God of War III

[Croyles]

So yeah I was like "I bet no one has made a thread for the release of this game yet", and yep, I was right.

Come on people! :p

I just beat the game and man was it good. Even though the scale, the graphics and the story are all really good and up by several notches from the last installment, the thing I liked the most about this game was the combat refinement.
Finally all the weapons are useful and fun to use, not just the main chains (finally), and you are required to use them. Hermes boots, grappling enemies and the bow being tied to a new rechargable item bar are all excellent. Forcing larger enemies to become your steed and fight for you is awesome. Also, I thought that one of the puzzle fights in particular was really good. Hint: "Cube" and spikes.

And I dont care what anybody says, all these things combined make, imo, a deeper combat system than something like Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry/Bayonetta which, yeah, have a lot more combos, but never give you all these different things you can do (ok, thats not really true, im using the wrong words here). All the moves are interchangable, i.e. you can do them in pretty much any combination you want.

But man, this game is so brutal it almost makes it an art. Some parts did leave me a little bit like "was that really necessary?", seriously, Kratos has got to be the most evil mothersmurfer ever, but I still really really enjoyed it.

Whether you've played it, beaten it, or none of those, discuss the game!

[NeoCracker]

The different variations you can switch through for your main blade, (Blades of Exile and Hades Claws are all I've gotten so far) add a bit of depth the others didn't have.

The continued use of the Flease and Wings are nice, and I quite like the Idea of having a third bar to use instead of MP for your Arrow and Head of Helios.

Overall it did exactly what a sequal should do. It kept the core gameplay and added on a few things in order to keep the game fresh, all while keeping the same overall feel.

I hear the third blades you get are a blast to use as well.

[Pheesh]

The thing that I actually found myself liking the most was the Characterisation. Seeing Kratos's motives (or the way he would try to reach those motives) changing towards the end was really cool, and really made me like the character more than in previous versions. I thought that quite a lot of the puzzles were pretty awesome, and although I was shocked by how bloody it was I don't think it was out of place or detracted from the game.

Hardly anything bad to say about this game tbh.

[Croyles]

I also really enjoyed the Portal-esque puzzle and the revisiting of earlier areas which the first two didnt really do (well they did puzzles but not as well).

[ljkkjlcm9]

I got my Platinum trophy for this game yesterday. Definitely the strongest game in the series. The ending was also perfect IMO, I liked seeing how it all came together and ended. All the voice actors in the game are cool too, like Hercules actually being Kevin Sorbo who played Hercules on TV for all those years.

All the weapons were useful as well. Though by the end of the game, I did have an extra 18k red orbs, and I didn't use a guide or anything to find stuff. Also found it odd how epic some of the God fights were, while some were a bit lacking. And the second to last boss being a Scorpion? Just seemed random after killing Gods and Titans.

THE JACKEL

[Rad Bromance]

I got it over a week ago but haven't even opened it from the shrinkwrap yet. :p

[Bolivar]

Unbelievable, phenomenal, astonishing game, this is the reason why we play video games, this is why the action/adventure/puzzle/platformer genre exists, it's art design and production values at their finest, and a reason to own a PS3.


everything

THANK YOU for pretty much summing up my frustration at people who knock this game for being more of the same. GoWIII IMO does more to change the formula than the countless games mainstream journalists heap praise upon like the 4th Grand Theft Auto, the 6th Call of Duty, or the 2nd Mass Effect. I truly believe the combat put it on par with games like DMC/Bayonetta where you get in a few quick hits, juggle someone in the air, side-strafe in mid-air, then knock off a couple arrow shots before switching to another weapon and moving in for the kill. Fantastic combat depth and I can't wait to explore the depth of it on harder difficulties.

The only real complaint I have about the game is the ending, and my feelings get more and more mixed as time goes on. I like the fact that he kills himself, ends the torment he's been going through, and releases hope to the rest of the world, so they don't need the Olympians anymore, and that's what Pandora and the box were really are about, retconning the first game which utterly raped Greek Mythology on that tip.

BUT I'm still upset they never explained why Athena helped Kratos this time around, why she would help him kill Zeus, and how Athena could possibly be upset when Kratos surrenders Hope to the rest of the world instead of her. Athena, in the entire series, was established as a selfless character, she was willing to sacrifice her life to protect her father, who she felt would continue the survival of mankind. It just made no sense, I was waiting for a plot twist, and it never came. I just felt the ending was anti-climactic the first time I played it, but my feelings have been a little more positive, and it doesn't take away one iota from the game.

