This is an action-adventure game in which players assume the role of a half-human, half-god Spartan (Kratos) who aims to rescue a relative and defeat the gods of the underworld. As players explore a fantastical world based on ancient Greek mythology, they engage in frequent hack-and-slash combat against ghouls, centaurs, minotaurs, Cyclops, ogres, and other monsters. Players use double-chained blades to kill the creatures; large sprays of red blood occur when enemies are hit. Blood stains are also depicted on the ground and surrounding walls, and sometimes on the bodies of fallen characters. In one sequence, a soldier is depicted cut in half, with blood and entrails surrounding his body. Some fight sequences with larger enemies require players to engage in extended close-up battles that are completed by pressing button sequences according to on-screen prompts. The game also contains a sex mini-game in which players may lead topless women into a bedroom. Actual sex is never depicted; the camera pans out to the foot of a shaking bed. As players respond to on-screen prompts with button presses, loud moaning sounds can be heard.
