God of War

Players take on the role of Kratos, a Spartan working for the Greek god Ares. When Ares has Kratos unintentionally kill his family, Kratos turns against him, offering his service to the other gods instead. His chance at redemption comes when the goddess Athena asks him to kill Ares, one final act of violence that will absolve him of his family's death. Kratos accepts, but in order to defeat the god he must acquire an item called Pandora's Box. After an encounter with Ares that forces him to escape the Underworld, Kratos takes the box and uses its power to gain godlike abilities. He then slays Ares, but the gods refuse to rid him of the nightmares that haunt him and prevent him from transcending grief and guilt. Desperate, Kratos attempts suicide but is rescued by Athena who takes him to Mount Olympus and proclaims him as the new God of War.

At predetermined points in the game, progress can be saved by walking up to a beam of light.

• Kratos is a viciously violent character, going so far as to kill innocent people. Do you think there's any justification for his actions? Does he deserve to have the nightmares taken away?
• Is Kratos a likable protagonist? Is he meant to be?
• What do you think of the way in which the game portrays/interprets Greek mythology? Is it anything like what you learned in school?