[Review] God of War III: Remastered

[[MC]Ronin[MC]]

In God of War III, the end of the trilogy, Kratos heads to Olympus himself, the home of the ancient gods. His bloody revenge battle continues - more brutal, uncompromising and in incredible detail, thanks to the PlayStation 4's potential.

The God of War series is one of the defining ones for PlayStation platforms. The anti-hero, Kratos has been one of the most recognizable faces across all PlayStation consoles for the past 10 years. God of War provides players with brutal battles, creative puzzles, Greek mythology, and a scale that is sometimes too overwhelming to describe.

The Power of Kratos Meets the Power of PlayStation 4 - Great in high resolution, God of War III Remastered is ready for the next generation of consoles. In addition to the unparalleled look, all the extra costumes and game content are included.
Photo Mode - The all-new Photo Mode will allow players to save and mani[CENSORED]te the most brutal moments of the game.
Unparalleled detail - God of War III Remastered is able to show you in a remarkable way every detail in a person's face, muscles, and emotions, while adding new levels of brutality and violence. The vivid landscapes are illuminated by thousands of dynamic lights and textures at four times the resolution of the PlayStation 3 version of the game.

 

 

 

In God of War III, the end of the trilogy, Kratos heads to Olympus himself, the home of the ancient gods. His bloody revenge battle continues - more brutal, uncompromising and in incredible detail, thanks to the PlayStation 4's potential.

More, better and bloody battles and the ability to swap weapons quickly, turning the transition from close to distant attack into an elegant dance of death. Kratos's mission will be harder than ever, and he will face more, stronger and more organized enemies, as well as the biggest, most powerful and insidious bosses in the series so far. God of War III - Bigger, Better and Bloody.

 

Gameplay
Further information: Common gameplay elements in the God of War series
God of War III is an action-adventure game with hack and slash elements. It is a third-person single-player video game. As with previous installments, the player controls the character Kratos from a fixed-camera perspective in combo-based combat, platforming, and puzzle games. The enemies are an assortment of Greek mythological creatures, including centaurs, harpies, chimeras, cyclopes, satyrs, minotaurs, Sirens, cerberuses, and Gorgons. The player must also climb walls and ladders, jump across chasms, and swing on ropes to proceed through the game. The puzzles included vary in difficulty: some puzzles only require objects to be placed in a specific position, while some require timing and precision, such as a puzzle with mechanics similar to Guitar Hero.In addition to finding Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers of the previous games, Minotaur Horns are a new item to be found. Where the eyes and feathers increase the player's health and magic meters, the horns increase the items meter, which allows further use of secondary weapons, called "Items".

 

 

Combat
Screenshot of fight
Kratos (left) battles boss character Hercules (right). This is an example of a QTE sequence found in all God of War games; moving the left analog stick as shown by the orange arrow will allow him to continue his attack.
Kratos' main weapon is the Blades of Exile, replacing the Blades of Athena used in previous installments and the opening moments of the game. The weapon is a pair of blades attached to chains wrapped around the Kratos' wrists and forearms that can be swung in a number of maneuvers. During the game, Kratos acquires new weapons—the Claws of Hades, the Nemean Cestus, and the Nemesis Whip—with other combat options. The Nemean Cestus, a pair of gauntlets, and the Nemesis Whip, similar to the Blades of Exile, are required to advance in parts of the game; for example, the Nemean Cestus is needed to break through objects composed of onyx.[3]

Unlike in previous games, magical abilities are learned with the acquisition of a new weapon, giving each weapon its own magic attack; for example, the Army of Sparta may only be used with the Blades of Exile. Magic gives Kratos a variety of ways to attack and kill enemies, such as the Claws of Hades' Soul Summon ability, which conjures souls to attack enemies. Other magic includes the Nemean Cestus' Nemean Roar and the Nemesis Whip's Nemesis Rage. In addition to four primary weapons, three secondary ones, known as Items, are acquired:[3] the Bow of Apollo, the Head of Helios, and the Boots of Hermes. All three are required to advance in certain stages of the game; for example, the Head of Helios can be used as a lantern in dark areas and to reveal hidden doorways.

The relics Poseidon's Trident, the Golden Fleece, and Icarus' Wings acquired in previous games are retained and used to overcome environmental obstacles, with the Golden Fleece used to deflect enemy attacks. Hades' Soul allows Kratos to swim in the River Styx. The Blade of Olympus, a primary weapon in God of War II, is used in this game with the special ability Rage of Sparta for temporary invulnerability and increased attack damage.

New additions to the gameplay include the combat grapple, a ranged-grab maneuver which, depending on the weapon, can pull Kratos towards foes or force them away—necessary at certain points in the game, with Kratos riding harpies across chasms—and a simple grab allowing him to use a weak foe as a battering ram. Kratos can now rapidly switch among the four primary weapons in battle, continuing the same attack combination. Other extra features include the addition of ten Godly Possessions, often hidden near defeated foes and providing additional abilities like unlimited magic during bonus play.[4] The challenge mode in this game is called the Challenge of Olympus (seven trials) and is unlocked after the game's completion. This mode requires players to complete a series of specific tasks—for example, killing all enemies without weapons in a limited amount of time. The player may unlock additional rewards, such as bonus costumes for Kratos, behind-the-scenes videos, and concept art of the characters and environments, by completing the game's difficulty levels and challenge mode. A new mode, the Combat Arena, allows players to set difficulty levels and choose opponents to hone playing skills.

 

 

Characters
Main article: Characters of God of War
Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson), the protagonist of the game, is a Spartan demigod warrior who became the God of War after killing Ares and seeks revenge on Zeus for his betrayal. Other characters include Greek gods such as Athena (Erin Torpey), the Goddess of Wisdom and Kratos' mentor and ally; Zeus (Corey Burton), King of the Gods and the primary antagonist; Poseidon (Gideon Emery), God of the Sea; Hades (Clancy Brown), God of the Underworld; Hephaestus (Rip Torn), the Smith God; Hermes (Greg Ellis), Messenger of the Gods and the God of Speed and Commerce; Helios (Crispin Freeman), the Sun God; Hera (Adrienne Barbeau), Queen of the Gods who controls plant life; and Aphrodite (April Stewart), Goddess of Love and Sexuality. Several Titans are featured, including Gaia (Susan Blakeslee), Cronos (George Ball), Epimetheus, Oceanus, and Perses. Other characters include Hercules (Kevin Sorbo), a demigod and Kratos' half-brother; the architect Daedalus (Malcolm McDowell), Icarus's father; and Pandora (Natalie Lander), Hephaestus's artificial daughter. Minor characters include the three Judges of the Underworld: King Minos (Mark Moseley), King Rhadamanthus, and King Aeacus; Peirithous (Simon Templeman), an Underworld prisoner in love with Persephone, and Kratos' wife and daughter: Lysandra (Gwendoline Yeo) and Calliope (Debi Derryberry), who appear in a plot sequence in which Kratos journeys through his own psyche.

 

Kratos, Gaia, and the other Titans ascend Mount Olympus to destroy the Olympian gods. Poseidon launches an assault against the Titans, but is killed by Kratos and Gaia; his death causes the oceans to flood Greece. Reaching the peak of Olympus, they try to attack Zeus, but he drives them back and knocks them off the mountain. Gaia clings to the mountainside and refuses to save Kratos, calling him nothing more than a pawn for the Titans' revenge.

Kratos falls into the River Styx, where he loses the Blade of Olympus; the souls of the Underworld weaken him and ruin the Blades of Athena. Climbing from the river, he is confronted by Athena's spirit, who had previously sacrificed herself to save Zeus from Kratos. She tells Kratos that her sacrifice has brought her to a higher existence, and she now sees truths she did not see before. She states that as long as Zeus reigns, there is no hope for mankind. She gives him the Blades of Exile and says that he must extinguish the Flame of Olympus to kill Zeus. After finding the three Judges of the Underworld and the Chain of Balance, Kratos encounters the spirit of Pandora, whom he briefly mistakes for his dead daughter, Calliope. Refusing to help the child, he continues his quest. After encountering the Olympian blacksmith Hephaestus and recovering the Blade of Olympus, he kills Hades and releases the souls of the Underworld. He considers searching for Calliope's soul, but Athena reminds Kratos of his quest, and he leaves the Underworld, arriving at Olympia, where he finds the wounded Gaia, who calls for help. He severs her arm, causing her to fall from Mount Olympus to her apparent death.

