Deicide doesn't make you many friends on Olympus. God Of War II finds Kratos at odds with Zeus and Athena, who conspire to strip the up-jumped Spartan of his powers. You can't really blame them for the backstab; the guy did smite Ares the last time he rubbed elbows with the gods. Luckily, the surly Greek still has an ally or two left in the pantheon. Gaia plucks our anti-hero from the clutches of Hades and sets him back on the path to vengeance—a road rife with mythological beasties, Tomb Raider-style puzzles, and epic action setpieces.
This sequel doesn't evolve the God Of War series so much as refine it. Where the first game occasionally felt like a bloody slog punctuated by the occasional boss battle, this outing moves at a dizzying clip. The game is paced like a quality, big-screen action flick, with narrative doled out in spurts between slayings. Polished to a near-blinding gleam, God Of War II is a gamer's game, brimming with mechanics lovingly swiped from influential console classics like Shenmue and Castlevania.
Beyond the game: Games don't get much more seamless than this. The transitions between levels, action, and cutscenes are instantaneous. Best of all, the only loading-screen players see is when they restart the game after a break. Next-gen developers take note.
Worth playing for: The sense of scale is off the charts. From the opening brawl with the towering Colossus of Rhodes to the Island of Creation—a sprawling mega-level which takes a good half of the game to traverse—God Of War II's venue doesn't feel mortal for even a moment.
Frustration sets in when: Many tasks and altercations are resolved by jamming on a single button as fast as possible. A thumb can only take so much abuse.
Final judgment: God Of War II is likely the last Sony-made adventure for the PlayStation 2. The machine couldn't ask for a better sendoff.