Monday, February 13, 2006

God of War

I did something Saturday night that I thought I'd never do. I bought one more PS2 game.

I pulled the PS2 out of mothballs this fall to play Shadow of the Colossus, then Guitar Hero came along. I figured that was it for the PS2, though. End of generation.

I kept hearing about David Jaffe, though. Somehow he had been anointed by acclamation as the voice of the future of gaming. I had no idea why, and I figured unless I played God of War, I'd never know. So I picked it up.

Here's the funny thing: after having played the game for about three hours, I still don't know why.

It's not that God of War isn't good--it is. But its excellence lies not in innovation, but in refinement. God of War is (very basically) a combination of Devil May Cry and Prince of Persia with the shitty parts thrown out. Nothing new, but a recycling of existing elements in a more well-balanced package than the originals. With mythology as a backstory.

This is the resume of a prophet?

David Jaffe certainly seems like a bright guy, but I wonder why he's being looked to for his opinions on the future of gaming when his signature game doesn't represent the future at all.

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