User Reviews (31 - 41 of 333)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Is the hype really worth buying this game?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The answer to that question (the title of the review), is YES, YES, and fu*king YES!

God of War is probably by far THE MOST perfect Playstation 2 game, that I own. Not only that, but it is by far, THE BEST Playstation 2 game I own. When this game was hyped up to be the best PS2 game of the year, they weren't kidding around, AT ALL. So, I bought into the hype, and bought this game without even renting it at all.

Risky move? Maybe. But read on, and you'll see why renting this game before buying it, is out of the question...

God of War takes place on a ship, in the Agean Sea of Greece. Our hero Kratos makes a deal with Athena that if he can kill the God of War (Aeris), he will be forgiven for all the cruelty he's caused. And thus, will no longer be plagued by the visions of death that haunt him. So, Kratos sets out on his quest to kill the God of War. Meeting other Gods (and villians) of Olympus on his journey, which grant him the power of the Gods, he makes his way to the dwelling place of Aeris (Athens), only to find out that the only thing that'll kill him, the God of War, is Pandora's Box.

Will Kratos retrieve Pandora's Box, and defeat Aeris? Find out for yourself, and play the game.

The game (God of War) is highly comparable to other PS2 titles such as "Devil May Cry 3", and "Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks." While both great games (having beaten them both), they are flawed, and or lack something, that make them better than God of War.

MKSM lacked good cutscenes, and great voice acting. Plus the graphics weren't that great. But were alright, I suppose.

DMC3 lacked/lacks any actual real GORE. But almost matches up with God of War on every other level. And other than that, DMC3 is just extremely effin' hard. Even on easy. Which makes it fun!

God of War, contains gore, nudity, language, intense violence, blood, guts, monsters, great voice acting and use of CGI, awesome graphics (that never seem to lag even in the fastest of moments) and some of the most wicked bosses i've ever seen. So where DMC3 lacks, God of War makes up for it.

The only problems I have with God of War are these 5 things:

-There are not enough bosses (only about 3 or so.)
-The game is far too short (about 10 hours long if you're a decent gamer.)
-The puzzles can be EXTREMELY hard (aggrovating as all hell.)
-The obstacles put in your way WILL piss you off (extremely, especially the underwater ones.)
-The game sadly has to end at some point even though I don't want it to.

That's it...other than those 5 things, God of War is perfect. And even though 2 of the 5 things make the game really challenging (even on easy), I kind of don't mind that. It makes it somewhat funner.

So in conclusion...all I have to say is YES, the hype is really worth buying this game.

Screw renting it. Buy it outright. You'll love it. And will not take it back nor trade it in. It's just too fun to get rid of!

Especially if you're a fan of games like Devil May Cry (any of them), The Legacy of Kain (any of them, including Soul Reaver), or Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.

I give it a 5/5.

This really is the best game of 2005. And to me, the best Playstation 2 game, in existence.

Can't wait for the/a sequel.
(Not gonna spoil anything.)

I'm not just a kid (actually 19)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game reminded me of one of the Soul Reaver games. It's dark, all the characters are awesome, interesting story and some kickass gameplay. God of War's story isn't as good as the Soul Reaver games but its gameplay is (at least I found it to be) much better.

God of War redefines the action genre. It reminds you of the old school genesis/megadrive games where the people who made the game poured their heart into every single piece of it. Most games you get the impression that half way through, the game designers gave up. But this is exciting and remains so all the way until the end.

The amount of things you get to do is amazing. The graphics are great with some lush scenery. There's often points where you are high up and are looking down over where you've been, showing how vast the world is.

The other great thing is you don't fight a single retarded enemy. All of the enemies here are things characters from other games would look at and just cry!

I don't know how else to explain it but if you remotely enjoy action games, fantasy, gore, female nudity (there is some, especially in the UK version) or mashing up enemies then get this right now. You won't be dissapointed!

my husband loved it

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I bought it as a just because gift for my husband. He loved it and I enjoyed watching him play. The game is not for the faint of heart though there were some parts that were a bit difficult to watch and difficult to play as well not technically but morally. There is sexual and very violent content which you HAVE to participate in, in order to advance in the game. I would think there are quite a few Christians who will NOT enjoy this game. And it is most DEFINITELY, NOT!!! for children under 17 imho.

Not a perfect game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 16
Date: May 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

GOD OF WAR has been called the greatest PS2 game of all time by some critics. But, for me, it wasn't my favorite.

The film is absolutely stunning to look at. The graphics are amazing. This is especially surprising since it is one of the fastest loading games I have ever played. From turning the PS2 on, inserting the disc, and getting your last saved game up and running takes less time than the time it takes for the first credits to come up on most games.

And, the gameplay is a lot of fun and easy to pick up on. Basically just using the square and triangle keys for attack. There are combos and upgrades to fighting as well.

The story is involving, the cut scenes really add to it. Just a lot of fun to play.

BUT

The game has plenty of faults. Some may say they are worth overlooking in light of the above. But, not me.

First, early on there was a major glitch. During one battle 15 minutes into the game, something was supposed to happen to the environment to make you able to defeat the monster. It never did. I played for over an hour, trying to beat the same monster, and I couldn't do it. Reading several walkthroughs, I figured it was a game glitch. When I replayed the game, it played fine (beating it in just a couple minutes as opposed to the hour before). But, this was VERY frustrating. Plus, during the final part of the final battle, the whole game froze!!!!! I had to restart, losing an hour of playing time (no save points in the final battles).

While a lot of the puzzles are a lot of fun, and easy to figure out, there were a few that you really need a walkthrough for. Plus, some levels, you really don't know what exactly you are supposed to do. Are you supposed to backtrack? Is there a door hidden somewhere? This type of gameplay that forces you to buy a book or go online looking for a walkthrough is a waste, for me at least. I'd rather the games let you know what to do, not a book.

And, the final levels are incredibly frustrating. It got to the point where the game wasn't fun anymore, and I was just playing it to finish it. The final battles got to the point where the finishing moves I was supposed to use weren't even being acknowledged on screen. I even had to change controllers to see if my controller wasn't working. It was working fine, but it was just too long a battle, even switching to easy mode.

So, while there is a lot of good to say about the game, unfortunately since most of the bad is at the end of the game, that is what I remember most now.

Maybe I am just being too picky, but for me, it isn't my favorite PS2 game.

WOW!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Best graphics i seen on PS 2 yet,incredible character and level design.I am currently stuck in a part of this game i can't figure out but even thats not enough for me to be able to knock this game in any way.This in my opinion is the best game ever made for a home console to date.It seems easy on the first level but as you go on it becomes very challenging.The combos you use to finish off the stronger characters were a nice touch.Make no mistake about it this game is meant for adults.There is swearing,and it shows some nudity (womens' breasts) not to mention more gore than most games out there.If you are looking for a good game for you or an older teen son you have to give this game a look,theres a few minor annoyances like camera angles and the screen looking gittery at times but the game is incredible and i have only seen a loading sequence come up very rarely and ony lasting like 5 seconds when it does,i almost forget i am playing a disc system with the short loading times,you'd think you were playing a cartridge conssole with this game.The graphics rival anything the Xbox can do,to sum it up you have to see this game to believe it.One of very few games that actually got a lot of hype and then lived up to that hype.Onelast thing i should mention is that even when there was alot of action on the screen and battles with multiple enemies i saw very little sign of slowdown if any at all.from the first boss battle with the Hydra i think anyone who plays this game will be hooked till the end (or till they get stuck on a puzzle like me lol).

Flawlewss ? No, but still a lot of fun:

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The other reviewers below have already told you about the story etc, so here just a quick down and dirty from my point of view:
Play this game, it's a lot of fun. Fighting the Hydra right in the beginning was awesome. This game has been keeping me awake for the last 3 nights. However, there are a few things on the negative side as well. They pushed the PS2 and it shows, while the graphics are great, the game, especially the sound, shudders occasionally and it seems the voice actors stu-stu-studder. While fun, the game has a repetitive nature, so if the button mashing thing is for you, you're all set. There is some strategy involved in how to defeat the different monsters. Some people have said that the fighting system is a bit weak, however that is actually a plus for me personally. I don't want to have to remember specific button combinations to win. God of War makes it easy to beat the crap out of the enemies, even if you don't remember all the different button combinations, which is a good thing in my book. If this sounds negative, don't worry, you'll have a blast playing it. It's one of the best action games out there, better than Devil May Cry for sure.

Henning Thiel

"God of War" Indeed

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

"God of War," complete with its intense, action-packed gameplay, amazing visuals and production values, a fascinating anti-hero, and one of the best stories ever to grace a video game, is easily among the best titles you'll play this year on the Playstation 2 - if not ever. Indeed, if the Playstation 3 were to launch tomorrow, there would be no better send-off for its predecessor than this.

The game takes ancient Greece and its mythologies for an ingenious spin, transforming "Clash of the Titans" into a bleak, Robert E. Howard gloomfest complete with unrelenting violence and a mood that is downright oppressive. This is certainly not the Greek mythology you learned about back in grade school, and your guide through this austere world of scheming gods and defiant mortals is none other than Kratos, a shameless killer who delights in gushing red blood and being where battle is thickest. He certainly has a chip on his shoulder, and it may or may not have to do with his absent wife and child, and the god of war himself - Ares. The basic concept is revenge, a mortal in opposition to a deity and all the monsters you can shake a sword at, but the plotline that drives "God of War" is far more interesting than that, and is gradually unraveled in splendid fashion. Suffice it to say that both the setting and Kratos, the player character, are as imaginative as they come. This one, like a great movie, sucks you in and, once it has you, doesn't let go.

