#15 God of War Collection

Game Info

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Bluepoint Games - SCE Santa Monica

Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure, Compilation

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 17, 2009

The God of War Collection is God of War and God of War II, re-mastered.  The graphics have been given a complete overhaul, including improved lighting and texturing.  Trophies have been added to gameplay, as well.  Bonus features that were available from download or a second disc are available directly on this BluRay disc. 

The graphics are astounding.  There is no doubt about that.  What made the God of War Collection really outstanding to me, however, was the placement of trophies.  Trophies have been the bane of my gaming existence for a few reasons.   More than once, I've earned a trophy without any effort at all.  At least twice, I earned one for watching the game opening!  That's ridiculous.  I've also found that trophy announcements shock the player out of an already fragile immersive state.  They are a startling reminder that you are playing a game.  In the God of War Collection, however, the trophy is announced at the end of the level.  While this still divides the game into parts, it is part of a culmination and doesn't feel quite as unexpected there.