God of War (video game)

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God of War (video game)
Developer(s)	SCE Studios Santa Monica
Publisher(s)	SCEA
Picture format	480p (EDTV) 480i (SDTV)
Release date(s)	March 22, 2005 July 8, 2005
Genre(s)	Action adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Mature BBFC: 18 OFLC: MA15+ CERO: 18+ PEGI: 18+ OFLC/NZ: R16+
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Media	DVD-9
Input	Game controller

God of War is a video game for the Sony PlayStation 2 console released on March 22, 2005. An action-adventure game loosely based on Greek mythology, God of War was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division.

A game in the 3rd-person action genre, which includes Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time trilogy, God of War focuses on slick, intuitive gameplay, an advanced graphics engine, and a well composed musical score. 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 and several informal gaming websites like IGN. The game is now available in the PlayStation 2's lineup of Greatest Hits. Thanks in part to the critical and commercial success of the original, a highly anticipated sequel titled God of War II was released March 13, 2007.

In 2007, IGN named God of War as the greatest PlayStation 2 game of all time, on their Top 25 PS2 Games list.^[1]

[edit] Gameplay

God of War focuses heavily on combat and puzzle-solving. The controls are fairly intuitive, and combat is simple at first — although the game becomes exceptionally challenging at higher difficulty levels. The combat system is context-based, meaning that the player's actions are often determined as much by the enemy's pose around him as the button pressed. Like other adventure games, it involves a fair amount of puzzles that require completion to progress in the game; the puzzles are mostly mechanical in nature and often coincide with combat to make them more challenging. When placed on a higher difficulty, if a player fails multiple times the game will ask the player if they wish to be demoted a lower level.

Unique to the game are specialized "takedown" or "fatality" mini-games: when an enemy or boss has been reduced to a low enough health level, the player may attempt to dispatch it in a short event that may require button-mashing, improvised combos displayed on-screen, joystick rotation, or all of the above. An enemy so dispatched may yield health-restoring green orbs or magic-restoring blue orbs, instead of red-orb currency. Also, engaging in the minigame pauses all other enemies while it proceeds, making the games an appealing alternative to standard combat. These minigames, as well as all combat, are frequently bloody and brutal affairs; the fatality performed on bat-like harpies, for instance, involves Kratos pinning the harpy to the floor with his knee and then ripping its wings off. The bloodshed was not designed to be gratuitous, however; creator David Jaffe states in the included "Making Of" featurette that he originally envisioned a game that would invoke a sense of bloodthirsty rage in both players and player character.

The Blades of Chaos in action.

Kratos' main weapons are the Blades of Chaos, a pair of curved blades on chains attached to his forearms, giving him the ability to swing them at a distance. They become engulfed in flames when used, but cool down when hung on Kratos' back. During specific cutscenes throughout the game, the gods aid Kratos by bestowing their weapons and powers upon him. Kratos gains the ability to unleash a chaotic lightning storm from Poseidon, throw long-range thunderbolts from Zeus, command the souls of the dead from Hades, wield the giant and powerful hunting blade of Artemis, and turn enemies to stone using the head of Medusa, a gift from Aphrodite. Kratos can power up his weapons and acquire magical attacks at any time during the game using the red orbs gained from slain enemies or scattered throughout the game. Initially, Kratos' combos with the Blades of Chaos are limited, but powering them up gains many new attacks, combo strings, increased blocking speed, and powerful counterattacks. Kratos can also enable a temporary state of being called Rage of the Gods, granting him highly increased speed and power, as well as a large reduction in damage taken.

God of War is notable for its movie-like presentation. While most epic games suffer from immersion-breaking loading screens, God of War's story mode switches seamlessly from the title screen to FMV sequences to gameplay and back with very little load time. The load times are masked by prefetching the next area as the player traverses a long, relatively featureless area.

[edit] Story

The game begins with the protagonist, Kratos, stating "The Gods of Olympus have abandoned me. . . Now there is no hope." He then casts himself off the highest cliff in all of Greece. The game itself then goes back three weeks prior, showing the events leading up to his unfortunate fate as he is sent on a mission to save the city of Athens by slaying Ares, the god of war.

