Review: God of War III

That’s the first word that comes to mind while playing God of War III.

The story of Kratos, the ghost of Sparta, in his quest to kill his father Zeus plays out like an epic movie from years past.

Being the first God of War game on the PlayStation 3, the developers zeroed in on the details, from the multitude of buzzing beesfilling the air to the number of blood veins exposed when a cyclops’ eye is pulled out to the variable bounciness of a woman’s breasts.

This game has it all.

But what makes it cinematic for me is the inspired camera work.

Not content to follow standard video game convention of either fixing a camera in one location and leaving it or just locking it in behind Kratos, the game raises the bar with sweeping camera shots and variable angles and perspectives.

By using these techniques, the entire game experience is enhanced.

The game also makes good use of scale in depictng Kratos’ travels – at one end of the spectrum to evoke the power of Kratos by filling the screen with his visage and at the other end showing Kratos as a mere speck on the back of titan Cronos to illustrate the immensity of his quest.

Kratos adds new weapons and skills to his repertoire, gathering health and magic by wading through legions of smaller foes.

The game is once again big on the Context Sensitive Attacks (also known as Quick Time Events). In this type of gameplay, the player presses buttons on the controller that correspond to those that flash on the screen. Failure to press the correct button in the time allotted causes the attack to fail.

This game improves on QTEs, first by varying the buttons required to complete an attack. The first try against a sledgehammer-wielding attacker may require an X button press, followed by a triangle button as a finishing move. The next attempt changes up the pattern, requiring more than just a memorization of a certain sequence.

Secondly, the game displays the button onscreen in the same position it appears on the game controller (top for triangle, for instance). These tweaks improve gameplay, while still delivering the visuals associated with QTEs.

The story is properly Olympian, with Kratos plowing through Gods and demigods, debating the merits of his quest with henchmen of Zeus, before dispatching them.

And make no mistake, God of War III is a violent game. The bloodletting, the vein-popping and bone-crunching is detailed and graphic and in great quantity. The bloodshed amps up the action.

On the visual front, God of War III has no peers. Spectacular settings and visceral battles set it above all comers. Especially compelling are the extended fights while traversing one of the titans, be it the tree-strewn Gaia or the scabby skin of Cronos.

God of War III is a masterpiece of videogaming.

Platform: PlayStation 3 Rating: Mature Manufacturer: Sony Score: 9.5 Olympian chilies