God of War II tells the story of Kratos’ fall from grace. The minute-to-minute gameplay looks far better than the cutscenes, however, and the frantic combo-based combat is just as satisfying now as it was on the PlayStation 2 back in the day. Kratos’ movements are fluid and pacey, but the effects of compressing all that data down onto a tiny card are such that the visuals look slightly muddy and indistinct. What follows is a murderous rampage through Greek mythology in the pursuit of Pandora’s Box, culminating in what was – at the time of its original release – an incredibly brutal showdown with Ares. Beginning the first game in service to Ares, the dome-headed, ash-smeared loon is happy to destroy anyone who stands in his way – until he is charged to kill Ares and finally avenge his family. If you’ve ever played God of War before, you’ll know what to expect: Kratos comes out swinging right from the off. If God of War was a film franchise, you wouldn’t root for that type of character – but because he’s a video game protagonist and violent rages against towering beasts in video games are somewhat cathartic, you find yourself getting behind the big bald psychopath all the way.

At no point in the God of War franchise is Kratos ever not angry for more than a few minutes, even when he’s rutting with busty wenches he has an air of quiet menace, like he’s just about to rip someone’s head clean off. It’s his defining feature, like Dumbo’s ears or Kim Kardashian’s gluteous maximus.

God of war ps vita iso