With such an interesting story and world already established, the developers of "God of War" could have churned out a half-baked action-adventure and still been a step ahead of many of their peers, but thankfully, not content to do this, they made "God of War" the absolute best game of its kind. It's an out and out ass-kicker, reminiscent of the recent "Prince of Persia" games (particularly "Warrior Within" and its Mature rating) and 2002's "Rygar" redux, but with action forefront and devious traps falling in behind. Comparisons aside, "God of War" is its own game through and through - a rewarding combination of reflex and gray matter, with an emphasis on the former.

Kratos takes on all comers with a set of short swords, each one lashed to a binding chain and seared into his tormented flesh. That is, at least, during the early portion of the game prior to the introduction of the Blade of Artemis (essentially a gigantic scimitar), but these weapons will, almost undoubtedly, be the ones with which you become most familiar, and given the lack of variety it's great that they prove to be so much fun. In conjunction with some very capable magical powers bestowed upon Kratos by the gods as the game proceeds, these default weapons are more than sufficient, with the aforementioned secondary sword stepping in as a mere bonus. Admittedly, combat in the game initially feels like something that will wear thin, but thanks to the game's upgrade options, which allow you to beef up your spells and weapons by conquering your enemies, new combos and deadlier effects can be attained and unleashed, keeping things fresh.

Unlike most action-adventures of this type, "God of War" seems all but immune to the usual monotonies of this genre, and not only because of the aforementioned combos, spells, and upgrades. The game's levels can take most of the blame, as they are very well-designed, complete with new challenges at virtually every turn. Aesthetically, each one is diverse, even down to its color scheme. And while some settings are clearly more polished than others, even at their worst these graphics rival anything available on the PS2. At their best, on the other hand, they're astounding, rising in artistry above virtually anything ever committed to a console. That all of this is done on the aging hardware of the Playstation 2 makes it that much more amazing.

The characters come off nearly as good as the environments. Kratos looks suitably imposing and mean, and the spin on Greek monsters and myths takes a decidedly horrific turn with the motley collection of centaurs, minotaurs, and harpies that stand in his way. Boss encounters are few and far between in the game, but of the three that exist each is memorable, challenging, and beautiful to look at. The same pervading sense of quality pretty much shines throughout "God of War."

But of course nothing is perfect, and the same is true here. One level, set in Hades, goes above and beyond in terms of frustration, temporarily emphasizing platforming in a game that, before, had little to do with such antics. Likewise, some of the reflex-testing minigames required to take down the game's boss monsters, usually optionally associated with gory finishing moves on lesser beasts, can be difficult to pull off in time, and make for some needless aggravation. As an elective edge in combat they would have fared better, instead of being necessary to prevail. On the other hand, this concept is a novel one, and when it works it works beautifully - but it has its downsides, especially during the final confrontation with Ares.

Some may find "God of War" to be too difficult, as it's certainly not a game that's easy to breeze through. I think, for the most part, however, that it strikes a fine balance. From beginning to end, "God of War" is truly epic in scope, like a big budget Hollywood adventure, complete with the finest production values available. The more you play, the harder it is to stop. This is action-adventure near its pinnacle, the game that was promised and finally delivered. "God of War" is a great game with a great main character in a great stylized setting. What more can be said of it?

Excellent Game, and It Earns Every Bit of Its M Rating

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Pros:
- epic, rich story based in Greek Mythology. It's high time someone started exploring this rich world for gaming, and this game is an excellent effort in that regard.
- excellent, responsive control schemes and combat system. Combos are intuitive and feel powerful when they land on the enemy monsters. Mini-games during some monster fights provide added benefits of experience points, health points, and magic points, and add some variety to the experience.
- some of the best game music ever released.
- almost no load screens, maintaining the immersion in the experience.
- well written and excellent voice acting. Finally games are taking it seriously, this one in particular, and I can quit complaining about it for awhile.
- good character and story development. The main character isn't a completely one-dimensional hero as portrayed in so many games.
- enthralling experience at least equal to a movie.

Cons:
- bad camera angles. Some enemies or structures will blot out the main character completely. Outdoor environments are pretty clean, but when larger monsters are on the screen or hordes of enemies are on screen the camera becomes a bit of a problem there, too. There are also times when the enemy goes off camera and you can't see what you're hitting. Camera angles are a complaint I have of games in general, and I'll continue to complain about them until they are no longer an issue in any game.
- linear story. There are areas that could have benefited with some branching plot points in the game. If there's enough room on the disc to put "making of" videos on there, there's plenty of room for more gameplay to be had.