Kratos (bottom left) battles enemies on Cronos' arm. The image also depicts the size of the Titans featured in the game.
Kratos continues his ascent, murdering powerful foes that include the Titan Perses and the god Helios; Helios' death plunges Greece into eternal darkness. This leads to an encounter with Hermes, who mocks Kratos for his past sins. Kratos chases Hermes as he arrives at the Chamber of the Flame. Kratos discovers that Pandora's Box is in the Flame of Olympus and is key to the success of his quest. Athena appears, telling Kratos that the flames around the box can only be quelled by Pandora herself. Kratos then continues after the overconfident Hermes, whom he catches and kills, releasing a plague on Greece. At the Forum, he has an audience with the drunken Hera, who ignores his request for Pandora's location and summons Hercules. After discussing his jealousy of his half-brother, Hercules attacks Kratos, but is killed. Kratos then encounters Aphrodite, who is indifferent to his war on Olympus. She leads him to her estranged husband Hephaestus through Hyperion's Gate, a teleportation device. In a suicide mission, the blacksmith sends Kratos to Tartarus to retrieve the Omphalos Stone so he can forge a new weapon for the Spartan. Kratos finds Cronos, kills the Titan for the stone, and returns to Hephaestus. After forging the weapon, the god tries to kill Kratos himself. Instead, the Spartan kills Hephaestus, who claims that he was trying to protect his daughter Pandora, who was imprisoned in the Labyrinth after Kratos opened her box.[N 3] Reusing the Hyperion Gate, Kratos travels through Hera's Gardens where he kills Hera, ending all Greek plant life, and makes his way to the Labyrinth to find Pandora.

The imprisoned architect Daedalus tells Kratos to unite the Labyrinth. Completing this task, Kratos fights his way through the aerial puzzle and rescues Pandora, who tells him to break the Chain of Balance so the Labyrinth can be raised, and she can reach her box. Neutralizing the three judges and breaking the chain, Kratos raises the Labyrinth, and Pandora tries to enter the Flame of Olympus. Zeus intervenes and fights Kratos; after a brief battle, Pandora sacrifices herself and quenches the flame, despite Kratos' protests. Finding Pandora's Box empty, Kratos attacks Zeus after Zeus mocks Kratos for his many failures. Gaia, who had survived her apparent demise, returns and tries to kill them, but they escape through her gaping chest wound and continue their battle. Gaia is killed when Kratos impales Zeus against her heart with the Blade of Olympus, which apparently also kills Zeus. When Kratos recovers the blade and tries to leave, he is attacked by Zeus' spirit and loses all of his weapons and powers in the process. Before Zeus can land a fatal blow, Kratos is saved by Pandora during a journey into his psyche. With help from the spirits of his wife Lysandra and his daughter Calliope, Kratos forgives himself for his past sins. After discovering hope, he regains consciousness and uses the Blades of Exile to force Zeus' spirit back into his body. Kratos then discards the blades and beats Zeus to death with his bare hands, ending the reign of the Olympian Gods.

As the chains fall off his arms, Athena reappears, demanding that Kratos return what she thinks he took from Pandora's Box. She refuses to believe the box was empty, explaining that when Zeus sealed the evils of the world in the box, she placed the power of hope in it, foreseeing that it would eventually be opened. Athena realizes that when Kratos opened the box to defeat Ares, the evils escaped and infected the gods while Kratos was imbued with hope, but it had been hidden by his inner guilt. She tells Kratos to return her power, saying that she knows how to use it to rebuild what had been destroyed. Distrusting Athena and tired of being used as a pawn, Kratos refuses; saying his vengeance has ended, he impales himself with the Blade of Olympus and releases hope for mankind to use. An angry Athena pulls the sword from him, saying that he has disappointed her. Near death, Kratos collapses, laughing weakly as Athena leaves empty-handed.

In a post-credits scene, a trail of blood leads away from the abandoned Blade of Olympus, with Kratos' whereabouts unknown

 

ALL CHARACTERISTICS

Gaming Categories
Games for computers and consoles
PS4 Games
Sony Publishers
PEGI description Vulgar language, Violence, Sex
PEGI rating 18+
Resolution 1080i, 1080p, 720p
Action Adventure Genre
Dolby Digital audio
Release year 2015
Release Month July
Number of players 1
Metacritic rating
‌81

DualShock 4 controller
Developer Sony Santa Monica
PS4 platform
Edition Standard
Language: English