God of War II

This isn't just one of the best PS2 games of the year; it's one of the year's best games. It has the charismatic, god-whacking, antihero Kratos and his signature flaming-chain-whip-knives. It also contains fiends of every shape, size, and color to cut down. It has incredible graphics and wonderfully tasteful artistic design. It has an entertaining plot that sees Kratos squaring off against the biggest and baddest god of them all, as well as the fates themselves.

Of course, these showdowns take place as awesome boss battles that are bigger, bloodier, and more entertaining than practically any we've played since--and considering how impressive and over-the-top the first game's bosses were, that's pretty high praise. There's a reason so many new games have strangely similar button-mashing sequences. There's also a reason why God of War II isn't just more of the same, since on top of all the hacking, slashing, and deicide, there are also some incredibly clever puzzles; even as this epic adventure quenches your thirst for evil blood, it will challenge and expand your mind. Even though the once-mighty PS2 will finally be sailing off into the horizon, it received a very memorable sendoff in God of War II--easily the best PlayStation 2 game of the year.