God of War II (PS2)

Just as a generation of schoolkids learned about Greek mythology from the stop-motion monsters of 1981’s Clash Of The Titans, you can bet a fresh-faced moppet in a classroom somewhere is raising his hand and asking, “But teacher, what about Kratos? He was the one who killed Perseus and freed Atlas and defeated Zeus. It says so in God Of War II.”

Anti-heroes don’t come much more anti than Kratos, the bald and burly Spartan warrior who slices, swings and sexes his way through mythical ancient Greece in God Of War II, the follow-up to what was widely hailed as the best game of 2005.

Does the sequel, due in stores on March 13, live up to expectations? Does a minotaur poop in the labyrinth? Does a cyclops have depth perception problems? Hades yeah it delivers.

Centered around an appropriately epic quest for vengeance, God Of War II sees Kratos betrayed by his fellow deities, stripped of his powers and murdered by Zeus. But he’s plucked from death’s doorstep door by earth-momma Gaia, who tasks Kratos with unravelling the thread of his own fate and reshaping his destiny.

Sounds kind of highfalutin’ -- and the production values on God Of War II certainly rival those of a big-budget movie -- but let’s not mince words here. There’s a whole lot of killin’ going on in this game. A whole, whole lot.

Fans of the original will thrill to the new combat moves, new weapons, new magic, a new roster of sort-of-based-on-Greek-myth characters and a new set of even more intricate deathtraps and head-scratching puzzles.

Though it keeps a lot of the slick flow and intuitive combat mechanics from the first game intact, God Of War II does introduce some new wrinkles. Not only will you ride the flying steed Pegasus and rip Griffins to shreds in mid-air, but you’ll make death-defying leaps from swinging chains, freeze time with a magical amulet and glide along with the help of wings stolen from Icarus during a savage, free-fall beat-em up.

The game is ruthlessly and unapologetically violent, with blood-drenched finishing moves that literally rip opponents limb from limb. At one point, players must frantically tap a controller button to make Kratos pound a scholar’s head into a crimson pulp against a lectern. So much for the meek inheriting the earth.

But there’s nothing meek about God Of War II, and rightly so. It’s an over-the-top mix of action, drama and spectacle that’s intense and engaging from start to finish, save for a few puzzles towards the end that are more tedious than challenging.

And although the ending lacks the clear-cut resolution of the first game, it leaves the door very deliberately open for a future installment on the next-gen PlayStation 3. Just enough time to catch your breath. And maybe rent Clash Of The Titans again.

Bottom line: Aside from a few frustrating spikes in difficulty and a slower-paced final act, God Of War II is about as perfect an action game as you could ever hope for, and a worthy sequel to one of the PlayStation 2’s crown jewels.