SCEA Santa Monica shows us how it all ends for Kratos in this highly anticipated masterpiece.
GOD OF WAR III IS AMAZING!
When we last left Kratos, he was ascending Mt. Olympus to do battle with his evil father, Zeus and bring the Gods crashing to the ground. With a mix of technical wizardry, a great story and time-tested gameplay, God of War three is NOT ONLY the best installment in the series, but it provides a fitting end to Kratos' story and bids farewell to the balding Bad Ass in an extraordinary way.
The first thing one would notice with GOW III is that it looks fantastic. Every texture and detail is realized. From the pores on Kratos' face to the Bronze finish of Poseidon's Water Chariot, every detail that could have been taken for granted is here and perfectly rendered. The lighting and effects are brilliant as well. Torches flare in darkened areas, adding to the suspense and authenticity of your surroundings. Your blades of chaos burn a brilliant red, creating an enhanced feel of violence as you chop the undead into pieces.
But the largest achievement in these games in terms of graphics lies with the mighty Titans. These gigantic creatures are not just setpeices for you to see in the background, nor are they restricted to cutscenes. The Titans are constantly in the foreground of the action, sometimes functioning as moving levels. This is a revolutionary idea that not only makes the presentation really come through, it also provides a visceral thrill never before seen in a game. Fighting giants is now possible. And I thank this game for it.
The levels also take on a new sense of size in GOW III. Every massive detail is presented in every location you visit. From the depths of Hades to the uppermost chamber of Olympus. Everything is beautifully rendered with no framerate skipping, no lag and (thank God someone understands) virtually no loading times. To say that's impressive is an understatement.
But all of this would mean nothing if the game was no fun. Well, I can assure you that the gameplay for GOW III exceeds its predeccessors by leaps and bounds. Simple new additions to the gameplay (like switching weapons and magic on the fly or the ability to grab your opponents from far away) make for a new type of pace in the action which makes the combat even more of a thrill. Nothing beats killing a gorgon the right way so all the enemies around you turn to stone. These small improvements can be lifesavers and the team at Santa Monica did a great job evening the difficulty.
The Boss battles, however, are where God of War III really comes into its own. The Gods and Titans are merciless enemies with unique strategies and techniques to beat them properly. Every battle is accompanied by an equally satisfying "victory struggle" in which the player follows on screen prompts and button presses. These are brutal final moments for your fallen foes and it's definately safe to say that no God gets an easy out from Kratos.
With each boss you beat, you gain more tools and weapons at your disposal. The Negean Cestus being my favorite. Two massive gauntlets carved like lions heads that, essentially, give you the strength of the Incredible Hulk. They are perfect against Cyclops and Gorgons. But this is just one of many items that will prove useful in the game.
Without going in to spoiler territory, God of War III is a truly fitting end to Kratos' saga of revenge. I know many of us are sad to see the Ghost of Sparta leave, but what he gave us as gamers will never be forgotten.