Japanese version of God of War II, content identical to the international version. Polished localisation letting Japanese players fully experience the epic conclusion to Kratos's PS2 saga. Same technical and narrative excellence as the international version.
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Category
Action Adventure1 player18+
Description
Japanese edition of God of War II released in April 2008, subtitled "Shuuen e no Jokyoku" ("Prelude to the End"). A local adaptation of Sony Santa Monica's sequel with Japanese menus and subtitles, delayed nearly a year after the Western release as part of SCEJ's specific publishing strategy.
God of War II - Shuuen e no Jokyoku review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
More outsized still, this entry unfurls titanic settings, dantesque clashes and breathtaking panoramas. The cinematic staging gains in scale and controlled violence. This visual extravagance, dark and grandiose, closes the PS2 era on a dazzling technical demonstration.
Vaster still, the score pushes the epic fury up a notch, piling up grandiose choirs and orchestral flights of a devastating power. The music embraces every titanic duel with the intensity of an epic film. This sonic excess, perfectly in tune with the game's ambition, elevates Kratos's rage.
The story defies the very idea of written destiny. To overturn his death, Kratos hunts the Sisters of Fate, keepers of the thread of all life, determined that no one rewrite what is fixed. To defeat these weavers is to seize a power reserved for gods: to change the past. Along the way, the Spartan rallies the banished Titans, primordial forces ready to march on Olympus.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Bigger and sharper than its predecessor, this chapter pushes the action with aerial combos, secondary weapons and titanic bosses staged with rare excess. The pace never flags and every fight stays crystal-clear to read. The culmination of the formula on the console, it offers an action experience still savored without the faintest hint of fatigue.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The sequel thinks bigger on every front: even snappier combat, titanic bosses and settings of breathtaking mythological scale. Chaining devastating combos and finishing enemies with flair delivers an immediate, constant satisfaction. Spectacular, generous and of dazzling technical mastery, a culmination of the genre on the console.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Pushing Kratos's fury even further, chaining titanic fights, puzzles and acrobatics at the heart of Greek mythology, gives the player no respite. Growing in power and tracking down the secrets keeps reviving the advance. The blueprint stays close to the first installment, but this generosity of ideas and this intensity of staging keep a constant hold.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A sequel pushing Sony's mythological action to its technical paroxysm on the console, held by many as the series' peak on PS2. Still fairly widespread in the West, its interest lies in this reputation of apex and end-of-generation showcase rather than scarcity. A prime piece for fans of epic action wanting the best of Kratos on the machine.
Memorable bosses
Pushing the limits of scale even further, this sequel opens on the titanic Colossus of Rhodes and strings together grapples with outsized creatures of Greek myth. Seizing a giant foe to finish it with a contextual gesture delivers a rare sense of power. Larger and fiercer, its gallery of guardians pushes the staging of the boss fight to its peak.
A cult cover
Grander than its predecessor, the artwork pits Kratos against a colossal threat, in a composition that stretches the scale and the epic sweep. The tawny golds and the smoke speak of escalation: the Ghost of Sparta now defies the gods themselves. Spectacular and taut, the image promises an even more excessive mythological tragedy.
A questionable morality
The quest sold as an epic vengeance against Olympus mostly translates into an unbroken river of soldiers, creatures and innocents carved up with spectacular fury. You follow this raging hero without flinching, dazzled by the staging, even as his notion of justice usually amounts to reducing everything in his path to shreds.
