Reviewed: January 13, 2010
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer
SCE Studios Santa Monica
Released: November 7, 2009
Genre: Action
Players: 1
9
9
9
10
9.1
Supported Features:
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
God of War is one of the biggest and most recognized franchises in video game history. It is to the PlayStation what Halo is to the Xbox, both in fame and their use as comparative benchmarks for any other games that might release in their respective genres. Often imitated but never equaled, or at least that’s what the die hard fans will tell you, Kratos has become a household name since he debuted in 2005. His return in his 2007 in the highly acclaimed sequel had gamers anxiously awaiting the third installment, which was destined to arrive on the next-gen PS3.
Well, that moment has nearly arrived but in the meantime Sony has given us a real treat for both fans of the originals and especially newcomers who never got to play the God of War games on the PS2. Newly remastered for the PS3, the God of War Collection allows you to play both God of War and God of War II in stunning 720p HD. Both games have been optimized for 60fps gameplay and there is even added support for Trophies along with a download code so you can play the 2009 E3 Demo of God of War III. Did I mention it’s only $40? That’s right. $40 for two of the most legendary PS2 games of all time, upgraded to next-gen standards.
Thankfully, the designers avoiding falling into the George Lucas trap of trying to repair or update any of the content of these games. The God of War Collection is purely a technical upgrade of what you may or may not have already played, but it is still enough of an improvement to justify purchasing this compilation. With the improved framerate the gameplay and the combat just flow more naturally and Kratos seems more in sync with your command inputs. Gone, are those microscopic delays in his response time. Combos are furiously smooth and fast and the visuals manage to track all the action much better with no visual hiccups or distracting screen tearing that plagued the originals.
To briefly recap for the few of you who may never have played the original games, God of War is set in the dark world of ancient Greek mythology, where players take on the role of Kratos, a Spartan warrior. Plagued by the nightmares of his past, the ash-covered warrior would do anything to be free of his debt to the Gods and the memories that haunt him. For ten years he has labored for Olympus, now on the verge of losing all hope, the Gods have given him one last task. Destroy Ares, the God of War. Armed with the deadly chained Blades of Chaos, Kratos will have to overcome armies of mythological monsters, legions of undead soldiers, and amazingly dangerous and brutal landscapes.
In God of War II, Kratos sits atop his Olympus throne, as the new God of War – far more ruthless than Ares ever was. To end his continued torment, Kratos must journey to the far reaches of the earth and defeat untold horrors and alter that which no mortal, or god has ever changed… his fate. God of War II sets an epic stage for a devastating mythological war to end all wars.
It’s a fantastic premise upon which to build a game franchise and the gameplay, which was ahead of its time when the games originally released, still holds up by today’s standards. God of War has been the inspiration for countless copycat action titles to come to consoles since it’s release, yet remains the standard by which those copies are judged. Even revisiting the original game some five years later, God of War was remarkably fresh, fun, and totally entertaining.
All is not completely perfect in this updated HD release of God of War and its sequel. While the gameplay graphics have seen a significant improvement, the cutscenes have gone untreated. Whereas most games have these gorgeous movies and scale back for gameplay, the God of War Collection is exactly the opposite. You have these amazing gameplay visuals then you're thrust into some seriously dated and standard definition movie graphics.
The God of War games made some great use of Dolby Pro Logic II when they originally released, which was fine for the time, but next-gen HD gamers are looking for that pure sound of Dolby Digital. Sadly, only the graphics have been given the HD treatment and we are left to wallow in the acceptable, but rather primitive (by today’s standards) original Pro Logic II sound mix.
All of the bonus content found on the original games has been packed onto this Blu-ray, but sadly, none of this has been upgraded to HD either and even as SD content, it looks pretty bad. You’ll find the bonus content for God of War II accessible from the PS3 video tab, but content from the first game must be viewed from within that game's menu.
Newcomers to the franchise will easily get 20-30 hours of gaming out of both titles and you can add some extra time to that if you want to quest for all the hidden chests and complete the various challenges. It’s an epic experience that rivals the source material, and even if you have played the originals once, twice, or a dozen times before, you haven’t played God of War until you’ve played it in HD.
For gamers who have never played the originals, this is gaming history updated to an impressive level of visual quality that even manages to update the gameplay. It’s the perfect way to get in the mood for God of War III coming in March and add a few new Trophies to your PS3 account. I can’t recommend the God of War Collection highly enough.