God of War III Review
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:11 pm
Click here for the updated version of this review.
Well the God of War franchise has ended with God of War III and I must say I am extremely impressed.
GOD OF WAR III
STORY
The story in God of War 3 is really great. Many reviewers seemed to dislike the story but I found it very interesting. Most of my interest does come from the fact that I really wanted to know how the story of Kratos would end, and I did finish the game, but still am a bit confused about what happened which I won’t spoil here. The story itself is again, a direct sequel to the previous God of War. Kratos wants vengeance against all of the Gods and will not stop until he does. The story has many plot turns with other acts of vengeance and cruelty, with some nice story pulls from the other previous two games. One thing I particularly enjoyed about the game itself was the many notes littering the ground that you can read. These are written by either characters in God of War 3, previous characters, or give useful information that would help you determine what character it is. One of them was from the boat captain you kill about three times in the two previous games (which I have to say I was disappointed to not see him in this one) and one that I am pretty sure is from the unnamed character of Kratos’ mother. With the neat plot turns, the excitement of hearing the conclusion, and the extra stories all over the ground, this turns out to be my favourite story out of all three games.
9.0/10
GRAPHICS
As soon as you start the game the jaw dropping begins with some of the most stunning graphics to ever grace a video game. I really do think that in many parts, God of War 3 has the best graphics to date. Kratos looks amazingly detailed with muscles bulging and his trademark red tattoo never looking so sweet. A great art factor that is heavily tied in with gameplay is that inclusion of Battle Blood. This is the blood that will go on Kratos when you kill a lot of enemies in the same time interval. I speculated this to be only prominent when you fight boss battles, but it was astonishing how bloody Kratos would look even when fighting many basic units at the same time. It really does add some fun into the game, and really gets your adrenaline and anger going. Even though the graphics aren’t always consistent (not that any area looks bad either) I can’t think of any game that looks better.
10/10
SOUND
The previous games had epic music, and that stays true with God of War 3 as well. This game though, cranks it up even more. Even from the first level whenever there may be a dip in the action to focus on more of the plat forming elements (or even just a brief moment of running until you kick more asses) the roaring orchestra is right there with you. The chains also have a very realistic sound which was lacking in the first two games. I really appreciated this sound inclusion which many people might miss. The sound and music combine to make an epic adventure for you to immerse yourself into.
10/10
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay, as in every God of War game, is top notch. I really don’t want to ruin any of the weapons or bosses for anybody, because you really want to be surprised or it won’t have the same affect on you (which is why I hate video reviews so much :S). What I can say is that the combat is very well tuned in the final iteration and is completely fluid. You can also switch between weapons in mid combo to create very unique combinations and attacks. The extra weapons though, unlike God of War II, are useful. You won’t be using them more than the Blades of Exile (as they are now called) but you will find some use for some of the weapons against certain enemies. The upgrades of the weapons feel more like upgrades now as well and not just unlocking new moves. The Blades will get fiercer looking and quicker, while another weapon will eventually have the power to hit a Minotaur against the wall. The Bosses are so great as well it will blow you a way. The first boss is ended by you pressing L3+R3 (click in both analogs) and is shocking when you see Kratos use his thumbs to puncture the Bosses eyes. The end part of the fight is also is the point of view of the Boss. It is a really good setup, especially after the disappointing start to God of War II (which I don’t understand why so many critiques enjoyed it so much). The great fighting, amazing boss battles, the enormous in scale titans, and the previously mentioned Battle Blood, really make this one amazing game. Guess what the gameplay score is?
10/10
CLOSING
God of War III makes me tear up because it is just so awesome. Many reviewers say they are done with God of War for a while, but honestly, I still got some love for the franchise in me. I can’t wait to see what else comes out of that studio. Good job Sony Santa Monica!
STORY 9/10
GRAPHICS 10/10
SOUND 10/10
GAMEPLAY 10/10
OVERALL AVERAGE 9.75/10
BONUS!
Because God of War III is so good, I’ve decided to also give a brief review for the God of War III Ultimate Edition. I actually have mixed feelings about the collection. The art book and interviews are great, the DLC is great, but some codes didn’t work for me, the Documentary does not allow you to forward or rewind so you must watch the whole thing at once (well in chapters), and the box is made of plastic. I was hoping for actual clay or metal but it's still very well detailed.
