God of War Collection Volume 2 PlayStation 3

God of War Collection Volume 2 Product Details

Released on 16-Sep-2011

• Dead Island shambles to top of UK charts

  Zombie survival experience Dead Island has shuffled its way straight to the top of the UK all-formats chart.

  Techland's eagerly awaited first-person action game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC was able to overcome last week's leader Deus Ex: Human Revolution, no doubt thanks to the buzz created by its stunning debut trailer earlier this year.

  It was a strong week for new releases overall in the official GfK-ChartTrack rankings, with THQ's new sci-fi shooter Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine stomping into second place.

  Third spot went to the holdover Driver: San Francisco, while fourth place was taken by another debutant, the PlayStation 3 exclusive FPS Resistance 3.

  Meanwhile, there was also a top ten entry for Star Fox 3D, with the Nintendo 3DS remake of the classic Nintendo 64 title coming ninth.

  Next week's new releases include an eclectic mix of titles, such as the quirky Kinect game The Gunstringer and God of War Collection: Volume II on PlayStation 3.

  Published: 13/09/2011

• God of War Collection Volume 2 Review

  Troy Story

  It's nice to have everything in one place, and Sony clearly agrees. After the first God of War HD Collection compiled the first two PS2 Kratos adventures on one shimmering Blu-ray - all the better to sit snugly alongside God of War III on your shelf - here comes another volume of tarted-up Greek slaughter. This time it's the two PSP spin-off titles, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, getting the HD makeover. Do they look the business, or is it just too much of a leap?

  Crete Expectations

  Thankfully, they do look the business. Or at least as business-like as a game designed for a palm-size screen and then blown up to full telly size can be. High definition smooths out the edges, but can't do anything about the graphics themselves, and Chains of Olympus in particular looks rather chunky. Ghost of Sparta looks a lot better, which is hardly surprising given that it's more recent, and was already looking like a really good PS2 game.

  The PSP limitations also make themselves known in the scale of the games. You'll be fighting fewer enemies at a time, and the environments lack the "ooh" factor that made God of War III such a visual feast. At least the boss monsters, those gigantic creatures that must be torn to pieces through smart attacking and frantic button-matching, look suitably imposing.

  Duck and Roll

  So PSP games ported to the PS3 don't always look fantastic. Big surprise. Where the translation does pay off is in the control. The PSP, of course, only has one control stick – and a little stubby one at that. Freed up to stretch all over the DualShock joypad, the game feels more at home. Most notably, the right analogue stick now makes Kratos dodge and roll much more easily than the shoulder-button assisted feints he had on the handheld.

  Other benefits of the jump from platform to platform are a lush 7.1 surround remaster for the excellent soundtrack, and the option to play in 3D - if your telly supports such fancy-pants technology. So while the stiff lines of the characters reveal the game's true origins, there's more than enough reason to trade up.

  Bloody Hell

  And what of the actual gameplay? God of War was never a series that relied on subtlety, so there's not much to lose here. Kratos scowls and stamps and slices enemies up with his whirling blades. Combat is simple but effective, and a steady stream of upgrades keeps things interesting. Magic attacks are the most satisfying, offering a sense of wild destruction that your flailing knives can't always match. Occasional object puzzles trick you into thinking you're using your brain, but this is very much an experience that's all about blood and mayhem. PSP or PS3, when the slaughter comes this thick and fast, it doesn't really matter how many polygons are involved.

  There's not much to call between the two games, though as the more recent title it's easy to see that Ghost of Sparta has a little more ambition and was put together by a development team more confident in what they could squeeze out of the PSP. Chains of Olympus feels a little small in comparison, but is far from a disappointment.

  Hit or Myth?

  Judged purely as two games for the price of one, there's little to complain about here. God of War HD Collection II brings together two strong entries in an already fine series, and polishes them up so they can sit next to their big boy console cousins. It would be nice to see a bit more attention lavished on the presentation – the games launch from a boring static front screen and the only bonus is a downloadable interview. It's not a place for newcomers to jump aboard, but for fans who want to experience the complete Kratos saga without leaving the couch, this gets the job done in ruthlessly efficient style.

