here can you go from the top? Just like Kratos perched on his throne high atop Mount Olympus, the original God of War ascended to epic heights amid universal praise. In the face of these high expectations, it might seem that the only direction a sequel could go is down. Thankfully, Kratos does not resign himself to the petty predictions of mortals, and God of War II delivers with a vengeance; it’s a ferocious, blood-soaked adventure that is bigger, grander, and more over-the-top than ever before.

Made mortal once again by the trickery of Zeus, Kratos embarks on his rage-infused mission to change his fate and exact revenge on the king of the gods. Even with the loss of his powers, players will discover that Kratos has a vicious array of new tricks. On a fundamental level, the combat is similar to the first game, but it feels more calculated; moves have more specialized purposes, which gives the player more control over any given situation.

Your dominance in battle is augmented by two new major sub-weapons: a spear and a hammer. These aren’t throwaway additions like the sword from the last game – each has its own deadly and delightful uses. You can launch an enemy off the ground (though aerial combat has been deemphasized considerably) and switch to the hammer to bludgeon him in mid-air. The sub-weapons do suffer from being added to the mix a bit late, but if you ever get sick of whirling your flaming blades (if that’s even possible), you’ll have some solid alternatives.

There isn’t enough room in a one-page review to list all of the other improvements and adjustments, but fans of the first game can rest assured that the cool stuff is cooler, and the weaknesses have been addressed. The timed button-press cinematics are more clever and entertaining, the puzzles are deviously original, and there are no spinning Hades blades to be found. Even better is the inclusion of more titanic boss battles, where Kratos is usually up against another mortal straight out of Greek mythology. Some of these conflicts rely on puzzle elements, while others are just a matter of figuring out attack patterns, but they all add gruesome-yet-cathartic moments just when you need them. Seriously, Theseus totally has it coming.

The only area where God of War II doesn’t surpass its predecessor is in the story. Revenge is still the primary motivation, but the tale has fewer shocking reveals and less sense of Kratos’ grim purpose. Plus, with a third game looming as a forgone conclusion, the team was free to leave things less tidy at the end. Without spoiling anything, I can say that the ending helps the arc of the series as a whole, but it definitely diminishes the ultimate payoff of this entry.

Much like the last game, once you beat God of War II, the fun is far from over. In addition to a second bonus disc full of featurettes, there are plenty of reasons to play the game through again. You can start anew with all of your weapons, orbs, and power-ups (including the end-game weapon in fully upgradeable form) in the bonus play mode, or you can tackle the unlockable Titan Mode (the hardest difficultly). There's also another series of specific challenges that test your skill and endurance. Success in any of these endeavors grants you rewards like new costumes and other secrets.

While the story issues and a slight “I’ve done this before” factor stop it just short of perfection, God of War II is a title you simply cannot miss. It never stopped being one of the best games I’ve ever played. Consider this fair warning, though: From the moment you pick up this game, your life will transform into a constant struggle. Should you fulfill your everyday responsibilities or play God of War II? Responsibility will lose the battle often – but even then, you win.