Family Video Game Reviews for Parents

God of War
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Official Site: http://us.playstation.com/

ESRB Rating: M
Reviewed Platform: PS2
Available Platforms: PS2
For 1 player.

Overall: D
Sexual Content: D
Language: D
Alcohol/Drug Use: C

What is this game about?

Kratos knows he is slowly going insane. He is a man who has lost everything dear to him, so he seemingly has nothing to live for. And yet, he finds a purpose in defending Athens and taking on a Greek god in this PlayStation 2 exclusive.

The storyline of God of War is epic and it’s set in classical Greek mythology. Kratos’ wife and daughter are dead and you are on a quest to murder Ares, the Greek god of war, who is laying siege to Athens. Why? Well, the reason unfolds before you as you play through this violent, but compelling game.

Leading up to the confrontation with Ares, you’ll encounter a veritable who’s who of Greek creatures, including minotaurs, a multi-headed hydra, gorgons, Medusa, wraiths, harpies, Cyclops, sirens of the desert, centaurs, satyrs and even the three-headed Cerberus dogs.

But Kratos has a little help of his own. He possesses powerful magic spells granted to him by Greek gods such as Poseidon, Hades and Zeus himself. He also has the Blades of Chaos (more on that in moment).

Is it fun to play?

Personally, I loved this game. In fact, it was my favourite game of 2005. And a lot of other media outlets gave it the same honour. Why? Because it combines an excellent story and non-stop action featuring one of the coolest melee weapons in video game history: The Blades of Chaos. These dual blades, which are fastened to the ends of giant chains, handle like some nightmarish twist on a yo-yo you can slice and dice enemies with relative ease.

A slick, user-friendly control system is easy to master and some of the key battles require you to tap buttons in the same order they appear on screen in order to launch devastating and deadly attacks. (I hope you have a good memory and excellent hand-eye co-ordination because you’ll need it.)

Simply put, the game’s great story, interesting characters, strong graphics and ease of use combine to draw you in quickly to the world of God of War and it not only manages, but demands your attention throughout. It’s a gripping game, which means it’s one that many young gamers are going to be aware of and will want to try their hand at. But should you let them?

What do parents need to know about God of War?

From a parent’s perspective, there are all kinds of red flags that should go up here. The game features non-stop violence as Kratos battles his way towards a final confrontation with Ares, the Greek God of War. The plot is dark and Kratos, who is the anti-hero personified, is not a person most parents would want their children to emulate.

There is also a brief sex scene in which you can ‘control’ Kratos, although the scene isn’t graphic. This isn’t Grand Theft Auto: Athens. By pressing buttons, you can pleasure the two naked women in Kratos’ bed. While it’s pretty juvenile (and you can choose not to actually play this minigame), the interactivity of the scene probably isn’t suitable for kids. There are also scantily dressed female characters scattered throughout God of War.

Within the context of the storyline, the violence is justifiable. After all, you’re being attacked by enemies and mythic creatures at every turn and you’re actually part of a noble cause to defend Athens. Kratos’ bloodlust is central to the character’s story, so the violence has a deeper meaning within the game than just plain visceral thrill-killing. In fact, Kratos’ story of the personal cost of war and the loss of his loved ones provides much more depth than you’ll find in 90 per cent of action titles on the market. There are consequences to the life of violence Kratos has led and he struggles with the morality of his past and the price it has exacted on him and those he loved.

But the thing parents will need to make a judgement call on is whether their child is old enough to put those complex life lessons into context. Because, let’s face it, love, loss, revenge, honor, sacrifice, guilt … these aren’t themes most children, tweens and young teens are going to process within the context of a video game. The action is so… well… fun and the killing so easy that those underlying messages will be lost on most players because they’ll be more wrapped up in the sheer spectacle the game.