The original God of War was an instant classic. Filled with amazing action, tons of gore, and a great story. It's hard to believe that Sony could ever top it, but that's exactly what they did with God of War II. So what makes it better? Let's go over a few keypoints.

Bosses - Easiest the biggest fault of the original God of War was the lack of bosses. The original game had maybe 3-4 total, God of War II more then doubles this number. Some bosses are so massive they last an entire level, others are more your size, but must be defeated using brains as well as braun. The new variety of bosses and mini-bosses really add to the overall experience, and really makes God of War II a much more rewarding title

New Gameplay - Sure, there are new weapons, spells, and combos, but combat remains pretty much the same as before. Which isn't really a bad thing considering the system is so well done. The platforming is what changed the most. Kratos now has a grappling hook to add to his move set. While it starts off pretty basic, sections of later levels have motion puzzles built around them. It's a fantastic addition, that I hope gets even more use in the next game. A greater amount of sub-weapons and the ability to glide also add a little more depth to the game engine. The only new gameplay element that doesn't deliver fully are the flying levels. They are over a little too quickly, and are a little sparse in content.

Graphics and Sound are just, if not more, amazing then the original. This is AAA production throughout. I don't know how much it cost to make this game, but every penny was well spent. Animation is fluid, CG cut scenes look great, the music booms, and there is rarely a hiccup in frame rate. It's absolutely amazing what the developers have done with the PS2. It's easily comparable to a next-gen title.

So are there any flaws? Just a few, The story is not as strong as the original. Which is partly due to the title being a middle-chapter. Even though a complete conclusion is not met, the end pay-off is still worth the adventure. The story that is here, is still better then most games. Jumping and hit detection is a little off causing a few cheap deaths. Challenge is a bit on the easy side (normal mode) until the last few levels. Luckily, there is nothing nearly as cheap as the Hades Blades from the first game.

As the PS2 comes to the end of it's console life, God of War II plays excellent tribute to one of the best game consoles ever. It's fitting because God of War II is probably the best PS2 game ever (excluding Guitar Hero) and is a must play by anyone with a PS2 or PS3. After finishing God of War II, all I could think was how in the hell was I going to afford a PS3 for God of War III.  In a future with 3rd party multi-console releases, Sony has found their 1st party system seller.

9.7/10.0