Kratos was once a warrior feared throughout the civilized world, famous for his relentlessness in battle, cunning combat tactics, and prowess as a leader. Many men, women, and children alike fell to his blade. It was said that his wife was the only person who could brave his fury. When she questioned his ways, he claimed to be warring for the glory of Sparta. She thought differently, feeling that he waged war more for himself and his own glory than any noble ideal.

Then came the day that Kratos could never have foreseen - the day that he would meet his match on the battlefield. His army, which had grown from a mere 50 men to a force of thousands, faced off against the barbarian hordes from the east. In these new enemies the Spartans found their own brutality surpassed, and in a mere few hours, the battle seemed to be lost as Kratos' men were being killed mercilessly. Kratos himself had fallen at the feet of the barbarian leader, seconds away from death. In desperation, he called on Ares, shouting," Ares! Destroy my enemies and my life is yours!"

Ares, seeing the potential of a god in this mere mortal, answered Kratos' plea and ripped the barbarian hordes apart in seconds. He gave Kratos the Blades of Chaos, phenomenal weapons forged in the foulest depths of Hades. These blades consisted of two dagger like swords fastened to the ends of long metal chains, which themselves were wrapped around Kratos' arms and fused to his flesh. These weapons would be a permanent reminder of Kratos' pledge. In the blink of an eye, the tides had turned as the barbarians were killed in many brutal ways. Kratos, with the new Blades of Chaos, decapitated the barbarian leader.

True to his word, Kratos did Ares' bidding from that day forth. His former savagery paled in comparison to his acts under the watchful eye of the god of war. The Spartans killed many in the name of Ares, leading them to a village loyal to Athena. The god of war orchestrated events so that Kratos thought the village was trying to overpray them to Athena. At Kratos's demand, his men burned the village to the ground. During the raid, Kratos came upon a temple which gave him a feeling that he should never step foot inside. Before entering, the Oracle of the village warned him that the dangers of the temple were greater than Kratos knew. Ignoring her pleas, Kratos entered and carved a bloody path of murder through the temple attendants who dared to stand in his way, blinded by his bloodlust. As he struck down his final two victims, however, everything changed.

Kratos came to his senses to find his wife and daughter lying dead before him, slain by his own hands. Questioning himself as to why his family were there when he left them in Sparta, it wasn't long before he realized the truth. Ares, who had once saved his life, had elaborate designs for him. The god of war appeared before Kratos, and explained that the death of his wife and child were meant to sever the last vestiges of his humanity and transform him into death itself. As the horrifying truth dawned on the blood-stained warrior, the temple, which had been engulfed in flames, issued forth a cloud of white dust. The village Oracle used the ashes of his wife and daughter to curse Kratos thus bleaching his skin pure white, with the exception of his blood-red tattoos. This frightening appearance, and the tales of what he had done, would earn him the name Ghost of Sparta. Kratos renounced his allegiance to Ares, but the damage was done. He would wander the known world for the next 10 years, sailing from port to port, but never able to outrun the nightmares that plagued his mind.

After these long 10 years, Ares himself attacked Athens, his sister Athena's patron city, as a testament to his superiority. By Zeus' law, the gods were forbidden to fight amongst themselves, and so the task of stopping Ares would have to fall to a mortal. The Olympians sought the aid of Kratos - the one mortal they felt could succeed in stopping the god of war. Having been promised absolution for his crimes, Kratos agreed.

Kratos first had to find the Oracle of Athens. When he reached the Oracle's temple, Kratos had met an old man who was digging a grave. The old man said that he had a lot of digging to do and not a lot of time. The old man then told Kratos something he couldn't quite understand. The grave he was digging, was for Kratos. Upon reaching the Oracle, she revealed to him that the only way to kill a god was to use the legendary Pandora's Box. Athena then told him how to reach Pandora's Temple, which was built onto a great mountain, which itself was chained on to the back of the last Titan, Kronos. Kronos, who was the cruel father of Zeus, was ordered by his son to carry the mountain on his back through the Desert of Lost Souls until the swirling sands ripped the very flesh from his bones.

