As a sequel to one of the best action games of all time, God of War II had a lot to live up to. The original God of War was a groundbreaking action game that combined exciting gameplay with an epic score, that was accompanied by superb voices and music. The graphics and art style brought God of War's version of Ancient Greece to life. God of War II continues the first game's legacy with gameplay that remains faithful to the original, but it adds new moves that the original only hinted at, such as being able to use the Icarus Wings to fly short distances. The fighting remains similar to the original God of War, in that you input combinations of buttons to perform a variety of moves. Action sequences where you have to perform a button combination correctly still occur during especially tense moments. These sequences usually result in the performance of brutal, but awesome looking moves like ripping out a cyclops' eye.
Without David Jaffe and the old God of War team, I feared that God of War II would have a disappointing story. My fear immediately dissipated after completing the first area. In God of War II, Kratos loses his powers due to Zeus' trickery, and embarks on a quest to destroy the gods. Throughout his adventure, he encounters many memorable gods, titans, humans, and a variety of other creatures. All of them have excellent voices that match their appearance and characteristics. The story gripped me throughout the entire game, and I am eagerly awaiting the inevitable sequel.
God of War II reuses some of the monsters that appeared in the first game, but several of them have new moves, and many additional monsters and bosses were added to the game. The artists did a remarkable job bringing these creatures of Greek mythology to life. All of the creatures from Fat Medusa to Rock Minotaurs are a joy to behold and defeat. Many people complained about the lack of bosses in the original God of War, so thankfully Sony Santa Monica delivered a slew of challenging, but memorable fights. Depending on your skill level, you may have to repeat certain fights, but none were as challenging as the frustrating final boss of the original God of War. If you encounter a particularly difficult fight, the game kindly asks if you'd like to change the difficulty level.
Another great feature of God of War II is the truckload of unlockables. For aspiring game developers, there are close to three hours of content describing various aspects of the game development process. There are also unlockable modes, movies, and costumes included in the game, such as a fishman costume if Kratos' manliness is too much for you. God of War II is one of the best action games of all time, and you owe it to yourself to go out and purchase this epic; regardless if you played the first game or not.