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God of War III - Review
By the Gods! We play through the final chapter of Kratos' seven-year adventure.
Written by David Scammell, 08 March 2010
Sometimes we videogames critics just have to hold our hands up. It's early 2007 and the release of God of War II is mere days away. Just like you, we're understandably excited - the sequel to what's often hailed as the finest action/adventure game of our time is about to land on our doorsteps, after all - but our enthusiasm lets our guard down, resulting in us suggesting that God of War II is "about as perfect as you could ever hope for", that it'll "be difficult to top", and that "this is as good as it gets".
We were wrong.
It would be rather reckless of us to repeat that same mistake three years later, of course. But we will. God of War III *is* as good as it gets; it *is* about as perfect as you could ever hope for and if anyone can ever top this, well, we'd like to see them try. From the terrific art direction to the magnificence of the set-pieces, the best-in-class combat to the superb sense of scale, God of War III is a landmark moment in videogame history; a game that deserves to be remembered in the same breath as Half-Life 2 and Final Fantasy VII, and one simply too difficult to find substantial fault with to suggest anything less.
Of course, God of War III is essentially *just* a continuation of the formula we all know and love, following the same basic structure as the previous two games. Kratos kills a beast of 'significant' size during an epic opening sequence (and by epic we mean the most damn impressive set-piece you'll likely ever see), and gets stripped of his powers and double-crossed by a former ally before quenching his thirst for vengeance by slicing off the heads of the powers that be. But amazingly, Stig Asmussen's first attempt at the formula is so perfectly well executed that it completely blows David Jaffe and Cory Barlog's efforts out of the water. There's never a dull moment and never any downtime - even during some of the relatively unexciting lever-pulling sequences the action is still in full swing, with Santa Monica continually throwing blood-soaked set-piece after set-piece at the player as they venture closer to the peak of Mount Olympus.
P3Zine Issue 18
For our latest God of War coverage, click here to download P3Zine Issue 18 for free.The combat system, too, has been perfectly refined to the point where being thrown another wave of enemies is more a joy than an irritation (doubly-so when factoring in the ever-present sense of progression via the regular unlocks and constant weapon development), while the boss battles themselves are so much more spectacular than those seen in any other title (including previous God of Wars) that they simply make a mockery of anything to come before it.
From chasing Hermes through a war torn city, battling Hades in his lair to witnessing Poseidon's gory end through his own eyes, each are utterly unforgettable, though the battles aboard the titans prove to be the highlight, filled with moving parts for Kratos to traverse, sweeping camera angles and a stomach-wrenching sense of height. Our one concern (and one that, given its occurrence in previous God of Wars too, we're surprised Santa Monica hasn't learnt from) is that, however grandiose some of the later set-pieces can be, the game often fails to match the spectacle witnessed in the opening hour. Some better pacing rather than the game's necessity to blow its load in the opening moments would have perhaps been more prudent.
Elsewhere though, GoW III remedies much of the criticism laid at its predecessors with much aplomb. The frequent variation in combat provided by the hordes of different enemy types somewhat removes the previous games' sense of 'one-note' gameplay and guarantees that you're hardly ever be left button-mashing, while the variety in the environments themselves and the pandemonium within does wonders to keep players interest on a high. The increased emphasis on story and characterisation, too, and the regular introduction of - and frequently double-crossing by - a variety of gods, titans and other mythological characters ensures that this rollercoaster nine-hour adventure provides the trilogy with the send-off it deserves, while excelling that satisfying sense of badassery the God of War games have become known for. The body count goes through the roof, Kratos' war paint slowly becomes replaced by splashes of claret and Mount Olympus itself gradually becomes increasingly desecrated by the chaos occurring within.
Puzzles, too, though few and far between, are incredibly clever rather than infuriatingly tough, resulting in a delicious sense of satisfaction when the light bulb finally flickers on. And even the smaller things, like the QTE prompts being placed on the four sides of the screen rather than the centre, or the intentionally gratuitous, utterly unnecessary sex scene show Santa Monica's knack for the IP. They know what makes gamers tick, and more importantly, they know how to do it.
So, like Mass Effect 2 and Uncharted 2 before it, God of War III's one of those titles that will change the way you look at everything else. On its first attempt Santa Monica Studio seems to have wringed every ounce of power it possibly can from the hardware to provide a faultless (and unrivalled) presentation, while offering an unforgettable end to one of the greatest story arcs in years. The Dog's had its day: God of War III's a brutal, bone-shattering thrill-ride of an adventure, PlayStation 3's finest hour and quite possibly the greatest action title ever made.
Verdict: 97%
God of War coverage available in P3Zine Issue 18 - click here to download it for free!
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