Though many had died trying to find Pandora's Box, Kratos succeeded in claiming the weapon after many dangerous trials. However, before he could return to Athens with the box, Ares realized that Kratos had found the box and hurled a sharp pointed pillar toward Pandora's temple. The pillar pinned Kratos against the wall and in his last moments, he had a flashback of the day when he murdered his wife and daughter. Kratos watched helplessly as the minions of Ares claimed Pandora's Box. Kratos fell into Hades, defeated but unwilling to die. He fought his way through the Underworld and, at the end of the path, came across an anchor on a rope leading to the sky. On the other end was the old man who had been digging. "Athena is not the only god watching over you," the grave digger stated, and then vanished.

Kratos battling Undead Legionnaires

Kratos had traversed the Desert of Lost Souls, bested the deadly traps of Pandora's Temple, and escaped Hades itself. There was but one last task. Coming upon the god of war, Kratos overheard Ares' remarks towards his father, Zeus. Kratos, having been seen by Ares, threw a thunderbolt of Zeus towards the chained box in Ares' hand. The box fell, and Kratos finally recovered it. This then engaged Kratos and Ares in a final battle that would decide the fate of Athens. As a defensive measure, Ares trapped Kratos inside his own mind and created illusions of Kratos' family. Ares then told Kratos that breaking a man's spirit would truly destroy him. Kratos vowed that he would not let Ares take his family from him again, and defended them against numerous doppelgängers of himself, which represented his agony, remorse, and regret. Though Kratos was successful in saving his family, it was all for naught, and Ares dispelled the illusions easily, taking back the Blades of Chaos, killing Kratos' family as well. Ares' goal was to break Kratos' spirit so that he would admit defeat. Though deprived of his weapons and powers, Kratos managed to break free of Ares' assault on his consciousness, and took up the mighty Blade of Olympus. After an intense and protracted duel, Kratos finally got the better of the god of war and plunged the sword through his tormentor's neck.

While receiving the congratulations of the Olympians, Kratos asked Athena to remove the nightmares of his past that haunted him. Athena explained that the gods could only forgive him for his sins, and that no man or god could ever forget the terrible deeds Kratos had done under the tutelage of Ares. Feeling abandoned and hopeless, Kratos climbed the highest mountain of Greece to commit suicide by falling off. Kratos fell until he struck the Aegean Sea below him. However, as he hit the water, he felt himself being pulled back up to the top of the cliff. Athena told Kratos that the gods decreed that he would not die on this day because of his excellent service to the gods. She reminded Kratos that there was an empty throne in Olympus and a new God of War was needed. She offered Kratos to become the new god of war and thus opened the door that would lead Kratos to Mount Olympus.

[edit] Treasures

The game contains three unlockable cutscenes which are intended as potential avenues of continuing the story. In the cutscene "Birth of the Beast", Kratos' past as a child is revealed as he and his younger brother are trained to fight in the Spartan Army. Kratos had been well fit to become a legend, but his brother had been too weak and died in the mountains. His brother had died and fell to Hades, growing of age and seeking revenge upon the brother who abandoned him. In the cutscene "A Secret Revealed", Kratos visited his mother and attempted to discover the identity of his anonymous father. Before she could reveal to him who his father was, she changed into a horrific monster. Driving his blade through his once so-called mother, with her last breath Kratos is told his father was Zeus. Kratos decided to take his revenge on Zeus for having abandoned him and his mother. The cutscene "The Fate of the Titan" describes the eventual death of Kronos, who had been carrying the Temple of Pandora on his back. Having said that all myths need not be from the past, explorers today eventually rediscovered it, with the temple still containing many secrets to be discovered.

The game's creator, David Jaffe, has said on many occasions that God of War will be a series of games with several sequels.

[edit] Bosses

• The Hydra - Encountered on the ship wrecks of the Aegean Sea. The Hydra is a monstrous being that had terrorized the sea. Poseidon himself told Kratos that the Hydra had terrorized his seas for far too long. This creature had many heads, one being supreme above the rest. The spawned heads were immortal as long as the supreme head lived. The number of its heads were unknown, but it was titanic in size, making it a lethal opponent for any sailor. Ultimately, Kratos skewered the supreme head through the eye on the main mast of a ship, leaving the Hydra to die and the spawns to explode upon their demise.

