We're a few months away from the launch of God of War 3, and everyone has played the first two games in preparation, right? For those interested in revisiting the PlayStation 2 classics, or for gamers who somehow missed them the first time around, Sony has released quite the package: God of War 1 and 2 together in one Blu-ray disc, complete with a graphical boost to take advantage of the power of the PlayStation 3.

This has resulted in a somewhat uneven experience that proves a few things. First, these games stand up against even the most modern of games, and second, it's an odd experience when graphics are given a resolution boost... and little else.

Title God of War Collection Developer SCE Studios Santa Monica Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment Price $39.99 Shop.Ars Platform PS3

The game now runs at 720p, featuring fullscreen anti-aliasing, and the action moves at at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second. Keep in mind that the graphics themselves haven't changed at all, they are simply clearer. That's not a huge complaint; the God of War games have always looked great on the PlayStation 2 and, while some of the textures may look bland next to today's games, the upgraded resolution means the game looks like a current-generation title.

God of War is known for its smooth, flowing style of combat, which makes the now-constant 60 frames-per-second animation much more than just a bullet point. The game is more responsive than the originals. There is no slow-down, the game never seems to tax the hardware, and combat simply feels better. The games also feature support for trophies, giving you extra incentive to play through both titles again.

But how are the games now?

Sony sent over an early copy of the game, sans packaging, allowing us to spend a good amount of time with both titles for the review. I thought I was simply going to dabble with a level here and there, and maybe watch a video or two, before giving my thoughts on the graphics. But I had forgotten just how fun these games are, even today. You can select to begin either God of War 1 or 2 from the title screen, and each game features a wide selection of videos talking about the making of the games.

What's impressive about these games, looking back, is how large-scale some of the set pieces are. You'll fight huge enemies, run across epic backdrops, see and do amazing things. The combination of combo-laden battle with the quick-time events to finish off bosses feels just as satisfying as it always did. There is a reason that the God of War games have become a genre onto themselves; once you get the hang of stringing attacks together you'll get addicted to trying to beat your high score for consecutive hits. The ability to level up your weapons and attacks adds another layer of complexity to the games.

The enemies are devilish, the violence is extreme, there are sex minigames, and you play a character who is not a good man by any stretch of the imagination. They were good games when they were released, and I had a wonderful time diving into both games again. If you are new to the series, you are in for a treat; this release can compete with any game on the market right now.

There are a few downsides

The main problem with this collection is that the cut-scenes that are prerendered are... how do I put this nicely... ugly as sin. The in-game graphics are great, the scenes shown in the game's engine look very nice, but the movies themselves are a huge step down from the graphical clarity of the rest of the experience. It's not a huge issue, but it can be distracting, and more than a little jarring.

If you already own both of these games, it may also be a hard sell to get you to pony up the money again simply for the facelift. There is no new content to be found at all; these are direct copies of the first release, redone in HD. If your newer consoles have spoiled you, this may be worth the money. If you still have your PS2 sitting around and don't mind standard-definition graphics, you may just want to replay the games you already own.

Still, getting both games and having them look this good for $40 is a wonderful value. If you haven't met the Ghost of Sparta yet, this is a no-brainer. The smoother frame-rate improves the feel of the game, the updated graphics are easier on the eyes, and the price tag is just right. This is a hell of a way to get fans excited for the upcoming God of War 3.

Verdict: Buy

Note: We contacted Sony for screenshots, and were told none were officially released. While that's a little... odd, we were pointed towards this great Bitmob story with some amazing comparison shots of the PS2 and PS3 versions of the game. If you want to check out the differences in more detail, that's a good place to start.

Listing image by Bitmob