# God of War: HELP! I'm stuck...



## Iron_Chef (Oct 3, 2005)

Playing God of War for PS2. Great game, although the designers do a lousy job of telling you where to go next or how to defeat special enemies with stuff other than your normal powers. Anyway, I'm stuck, stuck, stuck and need help before I throw the game in the trash in frustration, LOL.

I'm in Athens. The city is under attack by Ares and his minions and is now on fire. I need to jump from moss-covered pillar to moss-covered pillar (sea od hot lava death below me). Meanwhile, undead archers pepper me with arrows from a balcony I can't get to. I can make it to the second pillar, but once there, I can't figure out how to jump over onto the broken ledge. I've tried this like a hundred times, always failing. I figured out not to try it while the archers are shooting at me, LOL, cuz their arrows knock me off balance and into the fire (dead). But I don't see where I am supposed to jump onto the ledge. It's driving me nuts. Either I'm too old and uncoordinated to be playing this game (give me Ms. Pac-Man anyday) or the designers stink and should have created an alternate route around it rather than expect the average gamer to be able to pull something this difficult off...


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## CronoDekar (Oct 4, 2005)

I think I remember what section you're talking about, but unfortunately I can't remember much from the area.  If the section is the one what I think you're talking about, I believe you can climb over to the left of the first pillar and double-jump off of it to get to an area where you can hack through some archers.  According to a FAQ I'm reading, it says you have to climb around to the right side hanging off the moss and double-jump onto another pillar.  In case that's confusing or doesn't help, the FAQ I'm looking at is at:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/919864.html

I was looking at the one that's 228k, and if you do a find for "moss" you should get to the point where I think you're at.


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## Kid Charlemagne (Oct 4, 2005)

I know exactly what the problem is - you have yet to perfect the "double jump."  It's an easy mistake - as it makes no sense in regards to real physics.  Basically, you jump, and then while in mid air, hit jump again.  You'll act as if you kicked off of something solid for an extra boost, and then you'll be fine.

I was stuck in the exact same spot until I figured this out.


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## John Crichton (Oct 4, 2005)

While God of War is my favorite game released so far this year the only thing I didn't like were the platforming elements.  I had no trouble with the part(s) mentioned here but some of the later stuff was flat-out punishing.


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## CronoDekar (Oct 4, 2005)

John Crichton said:
			
		

> While God of War is my favorite game released so far this year the only thing I didn't like were the platforming elements.  I had no trouble with the part(s) mentioned here but some of the later stuff was flat-out punishing.




Oh dear lord yes.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 4, 2005)

What is a platforming element?


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## Lobo Lurker (Oct 4, 2005)

Iron_Chef said:
			
		

> What is a platforming element?



 Aren't those the arch enemies of the rare column elementals?


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## CronoDekar (Oct 5, 2005)

Mainly, it refers to jumping.  Jumping the right length/height, jumping at the right time, landing on the right spot, avoiding pits... stuff like that.  Think Super Mario Brothers.

Fortunately, it doesn't get too crazy with the platforming, and most of the game is still used destroying enemies by shredding them with your Blades of Chaos and calling down the powers of the gods.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 5, 2005)

Okay, I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. I did not realize I could go around to the other side of the first pillar. That was the only way to take out those archers, by jumping onto a balcony there and coming around their backside through a building, then kicking over a ramp to get back to jumping off the first balcony omnto the first moss pillar. Then you jump to the second pillar and from there to the ledge... which is only possible I think if those archers are dead so you can concentrate. Still took a lot of jumping and dying off that seciond pillar archers or no archers.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 5, 2005)

Now I'm stuck a little bit later in the game in a similar stupid situation. I'm on the rooftops of Athens, there are two ropes swinging over to a rooftop. The rooftop has 5 or 6 chests (red orbs and blue/green heal/magic orbs). The problem is, I can't open any of the chests because everytime I press R2 I get shot by this group of undead archers in an area I can't figure out how to get to! This is a repeat of the pillar situation and is driving me crazy. God, I hate this crap. I just wanna kill stuff not try out for the Olympics with all this jumping crap. *Help please!*

The other thing I can't find is the broken lever bit to open the door I feel a "benevolent presence" behind.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 5, 2005)

Nevermind. Finally read the FAQ, LOL. They did a horrible job of designing this game so you'd know what to do/where to go next. _Darkwatch_ always showed you what to do/where to go, but didn't make it easy to succeed. But you never wasted hours on crap like god of war makes you. _Darkwatch_ is a better game, IMO, for this reason, plus it has a better story and more fun characters. Shorter game, though.