• The Minotaur of Pandora's Temple - Encountered in Pandora's Temple after completing the Challenge of Hades. This monstrous being is massive in size. It appears after unlocking the door leading to the architect's second son's tomb. Kratos broke its armor completely in order to expose its fleshy chest to attacks. Kratos finished it off by firing a ballista pole into its chest, pinning it against the door it was released from, breaking an entrance with its hoof.

• Ares - Encountered in the destroyed city of Athens. After retrieving Pandora's Box and returning from the Underworld, Kratos was finally able to exact his revenge on Ares. With the power of Pandora's Box, he grew to Ares' size, and was able to fight the god of war. During the battle, Kratos was trapped in his own mind by Ares. Ares tried to destroy Kratos' spirit by killing his family once again subconsciously, but failed when Kratos discovered the "Blade of the Gods". Stating "I still have allies in Olympus", Kratos delivers the final blow to Ares and watches as the god of war vanishes in a blast before him.

[edit] The Gifts from the Gods of Olympus

Progressing through the game, Kratos can unlock and use several gifts that are given to him by the gods to aid him along his quest.

• Aphrodite - The goddess of love and beauty. She gives Kratos the ability "Medusa's Gaze". It is obtained from Aphrodite by battling and defeating Medusa, the Queen of the Gorgons. Once Kratos brutally rips off her head with his bare hands, he is granted the ability to use its power. "Medusa's Gaze" allows Kratos to transform his enemies to stone. This power can't be used on other gorgons, however.

• Ares - The god of war. Ares is responsible for giving Kratos the "Blades of Chaos". This weapon consisted of two blades chained to Kratos' arms; a permanent reminder of Kratos' pledge to the god of war.

• Artemis - The goddess of the hunt and wild animals. She gives Kratos the "Blade of Artemis". It is a large, curving blade that is meant to be used with both hands. Once used by Artemis to slay a Titan, Kratos nevertheless sometimes uses it single-handed. Surrounded by raw energies, the blade is capable of piercing armor and hide that the "Blades of Chaos" may be unable to damage, sacrificing speed for power.

• Athena - The goddess of civilization and Kratos' guardian. She gives the upgrade "Rage of the Gods" to the "Blades of Chaos". It is an ultimate power that makes Kratos almost immune to all physical trauma and boosts his attack power exponentially, allowing him to decimate enemies. This is a temporary transformation and once it runs out of power, Kratos will be forced to return to his normal form while his energy for this power slowly returns. When Kratos' "Blades of Chaos" are leveled up fully, it allows unlimited magic power while in "Rage of the Gods".

• Hades - The god of the dead and the Underworld. He gives Kratos the "Army of Hades". This grants Kratos the power to summon the very souls of Hades itself in an unstoppable torrent of undead warriors. Not even the powers of Ares himself can withstand a sustained assault from the souls.

• Poseidon - The god of the sea. "Poseidon's Rage" is obtained from this god. This power grants Kratos the power of thunder and storms, allowing him to create powerful shockwaves and blasts of lightning around himself to repel and injure foes.

• Zeus - The father of Mount Olympus and god of thunder. Kratos obtains "Zeus' Fury" from the leader of the gods. Kratos can use this gift to summon and hurl the very lightning bolts that Zeus uses.

[edit] Bestiary

• Undead Legionnaires

These Legionnaires belong to Ares' army of the undead. A frequently encountered enemy, they sometimes come in clusters and are quite varied with some wearing heavy armor, some carrying large scythes and others shields. As an interesting note, Legionnaires were actually Roman soldiers, while Hoplites were Greek.

• Lernaean Hydra

The Hydra is made up of a Master Head as well as a number of Lesser Heads. The Lesser Heads are immortal as long as the Master Head lives. With an unknown number of heads but being titanic in size, the Hydra is a lethal opponent for any sailor. Ultimately, Kratos skewers the Master Head through the eye on the main mast of a ship, leaving the Master Head to die and the Lesser Heads to explode upon their demise. Later a Hydra head is found in Kratos' throne room on Mount Olympus.

