The final instalment of the God of War franchise is now with us. Sony’s long awaited sequel has been hyped up to no end and Playstation fans around the globe have been have been waiting for the story’s climax for months with a child-like excitement and cold sweat inducing anticipation. The action adventure game was released in March this year (2010) and sold over 1 million copies in its first week making it one of the fastest selling games of the year.
God of War 3 picks up immediately were God of War 2 left off with Kratos on the back of Gaia climbing up Mount Olympus alongside the other Titans. This is building up to the final encounter between Kratos and Zeus, however Kratos’ plans are quashed by the greed of Gaia who pursues Zeus by herself and betrays Kratos. The two are struck by one of Zeus’ lightning bolts and fall from the mountain. Kratos finds himself in the Underworld travelling down the river Styx having lost the Blades of Olympus. This is where the gamer becomes involved finding themselves fighting their way through the Gods of Greek mythology and exotic enemies contained within the various environments from legend, ranging from the realm of Hades to the puzzles of Pandora’s Labyrinth.
The story is full of twists and turns and Kratos himself becomes engulfed in choices that effect the ones that he is close to. Ultimately the story is one of sacrifice and at the end Kratos must make the decision to make the ultimate sacrifice and complete his revenge against the Gods and repent for his sins. The story writing is top notch and I loved every minute I played of this game.
The character development of Kratos is fantastic, he still feels as bad ass as he ever did, however you feel more attached to him this time around. You see the vulnerable side to this God killer and just how much he craves redemption and to be forgiven for what he did to his family. This is honestly a fantastic finale to the story and surpasses the previous instalments in all aspects of story telling and leaves us with a possible cliffhanger as well.
The gameplay is second to none and has even improved on the previous instalment. Once again the player finds themselves indulging in the aspects of combat, platforming and puzzle solving. This time around Kratos has a host of new weapons including his Blades of Exile, the Claws of Hades, the Nemesis Whip, and the Nemean Cestus. These new weapons are used to solve puzzles such as the Nemean Cestus which is used to break through solid objects and unveil hidden items, solve puzzles etc. The Claws of Hades and Nemesis whip are used more in the fashion of the Blades of Exile however every weapon has their own set of combos and magic abilities making each weapon unique. For example you can summon spirits whenever you have the Claws of Hades equipped or unleash a lightning storm on your enemies whilst using the Nemesis Whip.
The blade of Olympus is now used whenever you perform the ability “The Rage of Sparta”. This is an ability that makes Kratos momentarily invincible. It is also executed at the end of a boss fight whenever Kratos is about to kill a God.
Another new feature is the use of items which are limited in the respect that each is displayed in an item bar, which basically enables you to use an item until the bar depletes. Unlike previous instalments though, this bar will replenish automatically meaning you don’t have to be overly conservative with them. Some items are used as tolls for uncovering hidden treasures, illuminating dark places etc. but they also function as weapons eg.for blinding enemies. The Boots of Hermes are another item that you will unlock and they enable you to not only charge enemies but also the ability to scale walls and evade attacks.
The combat system is much deeper than in previous games. A player can link together different combos whilst seamlessly changing their weapons during a combo. The grapple move is also a new technique which, depending on the weapon equipped will either pull enemies towards or push them away from Kratos. The gorgon eyes and phoenix feathers make a welcome return and they perform the same function as in previous games. Another new addition to this is the Minotaur horn which will develop the item bar and increase the length of time you can use an item.
Like the previous instalments this game also features a challenge mode called “The Challenge of Olympus”. It features seven challenges and includes a bonus challenge mode called the “The Challenge of Exile” culminating in a new mode called the with “Combat Arena” where the player can edit their own battles with the monsters of their choosing.
The graphics and audio are some of the best I have ever seen or heard. The look of the whole game is fantastic and beautifully designed down to the last detail. Kratos is a war torn hero crafted brilliantly to look like the last remaining Spartan warrior that he is portraying. He looks like he has been dragged through hell and back and is ready for the last round between him and the gods. The game developers have done an amazing job on improving the look of the game from the previous titles. The environments and character models are what really stand out for me and the environments range from fighting in the underworld to skirmishing on the bodies of titans.
The soundtrack to the whole game is also brilliant. The atmosphere of the game is so intense and accurately portrays on screen actions. Sound effects are also fantastic be it the battle cries of Kratos as he smashes into hordes of his enemies or the screaming of civilians caught in the crossfire.
Overall this is one of the games of the year with ease. The look,feel, sound and gameplay are all perfect and provide the best possible round up to the franchise and one it thoroughly deserves. I highly recommend picking this title up as I believe that no respectable gaming collection would be complete without it.
Marks out of 10
Gameplay – 10/10 God of War never fails to disappoint
Looks – 9/10 Kratos is fantastic looking and the environments and enemies are some of the best I have seen
Sound – 8/10 The soundtrack is very well adapted to the game and sound effects and voice acting are exceptional
Story – 9.5/10 This is one of the best round ups to a story I have ever played. The story’s conclusion truly does the franchise justice and kept me
playing basically non-stop until the end
Overall I give God of War 3 a well deserved 9.5/10
