God Of War

[digdug]

Who all got this game today, so far the game is AWESOME. Wanted to know who else thinks the same so far.


Dig Dug

[rpepper9]

I haven't played it yet but PSM has been hyping this game for quite some time. I guess Sony is trying to make this into a system defining flagship game. I guess no expense has been spared and they were given a huge budget with no deadline so they could get everything they wanted out of the system and into the game.

[youruglyclone]

ditto here...must sleep when not playing this game....but it's my duty to decapitate gorgons!

[kainemaxwell]

Loved playing the demo and planning to pick this one up!

[Uzi 9mm]

This game looks awesome, I may rent it once I buy my PSP.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

What's the gameplay like in the game? Does it play similar to Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden? It sort of looks like the PS2 version of Rygar.

[slip81]

I haven't wanted or been excited about a PS2 game in a while, but GoW is one of them. It's gonna be a tought decision between this, Fight Night Round 2 and Midnight Club 3.

[Drexel923]

I really want to get this game...I loved the demo. But I have too many games to get through first. Hopefully I finish those soon ;)

[Simply Dave]

I got my eye on this game. I'll wait for a few more reviews from the peeps here before I pull the trigger. :)

[youruglyclone]

What's the gameplay like in the game? Does it play similar to Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden? It sort of looks like the PS2 version of Rygar.

ninja gaiden-ish in the sense that enemies do have a tendency to swarm...and rygar did come out for the ps2 pretty fun too

[kainemaxwell]

IGN gave this a 9.8 :eek 2:

[Oobgarm]

IGN gave this a 9.8 :eek 2:

I sold two of these, bringing my total sold to 6 out of 10.

Check gamerankings.com (http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/919864.asp), it seems to be getting top scores. Even Gamestpot, who is usually pretty reserved, gave it high marks.

I'm only at the first hydra boss, it's tough but I love it.

[kainemaxwell]

Sold a copy, i think our only one at my FYE, the other day after I told a customer about it.

[Dahne]

Looks pretty darn cool, and it's been getting great reviews, but according to Game Informer it's only 12 hours long. Translation: rental.

[mr_nihilism]

I thought Devil May Cry 3 was at times difficult and frustrating (yet superbly awesome), but God of War has it beat in both categories. And yet I can't stop playing it.

For what it's worth (and it ain't worth much) I think the game is slightly overrated. I'd give it a 8.5

[Lord007]

Sony's GAP (Gamer Advisory Panel) recently had an interview with David Jaffe (developer of GoW) on God of War and it's kinda interesting...would anybody like for me to post it? (It's sort of lengthy tho).

We also got to look at a ton of concept art, but I'm not sure if the links would work for non-GAP members...Let me know if this link works and I'll post the rest:

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Hydra.html

[mr_nihilism]

Sure, Lord. Post it.

PS - You missed the "h" in your link, so here:

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Hydra.html

[Lord007]

Sure, Lord. Post it.

PS - You missed the "h" in your link, so here:

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Hydra.html

It's been fixed, thanks. So I guess you could view the concept art then?

[Lord007]

(hidden)@hotmail.com
Let me first compliment you on a spectacular job. I have anticipated this game for a year now and I'm glad every minute that was needed was spent on creating a great game. I know the game will be solid all around. The environments look amazing, and I hear that GOD OF WAR is set up so that a sequel can be made. Can we expect a long sequel that will finish off the story, maybe on PS®3?

Hey Sarges! Thanks for the kind words! I hope the final product doesn't let you down. As for future GOD OF WAR games, nothing is planned at the moment as we are waiting to see if enough players dig what we've done. If they do, I can say this: there are MANY seeds that have been planted in the first GOD OF WAR that are meant as jumping off points for subsequent games. So, if GOD OF WAR does well, there are three more GOD OF WAR games we would like to do. And for over two years I have had the very last level of the whole series in my mind. It's really damn cool and I hope we get lucky enough that players will get to enjoy it!


TheWholeFnSho166
When the original GOD OF WAR succeeds, will you guys make a prequel?

