I never played GOW I or II, but the story in III is easy enough to follow...
 
Ryan was correct in his assessment of Kratos, he is a major dick..
 
Haven't finished it yet so it may be important for the story arc, but I would have preferred some type of decision making tree branching system of morality...be good or bad Kratos and  let the decisions guide where the path leads rather than be a Dick for Dick's sake and extol your Dickness in every Dickheaded decision you make.  Granted the developers want Kratos to be a certain way to fit their story, but I get pulled out of the immersion when

It's also freaking awful when you get a trophy titled 'I didn't do it... but I wish I had!' straight after, thus assuming that all the people playing the game must be horny 14 year old boys with a lack of empathy. 
 
I hated that section of the game - it was slow, dull, repetitive and completely illogical. Although kicking demon dogs never gets old.

kratos always seemed like a douche...wait he is a douche! he kills and kills, guess where that got him?

HAHAHAHAHA, my brother just did that yesterday, and I have to say, I agree. Not for that specific event, but for when  

How are you just realizing this now?  You don't remember that caged soldier you burnt to a crisp in the first game?

He was a dick from the very start of GoW1 when he threw the Captain down the Hydra throat.  It's kind of his thing.

" How are you just realizing this now?  You don't remember that caged soldier you burnt to a crisp in the first game? "

" I never played GOW I or II"

Maybe he should join a anger management class now that he killed every single being that stood in his way.

The worst is  
 

I think his anger was somewhat justified in the first game, and then in the second to a lesser extent... but now? Yeah, Kratos is just a fucking dick.  I mean all of the shit that's happening is because of him seeking revenge for his wife and kid because he was a selfish prick and decided to have Ares grant him the power to win that one battle since he knew he would have died without it...  And he wonders why everyone is trying to screw him over.

Well since you haven't played the first two your missing out on alot of stuff, though he's still his happy self.  Also that tree branching stuff just wouldn't work for this type of game, that would just probably ruin it for people playing it since the first.  Besides, this is a set story that follows kratos' story so of course you can't change the outcome, just like mario or zelda you have to save the princess, or most shooters where you have to shoot everything in the room to pass, sure kratos dosen't have to be a dick about it but its fun to watch.  And since you haven't finished it then you should because you'll see a different side of kratos, kinda.

i liked GOW3 but yeah...Kratos is a dick, and most of the stuff he does is completely unwarranted, it kind of annoyed me at times.

Kratos does what he feels he has to do..... if there is someone in the way, chances are, they will die. 
 
Which is why it feels odd when pandora is around...

The only thing that would make Kratos the most dickish character ever made would be, if he raped Pandora (Greeks were pedos), and stuffed her back into the box. 

Yup, Heph attacked him.  If ya attack a guy and fail, expect to be fucked up for your trouble.  I enjoyed giving him that ass whuppin.  Also, Aphrodite, goddess of love or whatever, fucked ANYONE she wanted to cuz that's how she rolled.  She banged Ares, Adonis, and a bunch of other mortals and non-mortals.  Aphrodite is what one could call a "ho" so why must Kratos be a dick for tapping an ass that everyone on olympus has gotten a piece of.  It's not like Heph and Kratos were buddies and hell, i'd tap it too.  
 
Also, as far as Kratos overall actions, I see it like this.  Most people are looking into the story from the rational non-rage/pain/depression mind.  So yea, to us, we get a few "what the fuck, really?" moment.  But from the character perspective, what he is doing makes sense and everybody gets exactly what they have coming.  Frankly, most of the gods were dicks, rapists and engaged in much kung-fu treachery so far as I'm concerned, they had it coming.  While the world suffers some from his revenge rampage, Hope is spread into the world and given to humans, just like when Promothesus gave man fire,  and seeing Athena walk after disappointed did my heart good.  So...fuck the gods, GG kratos, and go Broncos.

of course, Kratos has no real redeeming qualities.

" The only thing that would make Kratos the most dickish character ever made would be, if he raped Pandora (Greeks were pedos), and stuffed her back into the box.  "

" @Moeez said:

" The only thing that would make Kratos the most dickish character ever made would be, if he raped Pandora (Greeks were pedos), and stuffed her back into the box.  "

There's a joke in there somewhere about stuffing Pandora's box, but I can't quite make it work. "

" of course, Kratos has no real redeeming qualities. "

he's the very embodiment of an antihero. he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. But the gods around him are pompous assholes as well. 
The thing that people love about him is his ruthlessness and everyones inability to stop him.

Naturally. Kratos sucks, and Ryan is awesome.

I know, that part was messed up, but I was thinking "Quit calling me 'Lord Kratos!'"

