High-octane action makes this PlayStation 3 hit worth a revisit for fans and newcomers alike
By: Ryan Ramakrishnan
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
“God of War” is a franchise I hold near and dear with PlayStation memories and in conjunction with my favorite action games so picking the remastered version up on the PlayStation 4 was always a no-brainer. For returning fans, if you have the money to dish out, it's hard to deny the exciting thrills the game came with. With gorgeous visuals thanks to the power the remastered version is allotted, “God of War 3” is as much of an exhilarating and over the top hack and slash joyride as ever. Newcomers should put the story aside, despite it being relatively interesting, to still take in the thrill of every screen-encapsulating boss fight and bloody rage-filled combo that few games capture in the vein of “God of War 3.”
Story
The events that unfold in “God of War,” “God of War 2” and the other two spinoffs and prequel make for a lengthy story, spanning multiple platforms. The narrative that “God of War 3” offers will be nothing short of confusing for newcomers; however, with a visit to YouTube for a recap of what happened prior, the inaccessible games’ stories should be relatively easy to take in.
After uncovering the fact that Zeus, already meeting him in a previous encounter, is his father, the anti-hero Kratos seeks revenge upon him. The Spartan warrior goes head to head with a majority of the Greek pantheon in previous installments, oftentimes brutally fighting them to the death. “God of War 3” is no different. The ultimate goal of Kratos’s is to take Zeus down but needs Pandora's Box to make it happen. What lies in the box and its relevance, the conclusion of Kratos’s adventure, as well as the other Greek gods in the past and present all come together full circle by the end.
“God of War 3's” story isn't incredibly compelling all the way through but the plot points surrounding Kratos’s inner demons and the fight against his higher-ups and once-loved ones alike make for an interesting ride through a seemingly shallow character. With no experience with the predecessors in the series, “God of War 3” will likely be too hard or un-interesting to follow but it does do a fine job at wrapping up a trilogy and then some.
The events that unfold in “God of War,” “God of War 2” and the other two spinoffs and prequel make for a lengthy story, spanning multiple platforms. The narrative that “God of War 3” offers will be nothing short of confusing for newcomers; however, with a visit to YouTube for a recap of what happened prior, the inaccessible games’ stories should be relatively easy to take in.
After uncovering the fact that Zeus, already meeting him in a previous encounter, is his father, the anti-hero Kratos seeks revenge upon him. The Spartan warrior goes head to head with a majority of the Greek pantheon in previous installments, oftentimes brutally fighting them to the death. “God of War 3” is no different. The ultimate goal of Kratos’s is to take Zeus down but needs Pandora's Box to make it happen. What lies in the box and its relevance, the conclusion of Kratos’s adventure, as well as the other Greek gods in the past and present all come together full circle by the end.
“God of War 3's” story isn't incredibly compelling all the way through but the plot points surrounding Kratos’s inner demons and the fight against his higher-ups and once-loved ones alike make for an interesting ride through a seemingly shallow character. With no experience with the predecessors in the series, “God of War 3” will likely be too hard or un-interesting to follow but it does do a fine job at wrapping up a trilogy and then some.
GameplayKratos is a versatile fighter with four main weapons and plenty of skills to boot. With an instant tap of the d-pad, Kratos’s weapons can easily switch back and forth, allowing for some fun variety during combat, as well as a necessary switch up for particular foes.
The combat of “God of War 3 Remastered” should be familiar to fans of the series for its trademark hack and slash gameplay. Newcomers should expect fast-paced action, admittedly akin to button mashing. Combos are still nonetheless able to come by, especially once you switch between weapons and use other skills and abilities. The combat is genuinely exhilarating to partake in thanks to the epic nature of “God of War 3.” Whether you are balancing the heavy and light weapons alike while shooting arrows and sending a cerberus after your foes or tanking in the temporarily invincible “Rage of Sparta” ability, there is never a dull moment.
As it was in the original PlayStation 3 version, “God of War 3 Remastered” boasts a fixed camera angle. This looks fine until you lose track of Kratos in all the action. It is interesting to compare “God of War 3” to action games of recent years in this department, as they don’t seem to have the same, occasionally frustrating camera.
“God of War 3” has chests to find, giving you access to upgrades. After collecting three of each orb, blue for magic and green for health respectively, a boost in each department will be provided. Red orbs can be farmed through each and every encounter and act as the game’s experience points, effectively currency for upgrading weapons and abilities. “God of War 3’s” several weapons, skills and abilities can become quite pricey to upgrade with time so players will have the opportunity to focus on whichever they see fit.
Platforming in “God of War 3 Remastered” is more or less jumping and gliding across large platforms. In the same manner as it was on the PlayStation 3, this platforming aspect of the game never felt as good as an actual platforming title, feeling a bit off with each jump.
Always playing a role in the gameplay of the “God of War” franchise, “God of War 3” has puzzle design using moving platforms, precise timing and a select few special items and abilities. These puzzles are generally fair and not overly complicated yet do at times get you thinking due to some pretty intuitive puzzle design. It is interesting to include this in the otherwise fast-paced action game but certainly far from the most entertaining part.
A key part in many of the boss fights and cinematic encounters, “God of War 3 Remastered” and its PlayStation 4 up-haul may make quick time events looks marvelous but these are rarely ideal in comparison to the rest of what the gameplay entails. Sometimes these quick time events result in something exhilarating and overthetop in the most glorious way possible, others make your thumb hurt and make you wish you could just sit back and watch the cinematic boss fight conclude without so much player input.
Graphics
Thanks to an upgrade to 1080p and 60fps, “God of War 3 Remastered” runs very smooth and looks quite nice, especially given the fact that the original title came out in 2010. Everything from lighting and shadow effects to every boss and wall crumbling down come with beautiful visuals for a remaster, using the PlayStation 4’s power to great effect.
Sound
An epic score perfectly complements the action of “God of War 3.” The high-octane enemy encounters, boss fights and overall epic scale of the game The music adds to the epic nature of every fight and every aspect of Kratos's journey.
Elsewhere, the sound design of “God of War 3 Remastered” consists of non-stop action or yelling, plenty of yelling. When Kratos is not raging on about this or that god, you’ll hear the natural sounds of the action. Whether it is the weapons Kratos wields doing what they’re designed to do or enemies being torn apart, the fighting gets as loud as it is exhilarating to partake in. Unfortunately, the aforementioned music of “God of War 3” doesn’t get its limelight as much as it deserves, as it is oftentimes overshadowed by everything your ear picks up in this hyperactive game.
Content
“God of War 3 Remastered” doesn't come with anything new in terms of content. With no post-game content or previously released DLC in existence, “God of War 3’s” roughly 10 hour run is fair but seems in short in comparison to this generation’s open-ended experiences and sandboxes alike. The adventure is nothing short of entertaining but you will likely not be visiting Ancient Greece once the credits roll.
Conclusion
Come the end of Kratos’s glorious conquest, I was nothing short of satisfied with the action-packed 10 hour experience I chose to revisit. The PlayStation 4’s power allows “God of War 3 Remastered” to hold up fairly well among the plentiful new age exclusives on the platform. With an epic scale in every sense of the word and score to complement every intense and brutal moment, “God of War 3 Remastered” is every bit worth the experience of brutal hack and slash combat and boss fights for action fans. With no knowledge of the previous storyline, “God of War 3 Remastered” may not make the most sense, but e even as a series fan, my second playthrough of “God of War 3” via this remaster was every bit exhilarating and thrilling as it was last generation.
What was your favorite boss fight? Will you miss the Greek mythology of “God of War” in future installments? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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