As we commence our review of God of War Collection – Volume II for PS3, one thing we would most unarguably like to point out is the fact that HD re-mastering of old school blockbusters is a trend that is here to stay. What we’re trying to imply is that, we won’t be a slight bit of surprised to see something like Super Mario Bros. HD pop up on the charts sometime in the future. Now we might have gone a little overboard with that, we agree. But the point here is developers just don’t seem to be weary enough to stop their HD stints. And why must they? Fans love them, they’re easier to concoct than a new game and most chiefly, they pump in tons of moolah. God of War Collection – Volume II comprises PS3 versions of GoW: Chains of Olympus and GoW: Ghost of Sparta which are of course visually enhanced cousins of earlier PSP titles. But you are seldom reminded of that, given the exceptional quality of gameplay that these titles already have on offer.
Story-wise, these two games find their way somewhere between the console trilogy. If you’ve played them both on your PSPs and are curious about what’s new, ‘Trophies’ we yell in a Kratos-like voice. But wait, what’s that got to do if you don’t quite fancy the idea of bragging your achievements on PSN? Well then, there’s DualShock 3 support which is something new and if you’re up to date enough to possess a 3DTV, this pack also presents stereoscopic 3D visuals.
As you start playing these games, the first thing you’d notice is that whenever, you try to move the camera with the right analog stick Kratos would do an evading somersault. And it is then that you’ll realize that these are PSP games you’re playing and that they have fixed cameras. As much as it is annoying in the beginning, you get used this feature quite easily. And moreover, it comes as a boon because, if you remember the handheld versions, they needed you to hold down a trigger and tap the nub so as to dodge attacks. With the right stick this can be done in a jiffy.
It’s a known fact that developers these days are focusing every little bit of their attention on multiplayer modes, thus rendering the poor single player counterparts to be brutally short in length. At such times, it’s lovely to see the two games from the God of War Collection – Volume II offer value for money single player modes. Both titles feature slick controls and they do sheer justice to the hack and slash battles for which the GoW games are known for.
Coming towards the first game – Chains of Olympus, in spite of possessing some polished visuals and a multitude of combat moves, this title never stops reminding you that it is a PSP port. It involves Kratos yelling all over the place to save his daughter Calliope. On the other hand, Ghost of Sparta also has him yelling all over the place, but this time to rescue his brother Deimos. Well, we all know that the downside of every GoW game is that you have to constantly listen to Kratos’ hilariously badgering voice. And as you might have grasped, these games are no different.
Anyways, where were we? Oh, the second game! Ghost of Sparta does improve on the first one, on the basis of graphics. But that’s not surprising at all, considering that the original PSP version was released more recently than the other one. You are required to fight your way through Atlantis while it is in the process of sinking. This adds a hell lot of scope for exhilarating visuals and this game delivers it with utter unfussiness. Moreover, lengthwise it is much more longer than Chains of Olympus.
Final Word: Those of you who are yet to play a God of War game can no holds barred purchase this pack taking into consideration the price and all the pros that we mentioned somewhere up there. Both games are guaranteed to provide you with a satisfying experience through their hair-raising and addictive battles. As for those who have already played these games earlier on their PSPs, you can afford to give this one a miss only if you didn’t like the handheld versions. But we suppose that is as remote a possibility as pigs hovering in the sky. So our recommendation on God of War Collection – Volume II is that, you must go for it if you have enough dough and are looking for a title to keep you busy this festive season.
Graphics: 7.5/10
Sounds: 8/10
Environments: 8/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Replay Value: 8.5/10
Overall (not an average): 8/10