God of War 2 [HD]

On the one hand, this is a more polished and more balanced game than God of War 1. Graphics are better, gameplay is less jerky, and level design is more coherent. There are also more and more interesting puzzles than in the first game. It feels like a step up in terms of quality assurance.

On the other hand, it's just not as exciting. The story continues coherently enough, but the wonder and magic of the first game is toned down. The sheer diversity of locations, monsters, and turn-it-up-to-eleven events is gone. In God of War 1 you felt excited about the next level, because you really had no idea what to expect. God of War 2 is just: fine fun. This feels like a "normal" game.

There are some really annoying things about this game. For one, there are quite a few time-sensitive levels. Move quickly or die and go back to the beginning. These make me really hate the designers: there's nothing fun or creative or smart about these challenges, and the urge to rage-quit is strong. (The elevator with the skeletons is the worst.)

Also, the story seems to end extremely abruptly. Obviously a sequel was planned, but [I]this game[/I] feels incomplete. Games can be episodic, but there should be a narrative reward for finishing each game individually.