God of War II

Kratos returns in the much anticipated sequel to last year's smash-hit, God of War.

Last year, a Spartan warrior of mythic ability climbed the metaphorical face of mount Olympus to challenge Ares, the Grecian god of war, for the rights to his soul. That warrior -- by the name of Kratos -- found success, thanks to the legions of gamers around the world who played and loved the smash hit God of War. By the end of the game, the mortal Kratos had not only defeated Ares, but in fact became a god in his own right, granted Ares's vacant throne by Athena herself. Now, more ruthless than his predecessor had ever been and yet tortured by the deeds he committed in mortality, Kratos directs the world's warfare from his Olympian perch, destined to fuel in godhood the horrors he perpetrated in life.

In February of 2007, Kratos's journey will take a sharp turn. At the start of Sony Santa Monica's upcoming sequel, God of War II, the new deity will find himself the target of his peers' plotting and subterfuge. Determined to free himself of their grip, he will embark on a journey to the Island of Fates at the end of the Earth, where three Sisters of Fate -- Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos -- direct the destinies of mortal and god alike under the protection of an army of monsters. Kratos's goal: to either change his destiny and achieve the life of peace he has been denied for so long, or to find his way to Hades's doorstep.

It's a fitting plot for an action-adventure game that, like its predecessor, will be driven by story. But a rich story is only part of what Santa Monica plans to deliver in God of War II. Here's an update with everything we know so far about the sequel to last year's Editors' Choice super-smash.

Mechanics

True to its roots, God of War II will be a game centered on action -- fast-paced, brutal, bloody, and unequivocally fun. It will pick up right where the original left off, both in story and gameplay. The controls are being built on the hugely-successful formula used in the first God of War: Attacks and simple combos will be easy as pie to pull off with button-mashing, while more complex combos will require a bit more finesse to execute.

Of course, just as in the first game, God of War II will feature contextual attack sequences for the largest enemies: After you deal enough damage to them, pressing a sequence of buttons on the controller when prompted on-screen will send Kratos through some exquisitely animated finishing moves. The format will be second-nature to series veterans, while newcomers should be delighted by the ease with which they'll perform such spectacular feats. You'll get lots of practice, too: Contextual battles will have far more gameplay integration in the sequel.

The original's puzzles will also make a return in improved form. Santa Monica has been paying particular attention to ensuring that the environmental mindbenders in the game are not just challenging or engaging, but help to drive the story along as well. Rather than simply incorporating puzzles for their own sake, God of War II will have puzzles whose solutions are themselves plot elements. The oft-reported E3 demo, for instance, found Kratos puzzling to obtain a fleece that could provide protection from the stony stares of gorgons like Medusa -- a boss in the game and thus a part of its unfolding storyline.

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