One of my favorite parts though, watching my gf start a new game, is that the opening cut scene shows you the bottom of Mt. Olympus and subsequently takes you furhter and furhter up, showing you all the different areas, until you get to the tippy top where the gods are. AND THE ENTIRE GAME is about all of that, the setting is all Mt. Olympus, this insane monument, its caverns and secrets, twists and turns, and you traverse and manipulate it all from the very bottom of Hades to the top where the pantheon resides, this is just a really focused story for the series, everything comes together so insane.

Sorry for the wall of text, but holy crap, this game is... well, yeah...

[Pheesh]

Did everyone else enjoy watching the 'making of' vids as well? I think taking a look at that team, and how they functioned really shows you why this game was so well crafted, and why it's probably the best representative of what the PS3 is about, and what it is capable of.

[Bolivar]

Did everyone else enjoy watching the 'making of' vids as well? I think taking a look at that team, and how they functioned really shows you why this game was so well crafted, and why it's probably the best representative of what the PS3 is about, and what it is capable of.

I got that feeling from the first two games' docs', especially the second one for some reason, about just how seriously Santa Monica Studios takes their craft. I have a lot of respect for those guys.

This one shows just how much of a disaster of stress they were working under. Having the creative developer leaving so early, Stig trying so hard to be a director. I only watched the main vid, though, I should really watch the others.

[Croyles]

BUT I'm still upset they never explained why Athena helped Kratos this time around, why she would help him kill Zeus, and how Athena could possibly be upset when Kratos surrenders Hope to the rest of the world instead of her. Athena, in the entire series, was established as a selfless character, she was willing to sacrifice her life to protect her father, who she felt would continue the survival of mankind. It just made no sense, I was waiting for a plot twist, and it never came. I just felt the ending was anti-climactic the first time I played it, but my feelings have been a little more positive, and it doesn't take away one iota from the game.

What I took from it was that Athena wanted the 'Hope' from the chest so that destiny would still be in the hands of the Olympians and not men, but specifically in hers. At the beginning she said something about changing her mind about things and I am guessing she started wanting Pandoras box.

[NeoCracker]

BUT I'm still upset they never explained why Athena helped Kratos this time around, why she would help him kill Zeus, and how Athena could possibly be upset when Kratos surrenders Hope to the rest of the world instead of her. Athena, in the entire series, was established as a selfless character, she was willing to sacrifice her life to protect her father, who she felt would continue the survival of mankind. It just made no sense, I was waiting for a plot twist, and it never came. I just felt the ending was anti-climactic the first time I played it, but my feelings have been a little more positive, and it doesn't take away one iota from the game.

What I took from it was that Athena wanted the 'Hope' from the chest so that destiny would still be in the hands of the Olympians and not men, but specifically in hers. At the beginning she said something about changing her mind about things and I am guessing she started wanting Pandoras box.

Athena still was thinking selflessly. You just need to realize she is still a God, and God's have always had the power.

After her death, she realized how crazy Zeus had become, and tried to have Kratos kill him so that she may be able to save everyone.

She may care about the people beneath Olympus, but it doesn't mean she thinks they are able to handle her power. When Kratos chose to give hope to the people, Athena wasn't so much angry due to her lack of power, but angry due to the fact she thinks he doomed everyone.


At least thats my take on the reasoning there. :p

[Alucard von Elru]

I agree with everything everybody's said so far, and I think Neo is spot-on in that last post.

So I'm just going to gush about the freaking amazing camera in this game! This series has consistently had such stunning camera work, by far the better of anything in the genre. I am in firm opposition to the whiners who say that this series needs a controllable camera. Santa Monica always chooses the best view for every conceivable situation, and in a game this vast and varied that is no small feat. I love how it seamlessly transitions from up close, over the shoulder type views and then can pan all the way out until Kratos becomes a playable dot.

It's hard to talk about this game without spewing out what sounds like hyperbole, but the game is pretty much the most "perfect" gaming experience I've ever had. Just the right balance of combat, puzzles, and exploration. Just the right difficulty. Perfect pacing, unbelievable camera work, unmatched combat... Unbelievable creativity in visual design, boss battles (and those finishers!), and storytelling. It takes every single thing that was ever good about the series, and somehow "fixes" them. Every weapon is useful, every boss is a stunner (not one that made me want to break things), the world is unbelievably organic... *hugs GoWIII*

Also, kudos to the team for making me actually care about Kratos again. The first game's story did a great job of making you feel some empathy with this monster of a man, and as brilliant as the second game is, that is the one thing it failed at: it never made me care about him. The storytelling in this game is leaps and bounds above its already impressive predecessors. By the end of the game, I actually genuinely cared about the sociopath, and a lot of that credit has to go to just how well they handled Pandora's character.

