Bag of Games

It is time gouge out some eyes and diesebowel some mythic beasts when Kratos returns in the final instalment in the God of War (GOW) series. So now Kratos has returned and he is more brutal than ever before and buckets of blood are spilling once again. In fact, the brutal and gory graphics are occasionally on the verge of bad taste so it is almost disturbing… almost, but since it is done so well over-the-top that you cannot help but laugh. Plus, it is available in HD!

GOW is (Playstation only) single player hack and slash action adventure game for adults. The Mature rating is earned almost immediately when the game begins. The game takes place in ancient Greek mythology and the story follows Kratos and his tale of vengeange against the gods. In the hands of Sony’s Santa Monica studios it turns to GOW 3 which equals Brutality, puzzles, awesome finishers and epic boss battles. Plot is a lot simple and very straightforward which works well with these kinds of games.

When the game begins the visual scale hits the player to the face by its excellency. GOW is a visual parade starting from the beginning lasting until the end. As the gameplay is, the animations are equally amazing and I’m not only talking about animating the fantasy creatures, but the full animation of human being has also been breathtaking; male and female both. Each level is expertly designed and cut-scenes unfold very smoothly and there virtually are no loading times.

While the visuals are top notch, the presentation isn’t without its problems since the GOW3 shares the same problem that the previous two did. The camera sometimes gets bit lost, and there were times that left me somewhat puzzled because of the camera-angle. In overall it was not a big problem since GOW actually uses the camera to reveal Kratos’ path and enhances the gaming experience.

The combat is fast, furious, bloody and in short: excellent! Grappling system works like a charm for latching to enemies and recovering from knocks and closing the gap for combos. And sometimes it’s just fun to use opponents as battering rams! The ability to manipulate enemies brings enjoyment to the battle. And yes, like in the previous God of War games, Kratos has weapons to choose from to wreak havoc. This time he has double-chained Blades of Exchile, Claws of Hades, Nemesis Whip and gauntles of Nemean Cestus which are collected during the game play. Each weapons has their own perks and strengths and provide a somewhat different style of play which is great since it gives the player quite amount of variety to hack and slash foes. In addition there are various other collectibles during the game. These collectables include ‘Gorgon Eyes’, ‘Phoenix Features’ and ‘Minotaur Horns’. Collecting three of the same item either increases a player’s health, magic or special item meter.

This has been a short review, but games such as Gof of War 3 doesn’t need a long one. Every moment in the game (Sony sunk almost 44$ million to the development) counts. The series has never looked so good, the game play is polished to deliver a most enjoyable experience and the trilogy has received a worthy ending. In overall, the game is a sum of many factors and for the fans of action/adventure genre, this game is a must. Newcomers will also find plenty to enjoy from and have hands full with many memorable moments of awe and extras to unlock.