• Minotaurs

In Greek mythology, Minotaurs are monsters with the head of a bull and the body of a man. In God of War, they are almost entirely bull-like. Large in stature and brutal in their attacks, these enemies are frequently encountered. While there was only one Minotaur in Greek mythology, they are rather common enemies in the game. They only get bigger and stronger. Kratos can kill them by thrusting a sword in their open mouths and out the back of their heads. This will cause health orbs to drop if done properly.

• The Pandoran Minotaur (AKA Pandora's Guardian)

Being many times the size of a regular Minotaur, the King of Minotaurs was set to guard the end of the Path of Hades, being sealed behind a massive door and trapped within a barbed cage for centuries has made it enraged. The Architect constructed an immense suit of armor for the beast, augmenting its strength and giving it unnatural protection, yet he also built a means of defeating it in the form of a bolt thrower. Kratos overcomes this behemoth by stunning it in combat and firing bolts at it, damaging it's armor until the unarmored beast can be impaled through the chest.

• Cyclops

In Greek mythology, Cyclopes are massive, one-eyed creatures. These beings are more deadly than the Minotaur, being easily more powerful, as well as much faster. Their eyes are their primary weak spot.

• Harpies

In Greek mythology, Harpies are mythological monsters with the head of a woman and the body of a bird. They constitute the primary aerial enemy in the game. The designers intended for them to be a nuisance and as such they are relatively weak although they later gain a powerful dive bomb attack. Their wings can be ripped off by pressing circle, but they won't give experience orbs if killed this way.

• Wraiths

A Wraith is essentially a spirit of the dead. In God of War, Wraiths are the spirits of the fallen soldiers who have opposed Ares and are generally trickier to defeat than the average Legionnaire as they are capable of burrowing underground and bursting up to attack. Kratos' finisher is to tear a bladed arm off the creature and use the arm as a weapon to decapitate them.

• Gorgons

In this game, the Gorgons consist of a whip-like tail and a head full of snakes. They can quickly move from one location to another and get one or two quick strikes, but their power does not come from physical might. At some points, they may use their gaze to turn Kratos into stone. Kratos can finish them off by wrestling them to the ground and ripping their heads off with his bare hands. If he does this, magic orbs will be dropped every time. The Queen of the Gorgons is Medusa and when Kratos defeats her he gains her head and the ability to turn his enemies into stone.

• Sirens

In Greek mythology, Sirens lure their victims, particularly sailors, to their death with their enticing song. In God of War Kratos uses their songs to locate them during a sand storm and gain access to the next section of the game. When he first meets the Sirens, Kratos finishes them by breaking their spines and releasing their spirits, three of which must be released to open a door. Kratos later faces other Sirens. To finish these he can knee them in the stomach before smashing their heads to the ground or impale them and swing them away.

• Satyrs

Satyrs are the most skilled non-boss opponents Kratos can face, easily capable of outmatching any of the Undead Legionnaires. Satyrs carry ornate staves with blades at either end. The staves can also separated into two to be used as two-handed weapons.

• Centaurs

More bestial in nature and form in God of War, the Centaurs found within the Path of Hades are guardians and powerful warriors. With their horse-bodies they move quickly and wield heavy weapons for a big strike as well as accurate archery. Kratos can finish Centaurs by removing their forelegs and then scissoring their heads from their shoulders.

• Cerberus

In Greek mythology there was only one Cerberus who guarded the gates to Hades, but in God of War they are a common enemy. Adult Cerberi are some of the strongest enemies in the game with strong claw attacks and a nasty fireball blast. They also spawn little Cerberus Pups which, though weaker, are a nuisance - however, given time, they transform into Adults.

[edit] Characters

Kratos

Quote: God of War... I haven't forgotten you. For what you did that night, this city will be your grave.

The main character, a Spartan warrior who swears revenge against Ares for betraying him.

Athena

Quote: Kratos, the journey forward is perilous, but one you must complete if you are to have any hope of saving Athens.

The goddess of righteous wars and wisdom who is the most prominent god who helps Kratos on his quest.

