God of War III remains to this day as one of my all time favourite games and an adventure I will never forget. Having a tremendous interest in History, Mythology, gore and swords, in 2005 God of War showed me that Disney got it wrong with Hercules and that Ancient Greece was far more bleak and terrifying, and that cutting off the heads of slaves and Greek figureheads was a far more enjoyable history lesson than anything I’ll ever do in school. Spawning a series that has always gone from strength to strength (Ascension wasn’t bad really) and each title being considered one of that generation’s greatest hits, it’s no surprise that Sony wished to revive the series for newcomers to experience. With the first 2 entries already receiving HD facelifts on the PS3, it was only a matter of time before God of War III was to be re-released, however with the PS4 proving to be incredibly popular and appealing to first time Sony console owners, are a huge percentage of its audiences even aware of the franchise? Or is this just a pricey fee for fans to experience it again?
Re-releasing as a celebratory blood stained party hat to honour the Sony series’ 10th anniversary, God of War III Remastered is the latest Sony blockbuster to get a next gen revival. Originally arriving in 2010, God of War III continued the story of Kratos, a once fearless Spartan General turned Greek God turned powerless civilian who longs to avenge the death of his family, who he killed himself by the way. Newcomers to the franchise will feel completely lost from the opening level as God of War III chronologically takes place right where the brilliant God of War II concluded. Kratos, now siding with Gaia and the Titans, are scaling up Mount Olympus to take Zeus’ head and defeat the Gods once and for all. When the game was originally released it was met with global critical acclaim and still now it is regarded as one of the PS3’s greatest games due to its stunning visuals, chaotic gameplay and truly mind blowing level designs, but did it really need to be re-released? It’s by far the most action packed and heart pounding game in the franchise with its bigger budget and established audience; however the first game set the tone and pace of the franchise, which makes it an essential play for people experiencing it for the first time. God of War III Remastered improves on everything on an already magnificent gaming achievement, but is it worth splashing another £30 on?
Unless you’ve played it before, then yes. Visually God of War III is breathtaking from start to finish, the gameplay is brutal, stylish and sharp, but throw in some slightly updated graphics and a faster frame rate and you’ve got God of War III Remastered, which as you’ll see isn’t anything particularly special. The game’s opening level is still my favourite moment in gaming history. Never before or since has a game captivated me so much in the first 30 seconds, and despite experiencing this before my opinion hadn’t changed at all upon firing this up on the PS4. As I progressed further into the game it all came flooding back to me, the boss fights, the weapons, the combat and the environments, all of which are impressive and unparalleled 5 years later. As a huge fan of the franchise, I can notice the visual upgrades that have been applied in God of War III Remastered, the backgrounds look shaper, the enemies are more detailed and the blood, oh the blood looks even shinier. Also as a huge fan I cannot deny that this game was already groundbreaking, so to be honest the upscaled graphics don’t stimulate me an awful lot, or enough to the point I’d recommend it to other avid fans. God of War III Remastered has nicely been given a kick up the jacksy with a more impressive frame rate which makes Kratos’ epic bloody combos and magic abilities look better than ever before. Again this was never an issue for the original release as at that point it was as smooth and satisfying as ever, but in this age where kids will fap over frame rate and speeds it’s nice to see the effort they’ve gone into in making it as look and play as good as physically possible. The changes are fairly minor but they do make God of War III look better than ever before and newcomers to the franchise will find what’s on offer more than satisfying.
There’s no denying how spectacular this game is, however it was just as spectacular in 2010 and in regards to its content and gameplay nothing has changed. Sporting incredible, glorious visuals not so different from the original release, God of War III Remastered is a terrific game that unfortunately suffers from a price too high to deem it purchasable for returning fans. Unless you go crazy for taking photos mid execution with the newly included ‘Photo Mode’ or this is your first time meeting the huggable Spartan Kratos, then you’ll find an action packed and bloody excellent adventure that still stands as one of the last generation’s all time greats, even if you are a little lost in the narrative. But if you’re like me, a God of War nut still equipped with a PS3, I strongly recommend you pick it up for a quarter of the price and go replay the original, as his scowls, jowls and frowns still look as fabulous 5 years on.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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