Sony Gets Ancient with God of War II

Sony Computer Entertainment's God of War II takes players back to distant past: the time of Greek myths and the PlayStation 2.

Sony Computer Entertainment has released God of War II, the follow-up game to its best-selling God of War violent first-person action game. Set in the milieu of Greek mythology, God of War II invites players to once again take on the role of Spartan warrior Kratos as he journeys to far reaches of the known earth, battles mythical terrors like Cerberus, the Gryphon, the Cyclops, Colossus, and many more, in his quest to become the new God of War. Players will recognize some skills and weapons from the original God of War game, but will also be able to tap into new combat moves and magic, plus a series of puzzles and mini-games will advance the story along between brutal bouts of combat.

In a move which somewhat undermines Sony’s support for its Blu-ray equipped PlayStation 3 console, God of War II is shipping for the PlayStation 2—there’s no word yet on whether the now-famous compatibility glitches might keep the game off newer PS3 consoles. The game will also ship with a bonus DVD containing more than two hours of behind-the-scenes footage on the creation of God of War II; Sony is also releasing the God of War II soundtrack on iTunes and Sony Connect.

“God of War II demonstrates our continued commitment to provide compelling content for the PlayStation 2 and sets the stage for the God of War franchise to become a staple across the PlayStation family of products,” said Jeff Reese, Sony Computer Entertainment of America’s director of software marketing. “There is so much more of the God of War story left to tell and we are excited to bring the franchise to PSP—fans may even see their esteemed God of War in full 1080p HD in the not-too-distant future.”

God of War II is priced at $49.99 and is rated M for “Mature 17+” by the ESRB. Sony has also announced it plans to bring God of War title to the PSP in a new original game; no dates or pricing were announced.