"...effectively lives up to the standard set by its predecessors."
Enter Kratos, a man of Spartan descent caught up in the world of the Greek Olympian Gods. Ever since the first game, Kratos has been on a mission to destroy that world and its inhabitants all in the name of revenge. Yup, same old story, same old character, same old same old. You'd think that after three games, they would attempt to inject a bit of spark into Kratos and his seemingly endless quest. It's almost like going to see a stand-up comedian once every three to four years that continues to cycle the same material over and over again. The first time, it's hilarious. The second time, it's still pretty funny, but you yearn for something new. The third time it does absolutely nothing for laughs and you wonder why you keep going every time he's/she's in town. It's a very unfortunate facet of the series. The potential for an interesting and gripping narrative is present in the Ancient Greek venue. It's just the increasingly one dimensional and predictable main character that keep it from greatness. For example, you can pretty much guarantee that every person/god Kratos meets during his journey, he's going to kill.
Thankfully, though, one dimensional and predictable(to a lesser extent) is the last description that you'd ever think of applying to the combat and game play of GOW3. This is where GOW3 really shines. You begin the game with your standard Blades of ______. In keeping with the tradition of changing the name of your default weapon each game, the Blades this time around carry the title of "Exile." And what fine pieces of equipment they are. Sony Santa Monica has had two games to tinker with and refine their overall effectiveness, and it definitely shows. But unlike in past GOW games, the other weapons you acquire throughout your journey aren't completely useless. This is most likely the most notable difference in the combat. The Nemean Cestus(a pair of fist gauntlets) is an especially effective alternative to the Blades of Exile.
Particularly when you need to need to whittle away a tough enemy's health bar so you can proceed with the typical gruesome finishing move. Whether its slicing open the stomach of a centaur to reveal its frighteningly detailed entrails, or literally ripping the head off a god, the finishing moves in GOW3 are by far the most enjoyable and satisfying conclusion to every enemy encounter. It's a bit disappointing that there aren't finishing moves specifically tailored to each of the alternate weapons you come across though. And since there is only ever one finishing move animation for every enemy type, they do lose a bit of their shock value after the first ten times or that so you witness them.
A hack & slash action adventure game like GOW3 can be made or broken by its pacing. Thankfully, the developers did a great job in shaking things up by throwing in clever puzzles for you to solve every so often. In fact, there's one area that takes place entirely in one giant puzzle. The brilliance in all of this, is that they never let things get repetitive or dull. Most of the elements in this game wouldn't be able to stand on their own, with the exception of the combat. But by breaking them all up into short bursts, no single action stays around long enough to wear out its welcome.
Some of the most technically impressive parts of GOW3 lie not in the character models or sound design(although both are superb), but in the environments. You'll visit a variety of places during your quest for vengeance. Ranging from grand halls filled with beautifully detailed artwork, to incredible outdoor landscapes complete with various weather effects. Nowhere are these amazing displays of craftsmanship more apparent than in Hades. "Hades you say!?" Yup, Hades. No GOW game would be complete without a trip to Hades. And what a trip it is. It's not exactly a place you'd want to take the family to, but if you're a guy like me who enjoys marveling at ancient architecture and giant statues, you might just want to schedule a vacation there someday.
GOW3 has a lot in common with the film "The Godfather 2." It doesn't really do anything different from those who came before it, but what it does do is so refined and polished, it doesn't really matter. Execution is GOW3's middle name. And it's definitely worthy of the title. If you own a PS3, there really isn't any excuse not to own this game. Even if you haven't played the previous games. Like I elaborated on earlier, if you're playing GOW3 for the narrative, you're doing it wrong. So, get out there and mutilate some mythological beasts. The Olympians await your arrival.