God of War Collection Volume II

Kratos is here again to kick ass and work for the gods because The God of War Collection – Volume II is set early enough that there are still some gods left. This collection is comprised of games set around the major releases and thus expands the story a bit more so we can get some context for this angry, angry pale boy. Tighten those chains and paint a swirly pattern on yourself in honor of our protagonist and let’s get into this nasty business.

The Gameplay

Taking a page straight out of the book of button bashing, this title doesn’t break much new ground in regards to its combat mechanics. What it does do surprisingly well however is make up for the lack of buttons on the old PSP by giving what buttons there are ‘double functions.’

This tightens up the entire control scheme in a way that actually works so well that its kind of a surprise that they haven’t used it in the proper titles; everything is easier to navigate and pulling of combos is a lot smoother.

Otherwise, it is as I said, a lot hasn’t changed too much which is great news if you’re a fan of the series. Its still that button bashy goodness that we’ve all come to enjoy, somewhat reminiscent of Devil May Cry but focuses a little less on the stylishness of the combos and a bit more on their substance.

Something to note is that although these games are in a collection together, they are two separately revamped games that have minor gameplay differences; Ghost of Sparta has slightly more refined gameplay. There is also some Prince of Persia: Warrior Within style puzzle solving missions for the player as well which I found to be quite enjoyable.

The Look

This game is brutal, not necessarily to Kratos but more how he is to others. The objective of the game is to brutalize your opponents and smash your way to victory, devastating anything that gets in your way. The game does it well and of course its gratuitous, that’s what we’re after here.

With graphics better than that of GTA Chinatown Wars that was released by another and arguably more successful developer, Rockstar, this game is surprisingly well put together. Stylish cinematography and sleek environments put this game in stark contrast to many games of its ilk as something of a masterpiece.

The Story

This title follows Kratos, the protagonist of the series. The story does not have the same depth toward its world and characters that God of War (the fourth main installment) has, which in itself is an absolute masterpiece. This title holds no high opinion of itself as anything other than brutal revenge porn.

These stories take place before and after the first game which really helps to expand his character in a way that defines a lot about him.

Pros:

• Great story
• Awesome and brutal combat

Cons:

• Not many large-scale boss battles
• Didn’t introduce anything new