Bottom line, it's an excellent game, one of the best of the year. For parents, a word of warning: the "M" rating is for real. The game gets violent, some of the mini-games and combo attacks are gruesome, and some tasks required of the main character to move the story forward are certainly not for young folks. Some may like it for that alone, others may loathe the game for it. It's a matter of perspective and taste, as with most things.

Worth buying a PS2 just to play this

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm a PC gamer. The last console I owned was a super Nintendo and I only had about 3 games for it. I bought a PS2 back in February because I got a deep discount through my job. None of the highly rated games I bought impressed me and I just about stopped playing the PS2 and spent all my time on my computer. Then I bought God of War...This game is amazing, easily one of the best games I've ever played. The use of 3D space and perspective in this game really draws you into the world. The environments are absolutely gorgeous even when compared to current PC technologies. I often found myself stopping progression through the game and trying to get the camera into position so I could enjoy the view. The music in the game is grandiose in scale but not overpowering. The controls are simple enough to pick up quickly and don't require you to use obscure button combinations to get through the game. The story does take quite a lot of liberty with traditional Greek mythology but it's ok...the story will draw you in and doesn't end like you might think it would. There are a couple shortcomings, the lack of control of the camera and a jumping exercise level near the end of the game. The camera does get you into trouble sometimes but for the most part the camera scripting works quite well. The jumping exercise level near the end of the game is clearly there for filler...it can be a bit tedious so late in the game.

Overall a great game that should not be missed, I would even recommend buying a PS2 just to play this one game.

A God among action games. . .

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

God of War has the distinction of being one of the (many) early contenders for Game of the Year. Even being released at a time packed with other fantastic games (Devil May Cry 3, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Resident Evil 4, Jade Empire), God of War manages to make a lasting mark on the action/adventure genre.

The story of God of War is one pieced together from and inspired by Greek mythology. Olympus, the home of the gods, is in chaos. Ares, the god of war, has declared. . . well, war on his bretheren, wreaking havoc against his sister, Athena's, capital city. With Athens burning and a decree from Zeus himself that the gods cannot take direct action against Ares, his brothers and sisters turn to a fallen hero, a tortured soul who wants nothing more than to destroy Ares for his own reasons.

Stepping into the sandals of a half-god Spartan general named Kratos, the player is immediately introduced to some of the most fluid, brutal, cinematic, and rewarding combat of any game this generation. Instead of the "dial-a-combo" style of combat used in action games like Ninja Gaiden, God of War offers the players a set of fairly simple moves, and the ability to string them together in a myriad of ways for near-endless strings of combos. The blades that Kratos uses (gruesome swords literally chained to his arms) whirl through the air to slice into enemies, plunge through flesh, or hurl them into the air.

In fact, the over-the-top violence of God of War is something to note; it doesn't share the comical/sattirical nature of the mayhem in the Grand Theft Auto games, and it pulls NO punches; there are even scenes of nudity and suggested (well, more like heard-but-not-seen) sexual content. However, the game is one of a brutal story set in a brutal world about a VERY brutal main character, so it fits the mood and themes.

The game also strives to create a very visceral and cinematic experience for every minute that the player is in control, allowing the player brutal finishing moves to decapitale, eviscerate, and dismember his enemies. Likewise, through properly-timed button presses, Kratos can scale enormous bosses and deliver crushing and stylized blows to specific body parts to bring them down. One particularly memorably moment is the fight against the three-headed dragon from Greek mythology, the Hydra, who the players must destroy using an etire ship as a weapon.

Along with the compelling story (told through the excellent in-game engine as well as through stunning Full Motion Video scenes) and the brutal and easily adaptable combat, the game features some solid puzzles when it switches from burning city battlefields to ancient dunegons and temples. For the most part, these challenges will be very familiar to anyone who has played the Legend of Zelda series, but God of War adds its signature dark twist to these (you'll find yourself using Medusa's head to turn enemies to stone and place them on pressure switches).

However, it's also in these dungeons that the game shows it's one (very minor) Achille's heel. The fact that Kratos, a half-god with the power to bring down a Titan, can be easily killed by a simple swinging blade is fairly annoying; and the platforming (involving said blades), is the game's weakest part. It's not horrible, but it doesn't quite show the same level of polish and quality as the rest of the title. Platforming is also the only time you'll see the graphics falter. Easily one of the best-looking games on the PS2, GoW's only problem is a slight awkard animation when Kratos jumps (especially when compared to the animation in titles like the recent Prince of Persia games).

However, these are VERY small faults in a VERY good game. The title has excellent replay value, with multiple difficulty levels, unlockables, special "making the game" features, and a quest that will take at least 10-15 hours for even hardcore gamers to play through once (and you'll want to play this one multiple times).

Overall, if you're looking for a magnificent and hard-hitting action game experience with a good share of head-scratching bits as well, you can't go wrong with God of War. Just keep this one away from the kids.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions