God Of War III has been causing a strom
of critically acclaimed reviews all over world and for good
reason.
Even if you haven't followed the franchise, just watching the
opening scene as the action unfolds, will blow your mind.
But, if you haven't played God Of War and God Of
War II, players are going to find it hard to follow the complex and
intertwining storyline.
Having said that, new players are still in for a
visual treat that is of epic proportions.
Kicking off directly after the events of God Of
War II, God Of War III see's Kratos riding on Gaia as she and the other
Titans climb Mount Olympus to wage war on the Gods.
This is were Sony Santa Monica has made creative
use of camera angles. The camera zooms in, out and around the giant
Titans, giving the player a real sense of scale.
Meanwhile, atop the mountain, Hermes, Poseidon,
Hades, and Helios mount a defensive, killing a few Titans in
the progress.
After Kratos hacks his way through some foes, he
finally reaches and kills Poseidon, at which point Kratos and Gaia are
confronted by Zeus, who knocks them both off Mt. Olympus by way of
lightning bolt.
As Gaia tries to climb back up, Kratos begins to
slip off her back. Gaia states that she cannot help him and that the
Titans war with the gods is more important than Kratos' revenge.
Kratos continues to falls off Gaia as she climbs upward.
During the fall Kratos and the Blade of Olympus
are separated, with Kratos landing in the River Styx. As he swims to
shore, the souls of the underworld take away all of Kratos' power and
health, except for the Golden Fleece and Icarus Wings.
Phew! I'm exhausted just after the opening scene.
From there on it is apparent that violence and
mayhem is the theme of the game. From blood soaked killing, to
decapitated heads, Kratos is out for revenge and by god, he will will
stop at nothing until he gets it.
Anyways, I won't spoil anymore of the storyline,
let's get into the gameplay.
Players of the pervious titles will notice the
similarities between the games. There is a combination of combat,
platforming, and puzzle game elements.
The combat system is mapped out the same as before,
the square button represents light attack, triangle is heavy attack and
circle is grab.
Simple button mashing results in some pretty sweet
combos, but if you want you can open your menu screen and check out
combos that you have unlocked via upgrading your weapons.
Pressing the circle button activates a small
animation which typically involves Kratos lifting his enemy over his head and ripping them
apart - pretty cool huh?
There are also weapon specific combos and special
magic powers.
For instance, Kratos' main weapon the Blades of
Exile makes use of the Army of Sparta. These special moves are
activated by pressing the R2 button.
In addition to the Blades of Exile, new
weapons include the Claws of Hades, the Nemesis Whip (made from the
Omphalos Stone by Hephaestus), and the Nemean Cestus (a pair of fist
gauntlets shaped like lion heads acquired from Hercules). They also
have their own combos and magic abilities to unlock and master.
Last but by no means least, The Blade of Olympus. Rather than being
used as a regular weapon like the Blades of Exile, The Blade of Olympus
is used with the ability "The Rage of Sparta."
The Rage of Sparta replaces Rage of the Titans
from God of War II and Rage of the Gods from God of War. When The Rage
of Sparta is activated, the screen has a red glow around it and Kratos
wields the Blade of Olympus becoming momentarily invincible.
A new feature to God of War III is the use of
items. These items act similarly to magic from the previous
installments, but when they are used, the item bar is depleted (yellow
bar in the top lefthand corner of screen). The use of items is limited by the length of the
yellow item bar, the bar refills automatically. Items that Kratos can
use include the Bow of Apollo, the Head of Helios, and the Boots of
Hermes.
So, it's safe to say that fans won't find much in
the way of new gameplay. However, it's the in-game cinematics
that will have fans licking their lips in anticipation for the next
quick time cut scene.
God Of War III incorporates Quick Time Events,
these generally take place during big boss fights and larger enemies.
Through the use of clever perspectives, swooping cameras and tight
editing, the people over at Sony Santa Monica has combined the three to
create an exciting gameplay experience.
Visually God Of War III is top notch and one of
the most impressive games to date. With its epic storyline, massive
boss fights, flawless visuals and beautifully crafted backdrops - fans
will not be disappointed.
And for those who haven't played the previous
titles - it's never to late.
