God of War 2005

Is it still worth playing?

Santa Monica Studio's 2005 third person action adventure for the PlayStation 2, directed by David Jaffe. Kratos, a Spartan warrior who serves the Olympian gods, is tasked by Athena with killing Ares, the God of War, who tricked him into killing his wife and daughter. Most of it is hack and slash combat with the Blades of Chaos, four magic abilities and a temporary Rage of the Gods, under a fixed camera. It leans on attack, with smooth controls. When a strong foe is weakened, a quick time event begins, and success ends the fight. Between fights come simple puzzles and platforming, with climbing, rope swinging and balance beams, which set the pace. Fluid combat, broken up by puzzles and platforming, still keeps it worth playing today.