Menu Close

God of War Collection Review

Graphics:
8.9
Gameplay:
9.5
Sound:
9.5
Control:
9.0
Replay Value:
9.5
Overall Rating:
9.3
Online Gameplay:
Not Rated
Publisher:
SCEA
Developer:
SCEA
Number Of Players:
1
Genre:
Genre


Preface: Well, this is certainly embarassing. In the midst of all this excitement, someone at Sony has forgot to put out any official screenshots of the games running. There are two videos, one of which you can watch here . But in the meantime, we'll have to deal without the screenshots.

So I'm sure many of you who own a PlayStation 3 now have probably played a God of War game in the past, whether it was God of War, God of War II, God of War: Chains of Olympus for PSP, or even a God of War demo. No matter which one of those it was, you can't deny that there is something special about the game that no other action franchise can come close to. The games were always beyond epic, and to see it all done on the PlayStation 2, which was last-gen's weakest console, created some serious jaw dropping. Now, as I found out during my preview of God of War Collection, a lot of you out there still haven't played either God of War games, and were looking forward to a picture perfect HD port within this collection. I'm happy to report this collection is for you.

So the basic story is simple: you are Kratos, an apprentice to the God of War by the name of Ares. In exchange for a victory against a barbaric tribe, Kratos gives up his soul to the God, only to be betrayed by him later on. I won't say exactly how Ares tricked and betrayed Kratos, but the plot twist is quite a nice one. Regardless, the betrayal sends Kratos into a fit of rage. Kratos would go on to serve a number of other Gods, all of which bestow tasks of gruesome brutality on him, until he could take it no more and calls upon Athena for help. He asks her to rid his conscious of the wretched memories he has to live with. But it is Athena who has a favor to ask of Kratos, and that is stop Ares' destructive path in Athens and kill him.

Now, if you've never played the games before, that's about as much of the plot I should really tell you, because the deeper and deeper you get into the first game, the more interesting and involved you become into this epic story. Furthermore, upon completing the first game, you'll immediately want to dive into the sequel and encounter a crazy turn of events for Kratos, drastically changing the very foundation of the original game and its story. I mean really, when I said that God of War was beyond epic, I meant it.

Gameplay is as fast-paced and action packed as you could possibly hope for. It is without a doubt the smoothest playing action series out there, yes, even besting Devil May Cry. Everything flows seamlessly from one attack to the next. Kratos' list of attacks is not only expansive but extremely brutal, as God of War is known for its gory and violent nature, capturing the absolute chaos and ruthlessness depicted within Greek mythology. Kratos can string hits of attacks simultaneously, with 100 hit combos made possible thanks to the amazing game mechanics and some really kick ass moves.

Wielding a pair of chain blades permanently affixed to his forearms, Kratos is well equipped for any situation, and with solid upgrade features, even dealing with tougher enemies is a breeze for this Spartan. You'll gain access to not just new moves, but also a variety of power ups and weapons which will come extremely handy throughout the game. But it is the boss fights in the God of War games that many call absolutely epic, and you simply have to see them for yourself and marvel at the kind of events many of us saw unfolding on our wimpy little PlayStation 2's. Some boss fights simply tower over you and take up so much of the game space, it's staggering. Even on a PlayStation 3 watching these bosses attack and animate is still extremely impressive, despite these being upgraded PS2 visuals. If there was one series that was the pre-cursor to the epic scope games have this generation, God of War is it – it really did pave the way for the action genre.

In this compilation, you get both God of War I and God of War II complete with trophies, in addition to being able to download the God of War III demo. But, gaming aside, you also have a "Making of God of War II" documentary, in addition to a whole bunch of other GOWII behind-the-scenes footage that runs for almost two hours, which adds even more content to an already rich game. Honestly, Sony could've charged $60 for this and got away with it, so for $40, God of War: Collection is an absolute steal and offers a plethora of gaming value, in addition to offering two of the very best PlayStation 2 games ever made.

Visually, both God of War games retain nearly every original detail, and then some. Textures are now sharper than they were before, allowing you to see more details in them. While the first God of War clearly demonstrates certain shortcomings, such as less polygon count in character, it still manages to look very good in its all new 720p skin. But it is God of War II that continues to really impress, looking like a bona fide next-gen game throughout bits of the game, as its improved textures and polygon count over GOW1 really help make this HD update look that much nicer.

Best of all, both games still run at 60 frames per second, with only minor hiccups here and there, certainly nothing we didn't see even in the PS2 games. Now, even though both games run at 720p, there is also a half-1080p mode that renders the game at 960×1080, which is an increase in pixel count, for those keeping count. You'd be hard pressed to notice the differences, really, but hey, the mode is there if you want it. On top of all that, the games are fully anti-aliased. My only complaint is that the cutscenes were left alone in their original and very grainy resolution, so when the game cuts to them, you'll get a distinctly different visual quality – it's much more a problem in the first God of War, since God of War II's cutscenes looked quite a bit better.

