#19 God of War III



Game Info               

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment               
Developer: SCE Studios Santa Monica               
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure
Platform: PS3               
Players: 1               
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)               
Release Date: March 16, 2010

Intro:
Silhouettes in gold and red or shadows in black against a gold and red background highlight this stylish introduction to God of War III.  The opening soundtrack is epic, leading into the now well-known Kratos fight song.  

Getting Going:
The opening cinematic graphics are so intense that it plays like a movie opening, rather than a created graphic.  The controls will be familiar to God of War players, but an onscreen tutorial refreshes the memory and allows new players to jump right in.  

Fun:
God of War III gets the player immediately into the action and into the story.  Once again, the game just draws players through it with non-stop action and special moves.  

Visuals:
The graphics are stunning in their realism and attention to detail.  On-screen symbols do remind you that you’re playing a game, but make the game easier to play and allow the use of graphically amazing special moves.  Some of the visuals are so perfect it seems as if you can see the pores in Kratos’ skin!

Sound:
The soundtrack repeats itself often, as does Kratos.  God of War III is fully voice-acted; the actors well-chosen.  The heartbeat of fight sounds plays heavily against the epic background fight music, carrying the player through battle with fantastic pacing.

Intelligence:
The God of War franchise kind of draws the player through and uses a sort of “simon says” method of performing special kills.  While this takes away a bit from the intelligence of the player and completely destroys decision-making, it does generate an outstanding visual reward.  Other enemies are very aware of the presence of Kratos and come after him.  Light puzzle-solving keeps the player thinking throughout gameplay.

Immersion:  
There are plenty of visual reminders that the player is playing a game and these reminders completely remove decision-making or the ability to just get into a zone and play.  Technically, God of War III is not an immersive game.  And yet, the non-stop action, incredible graphics and outstanding story make this game difficult to put down.  

Win/Lose States:
If Kratos dies, the player is returned to the last checkpoint, which is usually the beginning of the fight or just before he fell to his death.  Here again, we have the red orbs for currency/power-ups, blue for magic and green for health.  There are things to find and weapons can be upgraded using the red orbs collected during battle and from smashing objects in the environment.  Players can obtain trophies for various achievements throughout gameplay.

Cameras:
The player has no camera control.  Occasionally, this is a problem.  There are times during battle, for instance, when the ability to look around would be optimal.  There are also times when you’re trying to navigate a ceiling climb and the ability to see where you are going, or need to go, would be very helpful.

Controls:
The controls are easy to learn and intuitive enough to use easily.  Special moves have been created for bosses and mini-bosses which requires a follow-the-leader-type mini-game.  The controls are smooth, getting Kratos where he needs to be, while some physics have been placed in battles and other areas of play to slow Kratos up or guide him in other ways.  For instance, when he inevitably become human once again, he is exhausted and slowed.  His forward movement becomes sluggish.  One control issue always present in the God of War franchise is the amount of button mashing.  For some enemies, spamming the circle button is the only way to succeed.  Beyond the special moves, Kratos only has light and heavy attacks.  This limits the player’s ability to make decisions or perform significant combo attacks.

Ideas:
I think a great deal about what makes a game immersive and it seems that a well-paced game produces that quality almost easier than a game that immerses you in the environment or puts the player in a zone.  God of War III strikes me differently because it’s a great game despite the fact that it might not be considered great game design.  It lacks camera angles and camera control. Onscreen control prompts keep the player well-aware that this is a game.  Players are completely limited in choices and control.  In short, it does very little to empower the player.  And yet, God of War III is a blast to play.  The graphics are phenomenal.  The story is outstanding and each game in the franchise builds on the character of Kratos.  The music is unforgettable.  In short, what it might lack in design elements is made up for in player experience.  

Memory:
Buy it for the graphics alone, if nothing else.  Buy it because it’s fun.  I will buy it because, for me, it’s the best of the series.