So... yeah... God of War III is everything that modern game design should be striving to achieve. Literally the only thing I can fault the game for is when it tries to synch newly earned Trophies during a cutscene, it often freezes the cutscene for a couple of seconds. Thank god I'll be replaying the game right away and won't have to worry about that anymore!;)

[Pheesh]

Also, kudos to the team for making me actually care about Kratos again. The first game's story did a great job of making you feel some empathy with this monster of a man, and as brilliant as the second game is, that is the one thing it failed at: it never made me care about him. The storytelling in this game is leaps and bounds above its already impressive predecessors. By the end of the game, I actually genuinely cared about the sociopath, and a lot of that credit has to go to just how well they handled Pandora's character.

Definitely this. As soon as the above character was introduced (and not only that, but integrated into the gameplay) I found myself really caring about the relationship between them. It got to the point where trying to solve the puzzles where Pandora's life is in danger were heart pounding experiences for me.

Also, I think the dream sequence at the end was handled remarkably well, and I loved finding out about how it had basically been a last minute addition to the plot in the 'making of'

[Croyles]

Hmmm, didnt actually care much about Pandora at all, but I figured he saw her as like a substitute daughter lol.

But yeah I did care little more about Kratos than in 2.

[Bolivar]

Well put, Alucard, I would go as far as saying that the player can sympathize with Kratos in this game moreso than the first even. The story was definitely top notch with this one.

The parts with Pandora were unbelievable to me. It was like a super-HD Ico, puzzle solving and combat and platforming, and sometimes all 3!!!, to try and save her and move on to the next part.

So many unbelievable sequences, the tuning in everything was perfect. The fact that it's the most incredible thing we've ever seen in a video game graphically and artistically is the icing on the cake :)

[Dreddz]

GOW3 or Yakuza 3. Decisions decisions.....

[Bolivar]

^ That is a pretty challenging decision.

[Rase]

Looking forward to playing this eventually. My only friend who has it hasn't beat it due to school stuff, and after him is his roommate, and then (hopefully) me before the school year ends and he heads home for the summer. If not oh well, I'll play it in the fall.

[Alucard von Elru]

@eternal essence:

Wow, I can't believe that sequence was a last minute addition!:eek: Thank god they put it in, it pretty much cemented the game for me as a storytelling juggernaut.

[Nice]

So far, I'm really enjoying the game, but man is Kratos brutal. Still, GoW II is still the pinnacle in the series, this game only refines certain aspects (combat, scale of the action and minor characterization). Still, it's great fun.

[Rad Bromance]

I just started playing, just reached Hephaestus at The Forge. The game is freaking gorgeous on my new 1080p display. It truly amazes me that so much can be going on on screen with no slow down in 1080p with such detailed graphics. :D

[Dignified Pauper]

I beat it in like 4 days. WAAAAY too short of a game.

[Pheesh]

I beat it the day I got it, and yeah, the urge to replay it hasn't been too strong. Although my friend and I are having a race to try and platinum it, so I'm still picking it up and doing bits and pieces every now and then.

[Rad Bromance]

So they said there was going to be sixaxis functionality in the game, that didn't happen. They said it was going to be 1080p, that didn't happen. They said it was going to run a constant 60fps like the other games, that didn't happen. They said it was going to be around 20 hours, and people are beating it the same day they bought it?

I mean so far it's pretty awesome, don't get me wrong, but man, is there a single promise about this game the devs didn't break?

[Croyles]

They weren't promises but development targets and industry rumours which most devs don't even have the balls to say to the public.

I don't ever think they said anything about 20 hours, or the stupid sixaxis functionality (which has rare cases of being useful or good, Heavy Rain, Killzone 2).

I don't care about the 1080p as this game looks damn amazing and they probably couldn't have made it look as good in 1080p.

[Slothy]

I don't ever think they said anything about 20 hours, or the stupid sixaxis functionality (which has rare cases of being useful or good, Heavy Rain, Killzone 2).

They did say it would use the sixaxis (in fact, they pretty much announced the Dual Shock 3 in the same sentence), but that was way back when Cory Barlog was still in charge.

Frankly, I can't see how a game looking pretty damn amazing in 720p (the only problem I had was with the occasional low res texture, but that might have been 0.1% of the time), having a perfectly smooth framerate, or being an extremely well paced 10 hours is a bad thing.

And a complete lack of Sixaxis controls is just another selling point, because as I've said hundreds of times, motion controls suck 99% of the time. I wouldn't even say they were useful or good in Killzone 2. Less annoying and intrusive than most instances, but they didn't do anything that couldn't have worked just as well or better without them. There's a good reason we've seen a lot of high profile first party stuff like Uncharted 2 abandoning motion controls.

