If you have never played God of War I or God of War II before, I only have one question to ask of you. What the hell have you been playing?! These two titles are easily two of the best games to grace the PlayStation 2. The storytelling is dynamic, and the graphics kick ass. The games also introduced us to what has now become commonly known as “quick time events.” Yes, the God of War series broke new ground. And now, they’re back!
Sony has re-released both titles on a single Blu-ray disc for the PlayStation 3. Both God of War I and God of War II have been remastered in HD and some bonus content has been included for good measure. But do both titles withstand the test of time? Absolutely!
The Story
Those of you who have picked up God of War before know the epic story all too well. For those of you who have yet to pick it up, you’re in for a treat. Without going into great detail, both stories focus on Kratos, a mortal with a torn soul. He’s tormented by brutal visions of killing and massacres and will do anything to end his nightmares. So much in fact, the first game begins with Kratos plunging off a cliff, committing suicide, to put an end to his tortured life.
Both titles retain the same stories from when they first launched on the PS2. If you liked the story then, you’ll still be in love with it now. The God of War franchise is an example of storytelling at its best.
The Gameplay
When God of War debuted, it took many gamers by surprise. This game single-handedly changed button-mashing titles forever. No matter how much you pound on those buttons, the movements remain fluid, and by simply adding another button into the mix, you pull off an entirely new series of moves. It’s all still there.
Four years after the initial release of the first God of War, it’s a treat to go back and play through level after level, tearing apart harpies and destroying enemies with the Blades of Chaos. And let’s not forget the quick time events. The only way to defeat some of the larger foes are through this death minigame where you must press the right combination of buttons on your controller at the right time. It’s no surprise that so many games since God of War’s release have borrowed this control scheme.
The Graphics
I went into this review knowing full well I would be playing two PS2 titles. True, they looked mighty fine on the PS2, but how would they hold up to today’s standards? With titles like Uncharted 2 and Ratchet and Clank Future, we’re used to seeing breathtaking visuals. Fear not, God of War Collection holds its own.
The step up to HD really enhances these graphically solid games. The backgrounds are even more breathtaking, and lighting effects like reflections on stone floors make you forget these are PS2 titles. I was thoroughly impressed by what Sony has accomplished with these rebuffed gems.
One difference I noticed is just how smooth the animations are. The PS3 has made it possible to bump up the frame rates on these older games to a full 60 fps. You will see a difference!
The Downsides
I’m going to be nitpicky here. While I’ve been raving about the graphical upgrade, I did notice some characters did show their age when you got up close. While the enemies themselves still look fantastic from a distance, when you get closer it becomes more obvious these are PS2 titles.
Take the harpies in God of War I, for example. Their faces have next to no detail–graphically not pretty at all. But then again, technology has changed a lot over these past few years and without redoing all the characters from scratch, it would be impossible to avoid this. It’s a small thing but really the only fault in two games that have some of the highest ratings of all time.
The Bottom Line
God of War Collection is an absolute gem. While it’s pretty hard to build on perfection, Sony has proved a great game withstands the test of time. The graphical upgrades enhances the experience and all the bonus behind the scenes content carried over from the original games is simply the icing on the cake. The Gods of Olympus shine down on you God of War Collection. Now I drool in anticipation for God of War 3.
The Good
HD remastering looks great
Same solid controls
Both titles stand the test of time
You forget you’re playing PS2 games
Code for E3 Demo of God of War 3 included with game!
The Bad
Details on creatures when views close up are limited
Still have a few more months to wait for God of War 3
9.5 / 10