God of War
The North American box art, depicting Kratos overlooking Mount Olympus
Developer(s)	SCE Studios Santa Monica
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)	David Jaffe
Engine	Kinetica
Aspect ratio	480p (EDTV), 480i (SDTV)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release date	NA March 22, 2005 EU July 8, 2005
Genre(s)	Hack and slash, action adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Mature BBFC: 18 OFLC: MA15+ CERO: 18+ PEGI: 18+ OFLC/NZ: R16+ USK: 18
Media	DVD-9
Input methods	Game controller

God of War is a video game for the PlayStation 2 console released on March 22, 2005. As an action-adventure game based on Greek mythology, God of War was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division. Box art for God of War This is the cover art for a video or computer game. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... SCE Studios Santa Monica is the SCEA studios based in Santa Monica. ... Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... David Jaffe is a video game designer and currently resides in San Diego, California. ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Kinetica is a futuristic racing game for the PlayStation 2. ... The aspect ratio of a two-dimensional shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. ... 480p is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. ... PS2 redirects here. ... North American redirects here. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Further information: Game classification Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay interaction. ... HACK/slash is the name of a graphic novel from Devils Due Publishing. ... Action-adventure games (British English: arcade adventure) are video games that combine elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games into suitability-related groups. ... The ESRBs logo. ... The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for film classification (see Motion picture rating systems and History of British Film Certificates) within the United Kingdom. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC, Māori: ) is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand. ... The USKs official logo. ... DVD (commonly Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... A game controller is an input device used to control a video game. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ... PS2 redirects here. ... Game console redirects here. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Action-adventure games (British English: arcade adventure) are video games that combine elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. ... Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica is a coastal city located in Los Angeles County, California USA, by the Pacific Ocean, south of Pacific Palisades and Brentwood, west of Westwood, Los Angeles, and north of Venice. ...

It was very well received by critics and fans alike and was the recipient of many awards, including "Game of the Year" honours from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. In 2007, IGN named God of War as the greatest PlayStation 2 game of all time, on their Top 25 PS2 Games list.^[1] The game is now available in the PlayStation 2's lineup of Greatest Hits. A sequel titled God of War II was released March 13, 2007. A prequel, exclusive on the PlayStation Portable, titled God of War: Chains of Olympus, was released on March 4, 2008. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) is a non-profit organization that promotes entertainment software, such as video and computer games, with its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony held annually since 1998. ... (NOTE: Some release dates listed are not global release dates. ... IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... GOW2 redirects here. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP)[6] is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

Development

The game was in development for about three years before it was released. Before coming up with the final design for Kratos, he was originally an African with dreadlocks but this design was soon changed after it was decided they would go with Greek mythology. Kratos went through many different designs before it was decided on what he would look like for the final game.

Plot

The game begins with Kratos on the tallest cliff in Greece, lamenting that the gods have abandoned him; hopeless, he throws himself off the cliff into the waves below. The game then shifts to events of the past through flashbacks to describe Kratos' history, and the events of three weeks prior. Kratos is the fictional protagonist of the God of War series. ... A flashback is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual has a sudden, usually vivid, recollection of a past experience. ...

Kratos became a servant to the gods more than ten years in the game's past when he offered his life in exchange for salvation from a barbarian horde massacre; Ares heeded his plea and granted Kratos great power and also the "Blades of Chaos", bladed swords connected by chains, seared to Kratos' arms. Ares instructed Kratos to rebuild his army and use it to conquer much of Greece. In one village which worshipped the goddess Athena, Kratos in his bloodlust wiped out all the people inside the temple, only to realize later that he had killed his wife and daughter. Kratos renounced his service to Ares and began to wander the Aegean Sea, offering to serve the other gods of Olympus to gain redemption for his sins. For other uses, see Barbarian (disambiguation). ... This article is about the ancient Greek god. ... This is the Greek name of the capital of the Hellenic Republic (Greece). ... Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Weeks prior to the present, Poseidon asks Kratos to kill the Hydra who the god claims has been terrorizing his seas for far too long. Shortly after killing the Hydra, Kratos learns from Athena that Ares is moving countless monsters and undead soldiers to take Athens and requests that Kratos stop him. Arriving at the war-torn city, Kratos learns from the Oracle at Athens that the only way to defeat Ares is to use Pandora's Box. She explains that it gives a mortal the power to kill a god, and that the Box is presently locked deep inside the Temple of Pandora. The Temple is located on the back of the Titan Cronus as he wanders the Desert of Lost Souls. Kratos travels across the Desert and successfully enters the Temple to retrieve Pandora's Box, but this event does not go unnoticed by Ares. As he dragged Pandora's Box towards the exit of the temple, Ares launches a giant sharp pillar towards the temple, impaling Kratos and sending him to the Underworld. Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... The 16th-century German illustrator has been influenced by the Beast of Revelation in his depiction of the Hydra. ... For other uses, see Pandoras box (disambiguation). ... Titan may mean: // Titan (mythology), a class of deities who preceded the Olympians in Greek mythology Helios, Greek sun-deity sometimes referred to as Titan (Mahler), nicknamed Titan Titan (satellite), largest satellite of the planet Saturn Titan beetle, the largest beetle in the Amazon rainforest USS Titan (AGOS-15), a... Not to be confused with Chronos, the personification of time. ...