" @Moeez said:

" The only thing that would make Kratos the most dickish character ever made would be, if he raped Pandora (Greeks were pedos), and stuffed her back into the box.  "

There's a joke in there somewhere about stuffing Pandora's box, but I can't quite make it work. "

Sure Kratos pulled a lot of dick moves, but nothing he did was ultimately something he did just to be a dick. In the end he was committed and was willing to do ANYTHING that needed to be done to achieve his ends. That's why he's up there with some of the best video game characters of all time.

" The worst is  
 

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.fd

The whole Hephestus situation, i mean you think Kratos would have a little sympathy for the guy seeing he lost his wife and daughter just like Hephestus. But no you have to murder the dude, after you bang his wife through a portal which is literally right next to the guy. 

"

This is why I never got into the God Of War games. I think they're just stupid. 
 
Don't get me wrong, blood and gore is good, but in God of War it all seems so pointless.  
 "Why am I stabbing this dude? I don't know, but man is it fun!" 
 
At least give me reasons why I'm doing all these things. 
 
 
...don't even get me started on the sex parts.

" This is why I never got into the God Of War games. I think they're just stupid.  Don't get me wrong, blood and gore is good, but in God of War it all seems so pointless.   "Why am I stabbing this dude? I don't know, but man is it fun!"  At least give me reasons why I'm doing all these things.   ...don't even get me started on the sex parts. "

@Metal_Gear_Sunny: Dude, those sex parts are the BEST PART OF THE GAME.

" @Metal_Gear_Sunny: Dude, those sex parts are the BEST PART OF THE GAME. "

@Metal_Gear_Sunny: Not entirely true; it is likely that a lot of people who know mythology well like to notice all of the altered details in the story; the changes are actually pretty interesting and cool.

I find it ironic that Ryan so fiercely complains about Kratos being a dick when he himself is also a dick. By his own admission.  
No, i'm not a GOW3 fanboy. Haven't even played any of them.

" @habster3 said:

" @Metal_Gear_Sunny: Dude, those sex parts are the BEST PART OF THE GAME. "

It's stupid! I have never had sex, BUT, the way it is presented in the game is unrealistic and idiotic. "

I realized that Kratos was a dick when I was watching a walkthrough on YT, and man does he solidify his position as a dick.  Travis and Lynch aren't even that dickish.

If by dick you mean a hilariously angry dude who will murder anything he sees then yes I agree.

@Metal_Gear_Sunny: True, those two things can conflict with each other, but I was talking mainly about the third game, not the second game. In the third game, it is somewhat involved with a portion of the story.

I would have preferred some type of decision making tree branching system of morality...be good or bad Kratos and  let the decisions guide where the path leads rather than be a Dick for Dick's sake and extol your Dickness in every Dickheaded decision you make.  Granted the developers want Kratos to be a certain way to fit their story, but I get pulled out of the immersion when

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

I'm forced to leave a big tittie babe under a cog wheel to turn into paste from the sheer weight of the damn thing just so I can complete my Revenge quest and get my anger on through a gate, instead of propping the damn thing open with some killed foe...

 There I said it :) "

LOL Percy Jackson Vs Kratos....
 
I just got done reading the percy jackson 5 book series and while not totally horrible they aren't the best *took a week to read 5 books*  There will likely be a second series but Id laugh at that Percy jackson vs Kratos....Kratos wins...

 i don't care how many innocent people he's already killed or how hellbent he is for revenge.. it is NEVER okay to mutilate a hot chick. 
 

Quit being pazies, part of the appeal to the god of war franchise is just how over the top and unwaranted all those parts are, like kicking crates instead of just pushing them, even in the original game there was a concept of how you would have a "navi" like thing in the beginning and how it would get slaughtered in the first 5 minutes of the game, sadly it never made it, but point is thats what god of war goes for, being a complete douche is who kratos is supposed to be, anyone kratos loved hes killed, you think he's gona have sympathy or care for anyone... probably not

Judgmental, much?
 
Have your family die and have their ashes embedded onto your skin.  Then let's see if you have such a sunny disposition. =P

I recall Justin McElroy from Joystiq writing something about the violence towards women in this game making him a little uncomfortable.

" It's also freaking awful when you get a trophy titled 'I didn't do it... but I wish I had!' straight after, thus assuming that all the people playing the game must be horny 14 year old boys with a lack of empathy.  I hated that section of the game - it was slow, dull, repetitive and completely illogical. Although kicking demon dogs never gets old. "

There's certainly a gratuitous amount of violence in the game but I don't think it's directed against women in any great proportion. In fact now I think of it I can't remember a single act of violence against women in GOW 3 unless you count gorgons or the peasants.
 
Edit: just remembered the crush scene now, I think that's the only instance though.