Demo Impressions: God of War 3

Chris Nitz Says People who pick up the God of War collection will get a code to download the God of War 3 demo. This is the demo that the lucky people at E3 2009 got to play. This demo clocks in at just shy of 3 Gigs. I can say the time it takes to download this demo is well worth it. The demo runs roughly 15 minutes in length and includes some awesome battles.

The demo shows that some thought was put into the small details. When Kratos jumps onto a cyclops, there are noticeable cuts that appear in the cyclops's skin. The same is true when Kratos fights a minotaur. Another noticeable touch is Kratos's armor glows in the light of a fire. These small details help in making the game feel much more engaging.

The music is not excluded from this attention to detail either. The demo packed a great orchestral soundtrack that fits the mood and action of the game. The whole presentation is top notch.

Beating the minotaur will leave his intestines spewing forth. Kratos will rip the eye from the cyclops and will come out a blood soaked badass. The blood flows like a river in this game. Kratos can put down an ordinary enemy, punch them a few times, and rip their head off and throw it to the ground. I hope you like crimson because you will see a lot of it.

While most of the game looks superb, there are some odd textures in places, like the shields of statues are pixelated. With so much attention to detail put into so many areas of the game, this is a bit off putting. Hopefully, the final version of this game fixes more of these oddities.

Quicktime events make their triumphant return. The issue is that instead of the quicktime buttons showing up in the center of the screen, they appear at the edge of the screen. This is a bit annoying on a larger TV as you have to watch the sides for what button to press. It does take away from the action.

Transitional animinations also have a bit of weirdness to them. Jumping on the cyclops is awesome. But, when Kratos jumps onto the cyclops with his hand weapons it will quickly switch to his blades. It's an odd transition.

The biggest issue with the demo is that just as the action gets going, the demo ends. This demo does a great job of getting its hooks into you and making you crave more. As a God of War fan I crave more. If the demo is any indication of the final game, this is going to be one awesome game. When will March get here?

What To Do With Your Aging Playstation 2

Erik Kubik Says So, you still have a Playstation 2 and are reluctant to acknowledge the next generation of consoles? Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing wrong with that! Although new releases for the PS2 have slowed down, Sony still makes sure publishers provide the PS2’s dedicated followers with games like Guitar Hero and a few RPGs throughout the year. And there are several older titles that boost a fair amount of playing time.

God of War

Two games come to mind when I think about lengthy gameplay, God of War and God of War II. The one-part action and one-part adventure features Kratos, who uses a variety of decapitating weapons to seek his revenge against the gods. Both God of War and II have some of the best action-based gameplay and graphics for the PS2, especially considering both games came out so late in the life of the PS2. Game play averages around 30 hours for both games. Together, the games have made Sony’s greatest hits list and are available on Goozex for 100 points (the first one) and 250 points (the sequel).

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Another game that is a favorite of mine, and has seen several releases on other consoles, is Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Although it is five-years old and the graphics are showing their age, this action adventure game is lengthy coming in with at least 40 hours of fun. Welcome to taking control of the streets of southern California in the 1990s! Great music, a fairly interesting storyline and characters, tons of stuff to do on the side (racing, robberies, side missions, flying, etc); all of these elements create a must own game, whether you are a fan of the series or not. At 100 points on Goozex, this gamer does not have to tell you it is a steal.

Resident Evil 4
The fourth game—and what has to be my favorite game series of all time—is Resident Evil 4. For all of you who have never touched this game, this is the game that changed the Resident Evil series for the better. Moving away from the puzzles and slow movement, Resident Evil 4 stepped the franchise up to something a little more mainstream. This is “survival horror” at its finest, a compelling story with non-stop action, great characters, and an armory to make most armies jealous. The game does not end when you finish the game, a multitude of unlock able items and bonus features await players. The game has at least 30 hours of game play. What else can I say? Over 2 million copies sold worldwide for just this version of the game. At 100 points on Goozex you cannot go wrong.

If the Playstation 2 is still hanging around your house, show it some love and pick up some great games.