| God of War II | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Santa Monica Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Director(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Steve Caterson |
| Designer(s) | Cory Barlog |
| Programmer(s) | Tim Moss |
| Artist(s) | Stig Asmussen |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | |
| Series | God of War |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
God of War II is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 on March 13, 2007, the game is the second installment in the God of War series, the sixth chronologically, and the sequel to 2005's God of War. It is based on Greek mythology and set in ancient Greece, with vengeance as its central motif. The player character is protagonist Kratos, the new God of War who killed the former, Ares. Kratos is betrayed by Zeus, the King of the Olympian gods, who strips him of his godhood and kills him. Slowly dragged to the Underworld, he is saved by the Titan Gaia, who instructs him to find the Sisters of Fate, as they can allow him to travel back in time, avert his betrayal, and take revenge on Zeus.
The gameplay is similar to the previous installment. It focuses on combo-based combat which is achieved through the player's main weapon—the Blades of Athena—and secondary weapons acquired throughout the game. It features quick time events (QTEs) that require players to quickly complete various game controller actions to defeat stronger enemies and bosses. The player can use up to four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability as alternative combat options. The game also features puzzles and platforming elements. Compared to its predecessor, God of War II features improved puzzles and four times as many bosses.
God of War II received critical acclaim, and is considered as one of the best video games of all time and was 2007's "PlayStation Game of the Year" at the Golden Joystick Awards. In 2009, IGN listed it as the second-best PlayStation 2 game of all time, and both IGN and GameSpot consider it the "swan song" of the PlayStation 2 era. In 2012, Complex magazine named God of War II the best PlayStation 2 game of all time. The game had sold 4.24 million units by June 2012, making it the sixteenth-best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time. God of War II, along with God of War, was remastered and released on November 17, 2009, as part of the God of War Collection for the PlayStation 3 (PS3). The remastered version was re-released on August 28, 2012, as part of the God of War Saga, also for the PlayStation 3. A novelization of the game was published in February 2013. A sequel, God of War III, was released on March 16, 2010.