God of War III: The Illiad of the Modern Age

Available: PS3
Game Type: 1 Player Action
From: Sony Computer Entertainment/Sony Santa Monica

Few games can satisfy us these days. Whether the length, graphical prowess, or ingenuity therein, I am rarely left feeling nourished. Then came March the 16th of 2010. Sure, unleashing that final Omnislash on Sephiroth aptly ended one of the greatest sagas in Final Fantasy VII. And who could forget the final moment when you first made that miraculous lunge over Bowser's head, only a small miscalculation away from the famous black and white game over screen from Super Mario Brothers, and finally reaching the ever elusive Peach. Few moments come close to these amazing relics of games past, but as anyone who played GOW I or II can attest, Kratos has a knack for defying disbelief. That and the Rulers of Olympus no doubt. Every game I play and love nowadays, I feel this constant yearning for more. Better graphics, a longer experience, always more, more, more. Finally, a bit of gaming nirvana, Alysium if you will, comes along, and though I dare not imply I've had enough, this is a conclusion of a saga that makes sense. All questions are answered, all enemies quelled, and our hero is finally at piece.

When we last left Kratos, he and the Titan Gaia were scaling Mount Olympus to combine their strengths in an effort to exterminate Zeus and the rest of the Olympians. This is GOW III's biggest accomplishment, the sheer scale of that which Kratos battles. No more weakling Leviathin boss-battles. No more ten person bouts. We're talking huge. Remember the Cyclops' from GOWII? Now you'll engage five at once. Remember those pests with the double sided scythe staffs? Enjoy fighting six at once while they launch lighting attacks from every direction. And by the way, these are the "small" battles. Obviously Kratos takes on the Gods, but you'll also see a familiar face in Chronos, the Titan from GOW I who was sentenced to carry Pandora on his back and wander a desert for all of eternity. How big is Chronos? (Spoiler alert) Let's just say three or four dozen Kratos copies could stand on his finger nail. How's that for the magnitude of size I'm trying to convey.

Combat has always been a strong selling point for the series, and a benchmark for the Action genre. GOW III sets the bar so high, I'll be surprised if anything coming in this generation of consoles can come close. Through the campaign, Kratos finds three other weapons to assist his trusty Chain Blades which are now called the Blades of Exile. Unlike the previous three games, these weapons are not only necessary to take down certain enemy types, but they are in most cases as fun to use as the Blades of Exile. While I'll always be partial to the blades, my favorite addition is the Claws of Hades, which act in a similar manner to the Blades of Exile. Not only are these new additions to your arsenal a welcome compliment to the already ferocious combat, but the ability to cycle through them on the fly adds to the enjoyment and variation of the combos. Add in another four items that are usable on the fly, and Kratos turns into the God of War he was once so named. In my nine hour play through I reached close to a 200 hit combo, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find reach 300 in another play-through.

The story plays out nicely, never ceasing to amaze. Whether gutting a herd of centaurs, climbing through the innards of a Titan, or dismantling the Great chain that holds Olympus and Hades in harmony, this game delivers jaw dropping moments on par with anything I've ever seen. Combine that with the most intestine strewn gore-fest this side of reality, and you have a perfect recipe for gaming amazement. From the rediculously realistic light bloom to the pores on Kratos' face, the graphics are quite possibly the best to date, never yielding a single frame per second.

So if you're a fan of Greek mythology, a God of War fan, or simply one who enjoys a fantastic game, and let's face it why else would you be reading, then please, go play this game. I really can't say enough good about it. If ever a game lived up to its hype, this is the one. Now would you please go teach Zeus a lesson?

Graphics: The best of the best. Unbelievable detail combined with a smooth fps, the PS3 has reached a new level of impressiveness.
Controls: Same as you know and love from the first two games. Small additions like the ability to switch weapons and use items on the fly are a natural fit.
Story: Great dialog and voice acting along with a fantastic conclusion to an epic tale.
Multiple Play: Since the story moves at a steady pace and there is no loading screens to speak of, the replay is high. Add in unlockable costumes, the ability to use items found in the first playthrough, a challenge mode and unlockable very hard mode, you'll sink more than a few extra hours into this one.

Final Score = 98/100