Epic, it is a word more commonly used today than ever before. It describes something so large in scale, so unbelievably amazing, so wicked awesome, that no other word could possibly be used to describe it. That is what God of War 3 is in every possible sense, epic. The graphics, the characters, the music, the over the top violence, the story, and the immense scale the designers clearly put so much work into all fall under the single word that can describe this ambitious project. The 3rd chapter in the story of Kratos and his quest for revenge is larger, prettier, and more bloody than any of the previous God of war titles, but is it better?

God of War 3 takes place immediately after God of War 2 with Kratos on Gaia’s back ready to shake mount Olympus to the very foundations, literally. As soon as the game starts one cannot help but appreciate the massive scale of the environments and the characters who occupy them. To say it is impressive is an understatement since this game raises the bar on what can be done graphically during gameplay. This game looks amazing, the only downside to the graphics being so polished and detailed is that when certain areas lack the same attention to detail, it is noticeable. Those areas are few and far between and this is arguably the best looking game on the PS3 to date.

If you are expecting the new God of War title to change the gameplay from the last 2 games dramatically you are going to be disappointed. I, however, am glad they stuck to the formula that worked so well for the first 2 games and made them the huge success they are. The puzzles are creative and it’s never just a matter of unlocking a simple door or getting to one special item you need. It is always larger than your average puzzle and the very level itself ends up being a part of it. The fighting mechanics are the same and even more satisfying when executing your enemies with the over the top violence you would expect from a God of War game. This time you receive 3 brand new weapons as well as the duel blades. I have heard complaints that all the new weapons are too similar to the duel blades and lack variety. I must argue though that the weapons you gained in God of war 2 were very different from them and I never used those weapons because they were fairly useless. These do have their moments and I honestly didn’t mind , though 95% of the time I just stuck to the original blades.

In the end the only complaint I can possibly make is that the story falls a little short of being as good as the last 2 games. At the end of part one you become the new god of war, it is about a dramatic change from man to god. In part two it ends with a cliffhanger of things to come, with Kratos and the titans laying siege to Mount Olympus and ready to kick some god ass. I won’t say what happens at the end of this one but it does fall a little flat, but leaves the possibility of future God of War titles open. At the end where Kratos is fighting Zeus pay attention to what Zues says to Gaia, it is small and quick but can be a huge clue as to what we can expect in the future.

The extra features you unlock in the end are plentiful and well produced. You have everything from production art to special behind the scenes videos (which are in HD none the less) that show the making of the motion capture process, the soundtrack, the visual effects, and much more. There is easily a few hours worth of bonus footage to go through here. Also you unlock the extra difficult mode as well as the battle arena which will add a few hours hack and slash fun.

Was this the best God of War so Far? It is very hard to say, but I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. It has all the elements you would come to expect from past titles and perfects them. Minus a few story points that fall short, this is in fact the most beautiful and engaging game I have come to play on my ps3 to date.. 9.5/10

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