The PlayStation 3’s most anticipated launch of 2010 is here. Does it meet the hype? The answer is a resounding yes as God of War III, despite a few blemishes, may change action games forever.
As Sony Computer Entertainment’s God of War III opens, ex-Spartan warrior Kratos is scaling Mount Olympus to seek revenge on Zeus and the other gods who ruined his life in the previous two installments of the series. Scarred and bloodthirsty, he enlists the help of the Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures made of stone that stand several stories tall.
Of course, none of this is as easy as it seems. Kratos will have to scale locales ranging from the depths of hell to the city of Olympia to the summit of Mount Olympus, and each of the gods of Olympus are out to get Kratos before he gets them. Also, in a war involving three parties, whom can Kratos really trust?
God of War III does not differ drastically from its predecessors in gameplay (which was a good idea, as they had a solid system in place). But what the game does differently, it does extremely well.
Combat is absolutely thrilling. Kratos is armed with chained blades as in previous titles, and he uses them to chop through Zeus’ minions like a knife through warm butter, resulting in large-scale, bloody brawls. Other weapons have been added, such as Apollo’s bow and oversized gauntlets called the Nemean Cestus. Kratos is an ancient Greek killing machine and playing as him during battles is extremely exciting.
Certain parts of battles are controlled through quick-time events, with button commands being shown on screen. These sections are often the most brutal and show off Kratos’ vicious attacks and display the realism (no matter how gruesome) of the game’s graphics.
The puzzles, too, are done well. Often intellectually stimulating, they have Kratos flipping switches, keeping objects in place and figuring out how to open doors, to name a few.
These are good breaks from the hack-and-slash combat, but the jumping mechanic, which is extremely important, can make or break these puzzles. Some puzzles require ridiculously precise jumping, and missing a ledge by a centimeter will cause players to fall to their deaths.
What has changed is the sense of scale. God of War III has made a tremendous jump ahead of its predecessors on the PlayStation 2. The hardware in the PlayStation 3 has allowed Sony to make a game that is absolutely epic in scale. The areas to explore are larger, and the characters are extremely detailed. Boss battles are contests of gigantic proportions, and they are arguably the best parts of the game.
The sheer scale of God of War III is difficult to explain in words — it needs to be seen. This title pushes boundaries and is a landmark in action game design. Other games will undoubtedly be compared to its blockbuster battles and detailed levels and characters.
The story is also notable. The conclusion to the God of War trilogy is filled with interesting interpretations of Greek mythology. And although the story falters at the too-short ending, it is an overall enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy.
In fact, the only character that Sony should have taken more risks with is Kratos. Yes, it’s a thrill to play as a badass, but his personality has become cliché. We get it, Kratos — you’re angry and you grunt a lot. As Kratos finishes his journey, it would be nice to see some more character growth.
For a long time, the PlayStation 3 has been criticized for not having enough exclusive titles worth purchasing. God of War III definitively changes this. No, the game is not perfect, but it’s pretty close, and action junkies (and classics majors) will love it for its detail and how it pushes boundaries.
God of War III has delivered the hype that built around its release with flying colors. If you own a PlayStation 3, there isn’t a question — you need to check out what your console can really do.
afreedman@umdbk.com
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