When—not if. You are an optimist! I like that! Well, here's what I can tell you: IF GOW does well, we would love to make more games in the GOW universe. As for sequel or prequel, I would say sequel as I am not a big fan of prequels. (I mean, what is the point as you already know what is going to happen, right?). If we were to tell any backstory/prequel stuff then I would like to see it more as a playable flashback embedded within a proper sequel, so we can still deal with some of the past of the main characters while also moving the main plot along.


zeldaguy
Hello, Mr. Jaffe. Before you created GOD OF WAR, what was the initial spark that ignited your interest for its development, your love for Greek Mythology, or your desire to create an amazing action/adventure game? I know both were factors, but I am interested in which one first popped into your vault of a mind.

Hey Zeldaguy. Well, the main goal was to make a game that really sent players on this amazing adventure. That has always been my dream, to make action-adventure games (my fave genre). I love games like ZELDA: LINK TO THE PAST, FLASHBACK, ONIMUSHA, METAL GEAR SOLID, and I really wanted—more than anything—to be the person creating the adventure for once, not the person playing it! So once I decided it was going to be an action-adventure game, then the NEXT step was figuring out the setting. We looked at a lot of settings and characters at first: female spy adventure, a cop who dies and comes back to life with psychic powers; a cute, anime style female ninja. But I kept coming back to my love of the Greek myths, so we went down that path.


beatle_trekkie
How authentic will the environments, characters, and overall storyline be to ancient Greek Mythology? Will there be any other Greek gods and goddesses in the game? What about non-monster mythical creatures like centaurs, nymphs, and Pegasus? Will there be other mythical heroes in the game? (I'm an archaeology student, so I'm very interested in games based on ancient civilization and legends.) Thanks so much!

Hey beatle. Wow, you study archaeology! I really wanted to study that as well for a while, like most kids, when I saw RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK I fell in love not with just the movie, but also the history. As for GOD OF WAR, we worried more about capturing the vibe of the Greek myths, versus making a history lesson. I poured over Edith Hamilton's MYTHOLOGY for research to make sure the concepts were sound. But, we did take liberties in order to make the game more fun and allow the story to hold many Greek myth elements that—in the real stories—never had anything to do with each other. As for the the main Gods, we have Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Artemis, Hades, Ares, and Athena. We also have Centaurs, Nyads, and a few other non-monster creatures. As for Pegasus? Man, I wanted to, but there was just no time. Next game—if we are so lucky—I hope!!!


LeftyTwoGuns
Did you get any of the inspiration for GOW from Homer's THE ILIAD or THE ODYSSEY?

Hey Lefty! Well, I got inspiration from all the Greek myths. I took a trip to Japan and read the classic book, EDITH HAMILTON'S MYTHOLOGY on a loooooooong-ass train ride. I had a red marker with me and every time I read something I thought would make a fun play mechanic, level idea, or story element, I put a check next to it. By the end of the train ride, the book was FILLED with marks! And I know the book covers both the stories of The ODYSSEY and The ILIAD, so I am sure I took elements from those classics, But, there are not large chunks of GOD OF WAR that deal with those stories. GOD OF WAR is really more of us taking our favorite monsters, stories, characters, weapons, and ideas from the Greek myths and using those elements to write a brand-new myth.


Anonymous User
Mr. Jaffe, I have played the demo 19 times. Each time I play it, I learn something new. I really enjoyed the Treasures part of the demo. I think that you must have suspected that this game will be huge when you decided to put in the hard/God mode. I have lent my copy out to at least seven different friends and we all will buy this game on March 22. Do you hope that people will start reading Greek Mythology after playing your masterpiece?

Hey Anonymous User! Wow, thank you SO MUCH for the amazing support. The fact that you are handing out the demo means a lot to the team. As you may know, it's really tough to get a new game idea to be a success these days and what you are doing helps a lot! So THANK YOU!!!! I really don't know if the game will get more people to read the myths. I mean, that would be really darn cool if that happened! My favorite movie of all time—and the thing that made me want to do creative work for a living—is RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I saw that as a kid, and afterwards, I read everything I could on religion and archaeology. So, now that I think about it, how cool would that be if something I worked on inspired people to read up and learn more about the subject matter? A full circle kind of thing, you know. So, yeah, I guess I do hope that happens. That would be cool!


Ed_McMuffin
Just wondering if you can tell us about any special interactive features of the environment we haven't seen on the demo yet. You know, those special little touches that make the game genuinely a labor of love.

