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God of War (2005 video game)

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God of War
File:Gowbox.jpg
The North American box art, depicting Kratos overlooking Mount Olympus
Developer(s)SCE Studios Santa Monica
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)David Jaffe
Writer(s)
EngineKinetica
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Genre(s)Hack and slash, action adventure
Mode(s)Single player

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

It was very well received by critics and fans alike and was the recipient of many awards, including "Game of the Year" honours from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. In Template:Vgy, IGN named God of War as the greatest PlayStation 2 game of all time, on their Top 25 PS2 Games list.[1] The game is now available in the PlayStation 2's lineup of Greatest Hits. A sequel titled God of War II was released March 13, 2007. A prequel, exclusive on the PlayStation Portable, titled God of War: Chains of Olympus, was released on March 4, 2008.

Plot

The game begins with Kratos on the tallest cliff in Greece, lamenting that the gods have abandoned him; hopeless, he throws himself off the cliff into the waves below. The game then shifts to events of the past through flashbacks to describe Kratos' history, and the events of three weeks prior.

Kratos became a servant to the gods when he offered his life in exchange for salvation from a barbarian horde massacre; Ares heeded his plea and granted Kratos great power and also the "Blades of Chaos", bladed swords connected by chains, seared to Kratos' arms. Ares instructed Kratos to rebuild his army and use it to conquer much of Greece. In one village which worshiped the goddess Athena, Kratos in his bloodlust wiped out all the people inside the temple, only to realize later that he had killed his wife and daughter. Kratos renounced his service to Ares and began to wander the Aegean Sea, offering to serve the other gods of Olympus to gain redemption for his sins.

After defeating the Hydra at the request of Poseidon, Kratos learns from Athena that Ares is moving on Athens and requests that Kratos stop him. Arriving at the war-torn city, Kratos learns from the Oracle at Athens that the only way to defeat Ares is to use Pandora's Box, giving a mortal the power to kill a god, and that the Box is presently locked deep inside the Temple of Pandora which sits on the back of the Titan Cronus as he wanders the Desert of Lost Souls. Kratos travels across the Desert and successfully enters the Temple to retrieve Pandora's Box, but this event does not go unnoticed by Ares. After saving the beautiful oracle of athens, Ares launches a giant sharp pillar towards the temple, impaling Kratos and sending him to the Underworld.

As Kratos falls into the Underworld, he grabs onto a ledge, and begins to climb out from its depths. After escaping, Kratos returns to the destroyed Athens to find Ares ready to use the power of Pandora's Box against Zeus and Olympus, but Kratos is able to retrieve the Box and use its power to grow to the size of Ares. The two battle, with Ares attempting to use the images of Kratos' family against him, but eventually Kratos breaks the illusion. Kratos discovers the Blade of the Gods, a sword serving as a giant bridge within Athens, and uses it to finish off Ares despite his pleading to be sparred. The Gods congratulate Kratos, but though they can forgive his sins, they cannot remove Kratos' nightmares of the past. Kratos realizes his work has been for nothing to himself, and wanders to a cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea, and then throws himself into it, the point where the game begins. However, Athena appears at the last moment, telling Kratos that they cannot let one die who has done a great service, and offers him the vacated throne of the God of War in Olympus.

Gameplay

God of War is a third-person action video game, focused on the player using melee attacks, magic abilities, and combinations of that to defeat foes. The player controls Kratos' movements, including jumping, swimming, and climbing, as well as his attacks. Kratos' primary weapon are the Blades of Chaos which can be used in a number of different types of attacks, varying in power, speed, and range of damage. Throughout the game, Kratos also gains the abilities of several magical artifacts, such as the head of Medusa that can be used to turn foes into stone. Damaging and killing an enemy will release one of three types of orbs; red orbs are used to power up Kratos' attacks, green orbs restore Kratos' health, and blue orbs restore his magic. As the player kills more, he also builds up a meter reflecting the "Rage of the Gods"; when the meter is full, the player can activate the power to temporarily increase Kratos' attack power. Should Kratos loss all his health, the game is over, but the player has the option of restarting at the last checkpoint; the game will also offer the player the opportunity to attempt the game at a lower difficulty level if they have restarted from the same checkpoint several times in a row.

