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!

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. (SPOILER)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.

[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 (SPOILER)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 (SPOILER)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 (SPOILER)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.

(SPOILER)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 (SPOILER)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.

(SPOILER)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.

(SPOILER)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.

[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 (SPOILER)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 (SPOILER)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 (SPOILER)where Pandora's life is in danger were heart pounding experiences for me.

(SPOILER)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 (SPOILER)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