Ares

Quote: Zeus! Do you see now what your son can do? You cast your favor on Athena, but her city lies in ruins before me! And now, even Pandora's Box is mine! Would you have me use it against Olympus itself? Kratos? Returned even from the Underworld. Is this the best you can do, father? You send a broken mortal to defeat me, the God of War?

The God of War who caused Kratos to murder his own family, and is now the target of his revenge.

The Village Oracle

Quote: Beware, Kratos. The dangers in the temple are greater than you know.

An oracle to the village that Kratos and his men burned to the ground. She bears a glowing Omega necklace and warned Kratos of going into the temple, as his wife and child were inside.

The Oracle of Athens

Quote: "Go through the gates to the desert, Kratos. There begins the path to Pandora's Box. It is the only way you will defeat Ares and save Athens."

A servant to Athena who seeks to help Kratos in his quest to vanquish Ares. It was she who told Kratos of Pandora's Box and where it was located, sending him through the Desert of Lost Souls to find The Sirens. It should be noted that in actual Greek mythology, there is no "Oracle of Athens"; however, there is the Oracle of Delphi who serves Apollo, not Athena. She died when you escaped from Hades.

The Grave Digger

Quote: "Athena isn't the only god keeping watch on you, Spartan."

A mysterious man digging a grave on the edge of Athens, his exact agenda is unknown but it transpires he is making a passage to The Underworld...just in time for Kratos to escape from that place....

The Body Burner

Quote: (sarcastic) "May the Gods grant you strength to conquer the perils that lie before you.... Good luck, Spartan...."

The first to enter the Temple of Pandora and in his own words the first to die. Punished by the Gods to clear up anyone who dies in the temple - and there are many - he is immortal of spirit but not of body, hence his rotting visage. Only he can unlock the doors to the temple and when Kratos ascended to the Upper Levels, the Body Burner looked on, impressed. Presumably once Pandora's Box had been claimed by Kratos, this wretched soul's life finally gave out.

The Architect, Pathos Verdes III

This man was a zealot who - according to the Body Burner - lived only to serve the gods but went mad trying. He constructed the entire Temple of Pandora and the rumor is that he's still alive, still inside... still trying to appease the Gods who abandoned him years ago. Kratos finds the Architect's two sons entombed within the temple and when he enters the Architects Tomb he finds evidence that suggests that the Architect was alive until quite recently. His wife had claimed he was mad and tried to stop his work, so the Architect stabbed her to death and then took his own life, cursing the name of the Gods.

The level design of Pandora's Temple is intended to reflect on the mental state of the Architect as he built it. The early sections of the Temple are fairly straightforward and its traps are ordinary. However, the level design grows more erratic as Kratos moves forward, and the puzzles and traps become more grisly and demented. This indicates the Architect's growing madness as he built the Temple, culminating in the murder of his own wife--all in service to the gods.

Kratos' Wife and Child

Quote: "The glory of Sparta... You did this for yourself!"

In the past they were the only people who did not fear Kratos, but sadly they were both killed by Kratos when he was deceived by Ares at the massacre of the Athenian temple. They reappear later as a cruel illusion forged by the God of War in an attempt to defeat Kratos in battle when Kratos proved stronger than Ares thought. They were killed again when the Blades of Chaos were commanded to impale them by their master, The God Of War.

The Narrator

Quote: "And so Kratos cast himself from the highest mountain in all of Greece." (Opening lines)

An unseen, omniscient voice that narrates the story of Kratos to the gamer throughout the game's cutscenes. In God of War II it is revealed that rather than being a simple literary device, the narrator is the voice of Gaia the Titan. Voiced by Linda Hunt.

[edit] Censored scenes

In the European and Japanese versions, a human soldier that must be sacrificed to open a locked door is replaced with an Undead Legionnaire. However, an in-game note used to hint at the puzzle's solution—"I can't do it, they used to be human"—suggests that its author somehow managed to avoid killing any of the hundreds of undead soldiers populating the temple. However the soldier could also lack the will to sacrifice a helpless captive rather than an attacking enemy.

The American and European version features two topless women, whom Kratos can have sex with (while the camera views a vase on an end table, which is eventually toppled by all the goings-on). A video on the game's Japanese website reveals that, in the Japanese release, these women wear lacy tops instead. Also, the Oracle of Athens no longer wears a transparent shirt as she does in the American and European release. Furthermore, in the Japanese version it is impossible to harm the humans who run around during the early stages of the game.

