Hype is usually just fluff pushed by public relations representatives, especially in the video game industry. Too often, they make the average game seem “revolutionary” or “ground-breaking.”

Likewise, the Playstation 2 game “God of War” has been pumped to massive proportions with the help of Sony’s hype steroids. But this is one game that deserves it.

At the start of the game, a cutscene introduces Kratos, the main character, walking off a cliff in despair. As he plunges toward the jagged rocks below, a narrator rewinds to events three months earlier. Enter a jaw-dropping, chaotic and hellish battle on a ship.

“God of War” impresses in the areas of graphics, sound and story very quickly. The enemies and levels all look fantastic, and special effects are at full force. Better still is how smooth everything moves, especially Kratos wielding his blades of chaos.

The sound is top-notch. The thunderous musical score blends in beautifully with the screams, shouts and clash of weapons.

The voice acting is more than competent, as every voice fits like a glove to the characters. Both the graphics and sound help move the story along. The tale is one of revenge and redemption, a generic theme, but it is handled well enough for the player to stay intrigued.

Although the graphics, sound and story are done well, gameplay matters the most. Sony has proudly mentioned many times the “easy to pick up, hard to master” combat system in “God of War.” In reality, the system is quite simple. Most of the battles consist of blocking, then whipping out combos. Sony is trying to get gamers to believe the combat system is some deep, infinitely variable system, but 100-plus hit combos can be achieved using just two moves. There are dozens of moves in Kratos’ arsenal, but about six are constantly used.

What makes combat so addictive and fun is its simplicity and pizzazz. Moves are very simple to execute and flashy to look at, and the forgiving combo system allows even the most uncoordinated player to execute long combos.

Unfortunately, there is a pitfall to everything “God of War” gets right. The game is too short, and the replay value is nil. The game will probably clock in around 12 to 15 hours the first time, and continually less after that. There are some rewards in beating the game, including behind-the-scenes videos, a mini-game and a “god mode” difficulty, but the feelings of awe and joy aren’t there when replaying the game a second time. In fact, it gets predictable and repetitive.

Because of the very short nature of “God of War,” renting it may be better than buying. But whichever option is chosen, “God of War” is a must-play. For once, believe the hype.