Official God of War II Thread

[NIGHTMARE]

God of War II Hands-On Preview

We play through the opening moments of the game and fight something 300 times our size.

January 12, 2007 - While the PlayStation 2 is showing its last signs of life, it still has one very big trick up its sleeve. The original God of War was a unanimously praised title, and one that easily ranks as one of the greatest action games ever released (and my personal favorite). Sony's Santa Monica Studios managed to perfectly blend Greek mythology with its own lead character and storyline to create one of the most intimidating characters ever to hit a console. With God of War II, Kratos is set to take a break from his throne and rein dominance upon the gaming world once again.

We had a chance to play through the first section of the game just yesterday and to say that we were impressed would be a bit of an understatement. What we saw was perfectly in line with what we experienced in the E3 demo back in May - the set pieces are bigger than ever, Kratos is still really, really pissed off and the game looks to be about as epic as possible. Even though we've barely scratched the surface, it's hard not to claim God of War II will be a contender for the best PS2 game yet.

The game opens with Kratos sitting upon his throne. Some of his soldiers are destroying a city as he overlooks their progress in a pool of water. The god of war decides that they aren't doing as much damage as they could be inflicting and descends upon the town as a giant, identical to how we saw Ares destroying the city at the beginning of the original game. After a warning from someone who appears to be Athena and for unknown reasons, Kratos is stripped of his godly powers and left standing as a mortal (but still incredibly powerful) man in the middle of the city. This is where the game actually starts and you wrap your hands around the game's still-perfect combat mechanics.

There are plenty of questions left unanswered with the game's opening as we're told that the sequel will use the same flashback story techniques as the original. As the first game garnered our pick for 2005's best story, we'll take this bit of info with a smile on our faces.

When Kratos is cut down to size, so to speak, a giant colossus statue is brought to life and quickly begins attempting to take out our anti-hero. As you make your way through the city, his hands will rip through the environment as he makes large swipes at you, blocking some paths and opening others. It's obvious from the get-go that God of War II's scale and set pieces are bigger and more involving than last time, if you can believe that.

The battle with the colossus takes place over the course of the entire first level. You'll have a number of "small" battles with him, sometimes winning and pushing him back and sometimes losing and getting tossed across the level. The first meeting sees him throwing dead bodies at you as if they were a collection of pebbles. After stunning him and tossing yourself at his enormous head, you make a couple quick slashes before you're tossed away. Meeting up with him again near a set of docks, you need to stun him and climb up his arm to do a bit more damage. At one point his foot comes crashing through the level, and you need to quickly catch it and toss him back. It's a long, back-and-forth battle that we haven't seen the end of yet, but promises to not disappoint. It's a seriously intense opening, to say the least.

Though you lose your godly powers at the game's start, you aren't empty handed. You still have the Blades of Athena and the Rage of Poseidon magic, so you're actually starting off a little better equipped than you were last time out. A number of new magic types will become available over the course of the game, including some sort of electrical magic that you'll obtain from Kronos. You can manually place up to three of them at any time and they'll continuously cause electrical damage from their spot. You're able to use them to essentially tie down enemies or line them up to cause damage to a boss, for example.

You'll come across three different weapons in the game, not including the Blades of Athena. One will be the Barbarian King's hammer that you'll earn from defeating him which can summon undead warriors to fight for you, somewhat similar to the tormented souls magic from the first game. Each weapon will be individually upgradeable, and you can swap between one of them and your blades mid-combo at the touch of a button to deal extra damage.

Should you need a little extra help through the game, a number of unlockable mini-games are at your disposal. Challenge of the Gods has returned, along with a new battle mode that lets you put whatever creatures you want into an arena to fight. Both of these now tie directly into your save game, so if you go and earn some red orbs in any of the extra modes, you'll have them when you load back up your main game. This allows you to upgrade your character outside of the game in case you get stuck on a really tricky part, as well as provide a more cohesive feel to the whole package.

