I've been playing the roots of the God of War series alongside playing both the 2018 reboot and Ragnarok, so it's been fascinating to see how this series has evolved. God of War II holds up even better than its predecessor, with fewer annoying combat scenarios, a plethora of new tools to play with, and well-designed puzzles. The game also is perhaps the best looking PlayStation 2 game, at times looking like an early PlayStation 3 game. It's not perfect, as parts of its game design have dated (instant death rooms, the right control stick dodging), but it holds up remarkably well.