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God of War
The North American box art, depicting Kratos in the foreground
Developer(s)	SCE Studios Santa Monica
Publisher(s)	JP Capcom INT Sony Computer Entertainment
Director(s)	David Jaffe
Producer(s)	Shannon Studsill
Writer(s)	Marianne Krawczyk
Composer(s)	Gerard Marino Mike Reagan Cris Velasco Ron Fish
Series	God of War
Engine	Kinetica
Aspect ratio	16:9 / 4:3
Native resolution	PlayStation 2 480p (EDTV) 480i (SDTV) God of War Collection 720p
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 (as part of God of War Collection)
Release date(s)	PlayStation 2 NA March 22, 2005 EU June 21, 2005 AUS June 2005 JP November 17, 2005 God of War Collection NA November 17, 2009 [1] EU March 19, 2010 AUS March 18, 2010 [2] JP March 18, 2010
Genre(s)	Hack and slash, action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	BBFC: 18 ESRB: Mature OFLC: MA15+ OFLC: R16+ PEGI: 18+ USK: 18
Media	DVD-9 (PS2), Blu-ray (God of War Collection)
Input methods	Gamepad

God of War is a video game for the PlayStation 2 console released on March 22, 2005. It is an action-adventure game based on Greek mythology. God of War was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division. It is the first installment of the God of War series of games and the second chronologically.

It was very well received by critics and fans alike and was the recipient of many awards, including "Game of the Year" honors from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. In 2007, IGN listed God of War on their Top 25 PS2 Games list.^[3] The game is now available in the PlayStation 2's lineup of Greatest Hits. Prior to God of War III's release, God of War along with its first sequel was released on the PlayStation 3 in North America on November 17, 2009 as part of the God of War Collection, featuring remastered versions of both games and support for PlayStation Trophies.^[4] It will be re-released in Japan on March 18, 2010 and in Europe and Australia in the God of War III: Ultimate Trilogy Edition. It has not been confirmed if it will be released as a standalone in Europe or Australia.

Plot

The game begins with the main character, Kratos, committing suicide by jumping off a cliff into the Aegean Sea. As he plummets to the rocks below, the game's story is told through a series of flashbacks. The story of God of War revolves around Kratos, a former captain in the Spartan army who sets out to kill Ares, the god of war. The goddess Athena tells Kratos the past that consumes him will be forgiven if he destroys Ares, who is attacking her patron city Athens. But since Zeus had previously forbidden the gods from directly declaring war against each other, only a mortal can stop Ares. Kratos however, is already motivated by revenge; as the game progresses, Kratos' backstory is gradually explained, revealing he had been a murderous servant of Ares and had received from him his weapons, the Blades of Chaos, and his recurrent nightmares that continue throughout the story to serve as a reminder of his past. Kratos eventually renounced his service to Ares after the god tricked him into killing his own family.

The game starts among a fleet of ships, beached on rocks in the Aegean Sea under siege from the Hydra. Kratos defends the ships from several of the undead, while simultaneously fighting the many heads of the Hydra. After arriving at Athens by ship, and fighting through it, Kratos learns from the city's oracle that the only way to defeat Ares is to use the legendary Pandora's Box, which can give any mortal the power to kill a god. However, the Oracle explains the Box is hidden deep within the Temple of Pandora, carried on the back of the last living Titan, Cronos, whom Zeus has commanded to endlessly wander the Desert of Lost Souls as punishment for his past actions. Kratos travels to the Desert to find Cronos where he gains entrance to the Temple after scaling the Titan's back for three days.

Much of the game takes place within the Temple, inside of which Kratos must solve numerous puzzles and overcome hordes of hostile creatures to reach Pandora's Box. Ultimately he retrieves the magical artifact, but as he does so, Ares learns of his success and kills him. After doing so, Ares sends harpies to claim the Box for himself. Kratos meanwhile, falls into the Underworld, but he manages to fight his way back into the world of the living.

After escaping from the Underworld, Kratos recovers Pandora's Box from Ares (who threatens to usurp the other gods of Olympus), and opens it. The powers unleashed cause him to grow until he is the same size as Ares, and the two engage one another in battle. When Kratos has the upper hand, Ares traps him in an alternate dimension in which he is seemingly reunited with his family, but is forced to defend them against clones of himself. After saving them, Ares strips Kratos of his Blades of Chaos, and uses the Blades to kill his family. A distraught Kratos is returned to the battleground and, after finding the ancient Blade of the Gods nearby (it serves as a bridge leading out of the Oracle's Temple earlier in the game), succeeds in finally defeating and destroying Ares.

Despite his victory, Kratos is informed by Athena the gods cannot rid him of his frequent nightmares of the past (since no one can forget his atrocities), and had only promised to forgive him for his sins. Thinking all his troubles have been in vain, Kratos attempts to commit suicide by throwing himself off a cliff, bringing the story back to the beginning of the game. Athena, however, intervenes and takes him to Mount Olympus where, because of his services to the gods, he is offered to become the new god of war. Kratos' magical abilities are restored, and he is given new weapons, the Blades of Athena.

Soundtrack

The score of God of War was composed by Gerard K. Marino, Ron Fish, Winifred Phillips, Mike Reagan, Cris Velasco and Winnie Waldron and released as an exclusive product for the Sony Connect Music Store on March 1, 2005. It was also offered as a free download via a coupon code found in the game's manual.^{[citation needed]} Several of the tracks feature voice over passages from the video game.

Reception

Critical

God of War received strong praise from gaming critics. The game was praised for its strong gameplay, graphics, and sound. A CNN review stated that "'God of War' is the type of game that makes you remember why you play games in the first place."^[13]

Awards

The game has won over a dozen "Game of the Year Awards".^[14] In 2007, God of War was named the seventh best PlayStation 2 game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the PlayStation 2's long lifespan.^[3]

Film

A film adaptation of the game was announced in 2005.^[15] Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been written by David Self and would be sent out to an unspecified "huge-name director". Jaffe also expressed interest in seeing actor Djimon Hounsou in the role of the protagonist, Kratos.^[16] Jaffe also confirmed that Universal Studios is behind the making of the God of War movie but was unaware of its current status.^[17] Brett Ratner was originally set to direct the film,^[18] but has since abandoned it.^[19]

References

External links

• GodofWar.com
• Official European Site
• God of War at the Open Directory Project
• God of War (video game) at the Internet Movie Database
• God of War Wiki

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