God of War III
Review
The Ghost of Sparta is Back with a Vengeance
by Kiran Sury
reviewed on PS3
Kicking Ass and Taking Names, Spartan Style
Few people can forget the openings of God of War and God of War II. The first game had you fighting a massive three-headed Hydra on a sinking ship. In the sequel, you literally ripped apart the even larger Colossus of Rhodes from the inside out. With these two impressive fights helming the earlier entries into the franchise, it would seem impossible for Sony Santa Monica to come up with an intro level that was better than anything the first two games had to offer. At best, they could be up to par.
Apparently Sony Santa Monica disagrees.
The first level of God of War III will literally kick you flat on your ass with its sheer awesomeness. The Playstation 3 has the power to do things impossible on the PS2, and the fight against Poseidon (while riding the titan Gaia), is better than any fight in the previous two games. This probably sounds like hyperbole, but my jaw hasn't dropped so low since I found out that (11-year-old spoiler alert) Bruce Willis was dead in the Sixth Sense. Gaia movement causes the battlefield to change every few minutes, and adds a dynamic feel that is often missing from games like these where you go from room to room killing enemies. The Poseidon kill/quick time event at the end of the level is the most brutal kill in a God of War game yet. Sony has polished the franchise to perfection, and it shows. God of War III starts where God of War II ended: Kratos is riding Gaia as she climbs Mount Olympus with the other titans to wage war against Zeus and his brethren.
Not quite the God of Storytelling
The game begins with a stylish picture-silhouette recap of the franchise, and then thrusts you into the action. Though the story isn't very important in action games like this, Santa Monica does a decent job. As Kratos fights through his journey, he encounters a variety of gods, titans, and other important members of Greek mythology, like Hercules and Daedalus.
Every character is voice-acted very well, and each god has a distinct flair. Hermes, with his singsong voice and annoying antics, contrasts well with Hades's malevolence and Zeus's overbearing demeanor. You get to see Kratos maturing emotionally throughout the game, as he goes from bloodthirsty badass out for revenge to bloodthirsty badass out for revenge who still misses his wife and daughter. The ending is a bit too sentimental, but provides a fitting conclusion. God of War III does what it set out to do – explain why there are no more Greek myths about gods, titans, or anything. Why? Because Kratos killed them all.
Blades of Chao…I mean, Exile
Gameplay-wise, things have largely remained the same for the third outing. However, that's not a bad thing. God of War's combat is honed to perfection in this game, and every time you get hurt, you know it's your fault. The Blades of Chaos are called the Blades of Exile now, but they have the exact same combos and functionality.
9.5
fun score
Pros
God of War polished to perfection, great combat you love with even more epic boss battles.
Cons
There\'s no new groundbreaking mechanics, story ends a little too mushily.
