God Of War III Review PS3

God of War 3 is the epic conclusion to the God of War franchise started on the Playstation 2. Kratos has enlisted the help of the Titans at the end of God of War 2 and was climbing Mount Olympus to kill Zeus. God of War 3 begins with Kratos on the back of the Titan Gaia, climbing Mount Olympus, and Zeus sending forth the gods Poseidon, Hades, Hermes, and Helios to stop him and the Titans. The game is epic in every sense of the word, from grand battles against the gods, to enormous battles on the bodies of Titans, and huge environments to traverse. One of the best game franchises ever created comes to a final conclusion on the PS3, and no one should miss it.

Graphic and sound:

Graphically, God of War 3 is the best looking game ever created on a console system. There is absolutely no game on a console that even compares the graphical sophistication of God of War 3. Character models are highly detailed to the point where you can see pores on the skin. All models have a high polygon count to the point that the blockiness of previous games or current games such as Dante’s Inferno, is non-existent. Environments such as Hades are highly detailed and enormous in scale. God of War 3 is the first game to have moving environments where battle is taking place on the back of giant Titans. Also, particle effects such as the water flowing through the god Poseidon are simply amazing to look at.

The soundtrack in the God of War series has always been phenomenal and God of War 3 is no exception. The music gives an epic feel to the whole game and keeps up with the fast pacing of the game. The voice acting is top-notch as it always has been with big name actors such as Rip Torn and Malcolm McDowell voicing Hephaestus and Daedalus respectively. The God of War 3 Ultimate Edition packaging includes a voucher to download the soundtrack of all the 3 God of War games, which is a must for any fan of the music.

Gameplay and controls:

God of War 3 consists of 4 difficulty levels ranging from Easy to Titan Mode. I played the game on Normal and it was fairly easy with no need to block almost ever. The game ranges from standard fare enemies to large boss battles on the backs of Titans. Boss battles take place sporadically through levels rather than being regulated as the ending sequence to a level as is standard fare in most games.

In addition to the health and magic bars, there is now an item bar that allows the usage of the Bow of Apollo, Hermes Boots, and the Head of Helios. The bar depletes with use, but refills automatically. Weapons and abilities can be upgraded as in previous iterations through the use of souls gathered. Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers have now been reduced to 3 per increase in stats as opposed to 6 in the previous game. The item bar can also be increased by collecting 3 Minotaur Horns.

The Challenge Mode is back with 7 challenges under the Challene of Olympus and a bonus challenge mode from the Ultimate Edition called Challenge of Exile with another 7 challenges. There is also a Combat Arena that allows the player to set up their own battles.

The game does not install to the PS3 hard drive and does not have any loading screens between levels. The camera is not controlled by the player, but runs on rails that adjust to the action and movement of the player on screen. Unlike the earlier God of War games, God of War 3 does not have any moments where the camera obscures the view for the player. Controls are very tight when it comes to combat and platforming. Any missed jumps or combos are purely player error.

Overall thoughts:

God of War 3 is an excellent conclusion to the series as a whole with exception to the ending. The ending of God of War 3 leaves players wondering how much more the developer wishes to milk this franchise. The only complaint I have is that normal mode was extremely easy, but then again there are two other harder difficulty levels available to play. The game plays smoothly, looks amazing, and feels like playing the original Clash of the Titans movie. From beginning to end the game feels like a truly epic story and should not be missed by anyone. Do not rent this game, buy it and support this great studio.