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About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2007)
V April 2007 God of War II entertains fans' fctOO&lOTT m M ike G orgone _____ ___ Staff Reporter The term "glorious orgy of blood and slaughter" is only applicable in a few very discrete times throughout the course of history. The recent arrival of "God of War II" for the Playstation 2 is one of those times. I don't say the above statement as a way of getting you to avoid this game though; the exact opposite is true! "GoW II" is the sequel to 2004's outrageously successful "God of War" which was hailed by several publications; including IGN. com, Playstation Magazine and Electronic Gaming Monthly, as one of the best games released that year. The game starts out simply enough; you play as Kratos, a Spartan soldier who assumed position as the new god of war after killing Aris, the original god out of Greek mythology, in the first game. Within the first hour of play you are betrayed by the other gods and stripped of your power. Then you are chased across an island by a colossus which you dismantle by tearing out its eyes and ripping off its arm. Then you suck out its life force from the inside with a sword given to you by Zeus. Then you die, betrayed by the king of the gods. This doesn't stop our main man Kratos, who then fights his way out of hell. Now let's rewind this article a bit. If you notice, I said that this is all within the first hour of game play. Are you slack-jawed yet? What has just been covered isn't even a fraction of the whole game which continues on for dozens of hours of solid play. Everything that made the original "God of War" great has returned in the sequel: vicious combat, outstanding visuals and a list of bad guys that spans the entire breadth of Greek mythology. Name any random creature from Greek folklore and its probably a killable enemy in "God of War II." Sirens, griffons, satyrs; even the gods themselves are on Kratos's hit-list. Each dies in a spectacularly tight combinations of button taps and joystick rotations. Ever wanted to tear off a zombie's arms and then beat it to death with its own arm? Just look to "GoW II." And those are just the normal fights that are faced regularly throughout the several levels in "GoW II." The boss battles, like the colossus mentioned above, are stunning in how they combine difficult challenges j to overcome with the most satisfying victories to be seen in any game to date. That pesky adventurer Theseus keeps whacking Kratos with magical ice bolts, but who's laughing when his fight gives out as the Spartan slams his head in a door repeatedly, "Kill Bill" style? If, as you read this, you notice that this game seems to be a bit graphic, then you'd be right. I didn't say, "glorious orgy of blood and slaughter" for nothing. This game received an "M " rating from the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) for (and I quote), "Blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, sexual themes and strong language." Let's just say that this game isn't for the light of heart. There is a true emphasis on the war part of "God of War." j Kratos, the God of War, crushes the head of a zombie under his mighty heel. God of War II may very well be the best game ever made for the PS2. m m mmrnm Screenshot courtesy of Google ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I In all likelihood you are sitting in a classroom while you read this, and if so, I plead that you drop what you're doing and run out to get this game...now! Only kidding. Don't actually drop everything to get "GoW II." Just get it as soon as you can. That's how amazingly good this game is. Every single facet of it is polished to an absolute diamond-like quality. The voice acting is spot-on with popular actors such as Harry Hamlin and Michael Clarke Duncan lending their powerful vocals as the fallen hero, Perseus and the titan, Atlas, respectively. Unfortunately, if you don't already own a Playstation 2, buying this game is a bit u were great," Weehunt said. This is Weehunt’s third year teaching math and she loves it. She also actively participates in track, coaching students in high jump and hurdles. During her free time she enjoys yoga, playing volleyball and running.She is also looking forward to moot with the release of all the next generation consoles, but I see it this way: find the right deals, and you could be sitting on one of greatest games to be released in 2007 and one of the most venerated consoles of this decade for just under the low, low price of $200. Not a bad deal in this writer's opinion. PW»ylisT S potlight- Crystal Weehunt C hris G arf i e l d ________ Staff Reporter Seeing concerts on school nights is no problem for Crystal Weehunt, math teacher, who frequently attends shows throughout the year. "I just saw Snow Patrol a couple weeks ago and they getting married this summer. Her choice of music is alternative rock with a little Justin Timberlake thrown in there. She mostly likes smaller, local bands such as Climber, Band of Horses and Matt Kearney. Her play list is diverse and ranges from Coldplay to Nelly Furtado. ¡Tunes — Weehunt N am e a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a O All 1 need © Home © In My Place Fix You Q Crazy © The Crazy Game of Poker © Parachutes 0 Run, Run, Run 0 New Slang © Chasing Cars © Run © Sexy Back © Say It Right © How To Save a Life © The General © A/V -fashon fk o to flr& fk er orcK c r e a te Ajp se^ or p o rtra it T im e A rtist Mat Kearney Michael Buble Coldplay Coldplay Dave Matthews Band OAR Pearl Jam Phoenix The Shins Snow Patrol Snow Patrol Justin Timberlake Nelly Furtado The Fray Dispatch A lbu m Nothing to Lose Ò O/f Its Time © © J! A Rush of Blood to th'.OB* O n \g Head © X & Y © O f‘ ! Under the Table and Dream-Q t © o ing Of The Wanderer © o ; Pearl Jam o of Alphabetical © of ! Oh, Inverted World © of Eyes Open © ©1 i Final Straw © of Futuresex/Lovesounds © ©i Loose © _ J L $orff\er proffsstfnai wodel team -uf to •wsa^ery entered to your u»^qu<? style. L MMttNNHHHgMRMI — A