[Bolivar]

I mean so far it's pretty awesome, don't get me wrong, but man, is there a single promise about this game the devs didn't break?

The one about how it would be the most visceral piece of gaming ever created.

They came through on that one. The rest is small potatoes, really.

I mean, it's important for us to look back at what the game was supposed to be, what it is now, and critique and measure the experience according to those considerations.

But when the game is this good, should we really give a damn about all that?

[Pheesh]

My friend came over the other day to have a play through it and see what it was like; I was able to happily watch him play the game for what would have been close to an hour (in some instances I enjoyed it more, because I didn't have to focus on which button to press, and was simply able to watch what happened in the QTE's and the scenery that was being fought on). I think that takes it out of the realm of being simply another game, and transforms it into an experience.

[Kenshin IV]

A bit of a letdown. More "God of War" than "God of War II" -- which isn't a good thing. Control issues, way too short, and they didn't do anything with the Titans that they promised.

Solid game. Probably don't need to buy it as you'll be done with it in a couple of days. Not much replay value, either. Story is lame, but then again, if you're playing God of War for story then you're doing it wrong.

[Croyles]

A bit of a letdown. More "God of War" than "God of War II" -- which isn't a good thing. Control issues, way too short, and they didn't do anything with the Titans that they promised.

Solid game. Probably don't need to buy it as you'll be done with it in a couple of days. Not much replay value, either. Story is lame, but then again, if you're playing God of War for story then you're doing it wrong.

What do you mean exactly? Im just curious.

The length is arguably ok, it took me nearly 12 hours.

[Rad Bromance]

A bit of a letdown. More "God of War" than "God of War II" -- which isn't a good thing. Control issues, way too short, and they didn't do anything with the Titans that they promised.

Solid game. Probably don't need to buy it as you'll be done with it in a couple of days. Not much replay value, either. Story is lame, but then again, if you're playing God of War for story then you're doing it wrong.
I actually quite liked the original game's story. It was coherent and, while extremely simplified, non the less entertaining.

God of War II is where the story started getting silly to me. It changed from "Kratos is screwing stuff up because of this event" to "Kratos is screwing stuff up because...heeeeee's Kratos!". God of War III, as far as I've gotten, is just following II's suit to an obnoxious level, and I'm loving it!

But yeah, God of War III isn't a game I'd recommend to anyone who's top priority in a game is the story.

[NeoCracker]

A bit of a letdown. More "God of War" than "God of War II" -- which isn't a good thing. Control issues, way too short, and they didn't do anything with the Titans that they promised.

Solid game. Probably don't need to buy it as you'll be done with it in a couple of days. Not much replay value, either. Story is lame, but then again, if you're playing God of War for story then you're doing it wrong.
I actually quite liked the original game's story. It was coherent and, while extremely simplified, non the less entertaining.

God of War II is where the story started getting silly to me. It changed from "Kratos is screwing stuff up because of this event" to "Kratos is screwing stuff up because...heeeeee's Kratos!". God of War III, as far as I've gotten, is just following II's suit to an obnoxious level, and I'm loving it!

But yeah, God of War III isn't a game I'd recommend to anyone who's top priority in a game is the story.

You make it sound as if the story isn't well told. :p

I actually really enjoyed the story, though in all honesty it's far from stand alone. You'd need to have played the other games, since this is basically doing little more then wrapping everything from the previous two games up. :p

I'll agree though, to an extent, that it's not exactly the top reason to buy the game. ;p

[Slothy]

God of War II is where the story started getting silly to me. It changed from "Kratos is screwing stuff up because of this event" to "Kratos is screwing stuff up because...heeeeee's Kratos!". God of War III, as far as I've gotten, is just following II's suit to an obnoxious level, and I'm loving it!

I thought Kratos trying to kill the Gods was perfectly justified given everything they'd done to him between the first game and the beginning of the second. I'll admit the story in GOWII wasn't told as well as in GOW, but I think they got back to telling the story well again with GOWIII.

[Rad Bromance]

Well I finished God of War III a few hours ago and I must say I was extremely disappointed with the ending. I mean really, I sat through three entire games and waited that many years for THAT conclusion?

I suppose it really couldn't have ended much differently, but it feels incredibly thoughtless for it to end the way it did.

[Pheesh]

Well I finished God of War III a few hours ago and I must say I was extremely disappointed with the ending. I mean really, I sat through three entire games and waited that many years for THAT conclusion?

