God of War III

And with this game, I have completed the trilogy in less than a month. While my experience might have benefited from me waiting some time between playing each game (as the formula became a tiny bit tired after 30 straight hours), it was very satisfying just the same. The story here begins right where number 2 left off, with Kratos riding the back of Gaia as they ascend Mount Olympus in pursuit of Zeus. But if Kratos is to have any chance at killing Zeus, he must acquire the Flame of Olympus. As such, this journey takes a detour and sends Kratos into confrontations with the likes of Apollo, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades and many more. I'll try not to spoil the results of these confrontations, but none disappoint. The culmination of this game (and the series) is just as epic and rewarding as I have come to expect. I want to give it some time to simmer, but I tend to think that this is the strongest entry in the series.

Compared to 1 and 2, there are both fewer puzzle sections and fewer hordes of enemies. Still, the puzzles and hordes are more challenging than ever. The story is a mixed bag as the first two thirds represent the weakest of the series, whereas the last third is probably the strongest story telling of any of the three games. The new weapons are the most useful of all secondary weapons. Instead of useless weapons like hammers and spears, now Kratos has three new weapons that are all variations on the the blades on chains formula (spikes on chains, gauntlets on chains, etc). Still, they drastically alter the way Kratos plays, and as such, are a welcomed addition in my eyes. The spells are just as awesome (the spartan army spell is great despite the fact that it was ripped from 300). Also, the graphics in this game are unreal. These are easily the best graphics of any game I have ever played, MGS4 and Uncharted 2 included. With that being said, the coolest part of this game is how fucking graphically violent it is. Within 10 minutes of playing, I had gutted a centaur (intestines visible). Point is, all of the God of War games are amazingly fun, and this game is the most fun as it has fixed all the minor nitpicks I had with the previous 2.