(May 11, 2005) — Who could resist the greatest fusion of graphics and game play out on the market for the PlayStation 2? Not PlayStation Magazine (PSM), Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) or Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) who gave God of War their highest ratings and awards. Debuted at last years Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3), the teaser fot he game showed the anti-hero, Kratos, administering vicious combos and devastating acrobatic feats in beautifully designed environments. All around the 52-inch plasma screens Sony had on display, shouts of “Wow this reminds me of Prince of Persia” could be heard as Kratos maneuvered over enemies and up walls. As he engaged enemies, there were cries of “Look, the combat system is as crazy as Devil May Cry’s.” It’s true; the design team of Sony Computer Entertainment really out-did themselves, engineering the game to run as smoothly and seamlessly as the aforementioned titles. Now that the game has been released to the public, gamers everywhere are discovering for themselves what makes God of War’s combat so intriguing. Kratos’ main method of attack is the use of rather large blades linked to chains attached to his arms, which he uses as weapons as well as tools. Anyone can play through the 10 hours of God of War by “button-mashing” and be completely satisfied with the game experience, or one could attempt the many combination attacks which not only eliminate enemies faster—escalating in power with each button correctly inputted—but look all the more amazing as the attacks play out on-screen. The music matches the environments, with perfect sound arrangements for grueling battles and during Kratos’ suggestive actions with women as the screen fades to black. Despite that, the game still received an “M” for mature. There will be no problem controlling Kratos through battles and explorations, as the controls are as well crafted as the rest of the game meaning your fingers won’t fumble over the controller during the intense boss battles. This title is definitely worth checking out but perhaps not worth shelling out 50 dollars for it only last about 10 hours. The sequel that is in the works that will be released in 2006 seems just as enthralling.