(Originally published to Glitchwave on 9/24/2025)
[Image from glitchwave.com]
God of War III
Developer: Santa Monica Studios
Publisher: SCE
Genre(s): Hack 'n Slash
Platforms: PS3\
Release Date: March 16, 2010
Still, there is a continuing narrative at the game’s forefront, so the laymen of gaming don’t become privy to the developer’s true intentions. The scene that opened my third eye to astute insight was seeing the surviving collective of Greek Gods staring beyond the peaks of Olympus at an oncoming Kratos, verging towards their position with the Titans. Kratos’s efforts to denounce his godhood by boldly killing Zeus run parallel to the Titans’ own long-term plan of reclaiming their original position as the dominating divine governors of Olympus. With the vengeful forces gaining on their positions, it seems perfectly reasonable to infer that the top dogs on display here will serve on the defensive against the belligerent bald man and his legion of colossi. Even though Kratos and the Titans share a common goal of sticking it to the big cheeses that tower over all mortals and the maligned, a turn of events in the game’s introduction illustrates some discordance in their allegiances. Once Zeus strikes down Kratos with a sky-cracking bolt of concentrated lightning, the wooded Earth mother Gaia forsakes her human-ish accomplice after she deems his services to be no longer necessary to her. Like clockwork, Kratos plunges back down to the depths of Hell, where he will ultimately escape his certain fate again by reacquainting himself with a female ally who has always proven herself to be a steadfast, valuable asset to Kratos. Even as an incorporeal spirit, Athena persists as the resident heretic of Olympus. She informs Kratos of the “Olympus Flame,” a sacred artifact that is apparently the key to actually ousting Zeus. Upon hearing this information, Kratos embarks on yet another quest to dismantle the holy Greek organization, and God(s) help you if you happen to find yourself situated as an obstacle in the way of achieving his goal. Conquering every executive residing on Mount Olympus, leading up to Zeus, is a sensible plot premise to conclude the God of War trilogy, given the context of its main character’s overarching motivations. Still, setting Zeus, the supreme master of Mount Olympus, as the primary target in the last game sort of diminishes the potential grandeur of Kratos climbing to him and leaving the lesser gods in the wake of his one-man stampede. For the story’s sake, I’m glad that Athena intervened before Kratos smited the insurmountably unvanquishable Zeus at the end of the second game, so he can still serve as the series’ penultimate challenge, and so annihilating his various offspring and brethren beneath him doesn’t feel like janitorial work. But ultimately, enacting any death-defying stunt a second time around will not seem as foreboding once you survived it the first time. It seems obvious to me that defeating the loftiest lord of the hill should’ve been reserved for the falling action that closes the series and the falling action alone.
God of War is probably the only PS2 series where leaping to high-definition hardware won’t make a radical world of difference to its presentation. In fact, it’s the only franchise from Sony’s second console whose presentational attributes were arguably already of a heightened next-generation caliber. Now, it’s found a fitting place to fully flaunt its vivacity without making the system liable to experience heat stroke. If you’re a series veteran at this point, you know exactly what brand of aesthetic splendor is being washed and waxed to a crystal-clear standard: the breathtaking spectacle of the mythical Greek realm’s various organic and architectural setpieces. Similar to Kratos’ adventures in seeking Pandora’s Box and the time-bending domicile of the Sisters of Fate, the journey towards the Olympus Flame will feature several awe-inspiring sights that are captured beautifully by the series' trademark cinematic flair. You know that I tend to shed single tears whenever the sublime backdrops are viewed through a wide lens shot, pronouncing the imposing scope of the setting while juxtaposing Kratos as a tiny, insignificant speck. Upon seeing sights such as the colossal chain dangling between the icy chasms of a treacherous mountain pass and the echoey emptiness of the shadowed pit where a collection of gigantic crates serves as the only ground support, I once again found myself grabbing a box of tissues to catch the salty liquid streaming out of my tear ducts. Hera’s Garden is also another highlight setting here, not because of any kind of camerawork mastery, but because the enclosed, structured environment of plant life eerily evokes an atmosphere of Kratos being out of his element. I almost believed the proprietor’s flinty words that he didn’t have the mental fortitude to escape its entrapments. Essentially, the HD advancements allow the series to continue expressing its trademark cinematic expertise with the additional perk of clearing away the slight fuzz that plagued the visuals of the PS2. It’s now being rendered on a system that fosters its greatest strength without any compromise.