As Kratos falls through the Underworld, he grabs onto a ledge and begins to work his way through the hell to a certain location. He manages to return to the world of the living by climbing out from the depths of hell with the help of a gravedigger that he met earlier on in the game. After escaping, Kratos returns to the destroyed Athens to find Ares yelling at Mount Olympus, but Kratos is able to retrieve the Box and use its power to grow to the size of Ares. The two battle, with Ares attempting to use the images of Kratos' family against him, but eventually Kratos breaks the illusion. Kratos discovers the Blade of the Gods, a sword serving as a giant bridge within Athens, and uses it to finish off Ares despite his pleading to be spared. The Gods congratulate Kratos, but though they can forgive his sins, they cannot remove Kratos' nightmares of the past. Kratos realizes his work has been for nothing, and wanders to a cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea, and then throws himself into it, the point where the game begins. However, Athena appears at the last moment, telling Kratos that they cannot let one die who has done a great service, and offers him the vacated throne of the god of war in Olympus. Kratos becomes the god of war and watches over soldiers for all of eternity.

Gameplay

A special symbol appears above the heads of enemies that are weakened, allowing the player to initiate a special attack sequence for larger rewards.

God of War is a third-person action video game, focused on the player using melee attacks, magic abilities, and combinations of the two to defeat foes. The player controls Kratos' movements, including jumping, swimming, and climbing, as well as his attacks. Kratos' primary weapon are the Blades of Chaos which can be used in a number of different types of attacks, varying in power, speed, and range of damage. Throughout the game, Kratos also gains the abilities of several magical artifacts, such as the head of Medusa that can be used to turn foes into stone. Damaging and killing an enemy will release one of three types of orbs; red orbs are used to power up Kratos' attacks, green orbs restore Kratos' health, and blue orbs restore his magic. As the player kills more, he also builds up a meter reflecting the "Rage of the Gods"; when the meter is full, the player can activate the power to temporarily increase Kratos' attack power. Should Kratos lose all his health, the game is over, but the player has the option of restarting at the last checkpoint; the game will also offer the player the opportunity to attempt the game at a lower difficulty level if they have restarted from the same checkpoint several times in a row. Isometric drawing of a TV Isometric projection is a form of orthographic projection, or more specifically, an axonometric projection. ... Action games could be considered the video game equivalent of action movies. ... For other uses, see Medusa (disambiguation). ...

When certain enemies, in particular certain boss battles and larger foes, are low in health, the player can initiate a special killing sequence as indicated by a marker over the enemy's head. This starts a sequence of moves by Kratos that will display a controller button or an analog stick briefly on the screen during the attack; the player must hit that button or move the analog stick as indicated within a short time for the killing sequence to continue, otherwise the sequence will be broken and the enemy will grab Kratos and toss him away. However, if the player successfully responds to each sequence, then the gain of red, green, or blue orbs can be larger than if the player simply continued to wear out the foe through normal attacks.

In addition to the melee aspects of the game, the player will also need to solve environmental puzzles, such as sliding boxes or statues around to depress switches, turning levels to open doors, or similar moves. Chests are scattered about the levels, and can be opened to reveal either orbs, gorgon eyes, or phoenix feathers, the latter two which can be collected to expand Kratos' health and magic capacity, respectively. Destructible environmental objects can also be broken to retrieve red orbs. Each of Kratos' abilities can be improved using the red orbs; each ability has several levels that improves that ability's effectiveness as well as introducing new combination moves the player can use. This article is about the Greek mythological monster. ... Look up Phoenix in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Most of the foes in the game are inspired by creatures from Greek mythology, including Medusa, the Minotaur, and the Lernaean Hydra, among others. The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... For other uses, see Medusa (disambiguation). ... This article is about the mythological monster. ... The 16th-century German illustrator has been influenced by the Beast of Revelation in his depiction of the Hydra. ...

Cultural impact

Critical reception

God of War received strong praise from gaming critics. The game was praised for its strong gameplay, graphics, and sound. A CNN review stated that ""God of War" is the type of game that makes you remember why you play games in the first place."^[9] Reviews did find that some of the puzzle and platforming aspects, particularly while escaping Hades, were not as strong as the rest of the game. ... Eurogamer homepage Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news and reviews. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game Web sites and provides online video game-related services and software. ... IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... Game Rankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ...

