Most of the environmental puzzles are fun as well. It’s during these moments that God of War 3’s sense of scale becomes jaw-dropping: Kratos’ hulking frame looks tiny compared to the stone statues of the Underworld Judges in Hades, and almost ant-like when he’s running atop Cronos and Gaia, Titans whose bodies are full-fledged levels.
I was happy to find the platforming still holds up well, and I had a good time using my Blades of Exile to leap over deep caverns, negotiate narrow cliffs, and avoid crumbling temple ruins. That makes it tricky to recommend to the uninitiated, because newcomers may wonder why half the Olympians are already dead when the story starts, or why Kratos is so callous toward people who claim to be his allies. There’s a brief recap video, but it’s not quite enough to give you the context you need if you’ve never played before. God of War 3 is a strange place for Sony to start remastering the series, since it picks up right where God of War 2’s cliffhanger ending left off, and assumes you’ve played all the previous entries (including Ready at Dawn’s excellent Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta for PSP). The “meh” plot remains a weak point, but the excellent combat and action-platforming reminded me why I love this ultra-gory series.
These graphical touch-ups make Kratos’ final quest for vengeance against the Olympian gods even more beautifully gory (though not quite enough that it could pass for a game specifically built for the PS4).
#GOD OF WAR 3 REMASTERED REVIEW 1080P#
God of War 3 Remastered for PlayStation 4 recaptures the thrill of the threequel, thanks to the addition of 1080p resolution, a steadier frame rate that usually sits around 60 frames per second, and high-definition textures and lighting effects.