: This is the traditional method. You must interact with the light beams (Save Points) found throughout the game.

If you downloaded a save, placed it in the correct folder, and the game still shows "New Game" only:

You can find God of War 2 save files on several retro gaming websites. The most reliable sources are:

Because God of War 2 is a long game (roughly 12-15 hours), backing up is essential.