Tuesday, March 16, 2010

God of War 3: An Epic in Awesome


So I spent the last day or so camped out in front of my PS3 playing God of War 3. I've actually had to suspend my X-men Supreme duties for this game (but fear not, it will NOT cause delays). I've had to suspend a lot of things actually, but it was all very worth it!

I was among those who waited in line at midnight at a Gamestop on the eve of the launch. I had my game in hand by 12:03 AM and was home playing it by 12:30 AM. I started out on easy mode so I could get a feel for the game and the story and boy was it a big one! When people talk about the scale of a game, they throw around a lot of words like huge and epic. For God of War 3, it would take a whole new word in the English language to define the kind of scale this game has. From the very beginning, you're riding on the back of the titan, Gia. From there you routinely fly between Hades, Tartarus, and Mount Olympus. Every step of the way, the main character, Kratos, is slaughtering everyone and everything that gets in his way, including the gods of Olyumpus. And he doesn't just kill. He makes it makes brutal and bloody!

Now in relation to the first two games, it's worth noting that God of War 3 looks absolutely gorgeous. The first two were already a testament to the processing power of the Playstation 2. God of War 3 does the same with the Playstation 3 and utterly milks the system's capabilities for all they're worth. The environments, skin textures, and facial features are all so beautifully rendered. It's much easier to appreciate it later in the game when you encounter the likes of Aphrodite, who stars in the traditional God of War sex mini-game. While these sex games have been part of every God of War game, this one is special in some very unique ways!

Playing through the game is a roller coaster ride of awesome. You follow Kratos down the bloody path he has taken from the previous two games and see everything get tied together. It's interesting how some elements from the first two games were tied into this one, more so with the first God of War than the second. Some have argued that this makes for a somewhat choppy story that takes away from the finished product. It's easy to see why some would think that, but taken as a whole the story and the themes within it are wonderfully integrated.

By the end of the game dozens of gods have fallen. Posiden, Hades, Hermes, Helios, Hera, and Hercules to just name a few. Even the titans begin to fall as well including Gia and Kronos. Nobody is spared by Kratos. In a sense it seems fitting because throughout the game series, Kratos has been used and in many cases abused by these gods. His rage and wrath are without parallel and in the end, all those who did him wrong suffer by his blades.

As for the ending itself, the creators stated early on that the end of this series would explain why there are no more Greek myths. Well that definitely holds true. There really is nothing left in the end. As for Kratos, however, that's less clear. The door remains open for the Ghost of Sparta to return in some capacity. Even if it is in a new trilogy, the opportunity is there. Kratos has already shown an ability to cheat death many times before. There's no reason to believe he can't do it again.

So overall, God of War 3 and the God of War deserves a perfect 10/10, five stars, and all the acclaim in the world. Kratos proves himself to be an epic character. In relation to the characters in X-men Supreme, the X-men, there are none that stack up. Some have been so bold as to draw parallels between Kratos and Wolverine. This is simply no contest. Wolverine wouldn't stand a chance against Kratos. Wolverine may be tough, but his brutality depends on how much he's in control of himself. Kratos is ALWAYS in control and chooses to be the brutal killer he is. Wolverine may stab and hack through his enemies, but Kratos will take the extra time to brutally slaughter and torment them in ways that increases their suffering. There's simply no comparison. Kratos could go toe-to-toe against anybody in X-men. And who knows? He just might get that chance some day.

So that's my take on God of War 3. Now that I've beaten it, let me assure my readers that I will be getting back to X-men Supreme. I will not negate my series. That you can count on. But for something as epic as God of War 3, it deserves a moment to reflect and cherish this caliber of awesome. Such awesome is so rare when it comes along, but at the same time is so very worth it.

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