Hey Ed! Some of the toughest parts of the game to create were the context-sensitive moves. These are moves that the player can perform that let him interact with the environment in non-traditional ways. In many games, if you open a door, put a key in a lock, pull a lever, etc, you don't actually see the player do it. You just tell the game by hitting a button that you want to pull a lever and then the lever automatically pulls, as if a ghost is pulling it. In GOD OF WAR, besides many, many destructible aspects to the environments, we also have many of these context moves that allow the player to feel like he is really living in the world. And it's not just lever pulls, in GOD OF WAR, Kratos rips the skulls off dead bodies, burns people alive, and even enjoys himself with a couple of very attractive ancient Greek ladies. So, as I hope you can see, all of these little touches really add up to make the game come alive. Hope you enjoy it!


SorceressEdea
Hi, Mr. Jaffe. Thank you for answering our questions. I played the GOD OF WAR demo and it was seamless and the combos were smooth. The Hydra scared me at the end, but it was a good scare. How many hours do you think it will take to beat GOD OF WAR? Do you have any hints to beat the game? What does the GOD OF WAR game mean to you? What other video games will you be working on in the future?

Hey Sorceress! Thanks for the great questions, lemme see what I can tell you. The game seems to be taking "normal" people between 18-24 hours. By normal, I mean people who are gamers but not the hardcore type. The hardcore players are finishing up the first play-thru in about 12-15 hours. So, depending on where you fall, skill wise, it's between 12–24 hours. As for what the game means to me? Well, it really means the culmination of my 12 years at Sony. It means that I have gotten to make the game I have always dreamed of making, and of playing. It also means that I work for an amazing company that really lets me follow my gut and design games the way I want, versus having to kowtow to a focus group. In this day and age, with games costing so much, that is a really amazing thing. As for future games, I don't really know yet. Making GOD OF WAR about killed me (3 very long, very tough years) and I am looking forward to a vacation in about 2 weeks. When I get back I will see what is next for me but I can tell you this: I WOULD LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to do a PSP™ title! I am nuts for that system!


Andre486
When I played the GOW demo, I saw similarities in the fighting style to Prince of Persia®: Warrior Within™. I like the way you get to add magic to your arsenal. Will there be weapon upgrades as well?

Andre486, you read my mind! There WILL be upgrades to magic and to weapons. The idea was to add a very light RPG element into the game so that you could customize Kratos' combat to the way you enjoyed most. So, if you really love to use the Medusa Head, for example, you can funnel your red orbs (experience orbs) into that attack (versus say, the lightning bolt) and get new MEDUSA HEAD attacks! Same goes for the weapons. If you dig the chain blades, spend your 'money' there and get new moves and more powerful attacks.


Platna Playa
I haven't played any type of hack-and-slash since the PS®1, but when I played the GOD OF WAR demo, it just felt good and natural to go about slashing up monsters. I ask of you mighty developers, what did you bring to GOD OF WAR that makes even me, a hack-and-slash hater, want to play the demo five times and still stare in awe at the amazing animation?

Platna, thanks for the question. Here's what I can tell you. I love games, right? LOVE them to death. Have played them since I was a kid. So all I do is come in and work with a team and make decisions based on what I want as a player. I ask myself: hey, is this something I think is fun? If it is, it goes in the game. So I can't really tell you specifically what we did to make the game fun. I just followed my gut and worked with an amazingly talented team and VOILA!!!! I'm so glad you dug the demo. I really hope you like the full version, too!


jcpetersen
GOW has graphics that really outshine most of the PS®2 library. How were you able to achieve this? Was there a part of the game development that you spent too much time on? Is there one part of the game that you wish you could go back and redo? What is one thing that did not get into GOW that you plan to put in the sequel? How will you, personally, know if this game is a success? How will you celebrate the game's release? Was there anything that you wanted to do in the game, but couldn't get past Sony's "censors"? Do you remember what sleep is?