Audio is everything you remembered it to be. A superb soundtrack plays in the background, setting the tone and mood for the game with an almost perfect execution. To add to that, the voice acting is simply phenomenal and has not aged one bit between either of the games. You'd think that with the kind of games we've been playing lately, these God of War titles would at least show some age, but the moment you boot up either one, you're immediately reminded just how high Santa Monica Studios managed to set that bar.

Don't just buy this collection as a way to get your hands on the demo early, because this bundle of amazing software is dripping with quality. Both games have retained their signature gameplay, all the while gaining new and improved visuals, boasting full 720p resolutions, better texture details, anti-aliasing, trophy support, behind the scenes footage, and, yes, a demo of God of War III. Seriously, replaying this on your PlayStation 3 makes you often forget you're playing PS2 games. For $40, this is the steal of the year.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
78 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Poor_boy
Poor_boy
14 years ago

The Sisters of Fate in HD! What more could you ask for?

LowKey
LowKey
14 years ago

yeahhh, hundred boobie fate in hd, LMAO!!!

Hexen
Hexen
14 years ago

Shame on me for not playing these games in the PS2 days (they just flew right under my radar).A necessary must buy for me.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Same here. Waiting for my copy from Amazon.

chucknasty
chucknasty
14 years ago

I don't want to know how you guys missed these but I am happy to see you are correcting the oversight:P

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

I only recently played ICO and am now playing SotC. I'd like to see HD remakes of these two brilliant games.


Last edited by Jawknee on 11/18/2009 9:20:08 AM

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

You and me both Jawknee, waiting for amazon. Unfortunately it looks like my copy won't arrive until next week….mumble, mumble…..Speaking of Amazon, the GOW 3 Ultimate Edition is 10 bucks off right now, in case you were interested.


Last edited by Kowhoho on 11/18/2009 3:20:07 PM

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Yea amazon hasn't even sent mine yet. But it's ok. Uncharted 2 multiplayer will keep me busy till then.

Thanks for the info. Although I tend to stay away from Special Editoons. The only one I regret not getting when I had the chance is the MGS4 Spec Ed. The last special Ed I bought was FFXII.

Daedusian
Daedusian
14 years ago

Does the game still have the same gritty feel to it like the old games because from what I've seen on GameTrailers, the game looks like it has less color and is much grayer. And as a result, the game looks less gruesome and brutal.

Anyways, please tell me I'm wrong because I would like to get this but if it looks "childish", I might skip it (although I don't know if I can – it IS GoW after all..)

ArnoldK PSXE
ArnoldK PSXE
14 years ago

What? No way. Nothing like that was messed with or changed. The game is still extremely violent.


Last edited by ArnoldK PSXE on 11/17/2009 11:33:45 PM

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

The lack of lower color values on the ps3 is usually due to not turning the RGB range to full. It really does help to have it on full for most games. Some don't like it because you get darker blacks. But I bet you the reason the Collection looks a bit washed out compared to the ps2 versions is because who ever did the comparison had the RGB range on limited.

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

Yeah I tried playing Uncharted 2 with full rgb enabled and it did look a bit too dark. It may be better suited for this collection though.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Yea I agree, I did notice uncharted 2 is better in limited. Even with limited it's still a bit dark. I prefer most other games with full though.

Daedusian
Daedusian
14 years ago

No I just meant graphically, not in terms of gameplay. I know I'm not the only one who noticed the grey/washed out colors in the comparison videos because I've seen some comment on it. Anyways, sorry for the confusion. =)

Daedusian
Daedusian
14 years ago

@ Jawknee; Yeah, true, I didn't think about that. I have never used the RGB, but now I'm curious to test it out. Thanks for the reply.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

No problem.

Snaaaake
Snaaaake
14 years ago

A collection also get reviewed?
And with such high rating there's no way I'm not getting this.

perestroika
perestroika
14 years ago

so they only added the god of war 2 behind the scenes stuff? not even the gow1 stuff? i was hoping they had the content from the gow1 guide thats like 2 hours of behind the scenes stuff.

anyway, still not if I'll ever get this. i have both games already, but somehow i was hoping for more extra content [i'm a greedy person] like more behind the scenes stuff!

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

some digital strategy guides woulda been cool too.

Fane1024
Fane1024
14 years ago

All the original BTS content from both games is included, but nothing new.

jerocarson
jerocarson
14 years ago

if it meets sales expectation. Definitely Sony would bring more remastered games..
i only played GOW I, now it's an opportunity to play both..
syphon filters 2 remake and/or 5 pls


Last edited by jerocarson on 11/17/2009 11:51:36 PM

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

I'm still hoping for FF series remastered. I missed so many of games is PS2 gen. I cant simply play any Standard Definition games anymore because of Uncharted 2. I simply can't step down in graphics anymore. I hope if Sony continues to remaster games, fix the cutscenes too.

chucknasty
chucknasty
14 years ago

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus remaster would be better. A lot of people missed out on Ico since it was not a big seller but one of the best games ever made in my opinion.

