It’s been a long, three-year wait, but Sony Santa Monica’s “”God of War III”” is finally here. The Greek mythology-inspired epic sticks to its previous winning formulas while wrapping up the trilogy in a satisfying way. It’s not perfect, but it does many things very well and will undoubtedly help rank the series among the best of all time.
The story picks up right where it left off at the end of “”God of War II.”” Kratos, our angry anti-hero who is still peeved about the gods’ betrayal, is on the Titan Gaia’s back riding his way up to Mount Olympus to destroy Zeus and any who dare oppose him. Kratos is uncompromising in his quest for vengeance and is one of the most static characters I’ve ever witnessed in a video game. By the end of the game he does become more humane, but his single-minded blood thirst will definitely be a turnoff to some.
And what blood thirst there is! This is absolutely the goriest game I’ve played in my 10-plus years of gaming, and all of it is rendered in a stunning graphic package. “”God of War III”” is the most impressive-looking game of this generation. However, there are several areas that don’t match up to the rest of the game’s quality, and the contrast is noticeable. For the most part, though, the game will astonish you with the detail involved in nearly every aspect.
The plot of “”God of War III”” is a revenge tale at its heart, and this is the impression you will have for most of the game. There are several standout moments, including an amusing interchange with a drunken Hera and another short discussion with a certain boss that you fight shortly afterward. The gods come off as whiny and immature — much like their literary counterparts — but later on the story takes a quick turn toward the tragic. I’d be remiss to spoil it for you here, but you will have a revelation near the end that will drastically change your viewpoint of all the preceding events. While originally an unfocused decision, the true tragedy of what the gods have wrought upon themselves will become clear and ultimately improve the story.
The combat system has remained roughly the same since the previous outings. The only two differences are slight but welcome ones. The new weapons you gain are all useful this time around and provide a welcome diversion from the standard equipment (titled the “”Blades of Exile”” this time around). Level design is mostly great but can be questionable in certain areas; a certain set piece that I won’t spoil here can be overwhelmingly frustrating for anyone but the most patient.
The camera also has been refined. While it still isn’t controllable, it lends a cinematic viewpoint and increases both the scale of the events and the perception of your size while you fight. There are also several instances of perspective change where you see through the eyes of Kratos as opposed to the normal third-person view. This is especially well done in a boss battle that features one of the most gruesome, disgusting and satisfying displays of violence I’ve ever played through.
Kratos’ journey has finally concluded in a spectacular fashion. Fans of the series will be sad the trilogy has ended but very pleased it ended as it did. All significant plot loops are tied up, Kratos again stamps himself into the gaming landscape and, in doing so, will leave nearly every fan satisfied. “”God of War III”” will go down in gaming history as the conclusion to one of the greatest series of all time, and any fan of video games owes it to themselves to see how it all ends — if only because you have to know.
Score: 9/10
