God of War (PS2)

(Sony Computer Entertainment)

Having absolutely relished reading a steady stream of stories of epic clashes of the Greek Gods as a little tacker, you can understand the sheer weight of expectation the release of this title held. Boy does this baby deliver!

Prepare to face challenging and intriguing enemies such as Gorgons – who can turn you to stone with their evil sign, the Hydra – the mythical three headed beast, the blood curdling Minotaur and plenty more from the pantheon of Greek mythology.

You are the Spartan, Kratos, champion of the Gods and in pulp fiction style your tale begins in reverse with your suicide. Driven mad by your bloody deeds you take your life in the opening scene and then the tale rewinds for some serious action.

The game-play is a great mix of hack and slash, problem solving and platform style play. You’re certainly not going to get bored anytime soon. The three levels of difficulty mean you can pike out and play the easy version if you’re just not tough enough to deal with all that the gods can throw at you.

Now if gruesome graphics are the essential element to your idea of gaming heaven then definitely look no further. Kratos has some seriously nifty moves – one particular finisher is a corker – you basically dissect your enemy into bloody halves. Clearly this is not a title aimed at the cutesy kids market. The backgrounds are magnificently rendered and the whole game completely looks the business. Battle takes place over a number of carefully constructed realms.

When you’re not hacking up bodies, you’re just as likely to wake up with two concubines at your beck and call – now for the frustrated types I’d like to point out this part of the game isn’t interactive.

Central to any great game is a well developed storyline and with all the vivid source material that the Greek myths provide, the writers were certainly onto a winner.

Being a champion of the Gods certainly has its privileges when it comes to artillery. As you progress through the game’s various levels you’ll find yourself equipped with some hardware suitably blessed by the heavens. Upgrade for more efficient slaying. The Medusa’s Gaze is particularly a fun way to dispense of your enemies.

For a thrill-laden, challenging action adventure God of War is an out and out champion!

Graphics: 5 out of 5

Sound: 4 out of 5

Gameplay: 5 out of 5

Longevity: 5 out of 5

Overall: 5 out of 5

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