Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developed by: :SCE Santa Monica
Release Date: March 16, 2010
Available on: Playstation 3
INTRO: “And on this day, Kratos will finally have his revenge.”
Here we go again with another entry into the God of War series. If you don’t know anything about this series, you’ve really been trying to avoid something pretty fantastic. This one is supposedly the final chapter in what can only be described as an epic trilogy of games that have redefined the 3rd person action genre. Easily one of the most anticipated games in years, this one deals once again with Kratos. If you don’t know about Kratos, he’s the man who has fallen from grace and been betrayed by the Gods and is really hell bent on revenge. Kratos is taking Mount Olympus for his own in order to try and destroy Zeus. Anyone who gets in his way had best look out because Kratos is a bit of an angry fellow who is looking to get some blood on his blades.
GAMEPLAY:
If you’ve played the other God of War games, you will feel at home with this one. It is an immediate pick up and play game that features some great new tweaks and updates that allows you to ameliorate a system that worked well to begin with. You will begin the game with the Blades of Athena, the Wings of Icarus, and the Golden Fleece. You attack using square and triangle, jump with X and grapple with circle. You can also use weapons with magic, by pressing the d-pad. Another cool thing about the series is that if you’re ever in the middle of an epic attack and you think it may backfire on you, you can always cancel it and block. This game is about battling dudes and stringing together awesome combos by varying your attacks, and the combat system is unbelievable and copied in so many other games for a reason. The combat flows really well and the context sensitive button presses are re-mapped to the edge of the screen where you’ll find the button so you can succeed and actually see what’s going on now. As you move along, you upgrade your weapons and magic to gain some amazing advantages on your foes.
This game, like the others, gets pretty tough. I’ve said it before, but I’m an average gamer at best. It really takes me some work to totally kick ass at a game and this is a game the frustrated me on the God difficulty level (the normal setting). That isn’t because the game is unfair, but because it’s definitely a challenge. My only real complaint with some cheap deaths is that sometimes when you’re trying to double jump a gap, you’ll fail to jump for that second time and plunge into the pit which can really get old. You don’t just have to hack and slash the whole time, because the game is very well balanced and features some good puzzle sequences and some platforming elements as well. The puzzles can seem frustrating at times, but they break up the action pretty well/
Anyhoo, that is just a description of the basics of gameplay. This game features the most breathtaking opening sequence of just about any game I’ve ever played as Kratos scales to the top of Mount Olympus on the back of the massive Gaia. The game design is awe-inspiring and absolutely incredible. There are so many amazing characters to interact with and different sorts of enemies. You really haven’t had any fun in your life until you rip the head off of Medusa and turn all of your foes into stone. The boss fights are inspired and jaw-dropping, redefining the word “epic”.
A beautiful thing about this game is that you can see Kratos as a hero or a sort of villain for doing what he’s doing as the character is quite dynamic. The story is told in a seamless and relatable way and by the end of the game, you will undoubtedly identify and sympathize with him. The ending of the game is a topic of much debate but I can say that it worked for me and I had few complaints. If I had to be honest though, I’d have to say that the game is a bit more exciting due to the things you learn in the first half as compared to the second half when you’re rending flesh from bone with a little more ease.
Gameplay: 9/10
GRAPHICS:
It has been argued that this is the greatest looking game the PS3 has ever seen. Honestly, I think that Uncharted 2 might be a pretty gorgeous game, this one just might have it beat.. With that said, this game really sets a new fantasy-game style of presentation and is unquestionably one of the best looking games of all time. The lighting, shadows, facial animations and blood sprays are amazing. During the aforementioned boss battles, you will marvel at the fact that they’re just so incredibly huge. Every texture is incredibly detailed and the game never dogs it, running smooth as butter for the entire time.
Graphics: 9.5/10
AUDIO:
The soundtrack is every bit as amazing as you’d expect from the rest of the game, with an incredible orchestral score accompanying the action. The game hits all of the right musical notes and the crescendos it builds to during boss battles are enough to get your blood pumping. Each member of the Olympians is brought to life with fantastic voice acting and the sound effects are crisp, clear and brutal.
Audio: 9.5/10
FINAL VERDICT:
If you own a PS3, this is your Frampton Comes Alive- you need to own this right away. The game truly is an epic experience and really is a case of an anticipated title living up to the hype in many ways. It is a great sequel in that it keeps the feel of the previous two games while building on them in a big way and features enough new elements to ensure you’re entertained. There aren’t a lot of titles that I insist people run out and buy but I can certainly say without hesitation that you need to own this game!
Final Score: 9.5/10
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