God of War III
PlayStation 3
I used to be such a huge, obsessive fan of the God of War series. I played the first two games in the series over and over again when they first came out. I think I played them too much, however, because when the third God of War game came out for the PlayStation 3 back in 2010, I was pretty much God of War’d out. I bought the game and I played through it once, but I don’t remember it leaving a huge impression on me. It just seemed like more of the same, but with bigger battles and better graphics. That was the first and only time I ever played the game. Looking back on my time with it, I couldn’t remember any details of its gameplay or its story.
I’ve really been wanting to play the new God of War game that came out last year in 2018. But being the “start from the beginning” kind of gamer that I am, I didn’t want to come into the game not being able to remember how the original trilogy ended, in case it was relevant. Since I’d already recently played through the first two God of War titles, I figured now was as good a time as any to revisit the third.
Story:
This game picks up directly where God of War II left off. Kratos is leading an attack on Mount Olympus, where he plans to kill Zeus and the gods and rid Greece of their influence once and for all. The game kicks off with a giant, epic battle scene that goes south quickly. Kratos ONCE AGAIN finds himself in the Underworld, stripped of all his powers. In order to defeat Zeus, Kratos realizes that he needs to utilize Pandora’s Box, which is what he used to defeat Ares in the first God of War game. Opening Pandora’s Box does not prove an easy task, as it is surrounded by impenetrable flames. The only person who can penetrate these flames is Pandora herself, the creator of the box. The main goal of the game is to find Pandora, bring her to the box, and use the box to defeat Zeus. Things of course do not go 100% according to plan.
Gameplay:
There’s not much I can say about God of War III’s gameplay that I haven’t already said in my previous God of War reviews. You run around smashing things and killing people before moving on to the next area of the game, where you do more of the same. There are a minimal amount of lever throwing and block pushing puzzles along the way.
The only puzzle I found to be difficult was in Hera's Garden. The puzzle revolves around freezing time, pushing blocks around, and diverting the flow of water, so it would change the layout of the architecture around you. It was fucking awful, and the camera does you NO favors in this area of the game. I couldn't even see what I was supposed to do half the time, and it was really pissing me off. I had to give up trying to figure it out on my own and look to the internet for help.
Aside from that, God of War III doesn’t do much to break the formula. Seeing as how this is the game where the series made the jump from the PS2 to the PS3, I can’t say I am too surprised. It seems like the makers of the game were more focused on bringing us better graphics and larger scale battles than they were with improving the gameplay, or even making minor tweaks to it.
That said, the game is still a decent amount of fun to play. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it... right?
Graphics:
This is the area where God of War III clearly outshines its predecessors. The game looks GREAT. Everything is so sharp, polished, and well-defined. Kratos looks awesome. The enemies look awesome. The game’s stages are all jaw dropping and epic in scale. That battle with Cronos completely blew me away in 2010, and even now I couldn’t help but marvel at how impressive it still is. The game is a visual masterpiece, and that is saying a lot considering that it is now considered a “last gen” title.
Trying playing God of War I or II after playing this, and you will marvel at how primitive those games look in comparison to this one. It is shocking.
Sound:
God of War III sounds as good as it looks. The voice acting, as always, is spot on. Kratos is back and he sounds angrier than ever. The game’s music is also very good. It can be subtle in the game’s quieter areas, and it can be booming and epic when you are wrapped up in intense battles.
This is one of those instances where the game’s visuals and its audio go hand-in-hand. Play God of War III in the dark with some headphones on, and completely immerse yourself in the world of the game.
Overall:
There is no denying that this is a very well-made game. Everything about its presentation is top of the line, from its visuals to its audio to its cutscenes. It controls very well too. If you are a fan of the GoW series, you will have no trouble jumping right into this game.
If you have never played a God of War game before, I can’t for certain tell you if you would like this game or not. It picks up right where GoW II leaves off, so if you have never played that game, you will have no idea what is happening in this game’s storyline. Even though GoW’s storylines are normally pretty weak, at least a basic understanding of what is happening usually makes them a lot more enjoyable.
Speaking of the game’s storyline, it is mediocre at best. This goes for all the God of War games I have played, to be honest with you. Unexplained or incomprehensible plot twists galore, preachy characters who speak a lot of empty words, and a ton of pointless cameos from classic characters from Greek mythology. on. It’s like the makers of the game thought “hey we forgot to put this ancient Greek character in the game, let’s just throw him in here, even though this doesn’t match what is happening with the main quest at all.” It is basically fan service for people who like ancient Greece. It all seems a bit disjointed to me. While the beginning and the end of each game’s story makes sense to me, it is the middle ground that I find the least enjoyable. I zone out and don’t know what the hell is going on half the time. I just roll with it.
Aside from my complaints with the game’s story, I don’t have much else to say about God of War III. This is a fun, enjoyable hack and slash title. It’s pretty short, clocking in somewhere around ten hours in length. Not only is the game short, it FEELS short too. I think I finished it in two days, if that. It’s no wonder I didn’t really remember anything about the game from when I played it in 2010. This is "fluff" gaming at its best. I just finished the game and it is already almost completely out of my memory. Not to say the game is bad, it’s just…. there. It’s fun and I had a good time with it. But it is not memorable in any way, shape, or form. A truly great game, like The Last of Us or Final Fantasy VII, sticks with you for a long time. I just played this game and I've already forgotten about and moved on from God of War III.
If you are a fan of the series, I can say that this game is still worth checking out. If you had fun with the other God of War games, there is no reason you shouldn't have fun here. They didn't do much to advance the God of War formula, but it is not like it took a step back either. In fact, I'd say this is easily the most polished game in the original trilogy. It's also nice to see an official end to the numbered God of War series. I, for one, am excited to play the 2018 reboot.
If you are not a fan of the series, I am not sure what you'll get out of this game.
Overall:
C+
If you liked my review of God of War III, check out some of my other game reviews:
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