It's obvious that the attention went towards the action engine. Most of the puzzles require boring block pushing and even fewer require any real thought. It almost seems like the development team knew just how annoying these can be, as Kratos can kick these items to move them a little faster. Still, some of these are just way out of hand requiring backtracking, platforming, climbing, swimming, and little common sense. That's just not entertaining. If you manage to avoid getting hung up on one or two of these, expect the playtime to drop to around six hours total.

Another ugly issue crops up and that's this game's "cinematic camera." There's nothing wrong with giving your game a movie-like feel, but make sure that doesn't interfere with gameplay. Certain sections require rough jumping, and if it's not the camera taking you down, it's the off-screen archers. Numerous segments require the player to traverse thin beams, and when the camera shifts here, the controls go with it, usually resulting in a death. You have no control over it, as the right analog stick allows for some fancy defensive maneuvers.

What that camera does provide, though, is an effective look at the exotic locations in ancient Rome. Detail in the backgrounds is without a doubt pushing the hardware to the limits, especially when combined with the crazy afterglow of a weapon swipe. Enemy design is top of the line and the animations to go along with them give each a small personality. There's no slowdown, fog, or polygon dropout either. It's as solid a 3-D engine as you can find on today's hardware.

The audio presentation is brought to life with a booming, epic soundtrack. It changes depending on whether you're in the midst of a brawl or wandering around the world solving a puzzle. Whatever the situation, there's proper musical accompaniment. Voice acting is fair, though not outstanding. Kratos has a great gravely voice, but his lines are spoken rather monotone and seemingly without much effort. The sound effects pick things back up a notch with a gruesome audio of the weapons tearing through flesh.

The only thing that should stop you from playing "God of War" is a weak stomach or your age. This is NOT a game for someone who is sensitive or for a child. There's nudity, gore everywhere, body parts lying around, and some of the most gratuitous violence you'll ever see. Unlike some other games, though, it all has a purpose and it's not included just to be there. The first time you see Kratos stab a panicking citizen repeatedly in the stomach, you know just who he is. That's enough to carry this revenge story by itself, but add in pick-up-and-play combat along with some epic battles, and "God of War" becomes one of, if not the, best title on the PlayStation 2 to date.