When certain enemies, in particular certain boss battles and larger foes, are low in health, the player can initiate a special killing sequence as indicated by a marker over the enemy's head. This starts a sequence of moves by Kratos that will display a controller button or an analog stick briefly on the screen during the attack; the player must hit that button or move the analog stick as indicated within a short time for the killing sequence to continue, otherwise the sequence will be broken and the enemy will grab Kratos and toss him away. However, if the player successfully responds to each sequence, then the gain of red, green, or blue orbs can be larger than if the player simply continued to wear out the foe through normal attacks.

In addition to the melee aspects of the game, the player will also need to solve environmental puzzles, such as sliding boxes or statues around to depress switches, turning levels to open doors, or similar moves. Chests are scattered about the levels, and can be opened to reveal either orbs, gorgon eyes, or phoenix feathers, the latter two which can be collected to expand Kratos' health and magic capacity, respectively. Destructible environmental objects can also be broken to retrieve red orbs. Each of Kratos' abilities can be improved using the red orbs; each ability has several levels that improves that ability's effectiveness as well as introducing new combination moves the player can use.

Characters

Kratos
The main character, a ruthless, powerful Spartan warrior who swears revenge against Ares for betraying him and for making him turn his sword on his wife and daughter.
Athena
The goddess of wisdom, arts and defensive war and the patron goddess of Athens. She guides Kratos on his quest, though she speaks only through statues of herself (The true Athena only appears in the game's sequel).
Ares
The God of War who caused Kratos to murder his own family, and is now the target of his revenge.
The Village Oracle
An oracle of the village that Kratos and his men burned to the ground. She bears a glowing Omega necklace, hinting that she works for/is Ares, and warned Kratos of going into the temple, as his wife and child were inside. She had attached the ashes of his dead family to his skin after their death. It is unknown what happened to her afterwards.
The Oracle of 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. It is probable that the makers of God of War simply decided to use the title "oracle" to denote the high priestess of any given location.)
The Grave Digger
A mysterious man digging a grave on the edge of Athens, his exact agenda is unknown when he is first encountered. Later in the game, he is discovered to be digging an opening to Hades, which Kratos uses to escape. His dialogue implies that he is one of the gods of Olympus, and in the English localization (though not the Japanese one), his voice actor (Paul Eiding) also performs Zeus.
The Body Burner
An ambulatory rotting corpse, self-described as the first mortal to enter the Temple of Pandora as well as the first to die in it. Punished by the Gods to burn the bodies of all who die in the temple, he is immortal of spirit but not of body. He is also the only person who can unlock the doors of the Temple.
The Architect, Pathos Verdes III
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 while slipping deeper into madness, having either lost or sacrificed both of his sons to its construction. It can be noted that there are doors in the temple that are opened with his sons' skulls, possibly meaning that he killed them with the intention of having their skulls used as keys. Towards the end of the Temple, Kratos discovers the corpses of both Pathos Verdes and his wife. In the architect's madness, he murdered his wife and then committed suicide. Kratos and the Architect share similarities in that they are both servants of the gods who lose their families (and perhaps their minds) in service to the gods of Olympus.
Kratos' Wife and Child (Calliope)
In the past, they were the only people who did not fear Kratos, yet both were sadly slain due to Ares' treachery and Kratos' bloodlust. 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. It is revealed in the game's prequel, God of War: Chains of Olympus, that Kratos' daughter is named Calliope.
The Narrator
A voice that guides Kratos through his journey. It is revealed in God of War II that the narrator is the Titan Gaia.