The Challenge of the Gods has been tweaked a bit since last time out. It's still said to be incredibly difficult, but the rules have changed a bit. For one, each challenge now has some sort of ranking system attached to it, allowing you to pass the challenge if you complete the lowest ranking, while still giving you the biggest rewards for perfecting the challenge. As well, you'll be able to save your progress after each challenge. Nope, you won't have to leave your system on for days at a time anymore, thankfully.

While you were rewarded with some rather cool costumes for completing the Challenge of the Gods in the first game, this time you'll earn various urns to give you power. These will let you mix and match upgrades while also allowing you to put on your favorite costume so that you're not "stuck" with one set of armor. And as an added bonus, once you've beaten the game you'll be able to jump in at the same or lower difficulty setting and play through again with everything you've already collected.

One thing that was great about the overall package last time out was all of the included bonus material. God of War II will up the ante a bit when it ships as a two-disc set. No, this isn't the collector's edition (there won't be one) but the standard edition. The second disc will include a number of bonuses including a full-length, behind-the-scenes documentary that was filmed over the entirety of the game's development, starting with the very first playtest. Cool stuff indeed.

God of War II is very near completion and will ship on March 13th. If you're one of the 100 million folks who own a PlayStation 2, you owe it to yourself to keep an eye on this one and some spare cash in your wallet. For now, check out our media page for new screenshots and movies, and especially our video interview with director Cory Barlog.

God of War II Multimedia

Official God of War II Website-->http://www.us.playstation.com/Conten...e/default.html

Official God of War II Trailer

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game



God of War II Gameplay Clips
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game


God of War II Developer Interviews
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game



God of War II Intro

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=mov&pl=game



God of War II Screenshots

http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298517.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298518.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298519.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298520.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298521.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298522.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298523.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298524.html
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/811/8...g_4298526.html




God of War II Release Date: March 13, 2007

[NIGHTMARE]

God of War II Q&A

"What's the story this time around?
GoWII picks up exactly where the original left off. Kratos has killed Ares and has become the new God of War, far more ruthless than Ares ever was. But he soon finds out what life among the petty Olympians is like, as it seems that some of the gods aren't too happy a mere mortal has ascended to their ranks and it isn't long before Kratos is killed and stripped of all his godly powers. After escaping death once again, he sets off to find the only beings capable of controlling the Olympians - the Moriae, or the Three Sister of Fate. They hold power and sway over the life of every living thing, and are the only hope of Kratos doing what no mortal has ever done before - changing his fate. The journey won't be easy though, as Kratos must literally journey to the ends of the earth to find the Temple of the Fates.

And so far, that's all that's been confirmed.


I heard David Jaffe isn't in charge of GoWII! Is this true?

Yes and no. Jaffe isn't directly in charge of the sequel, as he's currently working on a PSP game entitled HL. The new man in charge this time around is Cory Barlog, who also worked on GoW. That said, Barlog has gone on record stating that he uses Jaffe as a sounding board to bounce ideas off of, so even though he's not directly in charge, Jaffe still holds a lot of sway over what makes it into GoWII.


What weapon is Kratos using?

As far as anyone knows, the Blades of Athena. I don't know for sure though, so if anyone can confirm or deny this, please do.


Will there be more bosses?


Yes there will be. In one interview, Barlog said that of all the complaints he'd heard about GoW, the lack of bosses was one of the main ones. So this time around, not only will there be more bosses, they will also be better designed. As of right now, three bosses have been confirmed, but there are also a few probables.

The ones we know for sure are Icarus, Euryale (Medusa's sister), and the Barbarian King – the same one whose head Kratos lopped off in GoW as soon as he received the Blades of Chaos. From this screenshot, looks like that beheading didn’t sit so well with our barbarian friend.


click


Another creature we've seen is the minotaur-like creature made of rocks that Kratos is seen fighting in several of the gameplay movies. If I had to guess, I'd say that's more of a mini-boss, but I could be wrong.

Barlog has also said that throughout the game Kratos will encounter classic heroes, such as Achilles, and will fight them for some unique possession. How many heroes there will be, or who they even are hasn't been confirmed. However, in one of the gameplay videos, Kratos encounters Jason, the man who went assembled the Argonauts and went searching for the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology.