ArnoldK PSXE
ArnoldK PSXE
14 years ago

A part of me feels like this is just one of many HD updates to come. The guys from Bluepoint actually said they had the games up and running on the PS3 in HD in 3 weeks, and used the remainder 3 months to polish it up. A four month development cycle is absurdly short, so the potential for money is EXTREMELY high, considering how tiny development costs are.

tes37
tes37
14 years ago

Are the games still displayed in a standard screen format or are they in widescreen format now?

Fane1024
Fane1024
14 years ago

720p = widescreen ratio

I'm pretty sure both games ran at 480p and in widescreen on the PS2, anyway.

LividFiction
LividFiction
14 years ago

You can have content in 720p that isn't in a widescreen format, actually.

inkme101
inkme101
14 years ago

god i wish my ps3 didnt break last monday. would love to see sotc in hd though!!

Qubex
Qubex
14 years ago

Will you get it replaced?

Q!

"i am home"

Fane1024
Fane1024
14 years ago

My PS3 decided to celebrate its 3rd birthday with a flashing yellow light instead of candles…killed apparently by the sheer awesomeness of Uncharted 2.

[weeps uncontrollably]

I did manage to get the disc out of the drive.

Now I have to decide whether I want to try to fix it myself or spend the $150.

WARNING TO ALL

If your PS3 reboots itself for no apparent reason, BACK UP YOUR FILES. It may be the only warning you get before the YLOD.

___________
___________
14 years ago

heres to MGS, ratchet and clank, devil may cry, splinter cell, syphon filter, tomb raider, twisted metal and the oddworld games being remade into their hi def glory.
o how can i forget APE ESCAPE!
especially R&C i dont know what it is about that game, but its the only one i truly enjoy.
i can sit there and play it for weeks on end and not get bored, no other game can do that.

Charger7302
Charger7302
14 years ago

This is number 1 on my Christmas list. I've heard many great things about this franchise so this collection will be great for me. And since I was a casual gamer last gen, I hope they remaster more ps2 games, mgs4 was my first entry in the franchise so an HD collection of metal gear solid 1-3 would be greatly appreciated.

Nerull
Nerull
14 years ago

I'll get this eventually but I've had the demo for a while for preordering the CE so it will take a while to get to with all the competition.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

A must buy

Qubex
Qubex
14 years ago

To be honest, not for me at the moment; I want to solely concentrate on building a PS3 only AAA collection. I think GoWIII will be good enough as a stand alone product!

Q!

"i am home"

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

I too did not buy it day one, but it will make my collection very soon. At $40 (36.99 on amazon) it must be in my collection.

jerocarson
jerocarson
14 years ago

God of doesn't ve much cutscens, meh, i LOVE cutscens that why MGS4 is one my favorite game.

LegendaryWolfeh
LegendaryWolfeh
14 years ago

wow really? what's it matter if there are cutscenes, tons of older games never had cutscenes and some had a few. Sure the cutscenes tell the story but GoW definitely has more than enough cutscenes to do that while having the gameplay amount everyone wants to back it up.

Bonampak
Bonampak
14 years ago

Can we call these games "classic" yet?… or is it too soon?

LowKey
LowKey
14 years ago

Dude, they both were what we like to refer to as "instant classics".

LegendaryWolfeh
LegendaryWolfeh
14 years ago

Man, supposed to get it tuesday but they freakin changed the release at the very last moment = sigh, one whole day is killing me @_@

NeoHumpty
NeoHumpty
14 years ago

lol. Yeah, I've been trying to order all my new games through the internet to save a few bucks here and there. My mailman doesn't run until late in the afternoon so when I get home I'm like a kid constantly sticking my head out the door to check my mail way before it should be here. Just got Dragon Age 2 days ago, now I'm waiting on MGS4. (I know, shame on me for not playing that already)

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

NeoHumpty – I know exactly what you're saying about the mail. LOL Games in the mail FTW !

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

Every day a game comes in the mail is Christmas day 🙂 Well, that or the first night of Hanukkah, etc…


Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 11/18/2009 11:20:25 AM

Imagi
Imagi
14 years ago

Anyone know the U.K/Europe release date, or is this one best left for import?

Larsperson
Larsperson
14 years ago

Might be US only for now, cant find info on Australian release either so may be importing it at some stage.


Last edited by Larsperson on 11/18/2009 2:02:58 PM

Larsperson
Larsperson
14 years ago

Have only played God Of War on PSP and had alot of fun with it. Look forward to playing these versions in HD. Hoping they are slated for release in Australia as well?

NeoHumpty
NeoHumpty
14 years ago

I'm sure Australia will be banning this game due to gore and decapitations. lol. WTF? Was the pope made king down there?

Larsperson
Larsperson
14 years ago

Go figure huh. Its ok to gun down innocent civilians in MW2 though lol.

soli
soli
14 years ago

woot!
k back to waiting for persona 5

78
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x