Holy stromboli, I just got this game last week and it's unbelievable! I played through Shadow of the Colossus right before and thought that that was the most beautiful game expierience I'd ever seen. This is just unreal. I've just gotten to the upper part of Pandora's Temple and can't wait to see what happens next. The story is gripping and the gameplay is just stellar. Definitely the best made game I've ever played and possibly the best, period.

I just recently finished this for the 1st time too. Everything about the game was gorgeous. And the difficulty on normal was just around where it should be. I don't dare try it on God Mode any time soon.

It is indeed gaming perfection. It is so hard to top anything done by that game, other then graphics which could be improved by a more powerful system. Even the sequal looks absolutely amazing.

I would say that the graphics are so far and away better than anything else I've ever seen on a PS2 that I'm not sure you can top them. Only Colossus comes close. I guarantee you there will be some next gen games that don't look as good as this.

Yeah I finally played and finished it a few weeks ago. Definately top 10 best games ever.

What resolution does this game run at? 1080i, 480p or, 480i?

seen GoW2 trailer?, it's sooo gorgeous

480i or 480p

I actually don't understand the extreme gushing over this game, maybe someone can explain more why they think it is a "best game ever?"

I really enjoyed it, no doubt. Take out the setting/story though, and I found it to be a fairly straightforward action game, with nothing much spectacular. Nothing challenging about the puzzles, etc., and the combat system was nothing too deep, and actually a bit repetitive.

Like I said, I still really enjoyed the game (especially the setting, love mythology), so I'm not trying to threadcrap, but wouldn't put it in my best of the year, or best ever. I just don't understand what it is about the game that people think it so grand.

I agree. I'm not a big fan of these action games. I call them button-mashers, but I'm sure I'll be corrected by the more "combo" oriented types. Combos have taken my enjoyment out of games starting with Killer Instinct.

GoW is great because of the story and setting. The game itself became a chore at times. Especially the final boss. Nothing you did up to the point related to the battle at all, imo. Again, I just don't get the combo system of these games.

I enjoyed it especially because of the setting. I was obsessed with Greek mythology when I was younger so it was nice to play a game that showed that setting so beautifully. It was a little repetitive, and I didn't like some of the parts, but I enjoyed it. That final boss was horrendously annoying on a "cheap" level, but I finally got through it. I don't think I would attempt it on God mode though I have been meaning too. I just don't know if attempting it on that setting would give me a nice sense of accomplishment, or a bloody stump after I punch a hole through my tv screen.

The setting, the way they made the game feel like a full featured film, the AMAZING sound track and the #1 reason, is the controls. The second you pick up the controller ant start playing, it has an amazing natural feel to it that ive never felt from a game. It was 100% spot on.

It is a really excellent game. But I would't put it in my top 10. Maybe top 50.

I picked this up a used copy today ($!7) based on the good reviews here. This is basically Devil May Cry but with greek mythology. Very much a button smasher. The graphics are good. Not next gen good but very good for PS2. I doubt I will finish this one. How long of a game is it?

first time it took me 10 hours to go through, i can finish it in 6 hours in one sitting now. A great ride each and everytime.

totally agree, and the gameplay is topnotch, graphics are great, music is EXCELLENT, story is good. everything came together brilliantly and the Greek setting made me feel like i was playing Clash of the Titans the game.

I was actually disappointed with the final boss. I plowed through him and never felt the pinch of hurt. After not having a boss for a huge portion of the game, and then a cheap final boss, it felt like there was a severe lack of the big guns.

I thought the final level was more the "cheap" portion of the game. The whole game felt sincere in its settings, but then I get to a standard player-focused world of spinning blades. It felt out of place and only there to be hard and nothing else.

Maybe I am not as sensitive to controls, but I didn't get that special feeling from God of War. The controls were solid (they fail in a few spots), but so are the controls of many other games I play. I kind of expected it.

Again, like I said, I enjoy the game. It belongs in my collection and I've recommended it to my gaming buddies, but I will do with the sequel what I did with GoW and wait for a price drop.

This is good though, as I like hearing from others what made a game so special in their hearts.

What I didn't like about the boss fight was the I'm not saying it was hard to beat, although it did take me a couple of tries. I'm just saying it got a little annoying.

I don't remember the controls being anything special, but I have to admit I am not a fan of the PS controller. I hate having the left analog stick in that position. I prefer it the way the Xbox and GC has it. I also think the analog sticks are much too loose on the controllers and prefer the tight Xbox sticks.

I finished it last night. I still think it's one of the best games I've ever played but I have a couple of thoughts. First, though, the positives:
I thought it was a perfect integration of gameplay, action, graphics and sound with story, cinematic sequences and acting. I thought the cutscenes were the most interesting and watchable that I've encountered and I really wanted to know what would happen next. The way it rolled out the story so gradually was beautifully handled. And the quality of the voice acting and writing was spectacular. Back when GTAIII and VC were blowing my mind there were a lot of dumb story elements to ignore in order to keep the impression that the game was awesome. Here the story was fantastic and that attention to detail trickled through the whole game.

I did like the battle with the . Thematically it fit nicely. It was a smart thing to include.

In the final parts of the game, however, there were two things that struck me as odd:

The use of in-game animation for some of the late cutscenes. They just don't stack up to most of the other cutscenes. I wonder if there was a reason to do it that way.

and the other problem was

Anyway, over all an absolutely outstanding game. I even enjoyed the unlocked special features. I'm bummed that you need to beat God mode to see the special feature about the Titan. I'd love to see that but it ain't gonna happen.

I'm pretty underwhelmed. The presentation is brilliant, and I love the puzzles, but it's definitely brought up a few of my gaming pet peeves.

1. I hate not being able to control the camera
2. Moving the camera around during platforming elements (causing undeserved death) is a design foul
3. While the presentation is top notch, at it's heart, it's just another button masher, which gives me teh yawn

I don't mean to pee on the parade, but I just don't see what all the fuss is about.

Thanks for the impressions chess, I hadn't got around to picking it up despite glowing reviews as I still thought it didnt' really sound like my cup of tea.

And from your pet peeves, it sounds like it's definitely not up my alley.

Don't get me wrong, it's worth $15, and it's good enough that I'll finish it...which is actually saying a lot in my case. But I'll definitely sell it when I'm done and shouldn't be out more than a few bucks.

I don't mean to say that it's a "bad" game necessarily...I just don't get all the "game of the year" "best game ever" talk. For a very similar and MUCH better gaming experience, I'd recommend Eternal Darkness.

Yeah, but I hate button masher hack and slash games (like Devil May Cry) and hate camera problems, AND try to only play games I think are AAA titles due to very limited gaming time.

So while I may like it ok, it doesn't sound remotely close to a must play game for me.

I agree with the glorified button masher review. You have to admit, it would make a helluva movie.

While I'm still going to give this a try, I was pretty much under the impression from day one that this game gained popularity due to content more than gameplay. Still, what I've heard about it, it definitely sounds like something I'd want to at least try.