I suppose it really couldn't have ended much differently, but it feels incredibly thoughtless for it to end the way it did.

This is a major 'to each his own' moment I think. Because I loved the way it ended.

[Croyles]

Well I finished God of War III a few hours ago and I must say I was extremely disappointed with the ending. I mean really, I sat through three entire games and waited that many years for THAT conclusion?

I suppose it really couldn't have ended much differently, but it feels incredibly thoughtless for it to end the way it did.

This is a major 'to each his own' moment I think. Because I loved the way it ended.

Same here.

[Slothy]

I agree. I don't think there was another way the game could have ended.

[Bolivar]

I was waiting for something to happen and it never did, so I was kinda disappointed when I was back at the title screen. But the more I thought about it, and watching it again from the menu, I thought it was pretty good.

[Rad Bromance]

Well I finished God of War III a few hours ago and I must say I was extremely disappointed with the ending. I mean really, I sat through three entire games and waited that many years for THAT conclusion?

I suppose it really couldn't have ended much differently, but it feels incredibly thoughtless for it to end the way it did.

This is a major 'to each his own' moment I think. Because I loved the way it ended.

Same here.
Everything is a major "to each his own" moment when it comes to entertainment.

I thought it was incredibly lazy, and quite frankly, flat out dumb for Kratos to just randomly kill himself...oh but wait he always comes back from the dead anyway! What makes this time different? Hades, the god, is dead, but the underworld is still very much there. Why can't Kratos just come back again?

I agree with you, I don't really know how else it could of ended, and it's cool if you like it, but, in my opinion, if they paid anything the writer who "thought up" that ending, they paid them too much.

[Yeargdribble]

I'm just finally getting going on this. I really loved what they did with Hermes. He had a strongly gay archetype and was really annoying. He kept taunting and made you really want to hate him.

I was shocked at the level of gore. I mean, even for GoW, there are some things that literally made my skin crawl. It felt like watching one of the later Saw movies or something. I've still got a ways to go, but I'm loving the polish. I do tend to have a problem with double jumps not executing at times though.

[Slothy]

I was shocked at the level of gore. I mean, even for GoW, there are some things that literally made my skin crawl.

I've heard this a lot, but I honestly didn't think it was that bad. Maybe I'm just really, really desensitized, but it never really got much worse than seeing the flesh tearing as you ripped off Helios head, but there's nothing here that other games didn't top years ago. In fact, I found the level of gore in some boss fights almost dissapointing because I was expecting more after some of the earlier fights.


I do tend to have a problem with double jumps not executing at times though.

I did hear about other people having this problem as well, and they did technically tighten the timing for getting that second jump compared to the earlier games. You have to do it right around the apex of the first jump now or it won't work. I'm not sure why they changed that, but if no one had told me I honestly never would have noticed. I can't think of a single time I missed a double jump for a reason other than being hit out of one by an enemy.


I thought it was incredibly lazy, and quite frankly, flat out dumb for Kratos to just randomly kill himself...oh but wait he always comes back from the dead anyway! What makes this time different?

He tried to do this at the end of God of War because he was still tormented by the nightmares and memories of killing his family. Now that he had finished his task and the gods were dead there was nothing left for him to do and certainly nothing left for him to live for. Why wouldn't he choose to finally die on his own terms, and likely go see his family once again. Like you said, Hades is dead and the underworld is wide open for a man such as Kratos.

[Croyles]

Well I finished God of War III a few hours ago and I must say I was extremely disappointed with the ending. I mean really, I sat through three entire games and waited that many years for THAT conclusion?

I suppose it really couldn't have ended much differently, but it feels incredibly thoughtless for it to end the way it did.

This is a major 'to each his own' moment I think. Because I loved the way it ended.

Same here.
Everything is a major "to each his own" moment when it comes to entertainment.

I thought it was incredibly lazy, and quite frankly, flat out dumb for Kratos to just randomly kill himself...oh but wait he always comes back from the dead anyway! What makes this time different? Hades, the god, is dead, but the underworld is still very much there. Why can't Kratos just come back again?

I agree with you, I don't really know how else it could of ended, and it's cool if you like it, but, in my opinion, if they paid anything the writer who "thought up" that ending, they paid them too much.

Randomly kill himself? He's wanted to die since the first game. Now that everything was done he could kill himself properly this time, with no God to bring him back. He doesn't WANT to come back. I really don't think the writer was paid too much. YOU need to pay more attention :p

[Forsaken Lover]

I am not happy with what Kratos did to my favorite Greek mythological figure. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZOrFsVXOo0)

Big bully.

[Bolivar]

^ It was awesome to do, though!!!