26 March 2010

God of War 3: Review

At long last, the much anticipated God of War 3 from Sony's Santa Monica studio comes flaming at your PS3 with the rage of Olympus. As the third game in the series, God of War 3 completes the story of Kratos and his revenge mission against the inhabitants of Mount Olympus.

The story is most definitely a continuation of the previous games so if you haven't played at least the other two games, I suggest grabbing the God of War collection (good thing it's only 30 bucks for two sweet games on one Blu-Ray huh?). There really aren't too many twists to the tale though and if you decide to just jump right into the third you haven't missed much. Long story short, Kratos is mad. Go kill everything.

For those who have played the other games though, there is plenty of fan service to go around. Even if you haven't experienced the past games, if you know a thing or two about Greek mythology, you'll appreciate the accuracy and level of detail that went into crafting this living piece of visual literature. Small touches like Hephaestus being cramped in a cave or the fact that Apollo isn't the one in the chariot (that's apparently Helios) really show the team's effort at placing this new character in the guise of an old story.

Speaking of the level of detail, one would be hard pressed to find a better looking game. Running at a slick 1080P and never stuttering a single frame, even when things got ridiculous (and they do... a lot) the polish and sheer scope of what this game makes the PS3 do sort of makes me wonder if any game in the future could make things feel any bigger. Some of the characters in this game that actively move as you move and parts of which are clearly visible are larger than the entirety of some games. The redesigned enemies offer a refreshing take on the series mainstays as well with minotaurs looking more like bulls, gorgons looking more like snakes and so on.

The only issue I have with the visuals also has to do with the camera. The camera is totally computer controlled, freeing up the right stick for rolling around like you're on fire. The good part is that the camera pretty much stays where the action is, while showing off the amazing backgrounds and architecture. The bad part is that some of the environments don't actually contain any aforementioned action, but are still important (and pretty). At these areas there are scenic overlooks that let you stop and watch bodies fall into hades or look at the tornadoes in tartarus. Perhaps this was the best way to present these scenes, but it really feels like someone was just like, they should see this too.

The control is tighter than ever with new sound design making chains sound and thus feel more chainy and transitions between sweet spin-around-and-kill-everybody moves and smash-that-guy's-face-off moves looking less video gamey and more realistic (in a fantasy sort of way) without sacrificing gameplay. The magic leaves something to be desired and feels really underpowered as compared with previous games. I think the only times I used the magic (besides when it was required) was just to see what it was about. That's too bad since magic was my primary tool in the other games.

If you're looking for some good old fashioned, outrageously fun gameplay with a story that at least keeps your interest during the cutscenes, or if you just always kind of wanted to put your thumbs into Poseidon's eye sockets, God of War 3 is the game you need.

PS3 exclusive. Played on Hard.

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