Genre: Action Adventure / Hack n’ Slash
Year: 2010
Developed by: Santa Monica Studio
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: PS3, PS4
#193
Feeling Like: Triangle of Madness
It feels so similar to the previous God of Wars, but the jump from PS2 to PS3 showed that when it comes to hyper action games, you cannot have enough power under the hood.
That means that God of War’s bombastic set pieces never looked better. Their signature boss fight in the first chapter is more gruesome then ever, with you squeezing Poseidon’s eye and the camera is showing Kratos through the very eye you’re squishing.
Blech.
But also, awesome.
I’m glad that future God of War games would scale back the gore (only slightly) and focus more on Kratos as a character, because I’m not sure I could handle the non-existent God of War 4 if it continued to scale at the same pace. But, for a trilogy and arc-ending story, this is the best one by a mile.
The surprise factor wasn’t there, obviously we’d had two previous God of Wars but also Bayonetta joined the fray as a genre leading character. But the sheer bombastic storytelling on display in God of War 3 combined with the insane boss battles and dedication to showcasing the legendary Greek myths puts it a notch above most of its competitors. It’s a bloody, brutal game that doesn’t hold an ounce of power back. There is absolutely no subtlety here; if you think pulling a Titan’s fingernail back with your chains so you can climb up them and then jab a hook into their enormous chin is silly, then this game isn’t for you.
For the rest of us, this is all the digital caffeine you’ll need to get your rush.
Kratos is still in his “murder everything” phase, his thirst for revenge won’t be satiated until he’s killed every Greek God there is. Anytime I thought it was cool a Titan or God temporarily allied themselves with Kratos, it usually meant down the road Kratos, or his temporary ally, would ditch the partnership resulting in yet another incredible boss encounter. It may be predictable, but what a show.
Plagues hit the world from the first boss fight. Either the oceans rise, or a plague is released, or the world is shrouded in darkness; there are very few positive vibes in God of War 3. You really have to be on board for this kind of gameplay and story cycle; it’s not about character development or saving innocents. It feels like a chapter from the Bible with a 200 million dollar budget. A violent chapter. Old testament, I would wager.
The appeal is the insanity of the set pieces, naturally. It’s impossible not to feel something as you’re swinging around some Titan’s earlobe while a mini-apocalypse is happening in the background, or dodging Hades’ purple scythe attacks in cramped darkness. Every God you meet epitomizes what Greek myths are all about; fighting, family and fu…well, you know.
The story has a few plot holes, but that didn’t bother me. It was all about who was going to betray me, how I was pitting the Titans vs. Mount Olympus, how was I going to get out of being eaten alive (twice), what weapon combinations should I choose as I lay down combos against centaurs and monsters, how fast can I mash a button to pop some poor God’s head off. You know, rote stuff for Kratos.
There are other things to note other than bashing your crazy fists against anything that moves. I mean yeah, the writing isn’t exactly on Hades’ level, or future God of War games, but that’s not why you’re tuning in here. The puzzles were a nice respite but they were nothing more than a distraction. The magic powers ranged from mildly interesting to oh my Zeus, I’m summoning the ghosts of fallen Spartan warriors to create a Formation Testudo and rest assured, I spammed the hell out of that move.
The hardware makes such a difference. Everything is so smooth, from Kratos’ manly sprint, to his flailing Chaos Blades, to the camera shots showing just how fast you’re falling through a collapsing cavern. There’s a reason this is my favorite of the original trilogy. I’m not exactly a hardware buff, but for some games you need the best available platform to justify a playthrough.
I don’t really think I fully empathized, or even enjoyed Kratos’ as a character. Usually the game justifies your journey by making Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and the rest even worse than you are. And after all, YOU didn’t murder your family out of the blue. They started it. Hey, I’ve read the original Greek myths, they only need the slightest provocation before they’ll torture anybody and their families. And probably toss their souls down the River Styx. And then have sex with any remaining relatives.
I definitely prefer some other God of War games, but this one had me captivated from start to finish. I knew every boss encounter was going to ramp up the spectacle. Santa Monica Studio knew what their fans want and showed that they could evolve right alongside the superior hardware.
The 500 