Probably the last big, must-have video game for the soon-to-be-legendary PS2, God of War II is set to lay waste to all in its path. Here’s a review from the trustworthy Seth Schiesel of the NYT, who calls it “…perhaps the best single-player action-adventure game yet made for any console.” Holy crap. You go, Kratos.

First and most obviously, the art direction and level design are stunning and allow the game to deliver a truly epic sense of scale, which is appropriate, given the story line. Like the original, God of War II follows the journey of a Spartan named Kratos as he slashes and leaps his way through some of the high and low points of Greek mythology.

In the first game Kratos defeated Ares to become the new god of war. Now Kratos has been returned to mortality by a vengeful, jealous Zeus (those Greek gods didn’t mess around) and is driven by Gaia, one of the ancient Titans who oppose Olympus, to hunt down the king of the gods himself.

Visually, God of War II sells that story. When you battle the Colossus at the beginning of the game, it seems that it is a mile tall. When you swing from a series of collapsing towers high above a primeval jungle, it feels like an action sequence from a James Cameron film. When you bind the Phoenix to your will and compel it to carry you through the skies to the Temple of the Fates, you want to stand up and cheer.

Beyond the visuals, the game is meticulously designed and paced. The two main aspects of God of War II are combat (battling all manner of mythological creatures and characters, including Perseus and Icarus) and environmental puzzles.

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