While people are going gaga over the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, I was struggling to climb Mount Olympus to realize the revenge of one bald, angry, metathioned man. I got my hands on a copy of God of War 3 Remastered and I immediately placed it inside the disc tray of my PS4. The gnawing temptation of replaying the game is just that strong. For those not in the know, God of War 3 Remastered is an “upgraded” re-release of the PS3-exclusive released five years ago. Is it still worth your time? Well, better read on!
Story
God of War 3 is about the quest of the ex-God of War as he toils to exact revenge on the gods that wronged him. Kratos, a hardened Spartan turned god, climbs to topple the divine rule of Zeus and his siblings.
Sisyphean as it may sound, Kratos has already experienced his share of defeating the impossible. The first and second installments taught us about that. But as with every revenge story, the drive of this game’s protagonist will keep you glued to the game. Plot isn’t the major pillar of God of War but it sure drives the nail where it needs to be.
But before we continue, some plot points don’t make any sense and I won’t enumerate them. You can either turn a blind eye or wreck your brain thinking of a logical answer. Both answers won’t degrade the amazing game that is God of War 3 in anyway.
Gameplay
The crazy chains-with-blades-on-the-end weapons are back and combat is as fluid as ever. Kratos shows athleticism as he juggles hordes and hordes of the undead and beasts of lore, mincing them with double digit combos to further his arsenal. Killing foes net the player with red orbs, which can be used to upgrade the weapons.
The tools of death are not just limited to the chains of *insert game no. here*, but there are also some which are “borrowed” from the gods that previously commanded them. But my major gripe is that two of the three alternative weapons are also chain-based which brings me to ask the question, “WHY!?”
Since the enemies are many and the anti-hero is but one, certain combat moves can be used to even the odds. Kratos can now use a poor undead corpse as a battering to deal major damage and use specific ‘god trinkets’ to traverse the battlefield.
Gore and brutality is an innate quality in God of War 3. Once bosses and grunts get their health dwindled to life threatening levels, a large circle appears over their head prompting the player with a quick-time sequence. Successfully pulling off the button combinations reward the player with benefits such as health orbs or devastating battlefield effects such as freezing enemies when beheading a Gorgon. Some creatures can be turned into your personal ‘God of War mobile’ and instead of executing them, Kratos makes use of their bodies (not in the way you’re thinking) and turns them against their fellows. After laboring for Kratos, they’re rewarded with a quick death such as the photo below:
As with the previous games, Square+Square+Triangle is still the go-to combo.
Aside from combat, God of War 3 also offers some puzzles which range from insultingly easy to incredibly time-consuming ones. The introduction of several gameplay mechanics integrate themselves into these puzzles and weaving them together is like comboing your knowledge of how the the game works. They are quite interesting since they also act as a breather from the fast-paced action corridors.
Level Design
God of War has always been the game that makes use of the ‘backtrack’ mechanic. Instead of giving it a negative impact (who would want to travel back to places just to get X item?), this core mechanic wraps things up. You get to see certain areas from the beginning, striking you with awe and curiosity as you think about what could be, only to find yourself at the exact spot in the latter part of the game. God of War 3 masterfully induces a sense of premonition and satisfaction once the player realizes the grand design.
Levels constitute a mix between verticality and span. There’s this immensity and grandness in every level, be they a long hallway or a large cavern, and each has their own feel and uniqueness that’s quite tempting to explore. The Greco-Roman architecture befits the Olympus setting inter spliced with the gods’ frantic craziness. For example, a hedge maze filled with skeletons and death traps, an icy cavern filled with three-story boxes, and a chain with the size and scale of a skyscraper. Everything done in God of War 3 is all about scale and size, and it is as if they’re something that the in-game gods’ use to compensate.
Verdict
Should you buy it? Well, if you’ve missed out on this stellar game in the last-generation console, then best get it at its full form. All DLCs and some bonuses are present to make the experience whole and undiluted. However, if you played it last time, then there’s nothing to be frantic about. The photo feature, though cool on its own, is not a game-changing mechanic. The graphics, though made to entertain in present-day players, is still capable, though it does show some cracks. Poor textures stain marvelous cutscenes and the borders mar the cinematic experience.
The game could’ve been the a definite buy if it at least included God of War: Ascension (the only GoW I didn’t play) together in one sweet package.
At the end of the day, God of War 3 is still a classic game. The combat, story, presentation, all combine to make one of the best action/RPGs to grace mankind. It’s THE game that defined current Action/RPG tropes and is also model game that others aspire to be.
God of War 3 Remastered is a Sony PS4 exclusive and can probably be a source of jealous tears from PC and Xbox One owners.
God of War 3 Remastered Review God of War 3 Remastered Review God of War 3 Remastered Review
Comments
comments