When God of War was released in 2005 it set a new standard for character action games that many developers still haven’t lived up to. Everything about the game is on an epic scale, and the character and set design are consistently impressive. All of this is set to a dynamic musical score and runs at a fast and smooth frame rate.

Kratos has a diverse collection of attack options you can experiment with if you choose, but the game allows you to progress on simple button mashing if you want to keep it light and fun.

The revamped visuals on the collection disk are thorough and well done. They may not compete with today’s games, but they never stand out as old. The game looks good.

There are some elements that make GoW fall short when compared with alternatives for today’s gamer, however. The restricted camera means you take shots from enemies off screen, fumble around to find obscure entrances to the next section of a level and you’ll be switching thumbstick directions to move towards the same target if the camera angle suddenly changes on you.

Some of the puzzles are needlessly frustrating, like the Hades blade towers, and others seem silly for a god-killing war machine like Kratos to be engaged in, such as “Stonehenge Tetris.”

Playing the original God of War is a great way to get ready for the release of the new game, and I’m sure that’s why the collection exists, but it’s probably the only reason you should play it at this point.

Tags: God of War, Rob's Short Reviews