  

  Submit:
  + Great setpiece battles
  + Weird and varied weapons
  + Excellent multiplayer maps

  Resist:
  - Online play is tough for beginners
  - Finite health can leave you stuck
  - Not much solo replay value
  

• PS3 Games We Can't Wait To Play In 2012

  2011 was a fantastic year for PlayStation 3 exclusive games, featuring the likes of Killzone 3, Resistance 3, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, Uncharted 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2, to name just a few. 2012 will also offer a number of great-looking games only available on Sony's home console, which you'll find in our Best PS3 Games of 2012 list below.

  Dust 514

  Dust 514 is a sci-fi first person shooter focused on strategic planetary conquest through fierce ground combat augmented by powerful vehicles. Uniquely, the game is set in and directly connected to the persistent universe of PC massively multiplayer online game EVE Online, allowing players to form mercenary corporations across the two titles and work together to gain control of entire star systems.

  God of War 4

  While it has yet to be announced, the latest entry in Sony's flagship action adventure series is heavily tipped to launch in 2012. There are no official details, but reports claim it'll be the first game in the franchise to feature co-operative and online modes, with players taking control of Kratos and his brother Deimos as they try to escape the Afterlife in another brutal tale of revenge loosely based on Greek mythology.

  Tekken Hybrid

  Perfect for series fans and newcomers alike, Tekken Hybrid is a 3-in-1 fighting game package featuring a high-definition version of the PS2 classic Tekken Tag Tournament, an exclusive early taste of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 in demo form, plus Tekken Blood Vengeance, a full-length, computer generated and 3D compatible feature film that delves into the world of the King of Iron First tournament.

  Sly Cooper Thieves in Time

  Lovable raccoon and master thief Sly Cooper returns after a seven year break for another round of platforming and stealth gameplay. Featuring a humorous time travel storyline, engaging puzzles and eye-popping 3D visuals, this adventure sees players bidding to recover the missing pages of the Thieves Raccoonus, a book chronicling the Cooper family line and thieving secrets, before their legacy is destroyed forever.

  Sorcery

  Fantasy adventure game Sorcery sees players step into the robe of a young sorcerer's apprentice who must use his newly acquired magic skills to vanquish the evil Nightmare Queen and her minions. It makes full use of the PlayStation Move motion controller, mirroring real world movements in-game as players conjure spells, mix potions, solve puzzles and locate exotic treasure in a bid to save the Faerie Kingdom.

  Starhawk

  A third person shooter from the creators of Warhawk, Starhawk depicts a future in which humanity's last hope lies in the lawless frontier of space, where factions battle over the universe's precious resources. Blending intense ground, air and vehicular combat across ever-changing battlefields, the game features a single player campaign, epic 32 player online battles, and a range of offline and online co-op modes.

  The Last of Us

  Billed as a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements, The Last of Us is the latest game from Naughty Dog, creator of the critically acclaimed Uncharted series. Featuring a cinematic, character driven story about a population ravaged by a modern plague, it sees players guiding two survivors on a dangerous journey across what remains of the United States in a search of a better tomorrow.

  The Last Guardian

  It may be shrouded in mystery, but as the latest title from the creators of PS2 classics Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian is perhaps the most feverishly anticipated PS3 game yet. Combining action adventure, puzzle and exploration elements, players assume the role of a young boy who must befriend a giant, feathered beast if he's to escape from a setting resembling the ruins of an expansive castle in a fantastic, high fantasy world.

  Twisted Metal

  The infamous Twisted Metal tournament takes driving madness and destruction to new levels in 2012's revival of the vehicle combat series, as players get behind the wheel of the most twisted rides imaginable and battle to the death until only one man is left standing. Cause chaos offline in the single player campaign or release your road rage in various game modes supporting four player split-screen and 16 players online.

  Yakuza: Dead Souls

  Popular free-roaming action series Yakuza takes some bizarre and deadly new twists with the Yakuza: Dead Souls, introducing of a wide array of guns and zombies into a nightmarish depiction of Tokyo's red light district. As the city descends into terror, four playable characters rise up to take back the streets, kicking, sniping, batting and bulldozing their way through the undead hordes to save Japan from the zombie apocalypse.

