Epic. Its an adjective that has been as over-used in game reviews as red exploding barrels in first person shooters. Unfortunately, my vocabulary isn’t expansive enough to pick a word other than “epic” after playing to completion Sony’s God of War 3. From a visual perspective, this game is the latest title in the PS3′s exclusive arsenal that says, “Nope. Can’t do this on 360.” (Not being a fanboy by saying that folks…Its the truth) Gameplay is a challenging roller-coaster ride of adrenalin–literally from beginning to end…However, it was this trilogy’s end that made my jaw hit the floor, and utter, “WTF WAS THAT?!” Don’t worry. There are no spoilers in this review.

First and foremost, this game represents a refining in the gameplay from the first two games. Adventure game purists say that God of War 2 is the best in the series, but if your a hardened brutal combat junkie like me, GoW3 puts a fine polishing stone to the combat fundamentals put forth in the first two games, and refines them to near perfection.

Combat is still “pick up and play” easy. Square and triangle buttons pound out the beat-down, circle grabs, the right stick dodges, etc. Button mashers will be well at home here. Those who dig deeper into the combat system will notice greater refinements. Your sub-weapons like Apollo’s Bow have unlimited usage that is tied to a replenishable meter that is immediately below your magic. This allows you to build high combos on bosses, and keep stronger enemies off balance. In addition, Kratos has picked up a couple of new powerful combat moves. Grab a grunt enemy and press the square button, and you’ll use Zeus’ hapless minion as a battering ram that will allow Kratos to plow through entire phalanxes of undead soldiers. Another new maneuver is the ranged grapple. Hold R1 and hit the circle button and Kratos’ selected main weapon will fly out and grab an enemy, and send Kratos’ body plowing into the enemy with a defensive line crushing shoulder smash. The move can be done on the ground and in the air, and is an invaluable tool in keeping the pressure on tougher enemies and bosses–often setting them up for QTE high damage moves and kills. Remember those annoying Wraiths in the first two games that would phase underground and try to rush you from beneath? Just hold R1 and tap the circle to yank them from the ether, and slam them head first into the concrete.

Magic is far more intuitive in GoW3, because the magic is now tied to the main weapon. Switching magic powers only requires a tap on the coresponding digital pad to select the main weapon. My favorite combo: Starting with the Neman Lion Gauntlets, send the power wave to knock an enemy skyward, switch to Nemesis Whip for an electric blast, and finish–if your magic bar is long enough–with a Claws of Hades Cyclops soul attack. Its instant death for tougher enemies, and deals heavy damage to bosses. With all the combat tools this game offers to the player, its really up to you to decide how you play the game. No–it ain’t Ninja Gaiden deep (not even close), but combat sure is silky smooth, intuitive, and can be as flashy or simple as you choose–you’ll still get the job done.

GoW3 has got to have the greatest intro in the history of action games as far as I’m concerned. I’ll not spoil it (even though its been shown off by Sony at press events), because you really need to see it untainted by description. All I will say, is that while I was fighting alongside Kratos’ allies as they encroached upon Mount Olympus, I thought I was looking at a scene from Peter Jackson’s latest special effects laiden action blockbuster. No joke–and the game only gets more grand and breath taking from there. The set pieces used in this game create a sense of scale between Kratos, his environment, and his enemies that I have never experienced in an action game before. Again, to go into further detail would be a dis-service, so all I can say is, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF.

Graphically, this game overloads your senses with real time shadows and real time lighting effects that make Uncharted 2 look like a Playstation 1 effort. This game’s graphics engine processes all of this visual goodness while throwing massive amounts (and massive in size) enemies at you without a single hic-up, glitch, pop-in, or screen tear to be seen. Unbelievable. Your weapons, magic–even the orbs that power up your weapons and magic are individual light sources that reflect light off of shiny surfaces, and can brighten a dark area…AGAIN, IN REAL TIME. Shoot a flame arrow in a pitch black cave, and it will light up the walls as it flies through. The line between cut-scene and game is non-existant. This game is just the latest arrow in Sony’s quiver that shoots the line of differential smack through the Xbox360′s core. GoW3 could not be identically reproduced polygon for polygon on Microsoft’s console. I’m not being a fanboy–just speaking the truth. The level of detail in this game is sick.

With all that this game does so exceedingly correct, I was literally stunned when I got to the end. When I say the end of the game, I mean the VERY END; as in final seconds in the ending cut scene. Maybe Santa Monica Studio had poured so much creative energy into this project, that collectively, there was nothing left in the tank. Maybe someone at the studio felt inspired by the way the Sopranos series ended. I don’t know. All I do know is, I haven’t been this disappointed in a game ending since I watched my best friend finish Final Fantasy VII; and that ending stunk (Yup–I went there). Again, going into detail would be spoiler-ific, but dayum–Santa Monica Studio didn’t even try to attempt a quality ending. I liken it to taking a 1st class flight to see a landfill. The journey is great, but the final destination–not so much.

So, to bottom line the game: This game is what you bought your Playstation 3 for, or this game will convince you to buy a Playstation 3. Just like KillZone 2, and Uncharted 2. It is–in my opinion–the best looking game available on consoles to date; hands down. The game play is smooth, and the soundtrack sets the tone for the action like no other. It also has a wealth of bonus “making of” videos and challenge stages that open up upon completion of the game. This game deserves your hard earned dollars. However, if you are one who expects a game’s developers to at least try to attempt a half-way decent ending you may be left wanting–especially with the final gameplay elements leading up to those final toxic closing seconds are so good. It is the journey to that toxic end that makes this game a must own.

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