Personal note - FINALLY finished the game after waiting for 13 years!
I played GoW 2 and 1 back in 2009, was really excited for GoW III but could never afford a PS3. After getting job and PS4, its my first game to beat on it

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REVIEW - (Writing it just after finishing)
Pretty much the height of the (classic) series with a fitting conclusion, though not without flaws.

- Gameplay - It is brilliant, loved the idea of joining magic with weapon. The game is very satisfying to play if you feel like releasing your IRL anger. Not really fan of Relics (L2 actions)

- Puzzles - While lighter compared to previous entries, they were still really fun to solve. I've personally loved puzzle solving sections in games.

- Level design and art - I can't state this enough, it is unbeatable to this day; truly god-like. Its like old epic paintings come to life, and playable.

- Story/Cinematics - Lot to say here. First third is truly epic, firing on all cylinders. Second third is equally great with more puzzles and new weapons/relics, though cinematic quality is lower. Last third is rather baffling, its like too many writers tried to do their own thing. That said, I loved the actual conclusion, very fitting for the (classic) franchise.

Базовый слэшер, с максимально простым сюжетом, не претендующий на что-то сверх вон выходящее...
Перед God of War: Ragnarok мне захотелось немного ознакомиться с предысторией Кратоса и тем как Santa Monica завершали свою работу с греческой мифологией.
Кратос тут - совершенно иной персонаж, нежели в GoW 2018 года. Он - лютый зверь, одержимый жаждой мести, который ни перед чем и ни перед кем не остановится, чтобы достичь своей цели. Кратос убивает как врагов, так и гражданских лиц, что в некоторых ситуациях вызывало шок в сравнении с его новой версией 2018 года.
Как я говорил сюжет не представляет из себя чего-то особенного. Игру вытаскивает отличная постановка битв с каждым из сюжетных боссов. Также хорош визуальный ряд в определённых местах. Камера в игре своеобразная, но, благодаря ей, в битвах с гигантскими противниками отлично передавалась масштабность всего происходящего. Саундтрек в игре обычный, никакой музыкальной темы особо не запомнилось. Порадовало также разнообразие оружия, каждое из которых обязательно будет задействоваться для прохождения определённых сегментов, а не тупо добавлено для галочки. Головоломки в игре немного заставят вас поднапрячься, но не более того.
Из главных минусов хочется выделить сегменты с полётами, когда ты просто не видишь от чего необходимо уклоняться из-за быстроты передвижения и темноты в некоторых промежутках, а также затянутый финал, где разработчики решили напихать огромное количество мобов, которых и так к этому моменту было перебито сотни.
По итогу хочется сказать, что данный проект - отличный способ скоротать пару деньков. Игра не требует от вас сверхусилий и от неё можно получить положительные эмоции и неплохой игровой опыт.
7/10

This might be the worst game I've ever played in my life. It was free, and I wasn't able to beat it during the time when I had nothing else to play.

The gameplay is all QTE, mostly implemented in the dumbest way possible. Along the perimeter of the screen a button will appear, which means that you're often not even looking at action in the center of the screen. Gameplay isn't responsive enough for this kind of game, either. If you look at Google, tons of people have issue with the double jump timing. There were times where I would stop, practice my timing, repeated "Jump. Jump." to myself as it worked, walked to a nearest pit and fell in because suddenly second jump refused to work.

The violence is just boring. It's no Mortal Kombat, DMC or Bayonetta. Kratos just pummels his enemies with his fists. He's a very boring protagonist that could be a fitting boss for any other game. He's not an anti-hero, he's just an asshole. The game doesn't even present his enemies as interesting, they're just some guys.

What made me drop this game was when you find a half-naked (as most women in this game are) sex slave who is deathly afraid of you. I was legitimately afraid a rape scene was about to start and I can't recall a single game that made me so uncomfortable.
Instead, Kratos jams the woman into a puzzle contraption that rips her apart.

Fuck this guy.

I was never a God of War fan growing up in the PS2 and PS3 era. Whether it was because I wasn’t allowed to play such violent games or because I enjoyed platformers and RPGs a little more, I just never got the chance to experience Kratos‘ adventure from start to finish. When I purchased the PS5 and discovered that God of War (2018) was free, I decided to give the franchise a chance. Now, having gotten the platinum trophy on both God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, I decided it would be worth my time to go back and experience the Greek adventures of one PlayStation’s most prominent and powerful mascots.

At the time it was released, God of War III was thought by fans to be the end of the series. It would function as a conclusion to the story set in motion by the original God of War released in 2005 on the PS2 and, hopefully, tie up any loose ends present throughout the series’ several console and handheld adventures. With that in mind, the game does what it sets out to do - it ties up loose ends, provides a satisfying end to Kratos’ revenge quest, and seemingly allows the God of War to finally lay down the Blades of Chaos. With hindsight, however, we know that God of War III was not the end, but instead merely a transitional point for the character and the franchise as a whole. Being able to know what comes after God of War III, however, doesn’t change the satisfaction of killing Zeus or extracting Kratos’ revenge on the entire Greek Pantheon. What it does do is allow us to see how this final adventure in Greece changed Kratos from a bloodthirsty, revenge, crazed, remorseless killer to the calm and reasonable person we see in God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok.

Essentially, playing God of War III after experiencing God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok recontextualizes much of what occurs and what is said in those games. The player is able to get a clearer picture of who Kratos was as the Greek God of War and will fully understand why he acts that way he does during the events of God of War (2018) and Ragnarok. The revenge soaked story of God of War III also highlights why Ragnarok is such a spectacular ending to the series as a whole. With Kratos no longer giving in to anger, being able to put down the Leviathan Axe and extend an olive branch to Thor instead of fighting him to death, and choosing not to outright murder Odin shows how much he has grown as a character. It displays how even a God can change and see where he has done wrong.

God of War III’s ability to recontextualize God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok is enough reason for any fan of the series to play this game, but it is not the only one. The hack ‘n slash gameplay of the older God of War games has been polished to a perfect sheen in this third installment. Combos are fluid and intuitive, response time is snappy, and each hack, slash, or punch has an undeniable weight to its impact. The enemy variety on display is also not lacking. There are countless soldiers to cut down, gorgon heads to remove, centaurs to disembowel, and chimeras to disfigure. There are trolls to crush, hammer wielding statues to crumble, Titans to topple, and of course Gods to dethrone. While you will spend much of your time dishing out death, the opponents you tear limb from limb will at least vary from encounter to encounter. The set pieces in God of War games have always been one of their most memorable aspects, God of War III is no exception. There are climactic battles on the tops and insides of Titans, through the ruins of crumbling cities, and even in the mind of Kratos Himself. The puzzles, also a God of war staple, can be head scratching at times, but are by no means difficult. Despite this, the puzzles do offer a slight reprieve from the carnage Kratos is typically dishing out in every frame. The graphics are typical of an upscaled PS3 game, and obviously can’t compare with the newer entries in the series, but this doesn’t detract from the experience in any way.

As with most Sony Santa Monica games, there are little to no issues to be found in God of War III. Platforming can be difficult at times - this is especially true in the labyrinth levels, but considering there is a trophy available for clearing the labyrinth without falling to your death this may be intentional - some puzzles could pose more of a challenge, and some of the weapons Kratos acquires could be utilized more, but other than these very minor complaints, God of War III is a fantastic conclusion to the original trilogy and one of the best hack and slash games available.

In conclusion, if you have experienced the latest entries in the God of War series, it wouldn’t be a waste of time to retread old ground and pick up a copy of God of War III Remastered for the PS4. It is a short game that packs a punch and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It provides vital context for God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok and could change the way you view those games.