As for why I haven’t shown my face around here for a few days, there are a few reasons: a) Muse came to Nashville last Monday, and b) I’ve been furiously playing God of War II.

Yes, God of War II. Not III, as the theme week might suggest. My personal gamer’s creed wouldn’t let me dive into the third without finishing its predecessor.

And, as of about thirty minutes ago – at 4:30 in the morning – I finally beat the damn thing.

Holy crap, that last part of the last boss was annoying. I know Ethos is the one who does most of the bitching about QTEs, but seriously… fuck QTEs. I died more times on that stupid final minigame than I did on the actual boss battle.

Oh, and the game is about five hours too long. As much fun as the gameplay is, it really does not hold up for fifteen goddamned hours.

But I’m complaining too much. It was a fun time, and certainly an improvement over the first – though hardly drastic. I enjoyed the greater variation in environments, and the art direction really is fantastic. Also, I’m forced to concede that the story actually caught my attention a few times – particularly the ending, which actually gave me chills due to its unparalleled badassery.

So, yeah, I guess I’ll be picking up the third one tomorrow, and subsequently getting with the program. The program, of course, being the theme week.

Remember, though, we already have a review of the game, courtesy of Ethos – just take a look below.