In addition, there were gameplay changes between the American and European versions. In the European version, the final battle against Ares is made easier, as rotation of the analog stick is no longer required for a finishing move. The American version is the only version with no censored or unchanged scenes.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Awards

In 2007, God of War was named best PlayStation 2 game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the PlayStation 2's long lifespan.^[1]

• GameSpot's Best PS2 Game of E3 2004
• Daily Game's Best Action Game of E3 2004
• GameSpy E3 Awards 2004 - PS2 Game of Show
• GameRevolution - Best of E3 2004 Action/Adventure

• GameSpot's Best of 2005:
  • Best PS2 Game
  • Best Original Music
  • Reader's Choice: Best PS2 Game
• 6th Annual PSX Extreme's Awards:
  • Game of the Year
  • Reader's Choice for Game of the Year
• PAX Gamers: GOTY Awards - 2005:
  • Best PS2 Game
  • Best Action Game
  • Best Sound
  • Surprise of the Year
  • Game of the Year
• Game Daily's 2005 Game Awards:
  • Best Action Game
  • Best Soundtrack
  • Game of the Year
• IGN PS2:
  • Best Action Game
  • Best Graphics Technology
  • Best Original Score
  • Best Story
  • PS2 Game of the Year
  • Game of the Year 2005
  • Best PS2 Game of All Time
• Third-Annual G-Phoria Awards:
  • Best Action Game
  • Best Cinematic
  • Best Original Game
  • Favorite Character
• Included on Game Informer's "Top 50 Games of 2005" list
  • Gameinformer "10 out of 10"
• PSM 100% Independent Playstation 2 Magazine
  • Game of the Year 2005
  • Special Achievement Award 2005: Best Story
  • Special Achievement Award 2005: Best Voice Acting
• 2005 Spike TV's Video Game Awards
  • Best Action Game
  • Best Game Designer- (David Jaffe)
• Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences 9th Annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Create, Entertain) Awards:
  • Overall Game of the year
  • Console Game of the Year
  • Outstanding Achievement: Animation
  • Outstanding Achievement: Original Music Composition
  • Outstanding Achievement: Sound Design
  • Outstanding Character Performance: Male
  • Action/Adventure Game of the Year
• GameZone 2005 Game of the Year Awards:
  • PS2 Game of the Year
  • Best Original Score
• 2005 Free Press Game of the Year
• GameSpy's PS2 Game of the Year 2005
• ControllerFreaks' 2005 Game Awards:
  • PlayStation 2 Game of the Year
  • Action Game of the Year
• Electronic Gaming Monthly 2005 Game Awards
  • Best PS2 Game
  • Game of the Year Runner-Up
  • Best New Character Who Deserves a Sequel
  • Best Game Designer (David Jaffe)
• Gaming Target:
  • 52 Games From 2005 We'd Still Be Playing (The Top 12)
  • PS2 Game of the Year
• GameShadow Innovation in Games Awards
  • Nominated in Best Character Category

[edit] Parodies

Kratos appears several times on the G4TV show X-Play, where God of War was given a "5 out of 5", as a foul-mouthed drunkard in various jokes.

In the popular internet comic strip VG Cats, Kratos depicted in comic number 151 as a pervert who takes a liking to naked women.

In the popular online comic strip Penny Arcade, Kratos is depicted going to therapy in order to change his brutal nature.

[edit] Film

A film adaptation was announced[1] in 2005. Nearly one week prior to the release of God of War II in the U.S., creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been penned by David Self and would be sending it out to a unspecified "huge-name director."[2]. Jaffe also expressed interest in seeing actor Djimon Hounsou in the role of the protagonist, Kratos. "You have to get past the fact that Kratos is Greek, and Djimon is black, but in terms of the way he looks and his acting ability and his physique — I can't think of a better choice." It is believed the film will set for a 2007 release date.

[edit] See also

• God of War (soundtrack)
• God of War II
• God of War (PSP)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• Official European Site
• Metacritic Reviews
• 1UP Review