What magic does Kratos get?


Though I'm sure there will be more magics than what are listed here, these are the only ones confirmed so far.

Icarus Wings - Exactly what they sound like. You may remember that in one of the unlockable videos in GoW, the Icarus Wings were shown in a deleted level. Well this time around they made it in! You have to fight Icarus in order to get them, which should prove a very interesting boss fight if he takes to the sky. The Icarus Wings allow Kratos to hover for short periods of time, and can be worked into combos.

Ice - I'm not sure what this is, but it reminds me of a shotgun blast. In several of the trailers and gameplay movies, Kratos is shown blasting enemies with what appears to be ice. With quite a punch behind each shot, this should be useful for pushing enemies off of cliffs or into other quick death areas.

Bow and arrow - This is used to (I guess) take the place of Zeus' Fury. Much like ZF, this uses up a lot of magic very quickly, but it is a pretty powerful ranged weapon. It also opens up some pretty unique juggling possibilities and is one of the weapons you can switch to on the fly. The final verdict will have to wait until the game comes out I guess.

Wind - This seems like a very cool weapon. It essentially shoots out miniature tornadoes that shred enemies to bits. Once you upgrade it, the tornadoes get more and more powerful, until you can literally tear enemies to bits.

The Golden Fleece - I'm not sure if this technically qualifies as magic, but it is a very cool addition. This is how Kratos earns his counter-attack ability, but this time he can also parry beam attacks, such as Medusa's Gaze. Anyone who's seen the footage from the demo has seen the part where the game requires you to use the Fleece to stone and smash 5 Gorgons. Ah, sweet revenge.

As far as magics from GoW are concerned, I'm not sure if any of them are returning. I've heard rumors of PR coming back, but that wind weapon makes me think otherwise. We'll just have to wait and see on this one.




Where can I find all these videos you keep mentioning?

I'm sure there are multiple sites where you can find these videos, but GameTrailers.com has a large collection of GoWII media, including demo footage, a few interviews with Jaffe and Barlog, and more.




What else is new?

he biggest new addition right now is the aerial combat. At certain points in the game Kratos will get to mount Pegasus and take to the skies in order to continue his journey. Needless to say, he'll encounter some enemies along the way who will try to stop him, and that's where the aerial combat comes into play. Not a whole lot's known about it, but one very cool sequence has Kratos leaping off of Pegasus onto a Griffin, brutally dispatching off its rider, then slashing the wings off the Griffin before plummeting down to earth. While Barlog has said there won't be a tremendous amount of aerial combat, it's still something to keep an eye on.

The combat's also been improved. There are more enemies this time around, and a whole bunch of new ways to dispatch them. Once grabbed, O, X, [], and /\ become four different ways to brutally kill an opponent. The mini-games have been redesigned too, and they're just as brutal as ever, including eviscerating a boar and ripping off a bladed arm and sticking it through someone's skull.


Speaking of Cyclopes, they have a new ally in GoWII. Strange, Imp-like creatures can summon Cyclopes to their aid, then hop on back of the Cyclops and control him. Kratos has to first dismount the Imp before fighting the Cyclops, because with a rider they become even more deadly than they already are.

Kratos can also now use the Blades to swing across chasms, much like in Bionic Commando and Rygar.

The harpoon move has also been improved. It looks like now you can control the direction the enemy is thrown in, allowing you to buy yourself some time by stunning the nearest enemy.



Will there be a demo?


I don't know for sure, but I'd be very surprised if there wasn't. After all, a lot of sights have already gotten their hands on a demo, so it only makes sense to release one to the public.

The demo footage takes place about halfway through the game, and, much like GoW's demo, ends right before a boss fight. Shucks.




Is there going to be a GoW movie?

Yes, though we don't know when. All I know is that the rights to a movie have been bought, but as far as I know, no actors have been named and no director has been chosen.



Is Kratos' brother going to be in this one?


