God of War was released in 2005 to massive commercial success and nearly universal critical praise, and was viewed by many as a shining example of the capabilities of the PS2. The game was so successful that many who worked on it were promoted, including series creator David Jaffe who rose to studio head at SCEA Santa Monica. With such success behind the original, the development team clearly had its work cut out for it when crafting the sequel. Fortunately for the team, and for gamers everywhere, God of War II meets its lofty expectations and serves as a perfect companion for the PS2's ride into retirement.

Spartan warrior Kratos, in an attempt to rid himself of the pain of murdering his own family, managed to kill the God of War Ares at the conclusion of the first game. But the pain didn't subside for Kratos, and things head south when he immediately begins laying siege to Greek poleis with his Spartan army. Goddess Athena punishes him by returning him to mortal size, and then giving life, and attack orders, to The Colossus of Rhodes. Thus, God of War II begins in truly spectacular fashion, with the entire first level revolving around a continuous battle with the Colossus. Kratos is betrayed by the Gods shortly after the battle, and this perfidy is the impetus that spurs his quest to find the Three Sisters of Fate who can help change his destiny.

The extended battle against the huge Colossus serves as the archetype for the rest of the game. The massive size and scale of the environments Kratos explores is breathtaking, and the boss battles, which are far more numerous here than in the original, tend to be epic combinations of brutal combat and location-specific puzzles. Though the game is fairly linear, the level designers have done a fabulous job creating nonlinear paths in which gamers are likely to spend hours exploring, solving puzzles, and fighting countless beasts only to end up right where they started, typically with some new ability or item that opens up a separate set of challenges.

Kratos acquires three new magical powers that all work reasonably well: His improved attack combos are crisp and deadly, his ability to dangle from ceilings and swing from grapple points with his blades adds depth to the gameplay, and stopping time with the Amulet of the Fates opens up a new puzzle-solving dynamic. The best new item is the Golden Fleece, which allows Kratos to absorb and return attacks from enemies, a skill that proves useful against projectile-wielding foes. Unfortunately, though new secondary weapons like the Spear of Destiny and the Barbarian Hammer are certainly cool, they aren't terribly useful. Two short levels that find Kratos riding a Pegasus and fighting griffons are very interesting, but they almost feel like a demo for a different game, and their brevity makes them seem out of place. Such peccadillos are trivial in an otherwise incredible game that fully lives up to its hype and will leave gamers pining for the inevitable "God of War III." ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The graphics are absolutely stunning. Everything is crystal clear, even when Kratos is whirling his blades at furious speeds. The giant enemies and geographical features look just as good from afar as they do up close. It looks like a PS3 game, and playing other PS2 titles afterward is not recommended. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Like its predecessor, God of War II features an unmatched orchestral score. Composers have pulled together brass performances from England, with strings and a 40-person choral accompaniment from Prague. The voice acting is solid, especially Linda Hunt as Gaia, and the gurgling, growling, and grinding sound effects are terrific. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

God of War II is incredibly fun to play. The action is brutal, engrossing, and difficult; though never too hard that it can't be beaten with some practice. The puzzles are mild, yet they often produce "a-ha!" moments, and the pace seems to be meticulously crafted. The story isn't as engrossing as the original, but it's still quite good. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Even though the game is over once the adventure ends, God of War II has above average replay value. Beating the game unlocks the extremely difficult Titan Mode, the Challenge of the Titans mini-game, and a number of new outfits. The game also comes with a second disc full of documentary features. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide