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A spectacular, satisfying conclusion to Kratos' vengeance filled trilogy.

The God of War trilogy is coming to an end, and as we all hoped, Kratos is going out with a bang. A destructive, rage filled, visceral, blood covered, bang of epic proportions. There's no doubt that God of War III has been one of the most anticipated games for the PlayStation 3 from before it was even officially announced, and Sony Santa Monica has easily lived up to expectations in this third and final (we think...) installment. It's bigger, better, badder and deeper than previous games in the series and serves as a great conclusion to a terrifically satisfying franchise.

Following up on the events of God of War II, Kratos is insanely pissed off and is finally looking to get his ultimate revenge on the Gods and end his own suffering once and for all. His latest adventure takes him from the depths of Hades to the top of Mount Olympus, and every living thing ,no matter how large or divine, will feel his wrath. The entire series is very loosely based on Greek mythology, but seriously, besides providing for totally bad-ass enemies and locations, I wouldn't use it as reference in any way.

For navigating the environment or dispatching of the hideous horde of enemies, Kratos' basic moveset hasn't changed much. He can light and heavy attack, jump, roll, grab, glide, and guard/parry. He can also unleash magic attacks, and new to III, use a special item. Magic has changed somewhat in that one specific, magic attack is bound to each of the 4 weapons you acquire in the game. If you want to switch the magic you're using, you must also change the weapon you are wielding (more on that in a moment). Some of the attacks which used to serve as magic in previous games, the bow for example, has become an "Item". These items now have their own meter, although unlike the Health and Magic meters, it quickly auto fills when you're not using it. The most obvious change in the mechanics is that Kratos can now switch weapons and items in real-time while in battle. Meaning that you can literally combo in attacks for 4 different weapons, the associated magics and the items by holding L1 or L2 and tapping the correct face button, mid-fight. The possibilities in terms of usage are enormous. Not only that, the enemies that you face may be more susceptible to a certain weapon, item or technique, and often being mixed in packs, you have to frequently pepper in a variety of actions to effectively defend yourself. You can try to simply rely on the blades... but chances are you'll fail miserably, especially at more difficult moments. Kratos has also picked up a few new maneuvers, some of which require an item to be acquired first. Air dashing, wall running, a long range grab, as well as some very interesting context-sensitive moves which occur as finishers when an enemy is about to be defeated. The gameplay has gained a lot of variety and even more strategy than before. It's still very accessible though, and as mentioned earlier, it's an important bullet point for the series, and what helps set it apart.

Yes, the finisher "mini-game" moves (aka QTE sequences) are back, and they've been simplified and toned down to an extent. Heavy Rain, with its unfailable branching QTE paths has spoiled us all a bit, but they are well implemented here and thankfully never difficult to pull off with accuracy. There's no more half-circle, half-circle, full circle sequences in other words. The end result of properly pulling a QTE off can earn you extra health, magic or red orbs, but the real addition is the extra effects that may occur when done at the right time. For example, parry or wear down a gorgon at the right time and tear her head off, and you get an instant area-of-effect blast which turns everyone to stone. Again, there's even more strategy than in the previous games, and planning out how to survive an ambush is essential.

The music is as dramatic and memorable as ever, and always a treat to listen to. The voice-work is usually really good, with some odd NPC characters sounding a bit stilted. It's nothing we haven't heard before in the previous God of War games to be honest. T.C. Carson as Kratos and Linda Hunt as the narrator is all that matters and they still do a terrific job. Some of the sound effects have been taken from the first 2 games directly (kicking objects for example), and the game sounds great in terms of 5.1 surround sound.

God of War III is a good length, clocking in around 8 - 10 hours on Normal or Easy difficulties. This review was mostly based on the Titan (Hard) difficulty, and it's definitely even a challenge for veteran God of War players. That alone will tack on a couple of hours or more onto the length. The puzzles are on the easy side and usually have fairly obvious solutions, and there are not many difficult platforming scenes either. The boss battles can be inventive and frequently chaotic and very challenging. The same could be said for a handful of the more intense multi enemy battles that pop up at the most in opportune times. There are generous save points and checkpoints scattered about, and there will definitely be instances that you'll need to restart from one more than a few times. After beating the game, there are a fair share of unlockables and modes, including ability-changing costumes/accessories, a Challenge of Olympus and Combat Area mode, the Very Hard mode, and other goodies such as a making of documentary.

As for negative comments, there really isn't much to say. The camera angles are impressive and dramatic, employing some interesting viewpoints and effects, and now and then, they do get in the way and screw you up. Most of the more popular creatures of Greek mythology have found their way into the game, and in certain areas, it still felt like the game was lacking in terms of enemy variety. Lastly, a few of the environments are a little blander in terms of design about half way through, though that obviously doesn't last very long.

Well, that about wraps it up. It's sad to see Kratos go but at least he has done so on his own terms. I'm still not convinced that God of War III will be the last we'll be seeing of him or the series (cough Halo 3 cough), though only time, and sales figures, will tell. If it is the case, PS3 owners should be elated to know that his final quest for revenge is a visually spectacular, challenging, rage filled, high quality one.