God of War 2: Divine Retribution

[Disturbed316]

From IGN.com (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/697/697619p1.html)

This year's eagerly-awaited platform keynote address on PlayStation (and, most specifically, PS3) from Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Phil Harrison at GDC 2006 started off with the platform that is still holding it down: the PS2.


SCE game director David Jaffe (of God of War 1, now more a cheerleader for the whole franchise while he works on other projects) was on hand to show off a brand new trailer for God of War II (announced formally today before the show's start.) Aside from a new Bionic Commando-style swing maneuver, the trailer consisted mostly of Kratos gutting and disemboweling a boar, fighting off a 3-headed dog (where he viciously ripped off a head), tearing enemies in half after stomping on its gut, deathgripping a giant ogre to climb up it and then tearing its eyes out with both hands, and finally battling enemies on top the back of a gigantic griffon before grabbing the creature's wing, chopping it off at the root, and then leaping out into the sky while flying miles up in the clouds. Fun stuff.

It is unknown when that trailer will be released to the public, but God of War II has been confirmed to be playable at E3 2006 this May.

http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/697/697607/god-of-war-2-divine-retribution-20060322094636313.jpg

The first game was awesome, I can't wait for this to come out.

[Disturbed316]

From Gamespot.com (http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/godofwar2/news.html?sid=6146402)

SAN JOSE, Calif.--It should come as no surprise that Sony and well-known game designer David Jaffe are working on a follow-up to last year's God of War. After all, you don't create one of the best-selling and most highly acclaimed new intellectual properties of the year and then just put it out to pasture. For the first time, we got to check out a trailer of footage from God of War II, featuring the continuing adventures of everyone's favorite angry Spartan warrior, Kratos. The game is due out on the PlayStation 2 in the first quarter of 2007.

Not a whole lot has changed since the original God of War--except that, well, Kratos has become a god. But it looks as though he won't be copping out and smiting all his foes with his newfound divine powers. Rather, the gameplay in this sequel looks to build on and extend the diverse and frantic action that Jaffe and team built in the original game. The trailer showed a mixture of outdoor and templelike interior environments, and Kratos showed off many ultraviolent new moves similar to those we saw last year. As you might expect, the game is again set in mythological ancient Greece, and the trailer showed off a number of the new foes you'll face, such as the three-headed dog cerebus and the one-eyed giant cyclops. The trailer even showed Kratos riding atop an eaglelike griffon--and then unceremoniously ripping its wings off.

From the looks of the trailer, God of War II will feature new attack maneuvers, magic spells, and other offensive capabilities for Kratos. Predictably, the new game looks more like an evolutionary step over the first God of War than a radically new experience, but since that game handily took GameSpot's own top honors on the PlayStation 2 last year, that's just fine with us. Sony commented during the keynote address that God of War II is appearing on the PlayStation 2 rather than the PlayStation 3 to satisfy current owners who aren't ready to make the next-gen leap just yet. If development continues apace, the game should make for a nice late Christmas gift to legions of gamers early next year. We'll bring you more on God of War II as soon as we can.

[TheNamelessOne]

As a whole I disliked most of the original GOW. The combat is restrictive and extremely basic and a lot of the difficult parts of the game aren't challenging they are just frustrating.

If GOW2 improves on this then ill consider buying.

[Funky Fly]

Whoo, guess I should finish the first one.

[Blitz]

:drool: can't wait.

[Requiem]

As a whole I disliked most of the original GOW. The combat is restrictive and extremely basic and a lot of the difficult parts of the game aren't challenging they are just frustrating.

If GOW2 improves on this then ill consider buying.

I'm not sure what game you played, but it wasn't the same God of War that I played.

For a hack and slash, GoW was one of the most diverse with attack methods. The different combos as you went were awesome, and the 'mini-games' for bosses were fun. It made it feel like a really epic game.

[Disturbed316]

I'm so close to finishing GOW on God mode, but I'm stuck just outside the pandora's box enclosure. Stupid harpies :mad:

[Requiem]

Basically, I can't think of a better or more diverse hack and slash. It has good gameplay, a good story that keeps you hooked, and it's just a really well done and polished game.

As far as hack and slash games go... it is king. I can't wait for the sequel.

[TheNamelessOne]

For a hack and slash, GoW was one of the most diverse with attack methods. The different combos as you went were awesome, and the 'mini-games' for bosses were fun. It made it feel like a really epic game.
I thought it was fairly basic stuff really, theres nothing new in GOWs combat engine that I haven't seen before in a million other games. That and I played DMC3 before I played GOW and it had raised the bar considerably.