Common enemies

Undead Legionnaire
Ares' army of the undead. Dressed in the armour of ancient Greek warriors, they appear as demonic skeletons with bits of decaying flesh clinging to their bones. A frequently encountered enemy, they sometimes come in clusters and are quite varied; early on they wear little armour and wield short swords, but as the game progresses, they begin to appear wielding larger swords and wearing heavier armour, and eventually end up wielding massive shields and scythes.
Undead Archers
A unique variety of Undead Legionnaires, they engage Kratos in combat by attacking him from afar with flaming arrows that explode on impact, and carry no swords, shields, or other melee equipment. They usually appear either in pairs or in groups. Though their arrows are strong, and Kratos can easily be killed in a barrage of them, the archers are among the physically weakest of the legionnaires when engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
Minotaurs
A species of anthropomorphic bulls, appearing to be about eight feet tall. They walk on their hind legs and carry a variety of massive axes and hammers. Over the course of the game, the Minotaurs Kratos encounters become larger, more powerful, and more heavily armored and well armed. Kratos can kill them by thrusting a sword in their open mouths and out the back of their heads.
Cyclops
Squat giants with a single eye in the middle of their foreheads. They resemble the stereotypical depiction of cave men. They attack Kratos either with their fists or with giant clubbed weapons.
Harpies
Monsters with the heads of bald, deformed women, and the bodies of bats. They usually appear in large groups to attack Kratos. Individually weak, they can easily overpower Kratos as part of a group attack. In addition to biting and slashing Kratos with their fangs and talons, they can cause their own bodies to catch fire and dive bomb Kratos.
Wraiths
The vengeful ghosts of those who died in combat opposing Ares; utterly consumed by the rage in which they died, they now attack any living thing that comes near them. They appear as eyeless, emaciated humans with decaying flesh and bladed arms. Instead of legs, their waists terminate in clouds of black smoke from which they float. They can collapse themselves into this smoke and float around beneath the earth, exploding up from beneath Kratos' feet to attack him.
Gorgons
Humanoid-sized, green, lizard-like creatures with the torsos of women and the bodies of snakes; instead of hair, their heads are covered by masses of writhing asps. They emit beams of energy from their eyes which can turn living things to stone.
Sirens
Creatures which resemble deformed women with long bangs obscuring their monstrous faces. Dressed in flowing white tunics, they float around the Desert of Lost Souls, singing songs to lure treasure hunters to them, and then killing said treasure hunters. Their death shrieks emit sonic waves which reveal and open the path to Pandora's Temple. Another group of Sirens later attacks Kratos just before Pandora's Temple, and later on inside the temple.
Satyrs
Giant, anthropomorphic goats 6-7 feet tall that walk about on their hind legs. Skilled warriors, they wear heavy armour and wield giant ornate staves with large blades on either end, which they either use as axes or to attack with spinning motions. They are the most skilled enemies in the game in terms of hand-to-hand combat, and the most capable of putting up a sustained defense against Kratos' attacks.
Centaurs
Servants of Hades, they only appear in the section of Pandora's temple built to honour him, and in the pits of Hades itself. They are half human, half horse; their human half is a demonic, armoured man from the head to the waist. The waist transitions into a horse's body, the human half of the centaur taking place of the horse's head and neck. They wield swords, spears and sometimes have bows and arrows which they shoot as they circle around Kratos.
Cerberi
Giant, three-headed demonic dogs/wolves about 8-10 feet tall that breathe fire. They are the most physically powerful enemy that Kratos faces. They can also spawn infant Cerberi, which rapidly mature into Cerberi if not killed.
Cerberi Litter
Tiny, puppy-like demonic dogs that breathe fire and are capable of curling themselves into a ball, engulfing themselves in fire, and lunging at an enemy. Left alive, they rapidly mature into Cerberi.

Bosses

The Hydra
A massive sea serpent roughly the size of a small island, with innumerable heads; one head is significantly larger than the rest and sits central on the serpent's body, directing the movements of the other heads and, as stated by one sailor, reviving them as well. As the game's main narrative begins, Kratos has been assigned by Poseidon, god of the sea, to kill the beast, which has been challenging his sovereignty by destroying ships and killing sailors. Kratos kills it by impaling the dominant head on the mast of a ship; when the main head dies, the rest follow, bursting open in grisly fashion.
Medusa
Similar to the common gorgons battled throughout the game, Medusa's hair is pink, unlike the common green hair of the gorgons. Medusa is battled after Kratos has docked his ship in the harbour of Athens. Aphrodite asks him to bring her the head of Medusa, so she can grant him Medusa's Gaze, a magic that can turn enemies into stone. Whether Medusa is a "boss" is debatable, as she is fought as if a regular gorgon and has no seen health bar, but is recognized as a special enemy, and upon being defeated, offers a reward.
Hades' Minotaur
A 20 foot tall, skeletal minotaur wearing nearly impenetrable armour. It guards the tomb of the Architect's son in the segment of the Temple of Pandora dedicated to Hades. Judging by the fact that a ballista is present in the Guardian's chamber, it was apparently placed there as a final test to anyone who had made it that far through the temple in an attempt to claim Pandora's Box. Kratos kills it by first chipping away its armour and then firing the ballista at it, impaling it to a door; in its death throes, the beast's hoof smashes open a sealed door, allowing Kratos to proceed.
Ares
The Greek god of war, Ares appears as a gigantic man whose head touches the clouds. His hair and chinstrap beard are made of fire and he wears battle armour. Prior to his confrontation with Kratos, he reveals that he has two rows of spider-like "legs" made of iron protruding from his back. Kratos faces him twice, once in hand to hand combat, and then in a sword duel. He is finished off when Kratos drives his sword through Ares chest and out his back. He then explodes from the inside.

History

Development

The game was in development for about three years before it was released. Before coming up with the final design for Kratos, he was originally an African with dreadlocks but this design was soon changed after it was decided they would go with Greek mythology. Kratos went through many different designs before it was decided on what he would look like for the final game.

Film

A film adaptation was announced in 2005.[2] Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been penned by David Self and would be sending it out to an unspecified "huge-name director." Jaffe also expressed interest in seeing actor Djimon Hounsou in the role of the protagonist, Kratos. "You'd have to get past the fact that Djimon is African and Kratos is Greek, but in terms of the way he looks and his acting ability and his physique — I can't think of a better choice."[3]

Furthermore, on Comic-con 2007 Game head's Geoff Keighley introduced creator of God of War, David Jaffe to infamous film-director, Uwe Boll. David was asked by Geoff "Would you really let him direct God of War?", David answers "If it was my call you ask me? Truthfully? No, I would not." Uwe replied "Wait until you see Postal, then you judge." David also confirmed that Universal Studios is behind the making of the God of War movie and that he has no idea "Where it's at".[4]

Reception

Awards

The game has won over a dozen "Game of the Year Awards".[5] In 2007, God of War was named best PlayStation 2 Action 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
  • 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)
  • Electronic Gaming Monthly's The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time
    • Ranked #112
  • 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
  • Gameinformer's game of the month in the April 2005 issue

Parodies, etc.

  • Kratos was also parodied as "Kratos Jones" in a segment that aired on G4 advertising the (fake) E3 Grindhouse. He has also been parioded trying a dating service and appeared in a (fake) epsiode of Cops in Xplay.
  • He has also been parodied in several webcomics: in VG Cats, comic 151 parodies the Oracle of Athens' revealing clothing which heavily distracts Kratos and the second part of comic 221 shows Kratos on the cover of a book titled If I Did It, Here's How It Happened, the joke being that the title is similar to the cancelled book of O. J. Simpson, who was accused, but found not guilty of killing his wife and Kratos having actually committed mariticide; in Penny Arcade, he goes to therapy in order to change his brutal nature.
  • In the game itself, during a cutscene where in Kratos slaughters the inhabitants of Athena's temple, one of his victims emits the Wilhelm scream as he is struck to the ground.
  • The Wilhelm scream is also heard when the soldier keeping the bridge closed in Athens is slain.
  • A child prodigy version of David Jaffe tries to pitch the game to a video game company in the 80's in the TV show Code Monkeys
  • The Simpsons Game has a level parodying the Hydra boss fight, but with dolphins. The level is called The God of Wharf, in reference to the level setting. A billboard of Kratos selling a hot drink is present.

References

  1. ^ a b IGN PlayStation Team (2007-03-16). "The Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  2. ^ Games to Film: God of War, IGN.com
  3. ^ The 'War' Within, ew.com
  4. ^ Gametrailers.com - Game Head - David Jaffe meets Uwe Boll
  5. ^ "Sony Computer Entertainment America to Unleash Kratos in Limited-Edition God of War PSP Entertainment Pack" (Press release). Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-03-18.