I don't know. It doesn't seem very likely though, given the story behind the new game, but I suppose anything's possible. If I had to guess though, I'd say no.

One character that is returning is Athena, and she'll once again play an important role in Kratos' adventure. I can't imagine Kratos being too willing to trust her though, especially after the Olympians have him killed, so this should be an interesting relationship.

And for anyone who's wondering, the narrator from GoW is also back for the sequel.




Why is this shipping for PS2 and not PS3?

Simply put: money. While there are undoubtedly people out there would buy a PS3 simply for GoWII, those people are not a majority. With the PS2, the game already has a solid fanbase that isn't required to buy next-gen hardware. But don't worry: GoWIII (assuming there is one) will be on the PS3."

[Pathik]

awesome info dude.. Reps 4 u
__________
no GoW fans here

Originally Posted by pathiks

no GoW fans here

Main Hoon Naa

[NIGHTMARE]

thanks pathiks



I have come across some pics and artworks that i haven't seen before.
Warning, the screens reveal a gameplay mechanic.

Deadalus & Icarus - background info





The first name of Icaria was Dolichi but through Greek mythology it became connected to Ikarus, the first man who succeeded to fly and commemorates his fall. According to myth Daedalus, a famous craftsman, was a prisoner of Minos, the King of Crete. In an attempt to escape, he made two sets of wings, one for himself and one for his son, Ikarus, and attached them with wax. Together they secretly flew away, heading towards Athens. Out over the sea, near Ikaria, Ikarus, became excited by the view, flew too close to the sun with the result that the wax melted and he plunged into the sea and drowned. Thereafter, the sea named after him, Ikario Pelagos and the island was named Ikaria.




screenies & artworks






Kratos with his own wings attachment (he probably lend from someone ^^)






Well, and those screens must be from the lava titan setting that is pictured in this poster motive:








Seems like Kratos is going to land on the lava rock which is hold by the titan. I also think that in the process of landing his wings gonna get destroyed because of the wax (that holds the wings together) getting soft due to the increasing heat being emmited from the lava rock as the distance gets closer between incoming Kratos and the hot surface. Well, just a suggestion...

I just wish this will come for PC

[gangadhar]

Thank u For U R Info. I am waiting For The game

[NIGHTMARE]

watch out this video press x

[NIGHTMARE]

How many of you have gone back and played God of War while waiting for God of War 2?




Seems like Kratos is going to land on the lava rock which is hold by the titan. I also think that in the process of landing his wings gonna get destroyed because of the wax (that holds the wings together) getting soft due to the increasing heat being emmited from the lava rock as the distance gets closer between incoming Kratos and the hot surface. Well, just a suggestion...

[Vyasram]

wow, 9.7 from ign

http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrank...eviewid=760700

more rankings

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/g....html?mode=web



could be the ps2's king of 07

[NIGHTMARE]

yes bro

[NIGHTMARE]

i found this awesome looking gameplay video with never before seen footage galore

WARNING! - gameplay mechanic related spoilers included !!!

go

RISE YOUR HYPE-METER UP TO A NEW LEVEL

[wirelessraj]

Have u guys tried the Demo yet?

Its been out there for a while now!!

[NIGHTMARE]

I just played the demo in its entirety for the first time... when I reached the point that is shown in the video the fountain with the statue was still there however the women and the mini game was not available... just an empty pool.

[VJ_Lunar]

Awesome thread you have here, Nightmare. Very informative. + 1 Rep for you

The game is out now (in US, at least), I'm hoping I'll get time to play it over at a friends place and just get a copy myself.

[NIGHTMARE]

u give me reps but its useless for me bcoz u needed at least 10 post to giving reps other wise reps point r not increase

[VJ_Lunar]

Then I'll just have to make ten posts, right?

[NIGHTMARE]

yes dude

[Possible]

Originally Posted by thunderbird.117

I just wish this will come for PC

I wish too. But they made this a swan song of the PlayStation 2 and have no plans working harder to get it to other platforms!

And this comic, best descibes the sequel.


http://www.penny-arcade.com