# God of War III - PS3 Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3676&w=o[/img] 
* Game Title: God of War III
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCE Studios Santa Monica
Cast: Terrence Carson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Linda Hunt and Adrienne Barbeau
Genre(s): Action
Players: 1
ESRB Rated: M for Blood, Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity. Strong Language and Strong Sexual Content.
Release Date: 3/16/2010
Review Rating::5stars:*
*Story*

*Recap:*
*God of War*
The first God of War tells the story of Kratos, a Spartan Captain dubbed “the ghost of Sparta”, who exchanges his soul for victory with the Greek god of war Ares. In exchange for his soul, Kratos would continue to do the bidding of Ares until he realizes that the Greek god betrayed him. Kratos then vows revenge and eventually defeats Ares making Kratos the new God of War.

*God of War II * 
Sometime after the events of the first ‘God of War’, Kratos, now the ‘God of War’, is shunned by the other gods on Mount Olympus for choosing to fight by his Spartan brethren to defeat the city of Rhodes. Now, stripped of his powers, the ‘ghost of Sparta’ must fight through hordes of enemies and even Zeus himself to extract his vengeance.

*God of War III*
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3680&w=o[/img]This time around our story begins with Kratos climbing up the side of Mount Olympus with the help of Gaia and some of the other Titans to extract their vengeance and wage a war that will ultimately put an end to the reign of the gods once and for all. As the story unfolds, Kratos must once again battle through wave after wave of enemies including a much broader range of gods and titans including Poseidon, Hades, Hermes and Hercules as well as foes from the first game such as Medusa, Etc. The story is definitely a continuation of the first two games as the writers carry over the story of Pandora’s Box however; the story was also a bit more complex than the other games and I felt it added a level of engagement for the player. This added complexity caused a couple of minor problems in regards to the fluidity of the story but nothing to really get worked up about either. In the end this story is not only about the revenge that has blinded Kratos since the inception of the first ‘God of War ‘ but it is also about forgiveness of the self as well. No, that doesn’t mean that Kratos goes the way of Vader ala ‘Return of the Jedi’ either, you really need to play it through to get the full affect. To me, this story feels much more epic than the previous games and I think the payoff in the end is well worth the price of admission.

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3679&w=o[/img]The voice acting for God of War III was outstanding. Terrence (T.C.) Carson is Kratos and he owns that role. I would find it difficult to watch any movie ever based on the game because the strength that T.C. is able to project into that character would be sorely missed. Linda Hunt is once again our narrator in the form of the Titan Gaia and is superb as always. Michael Clarke Duncan returns as Atlas and Adrienne Barbeau takes on the role of Hera. The entire cast did a great job in bringing this game to life and should be commended for their performances.

There were a lot of other improvements to the game that I feel more than make up for any minor issues I had with the story. One of the many big improvements on this installment of the God of War franchise is the graphics. This game is gorgeous. The level of detail across every environment and in every character is just brilliant. From the scars on Kratos to the puss filled boils on many of the plague ridden victims, SCE Santa Monica did an absolutely phenomenal job on this games video presentation. It really must be played to be appreciated, hats off to SCE. 

*Rating*
This game is rated ‘M’ for Mature and once again should not be played by younger gamers. The violence is absolutely relentless, brutal and extremely graphic. There is also some nudity in the game as in the previous installments and I cannot stress enough that this should be a strictly 17+ game.

*Gameplay* 
Only two words can describe the game play in God of War III “Like Butta”. This is a smooth running game with no frame rate issues or any annoying game play issues that I noticed. It can be very strict at times but I believe that is by design. The action is fast a frenetic and the boss battles are epic. There wasn’t anything about the game play that I didn’t like although I will say it can be a bit taxing on your patience after losing several times to the same boss. SCE Santa Monica did an absolutely wonderful job of adding some new features to the game mechanics without sacrificing the feel of the God of War experience.

The combat system hasn’t missed a lick and now feels much more robust and responsive on the PS3. Combos can be chained together for an onslaught of mayhem that will obliterate your enemies. There are also several new weapons in the game even though two are almost identical to the 'Chains of Exile' that you start with. On a positive note, I did notice after getting the “Claws of Hades” that the secondary weapons actually work in this game unlike in the first two games where they felt a bit lacking. “The Cestus” that you pick up after defeating Hercules is absolutely my favorite as they remind me of HULK hands. “Kratos Smash!!”:flex: Anyway, back to the task at hand, God of War fans will feel right at home with this game and the smooth game play will only ensure the games re-playability on even harder game play settings. 

*Graphics:*
This is one of those rare games that could actually be used for reference video material on your system. Though some areas may not be as brilliant looking as others, they are still a cut above 95% of the other games out there. The colors in this game are vivid and really bring it to life. The blacks are deep and the shadows appear almost menacing. I just can’t say enough good things about the look of God of War III, it was a real treat to play through such incredibley detailed level designs.
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3677&w=o[/img] [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3678&w=o[/img]











*Sound:*
The sound is a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix and is fairly engaging. The atmosphere that is created with the sound design is top notch and should be commended. The deep, booming, god like voices of some characters really gets your attention and adds a lot to the overall experience of the game. There is also a lot of surround activity to add to the ambience. Overall a really solid audio track.

*Extras* 
Just as in the first two games, Sony has supplied a number of extras to really send this game far and above the crowd. 
*Challenge of Olympus *– New name for Challenge of the Gods from the first two titles. These are timed challenges that are only available once you have completed the game.
*Videos:* Behind the scenes making of videos. There are about 15 videos to take you through the various levels of design in the game. All of the videos are presented in HD.​
*Summary*
So far, 2010 in shaping into a great year for gamers. First there was Bioshock 2 then came Final Fantasy XIII and now God of War 3, which in my opinion is the best of 2010 games so far. Additionally, I also think it is the best of the God of War franchise. The smooth mechanics of the game play combined with a deeper story, great voice acting, an engaging sound design and phenomenal graphics put this installment a notch above its predecessors. I know there are a lot of people that would argue that a sequel can never measure up to the original however; I disagree with that sentiment in this case. God of War 3 takes what David Jaffe created in the original God of War and cranks it up to 11. Definitely worth the money. 


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## Ares (Nov 23, 2009)

Excellent review Dale and thank you for taking the time to do it.


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Thank you for the compliment Ares, I was glad to do it. I'm going to try to do one a week but it may not always be possible. Thanks again
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## LivingLoud12 (Sep 14, 2009)

i havent played this game but i love prt 1-2 ..prt 3 is next...


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## rcarlton (Apr 29, 2006)

Your review is spot on. Great game!


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Thanks Ron, I really like this one and have actually been planning on returning to give it another go soon!


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