Before you start asking questions, yes, I didn’t forget about discussing the fact that God of War III also carries the responsibilities that come with being the final entry in a video game trilogy. That being, sanding down all of its attributes to an ultra-refined point of accessibility to cater towards the larger demographic the series has garnered with growing popularity. This all-too-common third entry practice is especially imperative here, for the gaming populace had quadrupled in size during the seventh console generation, thanks to the expanding interest in the medium from the general populace. God of War II had significantly slimmed down the first game’s unsightly rough patches to make itself more presentable to the public, but the ways in which God of War III expands upon the makeover efforts prove that it needed to cut out some more carbs to fit in that size two dress. All of the enhancements to Kratos’ traversal capabilities obtained throughout the second game are automatically granted to the player here, so they’ll likely never struggle with the precision of any given platforming-intensive section. These include using the chain blades as a means of swinging across gaps and briskly floating downward while the iconic wings of Icarus remain superglued to Kratos’ backside. The puzzles that take place in the more arcane sections of Olympus veer more towards the patient, punctilious variety as opposed to situating Kratos in a frantic situation that hopes the player can concentrate while under the duress of life or death. Quicker-paced puzzles do crop up later in the game, but the time limits are far more lenient with clearer conditions to work around. The banes of my existence, also known as balance beams, have also been totally omitted after the first game was brimming with them, and the second game ironed out the awkward controls just to tease us with only one in the game’s introduction. It’s like the developers harbor a deep shame towards their previous inclination to make Kratos enact the delicate physical feats of a circus performer and are now trying to cram their heinous mistakes away in the secure vaults of the past, like Germany tends to do when their country’s history during the former half of the 20th century is mentioned. Still, God of War can’t be totally absolved of their crimes against game design because their arguably worst offense of quicktime events is still infecting the course of gameplay. In saying that, I’m beyond relieved that I no longer need psychic premonition to accurately press the required buttons and analog directions because the game finally grants the player an ample enough window of time to react accordingly. I’m still docking quality points on principle, but I’m relatively pacified at the fact that these tumorous gameplay growths are rather benign this time around.
I think I need a second opinion as to whether or not God of War III’s accessibility efforts extend to Kratos’ arsenal. As per usual, his trademark chain blades will be accompanied by at least one other melee weapon and a smattering of magical God powers that drain a secondary meter situated below his health bar. The tools at Kratos' disposal are also switched and shuffled as they were in the second game, and I can’t make a firm decision if the new editions are all indications of the game streamlining the combat equation. Two of the alternative weapons allocated to slots on the D-Pad are the “Claws of Hades” and the “Nemesis Whip,” which are essentially variations on Kratos’ classic, persisting clanging whips with alternate elemental components. Would offering a roulette of weapons of unique utility jolt the player out of some sort of comfort zone that the chains are intended to lull them into? Did the developers forget the definition of the word “optional?” Evidently, they did, because the “Nemean Cestus” marks the series debut of a “situational weapon.” Sure, the player will likely feel inclined to use the metallic gauntlets of their own volition so Kratos can channel his inner “Iron Mike,” but a significant percentage of their usage will be prompted by any appearance of the super durable onyx element that only the titanic gloves are hefty enough to penetrate. While the “Nemean Cestus” is the sole instance of genuine diversity among Kratos' new toys, their individual magic abilities are all quite distinctive, at least. Slamming the Cestus on the ground will cause seismic quakes with shockwave collateral. The “Nemesis Whip” continues providing an avenue for paralyzing electrocution damage, and the “Claws of Hades” can summon the souls of a myriad of enemies that the purple underworld device has previously slain. Plopping a blockade of shields and spears on Kratos while having the standard blades equipped is effective for crowd control, but this defensive magical maneuver looks like a cheap and jarring CG creation that has somehow stumbled upon the set. I suppose even the most gorgeous of gals have their minor imperfections. Joining the magic meter as yet another auxiliary gauge are what I’d classify as “traversal tools.” Given the specific scenario, Kratos will either use arrows with flame properties to incinerate blocking brambles, illuminate dim passageways and secret corners with a “solar-powered lantern,” and defy gravity by running up the sides of walls with winged sandals. Each of them can also char, blind, and wildly lift enemies off their feet, respectively, in combat. The automatic regeneration of this meter’s energy makes me wonder if it's allowing players too much leeway to abuse their offensive properties as par for the accessibility course, despite their middling damage output. I was certainly taking full advantage of this aspect, which caused me to realize that my magic meter was often still as long and blue as Papa Smurf’s penis (presumably).
