The interactive, fantasy-themed equivalent of a testosterone-drenched, straight-to-DVD action flick, 2005's God of War had only one failing. The game's mile-a-minute, melee-heavy setup (pitting suicidal Spartan warrior Kratos against hordes of awe-inspiring beasties) was so good, audiences craved more. The long-awaited sequel sends our hero -- a newly anointed deity -- to the ends of the earth on a quest to change his very fate. If you never played the original game, don't worry. All that's required to appreciate this equally legendary successor is a thirst for blood, itchy trigger finger and, naturally, a strong stomach.

Despite the presence of intriguing action-based puzzles based around dragging pillars and pilfering keys from enemies' stiffening corpses, the focus is squarely on spastic skirmishes. Half the fun comes simply from tapping buttons in random sequence to see the effect whirlwind-like assaults and staggering, 360-degree spinning strikes have on minotaurs and undead legionnaires. Showdowns against the super-sized Colossus of Rhodes or mini-games in which you tap buttons in time to mount a Cyclops and gouge out its eye are simply glorious. Packing chain-mounted blades, giant hammers and wind-spitting bows, you rip the wings off harpies, deliver gut-wrenching 60-hit combos and dismember imps before burying their axes in their own skulls. But hey, hand-to-hand combat's not everything. After all, you can always cool off by flying around on Pegasus's back or double-jump rivers of boiling blood.

The action is fast, brutal and hard-hitting. Easily the goriest title since Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, it's a surefire smash hit. That's only fitting for the last of the great PlayStation 2 outings.