G-pinions

Note: I suggest reading Damned Machines' God of War review, because it says pretty much everything I'd like to say about the game, and a lot more. Then, if your thirst for opinions of the game still hasn't been filled, come back here and read the couple paragraphs I've written below, which I just kind of tossed up here half-finished after seeing a review which would have made mind obsolete. Anyhow:

After seeing Sin City and Old Boy recently, it's hard to say that God of War is the most intense thing you'll ever experience in front of a screen. It's up there though - and it's certainly one of the best video games ever made. Not that it means anything, but it's currently #20 on the best games of all time list; it was #5 for a while there, and while that may be a bit high, it's certainly deserves higher than #20. Awesometacular, though not a word per se, does a good job of describing this game.

In a way, it feels like the last twenty years of gaming have been building to this: as David Jaffe reiterated in every PR byte about the game, this is not innovation for innovation's sake - this is a combination and refinement of everything he's ever found fun in action games. And the man knows fun. The game takes obvious cues from it's inspirations, and occasionally pays homage to them directly (red grabby magical walls seal certain areas until all enemies are disposed of, which is straight out of Devil May Cry, and fallen foes release magic, health and money is a manner that's strikingly similar to Onimusha).

The funny thing is, for all it's copycatting it feels wholly unique throughout. That's due in large part to the wonderful art design that seemlessly joins otherwise disparate areas together, but also to every game design facet being so tight you could bounce a quarter off of it. There were a couple instances during more difficult battles where I tried to take advantage of the fact that this was a video game - you know, standing behind a low wall to hit enemies while they can't hit you, running away from a battle to find health slightly further ahead. Thing is, they never worked. There were no points where I could attack from without being hit myself, and when I tried to pussy out the game would throw a whole new batch of bad guys in my path. That's a hallmark of great game design to me, and really forces you to experience what the developers intended you experience - even if that means getting your ass kicked. It's a challenging game, but only in the sense that you have to learn how to fight well if you want to win some of the steeper battles. It's a lot looser and friendlier than, say, Ninja Gaiden, but you can't button mash past the first level. The upgrades you'll be able to buy work really well too - you don't get new weapons (well, for the most part), you just get more moves for the ones you have. It feels really natural, like your character is learning as he goes. There are a couple maneuvers you'll rely on a bit more than others, but you'll still have to switch up your tactics a bit with every new enemy (a couple of which I could never find a consistently good way to beat).

The two things I will laud the game the most on are pacing and level design. Things start out with a bang, and get exponentially cooler from there. Designing the first level last (with whatever creativity was left after the others) was a great idea, and you can see more and more impressive ideas popping up the further into the game you explore. Each level is a set piece, and each battle is epic. Every area is completely different from the one before it, and you'll find yourself having to adapt your fighting and movement style to each one even late in the game. It's done even better than Price of Persia, which for all it's brilliance, kind of leveled off after a while before picking things back up for the last big area. Also crucial is how you work your way through each level - you'll often find yourself with multiple paths to choose from, but the game does a great job making sure you never miss anything, and can start off in any direction you like. Whatever backtracking exists is minimal, and there's usually new enemies in the way to spice it up anyhow. Oh, and if you think a certain wall or jump contains a secret, it probably does.