Lots of great questions, JC. I'll answer as many as I can. As for the great art, thanks very much for saying so. I will let the team know and I am sure they will be very happy to hear! It really came down to a few things: great tech, great artists, and then the TIME to make the levels shine. You may surprised to know that many games COULD be so much better but they are the victims of not having enough time to do the game justice. With Sony, they gave us all the time we needed and I like to think it shows. As for spending too much time, we may have done more concept art than was actually needed. BUT, the thing was, we were all really trying to discover what the game was, what the world was, you know? So, while we probably did not use 95% of the HUNDREDS of pieces of art that were done, it did help us get a better lock on the world of GOD OF WAR. To answer your questions about things I would like to go back and redo, the answer is no. I am 100% happy with this game. It is very rare with any creative project that you can say that, but with GOD OF WAR, I can. If this is the last game I ever make, I can live with that. If people hate GOD OF WAR, I can live with that...because I know this is 100% the kind of game I would love to play and that's really all I can worry about, you know? I think the game is already a success because I really love it. The rest—while very important and very fun—is really out of my hands. I mean, I would LOVE for the game to sell two million copies at full price, right? But even if it goes to the bargain bin the first week, it is still the best I could do so, for me, it's a success. To celebrate the release I plan on going back home to Alabama—where I grew up—and going into a game store at the mall that I used to hang out in (the same place where I used to buy my video games as a kid). Seeing GOD OF WAR—a game I directed—in the same mall where I used to buy games (and where I fell in love with games) will be a damn good celebration. And no, I do not know what this "sleep" thing is that you speak of. Sounds interesting though...


KeeperOfTheLight
After playing the demo, I noticed that the swords Kratos uses look like they're almost extensions of his body. Is that what they are? If so, how did you come up with that idea?

Hey KeeperOfTheLight! Thanks for asking. It's actually kind of cool how it all worked out. Originally, I was just looking for some kind of signature visual costume piece for Kratos to wear. You know, like Dante's Red Trench Coat, or the flowing red scarf in SHINOBI, something that would help Kratos stand out. So we had this idea that he would be a slave on a boat that crashed and everyone died but he got washed ashore. So now he was free, but the collar and the chain around the collar that had kept him enslaved STILL remained around his neck. We liked the idea of this from a story point and also from a play point, with Kratos attaching weapons to the end of the chain to swing all around at the bad guys. So that's where the chain idea came from, and it just evolved (for both story and play reasons) into the double chains around his wrists. If you check out some of the behind-the-scenes art in the game (and in the strategy guide), you will see some images of Kratos with the collar and chain around his neck. Thanks for the question!




Here's all of the Concept Art:

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_interaction.html

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Creature.html

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Athena.html

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Treasure.html

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Athens.html

http://fp.scea.com/Assets/GOW_Concept_Assets/Concept_Art_Hydra.html

[pkupstixx]

God Of War is a great action game. It is very violent and viceral. The mini game death sequences of some of the bigger monsters are great too. If I had to compare this to another game the game that crossed my mind is it seems more of a greek mythological version of onimusha which is in no means a bad game or series to be compared to. Any one else feel the similarities to that game as well? as I havent heard it mentioned as a comparison.

[GunPanther]

Oh, man.

I played the demo and was hooked! But, since I'm a cheap bastard, I'm probably going to wait until the price is lowered in a few months. :D

Games in this genre just don't seem to be worth the $49.99 + tax that you pay for them. Now, I'm not saying they're not good games, I'm just saying that if you're used to finding bargains and paying less than MSRP for software, it's hard to go back to paying MSRP.

8-)





:rockets: GunPanther :2gunfire:

[D_N_G]

Lets just say I haventy paid 50 bucks for a non-special edition game in several years. This one is definitely worth full price

[kainemaxwell]

And there's a strat guide of GOW out now too!

[PS2Hawk]

I just beat the game last night and I have to say its the best acton adventure game I have ever played.

I beat, Prince of Persia 1 & 2, DMC, DMC3, Ninja Gaiden... this game TOPS them big time. its so unique, fully uses the PS2 controller. Quiet frankly this is the best game on PS2.

[blissfulnoise]

Yes, definate must buy for PS2 action fans. Beats Devil May Cry 3 at its own game with better production values and a stronger narritive. This is a game of the year contender through and through.

Beat it on normal over the weekend and did the 10 Challenge of the Gods trials. Now working my way through God difficulty to get the rest of the unlockables.

Secret Message #2 is a riot.

[Jorpho]

D'you think they might make a PC port of this one? :D

(There is a PC port of Twisted Metal 2, after all, and the same people made God of War, right?)

[calthaer]

If Sony funded the game out the wazoo so that it would be the über game of the PS2, then you can bet your booty that there will NEVER be a port for ANY other system - which is a shame. A game that looks this l33t would look even l33ter on any other system.

Speaking of PC games, I'm too busy with Freedom Force v. 3rd Reich to play this one now, and it's too expensive - but I'm intrigued so far. The recommendations are the best part about this board.