  Published: 24/01/2012

• Star Trek beaming onto consoles early 2013

  The crew of the USS Enterprise will be making a long overdue return to consoles in early 2013. The new game will fill in the blanks between the 2009 reboot movie and its upcoming sequel, currently being filmed by JJ Abrams.

  The game, teased to a select few websites at E3 last year, is a co-op adventure, casting players as Kirk and Spock. Each will have their own approach to the game's action, with Kirk favouring direct engagement and bold decisions, while Spock tends towards more considered, tactical options as well as using his iconic Vulcan neck pinch as a stealthy takedown. Characters will be able to fight back using phasers, but will also gather information by scanning the environment with tricorders.

  Developer Digital Extremes also brought us the excellent Darkness II, released last week, while the script will come from God of War's Marianne Krawczyk, working in conjunction with Hollywood scriptwriters Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci. Actors Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have been asked to provide the voice work.

  Star Trek will be published by Namco Bandai early next year, on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

• God of War Collection Volume II - Review

  
  

  

  Troy Story

  It's nice to have everything in one place, and Sony clearly agrees. After the first God of War HD Collection compiled the first two PS2 Kratos adventures on one shimmering Blu-ray - all the better to sit snugly alongside God of War III on your shelf - here comes another volume of tarted-up Greek slaughter - the God of War Collection Volume II. This time it's the two PSP spin-off titles, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, getting the HD makeover. Do they look the business, or is it just too much of a leap?

  Crete Expectations

  Thankfully, they do look the business. Or at least as business-like as a game designed for a palm-size screen and then blown up to full telly size can be. High definition smooths out the edges, but can't do anything about the graphics themselves, and Chains of Olympus in particular looks rather chunky. Ghost of Sparta looks a lot better, which is hardly surprising given that it's more recent, and was already looking like a really good PS2 game.

  The PSP limitations also make themselves known in the scale of the games. You'll be fighting fewer enemies at a time, and the environments lack the "ooh" factor that made God of War III such a visual feast. At least the boss monsters, those gigantic creatures that must be torn to pieces through smart attacking and frantic button-matching, look suitably imposing.

  Duck and Roll

  So PSP games ported to the PS3 don't always look fantastic. Big surprise. Where the translation does pay off is in the control. The PSP, of course, only has one control stick – and a little stubby one at that. Freed up to stretch all over the DualShock joypad, the game feels more at home. Most notably, the right analogue stick now makes Kratos dodge and roll much more easily than the shoulder-button assisted feints he had on the handheld.

  Other benefits of the jump from platform to platform are a lush 7.1 surround remaster for the excellent soundtrack, and the option to play in 3D - if your telly supports such fancy-pants technology. So while the stiff lines of the characters reveal the game's true origins, there's more than enough reason to trade up.

  Bloody Hell

  And what of the actual gameplay? God of War was never a series that relied on subtlety, so there's not much to lose here. Kratos scowls and stamps and slices enemies up with his whirling blades. Combat is simple but effective, and a steady stream of upgrades keeps things interesting. Magic attacks are the most satisfying, offering a sense of wild destruction that your flailing knives can't always match. Occasional object puzzles trick you into thinking you're using your brain, but this is very much an experience that's all about blood and mayhem. PSP or PS3, when the slaughter comes this thick and fast, it doesn't really matter how many polygons are involved.

  There's not much to call between the two games, though as the more recent title it's easy to see that Ghost of Sparta has a little more ambition and was put together by a development team more confident in what they could squeeze out of the PSP. Chains of Olympus feels a little small in comparison, but is far from a disappointment.

  Hit or Myth?

  Judged purely as two games for the price of one, there's little to complain about here. God of War HD Collection II brings together two strong entries in an already fine series, and polishes them up so they can sit next to their big boy console cousins. It would be nice to see a bit more attention lavished on the presentation – the games launch from a boring static front screen and the only bonus is a downloadable interview. It's not a place for newcomers to jump aboard, but for fans who want to experience the complete Kratos saga without leaving the couch, this gets the job done in ruthlessly efficient style.

  GAME's Verdict

  The Good:

  • Great setpiece battles
  • Weird and varied weapons
  • Excellent multiplayer maps

  The Bad:

  • Online play is tough for beginners
  • Finite health can leave you stuck
  • Not much solo replay value

  Published: 14/09/2011

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