So, I'm a liar. Have I been keeping this updated? No. It's all due to self-deception and trickery. Hopefully I'll be able to outsmart myself in the future and push out posts like that old lady in the shoe did babies. Or...something. Onward.
I've spent the last week and a half in a Greek-induced stupor. I went to see 300 last Friday, which was fantastic. Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet you're doing yourself a disfavor. Drop the money to see it in a theater. It's worth it. The visuals are gorgeous, and between that and the thundering sounds of battle you just can't beat a massive screen and surround sound.
As if things couldn't get any better, God Of War II dropped on Tuesday, and I picked up a copy Wednesday to continue the saga of the pasty Spartan. Kratos was really pissed, lots of things died, and things generally did not fare well for the denizens of Olympus. Rarely do I play a game and stare in disbelief as on-screen actions shatter the boundaries of coolness. Did I say shatter? I meant destroy, dismember and crush between doors. Anyone who played the original will definitely remember how quickly, and on what a grand scale things started off. I think it's safe to say that GoW2 topped this with the opening battle between Kratos and the colossus of Rhodes. Take my word that it's an extremely epic beginning, and the rest of the game holds up extremely well after such an offering. I was extremely impressed with GoW2, and overall I think it even tops the first outing.
The solid combat system of the original returns here with some small tweaks and more polish. First off, players can now map a second weapon to R2 and switch at will between it and the blades. It was definitely a nod to Devil May Cry 3, even it only allows players to switch between two weapons at a time(DMC3 keeps all your weapons in the available cycle). It was a welcome addition to gameplay, but I still found myself always going back to the blades, just as I did in the original. Still, there are three weapons to pick up throughout the game, doubling the arsenal available in GoW. Even so, I still felt that I could get away with some mashing at certain points in the game. You can at certain points in any game, but anyone who has played titles such as DMC3 and Ninja Gaiden will understand that the combat here isn't quite as deep. Don't get me wrong, though. It's extremely good, takes skill, is fun, and feels great. I just wish I couldn't horizontal, horizontal, vertical my way to victory so often(a basic string that you have the entire game). Also, there are more attack animations this time around. While the same move will still function the same, it might display a different animation in killing two different enemies. The context-sensitive finishing moves have returned in full force, and definitely top anything present in the original.
The presentation is again through the roof. It puts that of most games to absolute shame. DMC3 may have a deeper combat system(which I prefer), but even with its extremely cool cutscenes, more in-depth story(than the rest of the DMC series, I mean), and dark locales, the presentation of the GoW series crushes it like a harpy under a Spartan sandal. I'm not saying I like GoW more overall, but enough can't be said for its presentation. Picking a favorite series would warrant another post entirely. It's something I just might consider, though it's been long enough since I picked up a DMC title that going back to one would be necessary first.
GoW2's story is fantastic, and you always feel like you're working towards your ultimate goal. I'm not going to delve into things here because I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't played the game yet. The story tells another chapter, but the story is not finished yet. It was satisfying, but in the same way killing and sex is for Kratos. You get plenty, but you still want more.
Boss battles. They deserve their own paragraph to emphasize how incredibly well done they were. The original GoW only featured three boss fights, and while they were all great, it was something I really wanted more of. SCEA really listened to fans and added more this time around. A lot more. The game really feels strung together by boss fights, whereas in the first game they felt like a rare occurrence. Knowing I was in for more this time, I did have the nagging worry that they wouldn't be as well done as they previously were. Thankfully this worry was completely thrown aside as I played. Many of the boss fights are smaller, while bigger boss fights still numbered more than they did in the first. Whether bigger or smaller in scale, pretty much every single one was noteworthy. When I say smaller, though, don't take it as meaning they aren't as good as the larger fights. What I mean is that they simply aren't as big or as long as, say, the colossus battle. Or some others, considering how huge the colossus is. I'm going to leave it at that since boss fights are something players definitely don't need spoiled.
All in all, GoW2 is an incredible game, and a more-than-worthy follow-up to the original. It's definitely going to be a contender for GOTY, though considering the titles lined up for the year I'm fully looking forward to something else impressing me even more.
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7 comments:
It's really weird that 300 has earned millions of dollars already and has fans having about it, but the overall reviews aren't that solid. I'm actually going to a discussion on Friday about film adaptations (as in from other mediums of source material) with Laura Mulvey and several other very prominent critics. I would assume that 300 will at least get some mention and it will be interesting what they have to say.
Also, just to nitpick, Spartan is a proper adjective.
Hmm, yes it is. I don't know what I was thinking.
I don't really know what's up with the reviews. I figured most people would have agreed on it being awesome. I guess I just don't pay attention to movie(I only read a couple reviews for 300) and album reviews like I do game reviews.
I don't typically pay much attention to reviews, either, but there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the ones for 300 so I guess I've paid slightly more attention than usual. There was actually a panel on Attack of th Show last week with a few people discussing it just because it's getting bashed by the critics but so many people are giving it god-tier status. Of course, with reviewers leveraging arguments like, "There is too much of a reliance on computer animation", "It follows the graphic novel too closely", and "The Spartan's weren't gay" it's hard to give them much weight. I'm just surprised at how many reviewers are taking that stance.
Yeah...I don't see criticisms like those as holding any weight.
I loved the visual style and thought they pulled it off great with computer animation.
As for following the graphic novel to closely, it's so far beyond me how someone would ever consider that to be a bad thing. I wish people would always stick that closely to source material.
And as for the Spartans not being portrayed as bi-sexual in the movie, what does that matter, and how is that a negative crticism about the movie? It isn't supposed to be historically accurate, and I don't see that as a form as gay bashing, either.
If you haven't seen the newest PA strip, which is about 300, check it out.
That's just freaky. I literally just read that strip before I came here (after sending the link to it to several people on my AIM list.) I hope all of the reviewers who talked smack read that comic and prepare to surrender their "gear."
Word. Keep in my that Tycho liked the movie, too, and he still had to turn his in. Just imagine what's going to happen to people who didn't like it. o.o
I guess I have to turn mine in, 'cause I though 300 was a decent, but not great, film.
It had its moments, and the battles were awesome, but it just seems like it could have been more...I don't know, emotional, I guess. It was still okay, though.
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