This review contains spoilers
A testament to digital sadism. So many gruesome moments that just stick to the brain like glue. This is one of the few games that benefits from a more realistic art style, I genuinely think that seeing every little hair and pore on a minotaur’s head as I drive my blades down its throat enhances the experience. Kratos works as this embodiment of the raging id; the only way for him dig himself out of a hole is to punch through the ground until he reaches the Earth’s core. His story is of atonement but no introspection, of looking to fate with blinding hatred that you’re unable to acknowledge your own choices. The only reason this isn’t the clear frontrunner for best in the series is that Pandora’s inclusion tries to garner some sympathy for Kratos too little too late. I think they wanted to have a moment where Kratos realizes that there’s nowhere else to go other than killing himself, but you can’t convince me that he is in anyway capable of hope at this point. This turn feels extra forced when Kratos tries to extend his paternal guilt to Pandora considering prior to this he kicked a giant spike through her father’s head immediately after fucking her mom (immediately after tying Posideon’s topless wife to a lever and letting her get crushed. This series’ reputation for misogyny is well founded). Even when the game tries to throw Kratos a bone it’s still drenched in a layer of ick that makes him unsalvageable.
I played the previous titles on the Vita, so I forgot that these games are perfect for blasting the fuck out of your stereo. Looking back, God of War might have been the start of Sony’s obsession with trying to make games that are also movies. I can definitely sense Naughty Dog’s influence on the series start to germ here, Pandora even helps you out briefly in the way Ellie would in The Last of Us. I will say that cinematic approach fits organically here considering the franchise’s penchant for distant camera angles that show the full scope of the carnage unfolding. All things considered, God of War 3 actually functions pretty well as a playable movie, and serves as the ideal version of the game Sony’s been releasing for over a decade (okay that point applies more to Uncharted 2 but I like this game better).
Some additional notes: the intro level on top of Gaia is the best setpiece in the series, that the rest of the game still finds ways to up the ante is equally impressive. Despite this segment of the franchise ostensibly having the same core, the tiny altered details between games go a long way to prevent them from blurring together. The Blades of Chaos were your bread and butter for the previous games, and God of War 3 manages to shake things up by making them mostly worthless compared to the three other weapons due to them being cheaper to upgrade, having better magic powers attached to them, and have functionally the same moveset. With that said, tying magic to your arsenal is a neat change of pace and does encourage switching between weapons. While I am loathed to praise QTEs, their integration into combat is surprisingly elegant. Them being positioned to the sides of the screen teaches the player to rely on gut instinct and as a result I hardly ever missed a QTE. Lastly, I love that even Zeus’ immediate family are like “ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING PUZZLES”.
Really glad to have had marathoned this original run of games. I’m torn between the consistency and challenge of God of War 2 or the messy but glorious fatalism of 3, but I’m glad I played all these games. While these games are definitely the go-to example when picturing male power fantasies, there’s something cagey about the way Kratos’ story is told. My girlfriend was trying to figure out why anyone would be invested in Kratos as a character, and I think she hit the nail on the head when she viewed his tale from the perspective of “man this fuckin guy just won’t die’”. Yes you’re supposed to think his actions are in some way cool, but as he becomes as ravenous, cruel, and misanthropic as the gods throwing him around as a pawn for their futile grasps for ultimate power, the tone gradually becomes “oh wow he’s really going through with this” as the series progresses.
I played the previous titles on the Vita, so I forgot that these games are perfect for blasting the fuck out of your stereo. Looking back, God of War might have been the start of Sony’s obsession with trying to make games that are also movies. I can definitely sense Naughty Dog’s influence on the series start to germ here, Pandora even helps you out briefly in the way Ellie would in The Last of Us. I will say that cinematic approach fits organically here considering the franchise’s penchant for distant camera angles that show the full scope of the carnage unfolding. All things considered, God of War 3 actually functions pretty well as a playable movie, and serves as the ideal version of the game Sony’s been releasing for over a decade (okay that point applies more to Uncharted 2 but I like this game better).
Some additional notes: the intro level on top of Gaia is the best setpiece in the series, that the rest of the game still finds ways to up the ante is equally impressive. Despite this segment of the franchise ostensibly having the same core, the tiny altered details between games go a long way to prevent them from blurring together. The Blades of Chaos were your bread and butter for the previous games, and God of War 3 manages to shake things up by making them mostly worthless compared to the three other weapons due to them being cheaper to upgrade, having better magic powers attached to them, and have functionally the same moveset. With that said, tying magic to your arsenal is a neat change of pace and does encourage switching between weapons. While I am loathed to praise QTEs, their integration into combat is surprisingly elegant. Them being positioned to the sides of the screen teaches the player to rely on gut instinct and as a result I hardly ever missed a QTE. Lastly, I love that even Zeus’ immediate family are like “ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING PUZZLES”.
Really glad to have had marathoned this original run of games. I’m torn between the consistency and challenge of God of War 2 or the messy but glorious fatalism of 3, but I’m glad I played all these games. While these games are definitely the go-to example when picturing male power fantasies, there’s something cagey about the way Kratos’ story is told. My girlfriend was trying to figure out why anyone would be invested in Kratos as a character, and I think she hit the nail on the head when she viewed his tale from the perspective of “man this fuckin guy just won’t die’”. Yes you’re supposed to think his actions are in some way cool, but as he becomes as ravenous, cruel, and misanthropic as the gods throwing him around as a pawn for their futile grasps for ultimate power, the tone gradually becomes “oh wow he’s really going through with this” as the series progresses.