[alexkidd2000]

I love this game. Kills devil may cry 3.

[Tony Montana]

ALright lets try this here then:

So my question to anybody that has played this, have you beaten it on hard yet? I got to the end where you need to protect those <people> and spent all day trying to get past it with no luck.

First time in a game that I can ever remember where I spent that long without getting past a section. I got so pissed off I moved my save file for the hard one to my Hard Drive and went back and lost to the <boss> right before that a few times so I could switch to easy and beat the whole thing first try. I really just wanted to see the Challenge of the Gods and the other unlockables I heard about from people too scared to play the hard mode first. But that part is rough, and I dont think I want to try it on God Mode!

[Gamereviewgod]

No, I played through on normal. Why am I not remembering trying to protect people? All this guys does is kill! Refresh my memory??

I really can't imagine how ridiculous the God mode is. I barely made it through those ridiculous rotating spike towers near the end on normal. Even then it took me about an hour. That's really my only complaint about the game was the ridiculousness at a few points. Just some poorly designed puzzles and platforming. Other than that, this game is perfect.

[kainemaxwell]

I gave the demo of GoW to my friend this weekend. He loves it and wants to buy it now also!

[Jive3D]

I've been playing it too. Incredible game. Totally Prince of Persia meets Devil May Cry and a little Rygar thrown in to boot. I have not gotten very far b/c I had to beat RE4 before I could truly dive into GOW, but it's very impressive.

Hmm, what to play now: GoW or Zelda OoT?

[Tony Montana]

*spoiler alert*


No, I played through on normal. Why am I not remembering trying to protect people? All this guys does is kill! Refresh my memory??







Alright its an the very end before you fight Ares for the 2nd time, you have to protect your family from basically clones of yourself. I was so mad because I got through the whole game on hard, and this spot just worked me over. I will beat it eventually, even if it takes me a month, switching to easy just for the last part was pretty unfulfilling because it was way too easy. Beating it on God Mode has to be a huge accomplishment, I'll definitely have to try it.

[digitalpress]

I finished this game last night (on "normal" level).

This is the best PS2 game ever. It's SO smooth, the action is a total blast, and the graphics and music are the best you will ever experience on this system.

Some notes:
- Bare breasts! w00!
- Ultimately your original weapon is the best in the game, it is LOADED with moves that you build upon as you power it up. Second best weapon is the "Army of Hades" magic that plays out like the final scene in Inidana Jones and the Lost Ark.
- The storyline is riveting. It has been a long, long time since I've played a game that I WANTED to see the cut-scenes for, and even at that, those games have traditionally been RPG's in the past.
- Kratos HATES POTTERY!
- There are lots of save points and they're in great locations. Better still, there are invisible checkpoints so if you get killed between save points there's still a good chance you'll start your next life in a spot very close to where you died.
- The battles were, for the most part, pretty easy. The larger boss and mini-boss-type creatures provided the most challenge for me, but the armies of bad guys that you fight? Bring 'em on. The combinations you can pull off in the game make fighting hordes of creatures sheer joy.
- The puzzles and platforming areas were what usually presented the most difficulty for me. I must have fallen off of those spinning poles and towers above the river Styx three dozen times before getting through it. Again, fortunately, your check points are always in good places.
- Finishing the game (at least in "normal" mode) unlocks all kinds of extras, including a "making of" video. Has anyone ever beaten this game on "God" mode? If the battles force you to use your blocks and evades more often I would love to play through this again.
- Every new area I entered had me "oohing and aahing" at the design and beauty of the artwork. Right from the outset on the ship in a storm, to the "raining bodies" at the river Styx, it is clear that a lot of attention to detail went into this game.

This is the first "10 out of 10" I'd give to a PS2 game.

[leonk]

Congrats Joe.

It's the only PS2 game I've ever played to completion! It's truly an amazing game!

[Trebuken]

FOund this game for $20. Have been waiting for the price to drop...now I ask why???? THis game was eeasily worth fifty, even if you can beat it in ten hours. I can't wait to play this at a harder difficulty, and I never do that, I usually just move on to the next game. It looks awesome for a console game lots of ingenoius graphics themes, solid music. The gameplay is perfect, and the camera angles are as good as they get, not perfect though.

Where's the sequel???? PS3????

Trebuken