By the gods
The original God of War was an exciting, over the top gore fest that also managed to set a lot of the standards that action games continue to use today. Its legacy is no more apparent than in its own successors, as God of War III follows the original's blueprint to a tee. That means it's chock full of epic fights and cinematic set pieces that are a blast to experience, though some of the gameplay is beginning to feel a bit dated. The good far outweighs the bad, however, making God of War III a solid title that any fan of action games would do well to look into.
First and foremost, God of War III is a fantastic bloody mess. I've always felt that one of the most exciting features of the franchise has been its unrestrained love of all things gory. This is one game that never robs you of an opportunity to do terrible, terrible things to your foes, and the audiovisual impact of each and every kill is super satisfying. This has consistently been one of the series' strong points, and God of War III follows in step wonderfully. Even past the heightened gore God of War III is a technical marvel. Environments and animations are crisp, Kratos himself is superbly rendered, and the soundtrack is once again spectacular. If nothing else, God of War III is a treat for the senses. Unfortunately, the narrative has gone off the deep in the process. Kratos is no longer a character I can sympathize with, as his anger and rage seem totally unjustified to me. The sloppy dialogue and plot only serve to stress that this is indeed an action game, and that expecting a strong narrative from such a genre is only setting yourself up for disappointment.
God of War III's gameplay is also sound, even if it's lacking in the way of innovation. The blades are as neat as ever, throwing together combos feels really smooth, and the magic and puzzles seem to serve their purpose better than before. At the same time, I can't help but feel that some aspects of the gameplay have become a bit dated. First and foremost, the dodging mechanic is super clunky. You can only dodge in four unintuitive directions, and trying to dodge mid-combo incites a short delay that leaves you wide open to attack. Some of the buttons feel overloaded, and an unwieldy "quick switch" for the weapons cost me my life numerous times. Most of this is stuff that's always been present in the series, and it's a shame that Santa Monica didn't use this opportunity to polish these things. What does feel polished, however, are the boss fights. God of War III boasts some pretty damn epic encounters, and they are a ton of fun to play. These are clearly the highlights of the game, and do a great job at showcasing what the game's all about.
While God of War III is probably my least favorite game in the trilogy, it's still a completely competent action game that I feel is worth experiencing. It's got fun, brutal combat, epic boss encounters, and looks and sounds amazing all the while. It can feel dated at times, and the narrative is nothing if not cringe-inducing, but these issues shouldn't be enough to deter fans of action games from checking out God of War III.
For additional information on my review style and scoring system, click here.