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## Kid Charlemagne (Oct 5, 2005)

The archer/box thing is to get you to use your "Zeus Lightning" power to knock off the archers - it's something you'll need later on.  I can't rememer exactly where the broken lever bit is - but I do remember that those are the last two really frustrating moments I had in the game.  After that, I felt like I had figured it out for the most part - control and power-wise.

I do agree with you about spending hours on wasted crap, though.  The game could have been so much better.


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## Welverin (Oct 5, 2005)

Iron_Chef said:
			
		

> Nevermind. Finally read the FAQ, LOL. They did a horrible job of designing this game so you'd know what to do/where to go next.




I disagree entirely, in fact I think the game is a bit too straight forward at times. The only real problems I have with it are the jumpy bits later on that John mentioned and the fact that it's a bit too ambitious graphically for the PS2 and suffers for it at times.

The problems you described sound like they derive from you not properly utilizing all of your powers and abilities.

I'd be interested in hearing how you do with the Pandora's Temple when you get there.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 6, 2005)

I'm in Pandora's Temple... Still getting lost, confused and dying constantly.   

I can't remember all the stupid buttons to push to do the combos, block, magic, fatalities, etc. I grew up on Atari 2600 in the 70s, man. One joystick, one button. Now _that_ was gaming! These newfangled games drive me crazy. How do they expect anyone to master all these configurations, especially when they keep adding new ones throughout the game? I can't tell what is going on, where I'm supposed to go, when I'm supposed to do it... LOL. Plus, the game is too hard on normal. They throw too many enemies at me. I can barely handle one cerberus, minotaur or cyclops. More than that and I'm dead over and over again. And the traps and hazards are too tough! I'm always pushing the wrong buttons and doing rage of the gods when I didn't mean to, or can't do it when I want to. It's not intuitive changing magic modes (medusa to zeus to poseidon, frex). 

It takes a miracle (actually, a FAQ cheat sheet) for me to get anywhere in God of War, let alone for me to beat this damn game. Sometimes I get lucky and the path opens up before I've killed all the bad guys and I can escape and move on. I stand by my statement that the designers did a horrible job telling players where to go. I get lost and confused constantly. I haven't played console games excedpt Soul Caliber 2 since Resident Evil 3, LOL. I'm more of a CRPG or RTS guy. I did manage to fumble my way through Darkwatch recently, but I died *183 times* beating the game, LOL.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 6, 2005)

Okay, prime example of why I'm now convinced this game sucks: instant death traps. How is this fun? Is it fun for me to scream the "F" word at the top of my lungs and smash my fist into the table a hundred times in a row as the idiots who made this game expect me to be able to swim dash three times while giant underwater log traps slam into me? I can barely do this trick once, but three times? C'mon. Complete B.S. The trap doesn't even make sense, mechanically, as the log wall would hit a grate but magically keeps going through it so it can keep threatening me if I move from from my alcove.

Instant death traps are not fun and are a means for lazy designers to make the game "longer" by wasting player's time. Who has this kind of time to waste? I don't wanna spend hours on one stupid trap (at least if it's combat I can always fumble my way through eventually). Video games have no replay value in my book. There's always a new game coming out. Why waste time on the same one twice to unlock secrets? I always thought if I paid for a game I should get all the secrets unlocked if I wanted by accessing the menu, and cheat codes to bypass crap like this water trap or the pillars I mentioned earlier that are too hard for me. I paid for the game after all, I should get full access to its features if I want.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 6, 2005)

I finally made it past that stupid @!#$% water trap, and things seemed okay until I ran into a damn lava pit trap in the Challenge of Hades that I can't time my jumps to. I get past the first pit ok, but then there's that big lava-filled gap with a weird platform that comes out and goes back fast twice then sticks together longer the third time. I miss it every single time; I'm not even sure I'm jumping far enough regardless of the timing. This instant death "trap crap" is horrible. I don't play a game called God of War to time jumps and swim dashes, I play it to kill stuff. They might as well have titled this game "God of Traps" instead. Feels like I'm stuck in a bad D&D adventure populated mostly by Grimtooth's Traps instead of monsters at this point, LOL.


