God of War 3 Review - Some Facts You May Not Have Known About GoW3

The first playable God of War 3 (GoW3) Demo was shown live at E3 2009. We will review various elements of the GoW3 game like Gameplay, Graphics, Sound, Replay value, etc.



GOD OF WAR 3 GAMEPLAY:



Hit, game review, Start on the PS3 controller and you see Kratos on a narrow path, game review, on a mountainside. The Sun God Helios seems to buzz around on his Sun Chariot, but we, game review, can rip his skull later. More pressing matters are at hand (or blade). You are immediately drawn in the action as the soldiers from the Army of Olympus surround you.



Tapping SQUARE to hack and slash is typical of God of War. However, Kratos can now Grab in different styles using various buttons. Grab enemies using CIRCLE and then you can use different buttons to throw them, use as battering ram, rip it away, etc.



Kratos' sub-weapons are now available on the D-pad and can be switched mid-move. Previous God of War versions had the sub-weapons as, game review, combination, game review, of R1, R2, L1, L2 and SQUARE, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE, game review, and X. Not any more.



In GoW3, simply press the down button for the Cestus, and the right button for the Blades. The Cestus is good, game review, for close-up melee fighting, whereas the Blades are suitable for general attacks.



The Amulet of Fates from God of War 2 has been replaced by (Apollo's?) Fire Bow. Unlike Typhon's Bane, the magic meter for the Fire Bow regenerates automatically. You can make 6 hits to drain out the Fire Bow meter. The meter fills up completely after another 5 seconds. That is useful, considering that you don't have to conserve your Fire, game review, Bow only for boss battles.



A thoughtful innovation has been done with the Quick Time Event buttons. Previous God of War games had the QTE button prompts appear in the middle of the screen. In God of War 3, SQUARE prompt comes on the left side, CIRCLE button on the right, TRIANGLE comes at the top and X comes at the bottom of the screen. L1 and R1 come on the top-left and top-right corners respectively. CIRCLE button mashing comes at the bottom-right corner. This is a commendable addition, game review, to this epic series as, game review, we don't have to stare at the screen during the finishing moves of a boss-battle to see the button prompt.



Just observing towards which side of the screen the prompt comes up, determines which buttons to mash making it just that little bit easy.



GOD OF WAR 3 GRAPHICS:



God of War 1 & 2 had, game review, a varying framerate;,, game review, game review, the same has been continued in GoW3. The framerate varies between 30-60 fps, game review, . Stig Asmussen has followed in the footsteps of Cory Barlog and originally David Jaffe who wanted important, game review, scenes in the game irrespective of the framerate.



However, Stig has reiterated that the framerate will not go below 30 fps.



The vivid art direction comes to the fore, as Kratos makes his way across the picturesque mountainsides to the city of Olympia, bludgeoning and battering the Army of Olympus creatures like undead soldiers, Centaurs, Harpies & Cyclops. A lot of thought has gone in each move. The attention to detail can be judged by the fact that each teeth of Kratos, game review, were separately, game review, modelled.



The processing power of the, game review, Playstation 3 has been used to its maximum.



In God of War 2, we could see only 15 enemies on the screen at a time. This has been beefed, game review, up to 50 in GoW3. Kratos is also now a 20,000 polygons hulk compared to 5000, game review, in GoW2. And we haven't even started talking about the Titans. Stig has said that some of the levels will be on the Titans themselves. (remember the Fear Nothing trailer?). In the Demo, the Fire Titan Perseus is shown in the background; a monstrous living, game review, being made of volcanic rocks and molten lava that flows down his, game review, body.



The Fire Titan Perseus is pitted against the Sun God Helios as an engrossing backdrop while Kratos slashes the undead soldiers in the foreground.



The Demo has a resolution of 720p. The final in-game resolution will be 1080p & 1080i.



GOD OF WAR 3 AUDIO:



After Gerard Marino's amazing score, game review, in GoW2, GoW3 music seems like another hit-to-be. The music really rouses you up. The background music differs depending on the game situation and blends perfectly with the overall tone of the game.



When you are alone, the score simmers quietly, and drums up forebodingly, when you are about to face baddies, game review, .



GOD OF WAR 3 STORY:



The story is set 3 hours in the actual game. It has been confirmed by Stig that the demo is in-game part and not a separate play-through. We are left to fill in some blanks as to: the whereabouts of the Blade of Olympus, lack of a magic meter, how the sole sub-weapon Cestus was obtained,,, game review, game review, why does the Fire Titan Perseus attack Kratos, etc.



However a few things have been verified by Stig: Kratos will battle 5-10 Gods including the Gods seen on the balcony during the final scene of GoW2. He wont have sex with women; which could mean men (heaven forbid!) or Goddesses (yummy!) The Titan Gaia and the Blade of Olympus left out in the trailers & demo will make a comeback in GoW3.



REVIEW BOTTOMLINE:



Stig Asmussen has declared, "We want this game to show what the Playstation 3 is capable of." That is a pretty strong statement and going by the looks of the Demo, one that is surely living up to the promise.



The background score is awe-inspiring. The Firebow and the QTE positioning are commendable additions to the gameplay. The beautiful graphics use the full power of the PS3.



The bottomline is that the potential, game review, & possibilities in God of War 3 are unlimited. It is like a Chest filled with Magics Orbs waiting to be opened.



This review is provided to you by the God of War 4 Community.