"Game of the Year for sure"

Aillas · Sun Mar 21, 2010 3:23 am

Movie sequels generally don't live up to expectations. Most of them fail horribly. Thankfully, so many video games seem able to dodge this affliction.

God of War III on PlayStation 3 has received an ungodly amount of hype. And, well, it's more than worth it. If it's possible for something that was called the game of the year in some circles six months before its release to go beyond expectations, then GOW III has done that.

These new exclusive titles that have landed on the PS3 of late -- Heavy Rain, Uncharted 2, KillZone 2 -- are really making the most out of the technical muscle inside the PS3. This game is no different. It looks grandiose, a cinematic epic of the gaming world. The setting of Mount Olympus, monstrous Titans, sea gods, Hades -- they're all larger-than-life myths that are portrayed in spectacular proportion in this game.

Not only the cinematics, but the graphics, the polish, the feel -- they're are all over-the-top.

But the story is really what makes the game. This is the final chapter in the story of Kratos, a tortured soul whose family was murdered so he set out on a revenge mission. He's also the son of Zeus, a father who has plotted against him. So now Kratos, with his magical powers and deadly weapons, is hellbent on a mission to not only kill the most powerful god on Mount Olympus but also all the other gods along the way.

While this is very Clash-of-the-Titans-ish, it's also following the trend of some very grown-up games on the PS3. Yes, there's some gratuitous (and cheesy) sex in God of War III, and the violence is, intentionally, overly graphic.

The underlying theme is this mortal beast was turned into something supernatural, and supernasty, to do the dirty work of the gods. When he turns on his handlers, it is fuelled by revenge but the blood lust has taken over.

The brutal and graphic death scenes and sounds are not for the squeamish. The fact that it's such a mythical setting cushions the shock a bit; it's a Minotaur getting its neck snapped, not a rival soldier, so there's a bit of the green-blood scenario going on.

It all adds to an atmosphere and theme that is chaotic and gripping. The story and the way it plays out will lead to some marathon gaming sessions.

The gameplay itself is mostly familiar to those who have played the previous two versions (if you haven't, they're combined on one spiffy new Blu-ray disc to play through on the PS3). You follow a pretty much linear path, gaining weapons through experience points and powering them up, then using them in combination on either smaller hordes or bigger sub-bosses.

Considering you're fighting the mythical Greek gods, there are a lot of boss battles. While they're varied in how you have to take them down, they often follow the same sequence: get to the breaking point, then follow the directions on which buttons to press.

I wish the game were a little more free-flowing and that you had to figure out the final strategy of how to beat them or have different ways to do it, but, ultimately, it's still not easy, as you rely on reactions rather than strategy, and most bosses are going to cost you lives before you figure them out.

The ending, or rather the route to the ending, may disappoint some, but remember: this is tying up a massive overall story arc and it doesn't diminish the quality of the game.

There is no way anyone who enjoys action games could not play through this game and say they didn't get their money's worth. It truly is a must-own for those who appreciate storytelling and the technical power behind the PS3.

Rating: M for Mature: blood, violence, sexual content

What's right: Storytelling, graphics, bosses

What's wrong: Path is quite linear

Numb thumb: Graphics A+; Gameplay A; Control A-; Value A. Overall an A on the Numb thumb.

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"Game of the Year for sure"

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