No Rest for The Wicked
Santa Monica Studio’s God of War 3 made waves when it released back in 2010. it was the epic finale to one of PlayStation’s most iconic series and saw Kratos’ beloved story of gore, brutality and vengeance come to a fiery conclusion. Five years later, we’re brought back into the world of God of War 3 via the way of a remaster for PlayStation 4 and while the game lacks significant improvements and new features some fans would have hoped for, it’s still an excellent game by all means.
God of War 3 continues on from where God of War 2 left off – it sees protagonist and anti-hero of sorts Kratos scaling Mount Olympus with Gaia and other titans to launch a final assault on the remaining Olympian Gods, with Zeus being the main target. From there, the gore, brutality, and twists throughout all play their part in a story that concludes Kratos’ fabled journey very well. For those who haven’t played a God of War game before, God of War 3 can still be played without prior knowledge of the series, but as is with all sequels you’ll always get more out of it having played the previous entries. It’s a shame that there wasn’t a bundle with all three God of War games so newcomers to the series could work through all three of the main entries, but needless to say newcomers and experienced players will still get a good experience out of God of War 3 Remastered.
While it’s evident that a couple of remasters this generation have seen a major enhancement in graphical fidelity or, contrastingly, next to none at all, God of War 3 Remastered sits in between. God of War 3 on PlayStation 3 looked fantastic when it came out and while the improvements with the PlayStation 4 version are still very evident to see, it’s not something that would single-handedly convince players to buy the game again. The game looks great in 1080p and running at 60fps, and the tones and colour that jump off the screen are at times breathtaking, but that’s how I felt about the game back in 2010 on PlayStation 3, and looking at some of the newer titles launching this year and the graphical fidelity they’ve achieved, God of War 3 Remastered’s graphics aren’t something I can massively praise.
All of the God of War games have been known for their incredibly brutal and satisfying gameplay, and God of War 3 Remastered doesn’t change that whatsoever. I was a massive fan of God of War 3’s combat and the gargantuan scale of the boss fights presented throughout, and Remastered only adds to the feeling of scale and brutality thanks to the minor improvements and the game running at 60fps. Fans of the series know how good God of War games feel, and if you’re a newcomer to the series it doesn’t take long to get to grips with the fighting system and how to dodge, parry, and rip apart your enemies.
One of my favourite parts about the God of War games is that they have a great amount of scale, especially God of War 3, and the sound design and score compliment that scale very well. Remastered clearly follows suit, and the score composed by Gerard K. Marino, Ron Fish, Mike Reagan, Jeff Rona and Cris Velasco add to the intense and at times overwhelming odds Kratos faces throughout his journey for vengeance. You hear every bone rip, every slash of flesh and every stab in the back, and that’s what makes God of War such a satisfying endeavour. It’s a gory affair, that’s for sure, but an affair that’s garnered millions of fans.
As a remaster, God of War 3 Remastered provides an adequate amount of new features that both fans and newcomers will enjoy upon starting the game. Photo mode lets you capture screenshots of your adventure and share them with friends, the upscaling to 1080p and 60fps makes for a generally better experience, the graphical enhancements — while not as impressive as some other remasters — still make the game look exceptionally beautiful considering its scale and the minor tweaks to accommodate the aforementioned enhancements make for the absolute best way to experience God of War 3, whether you’ve played it previously or not.
Overall
God of War 3 Remastered is an excellent remaster of one of PlayStation 3’s best games. It sees the conclusion of one of PlayStation’s most iconic figures, and in the best and most satisfying way possible. Fans who’ve played God of War 3 before will still find value in purchasing Remastered because of its low price point, the upgrade from 720p/30fps to 1080p/60fps and the added photo mode as well as other minor tweaks that make it the best possible way to experience the game. Remastered looks great, it plays wonderfully well and you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not turning the volume up fairly loud to complete Kratos’ quest for vengeance. For newcomers to the series and those who have a PlayStation 4, God of War 3 Remastered is a must-buy. It’s the best God of War game available and gives me real hope for whatever Santa Monica Studio are brewing up right now.
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: SCEA
Platform: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
A review copy was provided by the publisher.