I can’t forget to mention that each additional item that Kratos stuffs in his pockets is a token from Olympus’s finest. I’d describe them as a gift as they were in the series' past, but the nonconsensual context of receiving these pieces of a God’s powers is comparable to a violent mugging, if anything. Kratos, planning on exterminating all that exists on Olympus as a conditional objective of his mission, obviously won’t warrant them allowing him to borrow their special properties to use against them. Because the Gods aren’t content to let Kratos trample them, many serve as God of War III’s bosses. Before the player has any time to breathe and soak in their surroundings, Kratos is immediately tackling Poseidon’s form of water horse along the dendriform body of Gaia. Chains will clash like the rhythmic banging of percussion instruments when Hades challenges Kratos to a duel in the darkest recesses of the Underworld, and Hercules’ will pit his mammoth might against Kratos after expressing his envy of Kratos’ apparent title as the ultimate demigod. I wouldn’t classify the confrontation with Hermes as a boss battle by traditional definition, but at least the God’s messenger recognizes his speed advantage and attempts to thwart Kratos using it, as opposed to the smaller-scaled legends who delusionally thought they could match Kratos’ physical might. As for the returning lord of lightning that appropriately confronts Kratos again in the game’s final stretch, every phase of his fight here is significantly easier than his previous bout, and this isn’t even due to not having an egregious quicktime event segment to contend with. Facing off against Zeus was essentially a narrative formality at this point. Come to think of it, I barely broke a sweat while fighting any of these venerated figures that comprise Zeus’ royal cabinet on the apex of Mount Olympus. I can’t say for sure whether Kratos’s brief tenure as the God of War has permanently boosted his base strength so he can now execute any God on a whim, or if the conscious smoothing of the gameplay by the developers conflicts with the tremendous narrative scope of wiping out all of Olympus. On second thought, I’m confident it’s the latter. All I’m saying is that the focused arc of slaying Ares that was once epic in scale is now trivialized by the fact that Kratos can now effortlessly execute all of his peers.
And execute them he does! To encapsulate all of the narrative, presentational, and gameplay attributes that make up this game into one sentence: God of War III is fucking revolting. Gruesome has always been the word of the day when it comes to the series, but the third title somehow crosses a line that veers the ultraviolence into the realm of the uncomfortable. I mentioned that one of Kratos’ new doohickies is a lantern. What I omitted from this tidbit of information is that what emits these bright rays of light are the hollowed-out orifices of the sun God Helios’ decapitated head, of which Kratos dismembers from his neck like removing a sock from one’s foot. The water horse may be the form that Poseidon takes to trounce Kratos at the beginning, but once he’s reverted to his personified shape, Kratos’ finishing move on the oceanic God involves the player pressing both analog sticks to gouge Poseidon’s eyes out with his thumbs. That’s another sleepless night for me! Because of Gaia’s betrayal, the Titans are now also on Kratos’ shit list. The most significant Titan to receive the sharp end of Kratos’s chain blades is Cronos, where the Spartan tears off the grotesquely dirty fingernails of this massive level-boss hybrid to a gushing, bloody pulp. The enhanced visuals just pronounce all of the viscera to a downright disgusting degree, as I’m now more familiar with the interior anatomy and entrails of a centaur than I had ever desired to be. Even the new traversal gimmick of latching onto a harpy to then plunge Kratos’ blade into its guts like whipping a horse for motivation seems rather excessive. I’m sure the creature would provide its transportational services to Kratos if he asked nicely! If you think that the content of God of War III is already shocking enough, wait until Kratos enters the lushly-colored boudoir belonging to Aphrodite. No, Kratos doesn’t provide the necessity for the goddess of beauty and love to seek out a miracle facelift like Hercules, but he does have a spontaneous, interactive shag with her coordinated by a sequence of quicktime events. Top that, JFK. Admittedly, the coitus taking place isn’t shown on screen, but the lustful touching of the two topless mistresses off to the side is titillating enough for Skinemax territory. If I had played this game upon its release at fourteen years of age, I would’ve temporarily traded the controller for my joystick. Now, as an adult, I find the optional scene to be hilariously smutty in an embarrassing way. At least Kratos isn’t snapping the necks of women who may be too drunk to control their language or using them to prop up uncooperative door winches to then have them liquidated because of the pressure. Oh, wait…
You know what? Kratos is a real jerk. Not exactly the most revelatory statement I’ve ever uttered, but it’s a vital sentiment to illustrate how much of a shit heel the Spartan has become. Up until now, Kratos’ various acts of brutality have been somewhat justified because of the various degrees of oppressiveness the Olympus Gods have inflicted upon him. With Ares’ comeuppance as ancient history at this point and the tyrannical Zeus only appearing periodically, I can’t quite say that the remainder of the Gods deserve a fate so barbarically executed. Instead of cheering Kratos on as I did before, I now wince at what Kratos will do to them, like watching Art the Clown butcher teenagers, even though I’m the one orchestrating the fatalities. Yet, the developers seem to think that they can still paint Kratos as a sympathetic anti-hero by giving him an outlet to express a sensitive, kind side of the blanched brute. At his initial entrance in the chamber of the Olympus Flame, Kratos thinks that he communicates with the spirit of his deceased daughter, Callipole. In reality, it’s the wispy visage of Pandora, a mythical Greek figure who lives in notoriety for her infamous “box” that unleashes unfathomable horrors that also previously granted Kratos enough moxie to kill Ares in the first game. The girl is greatly vilified by all who reside on Mount Olympus because of her synonymous association with death and destruction, slandering her without any consideration for her feelings. Kratos, however, drops his machismo around her and goes to great lengths to protect the poor girl whose negative reputation as a monster is ultimately a byproduct of the Gods crafting her into a tool of torment. One may see Kratos’ uncharacteristic kindheartedness towards Pandora as him proactively rectifying the tragic mistake he made with his own flesh-and-blood daughter with a surrogate. However, the conclusion of this relationship suggests that he’s likely treating Pandora this way to spite the Gods as another act of defiance. After all, Kratos despises the Gods so much to the extent that after eradicating them all, including Zeus, finally, he then takes the almighty Blade of Olympus and thrusts it into his torso. Knowing that he’d be the last divine entity in the land, he took it upon himself to officially eradicate all traces of Gods in the vicinity of ancient Athens. If he cared about Pandora as much as one might deduce, he would’ve considered that this drastic measure would’ve also erased her existence as well. That's some ice-cold shit, Kratos.
I might need to make a distinction in the way that I define satisfaction. As a piece of God of War media, I suppose that the series’ finale wraps up all loose ends tightly in a neat little bow, considering the finality of our protagonist’s fate at its conclusion. Still, the unsatisfactory aspect of the overall product is how expedient the God-killing process has become, even though it was initially pitched as a monumental undertaking. Not to mention, the man coordinating this cleansing procedure has become an absolutely unlikable menace to the point where we, the audience, are bound to start booing him. Nevertheless, I undoubtedly had more fun with God of War III than either of the two titles that preceded it, and it has little to do with the bountiful number of boobs and gore galore. While having more tact in their narratives and gameplay conceits, the previous God of War games featured many frustrating things that raised my blood pressure through the roof, and I’d like to make it to middle age, thank you very much. Smoothing out all of the series’s jagged edges here, and the agreeable experience that comes with the makeover is just too delightful to deny. I’ve often derided the third entries of games for their express interest in appealing to a more impressionable denominator of consumers, but hey, I’m still a consumer at the end of the day. Bless the simplicity of my simian brain.
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