7.5/10
Well the God of War franchise has ended with God of War III and I must say I am extremely impressed.
GOD OF WAR III
STORY
The story in God of War 3 is really great. Many reviewers seemed to dislike the story but I found it very interesting. Most of my interest does come from the fact that I really wanted to know how the story of Kratos would end, and I did finish the game, but still am a bit confused about what happened which I won’t spoil here. The story itself is again, a direct sequel to the previous God of War. Kratos wants vengeance against all of the Gods and will not stop until he does. The story has many plot turns with other acts of vengeance and cruelty, with some nice story pulls from the other previous two games. One thing I particularly enjoyed about the game itself was the many notes littering the ground that you can read. These are written by either characters in God of War 3, previous characters, or give useful information that would help you determine what character it is. One of them was from the boat captain you kill about three times in the two previous games (which I have to say I was disappointed to not see him in this one) and one that I am pretty sure is from the unnamed character of Kratos’ mother. With the neat plot turns, the excitement of hearing the conclusion, and the extra stories all over the ground, this turns out to be my favourite story out of all three games.
9.0/10
GRAPHICS
As soon as you start the game the jaw dropping begins with some of the most stunning graphics to ever grace a video game. I really do think that in many parts, God of War 3 has the best graphics to date. Kratos looks amazingly detailed with muscles bulging and his trademark red tattoo never looking so sweet. A great art factor that is heavily tied in with gameplay is that inclusion of Battle Blood. This is the blood that will go on Kratos when you kill a lot of enemies in the same time interval. I speculated this to be only prominent when you fight boss battles, but it was astonishing how bloody Kratos would look even when fighting many basic units at the same time. It really does add some fun into the game, and really gets your adrenaline and anger going. Even though the graphics aren’t always consistent (not that any area looks bad either) I can’t think of any game that looks better.
10/10
SOUND
The previous games had epic music, and that stays true with God of War 3 as well. This game though, cranks it up even more. Even from the first level whenever there may be a dip in the action to focus on more of the plat forming elements (or even just a brief moment of running until you kick more asses) the roaring orchestra is right there with you. The chains also have a very realistic sound which was lacking in the first two games. I really appreciated this sound inclusion which many people might miss. The sound and music combine to make an epic adventure for you to immerse yourself into.
10/10
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay, as in every God of War game, is top notch. I really don’t want to ruin any of the weapons or bosses for anybody, because you really want to be surprised or it won’t have the same affect on you (which is why I hate video reviews so much :S). What I can say is that the combat is very well tuned in the final iteration and is completely fluid. You can also switch between weapons in mid combo to create very unique combinations and attacks. The extra weapons though, unlike God of War II, are useful. You won’t be using them more than the Blades of Exile (as they are now called) but you will find some use for some of the weapons against certain enemies. The upgrades of the weapons feel more like upgrades now as well and not just unlocking new moves. The Blades will get fiercer looking and quicker, while another weapon will eventually have the power to hit a Minotaur against the wall. The Bosses are so great as well it will blow you a way. The first boss is ended by you pressing L3+R3 (click in both analogs) and is shocking when you see Kratos use his thumbs to puncture the Bosses eyes. The end part of the fight is also is the point of view of the Boss. It is a really good setup, especially after the disappointing start to God of War II (which I don’t understand why so many critiques enjoyed it so much). The great fighting, amazing boss battles, the enormous in scale titans, and the previously mentioned Battle Blood, really make this one amazing game. Guess what the gameplay score is?
10/10
CLOSING
God of War III makes me tear up because it is just so awesome. Many reviewers say they are done with God of War for a while, but honestly, I still got some love for the franchise in me. I can’t wait to see what else comes out of that studio. Good job Sony Santa Monica!
STORY 9/10
GRAPHICS 10/10
SOUND 10/10
GAMEPLAY 10/10
OVERALL AVERAGE 9.75/10
BONUS!
Because God of War III is so good, I’ve decided to also give a brief review for the God of War III Ultimate Edition. I actually have mixed feelings about the collection. The art book and interviews are great, the DLC is great, but some codes didn’t work for me, the Documentary does not allow you to forward or rewind so you must watch the whole thing at once (well in chapters), and the box is made of plastic. I was hoping for actual clay or metal but it's still very well detailed.
7.5/10