Film

A film adaptation was announced in 2005.^[10] Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been penned by David Self and would be sending it out to an unspecified "huge-name director." Jaffe also expressed interest in seeing actor Djimon Hounsou in the role of the protagonist, Kratos. "You'd have to get past the fact that Djimon is African and Kratos is Greek, but in terms of the way he looks and his acting ability and his physique — I can't think of a better choice."^[11] The year 2005 in film involved some significant events. ... David Self is a screenwriter. ... Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated Beninois actor, dancer and fashion model. ...

Furthermore, on Comic-con 2007 Game head's Geoff Keighley introduced creator of God of War, David Jaffe to infamous film-director, Uwe Boll. David was asked by Geoff "Would you really let him direct God of War?", David answers "If it was my call you ask me? Truthfully? No, I would not." Uwe replied "Wait until you see Postal, then you judge." David also confirmed that Universal Studios is behind the making of the God of War movie and that he has no idea "Where it's at".^[12] However, no word can be found of this movie recently. Geoff Keighley is a Canadian video game journalist. ... David Jaffe is a video game designer and currently resides in San Diego, California. ... Uwe Boll (pronounced []), born June 22, 1965 in Wermelskirchen, Germany) is a German director, producer and screenwriter of films often adapted from video games. ... Postal is a 2007 film based on the 2003 computer game Postal². The film is directed by Uwe Boll, and filmed in Cloverdale, British Columbia. ...

Awards

The game has won over a dozen "Game of the Year Awards".^[13] In 2007, God of War was named best PlayStation 2 Action game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the PlayStation 2's long lifespan.^[1] IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Game Informer (often abbreviated to GI) is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game Web sites and provides online video game-related services and software. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Web content. ... GameShadow is a freeware utility that keeps PC gamers up-to-date with patches, game demos, movies, mods and other content for PC games. ... Game Informer (often abbreviated to GI) is a United States-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Kratos was also parodied as "Kratos Jones" in a segment that aired on G4 advertising the (fake) E3 Grindhouse. He has also been parioded trying a dating service and appeared in a (fake) episode of Cops in Xplay.

• He has also been parodied in several webcomics: in VG Cats, comic 151 parodies the Oracle of Athens' revealing clothing which heavily distracts Kratos and the second part of comic 221 shows Kratos on the cover of a book titled If I Did It, Here's How It Happened, the joke being that the title is similar to the cancelled book of O. J. Simpson, who was accused, but found not guilty of killing his wife and Kratos having actually committed mariticide; in Penny Arcade, he goes to therapy in order to change his brutal nature.

• In the game itself, during a cutscene where in Kratos slaughters the inhabitants of Athena's temple, one of his victims emits the Wilhelm scream as he is struck to the ground.

• The Wilhelm scream is also heard when the soldier keeping the bridge closed in Athens is slain.

• A child prodigy version of David Jaffe tries to pitch the game to a video game company in the 80's in the TV show Code Monkeys

• The Simpsons Game has a level parodying the Hydra boss fight, but with dolphins. The level is called The God of Wharf, in reference to the level setting. A billboard of Kratos selling a hot drink is present.

Grindhouse is a 2007 anthology film co-written, produced and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. ... Not to be confused with C.O.P.S. (TV series). ... XPlay is a drag and drop application created by MediaFour. ... Web comics are comics that are available on the web. ... VG Cats (short for Video Game Cats[1]) is a webcomic written and drawn by Canadian Scott Ramsoomair. ... If I Did It is a book by O. J. Simpson originally announced in fall 2006. ... Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947, San Francisco, California) commonly known as O. J. Simpson and also just by his initials O.J. and his nickname The Juice, is a retired American football player who achieved stardom at the collegiate and professional levels. ... Mariticide (not to be confused with matricide); from the Latin maritus (married) & cidium (killing), literally means the murder of ones married partner, but has become most associated with the murder of a husband by his wife. ... Penny Arcade is a webcomic written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. ... For the punk rock band, see A Wilhelm Scream. ... For the punk rock band, see A Wilhelm Scream. ... David Jaffe is a video game designer and currently resides in San Diego, California. ... For the phrase on which this programs title is based, see code monkey. ... The Simpsons Game is a video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1UP.com is a video-game site owned and operated by Ziff Davis Media, the media conglomerate behind popular videogame magazines Computer Gaming World (CGW), Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), and Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (OPM). ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Eurogamer homepage Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news and reviews. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game Web sites and provides online video game-related services and software. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Game Rankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• GodofWar.com
• Official European Site
• Metacritic Reviews
• God of War at the Open Directory Project
• God of War (video game) at the Internet Movie Database