting ending though, but alas, it's only a game. For those who got through all of it in one weekend, my hat goes off to you gents. Took me several months to finally get through all of the game. I guess I have more important things to do than play for over 10-15 hours straight. I could understand why some would play that long... it's that fun. Anyways... this game rocks and be rest assured, you'll most likely have a blast. It's worth picking up a used copy for under $20.

The graphics and audio are smooth and the vistas and landscapes are amazing. The story line weaves Greek mythology in an exciting way, too. The music is AWESOME! Having a real orchestra makes all the difference. The game is challenging in the best ways and I couldn't wait to finish, then start again at a tougher level.

I LOVED this game! I was recommended to play it, and though the game play wasn't what I was used to, I learned it quickly. Having a sexy Spartan to move around and watch take control was getting me all tingly. Shame that the voice didn't fit though. I watched the making of God Of War and the Kratos characters that didn't make the cut. The creators said some were too tribal and too african to be greek. Then why did they choose a black man to do the voice? It just didn't fit.

Well it isn't a romance novel, its a SICK game that is sure to win the hearts of all the brutally twisted boys out there. It has won the heart of this chick! I don't need a date as long as I can play God Of War!

The God of War series is one of the reasons why I own a Playstation.

By the time i got my hands on this, it was already in Platinum series. I havent finished off with all stages so havent gone for its successor yet. But so much that I have spent time on this game, the graphics, the story line and the action and adventure all score a 100% on all.

Once you start with this game, you definitely wont feel like leaving it until your fingers start to pain. I would recommend it to anyone who likes action and adventure.