The bosses mini games ruined the whole epic feeling for me. There was no challenge or satisfaction when you did defeat them, it was just a matter of pressing a couple of buttons after you had done enough damage.

[Disturbed316]

You did realise that different moves of the direction button, whilst fighting, pulled off some incredible death bringing moves, didn't you?

[TheNamelessOne]

No, im a complete fuckwit and that sophisticated engine that was put in place clearly went over my head.

[Requiem]

That's what I was thinking. :o



But seriously, how can you not like it compared to other games like it out there? You mentioned DMC... so there's a whole one game that uses a similar combat system and it's instantly 'old' because you've seen it before?

[TheNamelessOne]

Because GOW is BORING. Its combat engine leaves little room for variety or depth. Its just a bunch of combos that you execute with a few button taps. Thats pretty much it. That may sound alright to you but given the variety of combat styles and weapons on offer in DMC3 and the robust points system as well as the fact that I have more control over my character in DMC3 well I just played GOW wondering what all the hype was about.

[Requiem]

I really just have a hard time believing you've even played more than the first level of the game. The amount of -seperate- button combos, which involve pushing multiple buttons to acheive, is amazing. The spinning attacks, the air to ground attacks, the attacks that launch your enemy in the air, followed by lunging into the air yourself to pull off a different combo. The grapple attacks.. different ways of killing something giving orbs.

Spending XP to upgrade your magical attacks or weapons.. which, the magical attacks are another awesome part. Powerful, but not so much that you could spam them to kill things.

Really, I just think you're biased -because- you like DMC. I've never played it.. I've seen videos of it, and yeah... looks cool. I'm sure it is an awesome game, but hating GoW for the reasons you've said just doesn't make sense, when it is clearly more in depth than you're making it out to be.

[TheNamelessOne]

I really just have a hard time believing you've even played more than the first level of the game. The amount of -seperate- button combos, which involve pushing multiple buttons to acheive, is amazing. The spinning attacks, the air to ground attacks, the attacks that launch your enemy in the air, followed by lunging into the air yourself to pull off a different combo. The grapple attacks.. different ways of killing something giving orbs.
I've had GOW since its late European release date, I completed it in 3 days and have never gone back to play it again. Whether or not you believe me is up to you.

I think the reason you think that though is because I am having trouble expressing why I don't like GOW. To be honest, I don't entirely understand why I don't. I think GOW has got to be one of the most gorgeous games I have ever seen. But it bores me to death! The combat engine is extremely easy to master and the slow pace of the combat just bores the shit out of me. I tried to like GOW when it first came out, the only reason I bought it was because people were saying how amazing it was. Then I played it and I just couldn't get into it.

Really, I just think you're biased -because- you like DMC. I've never played it.. I've seen videos of it, and yeah... looks cool. I'm sure it is an awesome game, but hating GoW for the reasons you've said just doesn't make sense, when it is clearly more in depth than you're making it out to be.
I probably am biased.

But I still think GOW is a fairly basic game. Given DMC3s finely tuned engine, which provides more depth by giving you more control over your character rather than just giving you more combos to deal out, I found GOW to feel more like a PSOne game with a new lick of paint.

[tucsonspeed6]

Honestly, I haven't played the original and I really don't know what the big deal is. It looks like a button masher.

If it was popular because of the violence, then why didn't Manhunt become just as popular?

Oh look. More enemies. I'll just hit this combination of buttons to make the little man do things that look cool. Factories should have a little screen in front of their workers. That way you can get some teenagers to work there, tell them that when they assemble the product, they'll get to see a little pixelated man stab swords into a giants head. They meet their quota, and the little pixelated man can have a little pixelated orgy with some pixelated barbie dolls. Betcha productivity will be through the roof.

[Disturbed316]

IGN have put some new screens up, here they are:

http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/702/702507/god-of-war-ii-20060420005957560.jpg
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/702/702507/god-of-war-ii-20060420005956639.jpg
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/702/702507/god-of-war-ii-20060420005956029.jpg
http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/702/702507/god-of-war-ii-20060420005955311.jpg

Hot

Also, a link to the official site: http://www.us.playstation.com/content/ogs/SCUS-97481/site/

[Disturbed316]

IGN have put a trailer up, and my god, I'm in love :love: