OUR RATING: 9.3 EXCELLENT About our ratings

TANGIBLES: Gameplay: 9 Visuals: 10 Audio: 9 Value: 9 Quality: 10

Why you should buy it: Not Available Why you should rent it: Not Available

UNIQUE RATING: 9.3 SUGGESTION: N/A

God of War is, quite simply, one of the most ambitious games of 2005, and one of the best action games ever made. It is a graphically violent game full of death, chaos, and sexual content. If you are younger than 18, we suggest you stay away. SCEA Santa Monica made sure that anyone who embarked upon this very mature adventure would need a strong stomach and an affinity for brutality. If this sounds remotely reminiscent of your own personality, then congratulations, you've earned the right to read on. God of War packs smooth, intuitive controls within a seamless stream of combat, an awesome score that would be at home in a first rate Hollywood blockbuster, narration by Academy Award-winner Linda Hunt, a killer art style supported by unheard of PS2 graphics, and an intriguing, engrossing story that never fails to keep you playing. You will find it hard to put down your controller once you start, considering that the first boss fight takes place about five minutes into the game. Speaking of which, these are some of the most amazing boss battles seen in a long time.

David Jaffe has created not only a true visceral experience, but a true badass of a main character. Kratos is best described as Achilles without the heel; he is ruthless, bloodthirsty, and full of vengeance. You will see him slay innocent women and men left and right, without flinching, without guilt. What Kratos seeks is beyond human desire, it is a path of madness, pain, and blood; he plans to kill a god. This deity, Ares, the god of war himself, is your target. Kratos has lost everything he held dear because of Ares, and he plans to sort things out the only way he knows how; to kill anything and everything that gets in his way, until he meets the deceptive god once more, and by the will of the other gods of Mount Olympus, put an end to his destruction. What makes Kratos so brutal, so inhuman, is the fact that he never lets up. You will never find Kratos turning back from his plan, never lying about his motives or rethinking his techniques.

God of War takes everything you love about Greek mythology, splatters some blood on it, and sticks you in the middle of the fray. Kratos's path is a long, hard one, full of suffering and death. The broad scope of his mission of vengeance is our pleasure; the game is a grandiose tale worthy of its Greek mythological roots. You can expect some brutal fights with Medusa, a hydra, and centaurs, among others. What makes the combat so much fun is its simplicity. Unlike many action games, this does not detract from the depth of play. You have a block button, a strong attack, quick attack, grapple button, and the evade stick. It is the smooth sum of these parts that makes the fighting accessible, but also the combination system that adds depth. Aside from the 300 hit combos, the experience system adds upgrades that you'll actually use. None of the advanced moves are particularly difficult to pull off; what makes god mode harder than easy mode is the tenacity of the enemies. Required of advanced players is the frequent and efficient use of the block and parry system, which looks spectacular with its added slow down effect. Everything onscreen pauses for less than a second, just to assure you that you've successfully countered the attack. This is a very, very nice feature, considering that there are sometimes so many enemies onscreen you can no longer locate your antihero and his Blades of Chaos.

Kratos was granted his patented Blades of Chaos by Ares himself, and they are now a part of him, permanently affixed to his powder-white forearms, now a constant reminder of his past. For fans of Rygar, these yo-yos with fiery blades at each end will feel somewhat familiar, though they are far more fun to control. The player can turn any attack around at pretty much any time, giving you infinite combo possibilities. The other welcome feature is the fact that almost any attack can be stopped mid-animation, to transition to a block. This is especially useful when you are fighting more nimble adversaries, who don't waste a second to get another quick combo in.

The other staple of combat is the magic system, which is especially cool considering that your spells are granted to you by the gods of Olympus themselves. The animations and effects for these moves are spectacular. The more powerful spells look even better, and are far more powerful. The experience system works perfectly, and your weapons and magic get maxed out at just the right time. Though it is touted as one, God of War is not solely an action hack and slash. You can expect more than a few cleverly devised puzzles, and a lot of 'balance-beam' walking. It may sound lame, but these segments are some of the most tense and unique. The SCEA Santa Monica team threw in some evil tricks, and you'll revel in overcoming them. It is only towards the end of your 10 or so hour adventure that the cycle of straight action and puzzles becomes somewhat stale and overdone. But the true depth of the story seems to kick in at the perfect time, as does the games checkpoint and save system. Though you are still restrained by a typical save point system, don't expect an unfair Devil May Cry-like shortage of them. The save points are located fairly, and are cushioned by about two check points-which you respawn from if you die-in between.