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## Welverin (Oct 6, 2005)

After reading your last few post I have to say that I think God of War just isn't the right type of game for you.



			
				Iron_Chef said:
			
		

> I can't remember all the stupid buttons to push to do the combos, block, magic, fatalities, etc. I grew up on Atari 2600 in the 70s, man.
> One joystick, one button. Now _that_ was gaming!




Heh, funny.



> These newfangled games drive me crazy. How do they expect anyone to master all these configurations,




They don't, you're just supposed to intuitively grasp it, you old fogie!



> Plus, the game is too hard on normal. They throw too many enemies at me. I can barely handle one cerberus, minotaur or cyclops.




Then I seriously suggest starting over on easy, it won't help with the puzzles or jumping bits, but the enemies will be easier to beat (or so they say, never actually tried it out myself).



			
				Iron_Chef said:
			
		

> Okay, prime example of why I'm now convinced this game sucks: instant death traps.




God, I hope you never played the Tomb Raider games, they seem to have been designed under the assumption you'd die the first time you came across a trap and then would reload the game and figure out from there.



> Why waste time on the same one twice to unlock secrets?




I'm with you on this one, I have trouble getting through the games I have once, I have no desire to play through them twice just to use the nifty stuff I unlocked the first time. It's for this very reason I'm sorely tempted to get a cheat device, solely so I can unlock things and use them the first time around.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 6, 2005)

Never liked Tomb Raider. Not enough stuff to kill. Just liked staring at Lara Croft's digital bits.   

I'm too old to grasp anything intuitively anymore, LOL. Anything I could grasp intuitively got grasped years ago. There's no room for anything else, least of all button pushing! That's the reason I suck at fighting games. I can't remember how to do combo moves and just end up trying to push all the buttons at once and hope for the best...  :\


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 6, 2005)

Ok, I get past the stupid lava pit trap after like 30+ restarts, and get to the Maze Of Hades. Here, the game designers thought it would be "fun" to make the nearest checkpoint for restarts all the way at the beginning of the maze, so you have to refight your way through it and the traps again. For a guy like me who dies 30+ times every time he encounters a trap, that is such total B.S. I should be able to save the game wherever I want, not someplace the designers think is "best." AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!   

And if I quit, the nearest saved game is _before_ the lava pit trap that killed me 30+ times. Nice. This game is going in the trash right about now...


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## John Crichton (Oct 7, 2005)

Chef.  Dude.  Heheh

I honest-to-God admire your persistance.  If a game was giving me as much grief as you are expressing here I certainly wouldn't have kept playing it.  Jeeze, you're almost near the end at this point.    Well done.

I have mixed emotions reading through your posts but for the most part, Welvy and I are on the same page as far as the game maybe not being for you (not surprising since his old thread about this was basically he and I waxing about how cool and fun it was - except for the platforming BS).  For me, it is currently my Game of the Year.  I had so much fun playing it.  There were absolutely some cheap-death parts and some frustrating late-game elements but I've never been good at platformers so go figure.  Overall, the visceral experience was totally worth any 4-letter, strung-together shouts of rage and controller spiking I had during certain play-sessions.

A few counter-points if I may:

The boss battles were excellent.  The greatest compliment one could pay is that there simply weren't enough of them.  I haven't had this much fun killin' bosses since Metal Gear Solid on the PS1.

For a PS2 game, the graphics were amazing.  There was a little slowdown here and there but not enough to complain about.  The game looked great.

