At the same time, there's strategy to it (mainly the strategies of "find the trick to kill the boss" and "know when to get the hell out of the way"), and as you progress through the game, you'll be granted new weapons like thunderbolts and Medusa's monster-petrifying head. But the best parts are the gory finishing moves (performed by hitting buttons on cue) that let Kratos pull of harpy wings, unscrew gorgon heads and rip undead warriors in half like phone books.

These little atrocities reveal something important about Kratos' character: Unlike most video-game anti-heroes, he's not some misunderstood good guy with questionable methods. He's a force of nature who doesn't care about anything but revenge, and anyone whose death helps him along even slightly is slaughtered without hesitation. Despite his savagery, though, Kratos' cocky attitude and sadistic sense of humor make him one of the most compelling and even likable video-game characters in recent memory.

Aside from all the creative brutality, God of War does a great job of keeping things fresh throughout its surprisingly long run time. As you explore environments ranging from a fleet of shipwrecks to a gigantic temple carried around by a colossal Titan, you'll be faced with a series of unique, genuinely difficult puzzles. The solutions are rarely obvious and sometimes seemingly impossible, but if you're resourceful and look around carefully, you should be able to figure them out.