And the bottom line, above all else - Kratos handled great and his signature weapons (Blades of Chaos) should go down in gaming history as one of the greatest attack designs ever.  Right next to the Mario butt-stomp.    Once I got his moves down (which was about 1/4 through the game) I was a killing machine and any non-platforming deaths (which weren't very numerous) I had were my fault and not because of some cheap enemy AI (like some other games).  The fighting was fair, fast, furious and fun.  The hits and kills felt solid and really got my heart pumping and my fist pumping the air after a well-fought mass-killin' (even more than in Halo, which is the closest recent game I can think of to the experience).

So, yeah - the Hades level was a bit of a downer, especially compared to the wonder and brilliance of Pandora's Temple.  And the other jumping/platforming parts were not as fair as the fights.  But everything else was near pitch-perfect.  I bought the game to mow through throngs of impressive looking badies, kick ass and take names.  The game delivered.

To not make a sequel would be a crime against gamers.  Um, ok, gamers who don't mind games that utilize about 7-8 buttons at a time.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 7, 2005)

If the rest of the game wasn't so damn cool, I'd never be so persistent (I almost gave up on Darkwatch until I figured out the controls and I still ended up dying 183 times, LOL, though a great number of these were in three specific areas). I hate to start a game and not beat it if it looks like something I'm interested in. GoW looks great, and can be a lot of fun. But the instant death traps suck. What finally broke the camel's back for me was their being no save or restart in Hades' Challenge. I can't go very long without dying one way or another, LOL. Kratos was cool and the blades of chaos were awesome, as were the bosses, I'll agree. That hydra gave me the willies, though I never would have figured out how to beat it (never noticed those spikes) if my buddy hadn't played that part before and pointed them out...

One more thing, I got so freakin' upset playing GoW that I made myself physically sick. I can't flip out like that during cold season or I lower my immune system from the stress and end up in bed nursing a cold, LOL. One more reason to hate GoW. 

Please spoil the rest of the game and the ending for me as I'm never going to beat it on my own now.


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 10, 2005)

I enlisted the ultimate cheat: a 22 year old video gaming buddy of mine who made me look like a grade-A moron by comparison. Of course, I was telling him where to go and what to do, so I gotta take credit for trailblazing the way for him to beat that crap I was talking about. All in one try! @#$%! LOL

Unfortunately, I thought I at a point where I could succeed on my own again, but discovered to my unending horror that of course the game was not done with instant death traps. This time, they want me to balance beam my way across a high ceiling (fall or die) while spinning saw blades and axes on wooden poles swing by over and over, forcing me to jump or be knocked off to my death. I am utterly incapable of succeeding at this task!!! LOL, I hate this game. All I wanna do is fight monsters and beat it, but NOOOOOO........

I have now quit God of War forever and moved on to Resident Evil 4, where I have died 18 times so far, but it jumps for me (press A to perfectly jump over). Of course, I hate riddles and puzzles to pieces, but at least I can rely on the internet to supply the answers, unlike me having to rely on my own woeful abilities to jump or reason. I play RE to kill zombies, not solve puzzles, LOL. So far, RE4 has precious little of that and I even managed to kill the first Boss (Del Lago) on the first try. Unfortunately, after El Gigante, I have zero ammo, zero healing, and zeo grenades left to fight the devil dogs waiting on my way back to the chuyrch, hahahaha, so now I'm doomed in that game too! @#$%!


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 12, 2005)

34 hours into RE4 and haved died 70 times so far, but having great fun. Had some tough times but this game has precious few instant death traps by comparison to GoW; I can eventually win a tough fight even if it takes me hours, LOL. I just wish there was a way to skip the cut scenes... maybe there is, but I can't figure it out.   

Looks like I'll beat RE4 at least. With Darkwatch, _2 out of 3 ain't bad_. Meatloaf was right!


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## Iron_Chef (Oct 13, 2005)

I beat RE4 in 40 hours and only died 93 times, LOL. This was a much better RE than any previous (no ink ribbons to save game on typewriter!) and IMO, is far superior to GoW... and not just because I can beat it.


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