God Of War III Demo Hands On

Getting to grips with Kratos and his chaos causing blades.
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Article written by cc_star in Featured Stories, PS3 News, on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 14:00.

I have a love/hate relationship with email, I love the fact I can communicate with people without actually having to speak to them, but I hate all the marketing emails that I receive from some website I bought something off two years ago. Occasionally though, wading through piles of unread emails proves its worth and last night was one of those occasions as I had received an email from SCEE letting me know I could download a copy of the God Of War III demo. I could hardly contain my excitement as I punched in the redemption code which probably explains why I entered the code incorrectly on the first two attempts. Then, finally I was in and I could get the download underway – 2.6gigs? Damn! thats an overnight job for my rural Internet connection. Since then however I’ve played through the demo on numerous occasions, so how is Kratos holding up in this his fourth outing and the first of this generation?

God Of War III is big – very very big, bloody – very very bloody and oh so beautiful, even when you’re ripping the limbs off of practically anything that moves including the hapless civilians it is never anything short of jaw droppingly beautiful. Running at 720p with a high framerate and  therefore bucking the current trend of developing a game at sub-HD resolutions, the quote that has been flying around ‘teh internet’ since this demo was created for E3 back in June is that God Of War III looks “like a painting come to life” and when you see it in action its not hard to see, because of the level of detail in the textures, fantastic lighting, shadowing and perfect animation. I even tried to stress the game engine by allowing as many characters as possible to build up screen before letting rip with the Blades Of Chaos, and it never appeared to drop a frame and due to the fact it’s v-synced there is no tearing, a fact which is made all the more impressive when you take into account this demo was developed and tested in time for June’s E3, some nine months out from the full title’s release.

So it looks gorgeous but how does it play, you say? If combat has ever felt so satisfying I’m yet to experience it, practically every button press is rewarded with a satisfying crunch and swiftly followed by gushing blood, the flashes of your blades or punches link seamlessly together into the fantastic combos we know and love. It doesn’t take long before you’ve dispatched plenty of low level minions and you’re on to the titles first experience of ‘beast-jacking’ this is the process of taking control of another being to help you out, this first of these is the winged Harpies (a kind of an ugly woman/bird combination) All you have to do is use a combination of the ‘hold’ and ‘attack’ button and you’ll jump up and grab one and you can control it’s flight path, this comes in handy for those hard to reach ledges or big gaping chasms. Just like in the previous games there are plenty of chests around, these are good source of the red orbs, or precious health.

It’s not all a bed of roses however, it wasn’t long before Kratos comes across a large gap and this is where I found the ultra-precise controls to cause a problem. The only way to get across the gap being to perform a double jump, tapping the X button and then at the height of Kratos’ jump tapping it again to gain extra height, your timing has to be absolutely impeccable as there is so very little room for error. Whilst only causing minor irritation in this demo I could imagine in the full game falling to your death after a prolonged and difficult battle extremely frustrating. Several deaths later another feature revealed itself; by holding the X button Kratos was soaring across the gap using his new Icarus Wings only to encounter your first mini-boss, a huge stomping Centaur with a giant spear. This is God Of War at its best, rapidly dispatching hordes of minions whilst trying to avoid the attacks of the mini boss, frantically using a mixture of ranged and melee attacks, using the blades to perform quick, weak attacks in an effort to keep the enemies at bay, giving you enough room to wind up the slow, strong attacks. With the cannon fodder dispatched Kratos gets one-on-one with the Centaur (hardly a fair fight) after some ducking and diving and a few attacks it’s not long before you get your first go at GoW’s famous Quick Time Events, needless to say it doesn’t end nicely for the Centaur unless his aim was to end up  disembowelled with his intestines and entrails spilling out of his stomach.

Kratos continues to make his way through the city before looking up to see Helios attacking a huge lava Titan, how huge? Really really huge! With the Titan destroying the city, Kratos gets up close and personal to a Chimera – a large snake-lion-ram combo which needs beating three times before it’s properly defeated, which is a shame because I think the Chimera only wanted his phone number. With your help the huge Titan catches Helios, flinging him in to a nearby mountainside which is where you must go next, well I say nearby but it’s the other side of the city and there’re hordes of enemies which need dispatching and an awkward platforming section to get past – awkward because I’ve been playing Uncharted 2 for a while and quite bluntly when Kratos is leaping from ledge to ledge it just feels slightly lacking, again not a huge issue in this short demo but could be if there is much platforming to do in the full game.

And now the bit you’ve been waiting for, Kratos Vs Helios and the famous beheading of the pre-E3 trailers, of course taking on Helios by himself in his weakened state (after he was practically destroyed by the Titan) would be too easy so it’s no surprise that Helios gets help, before you can rip his head from his body you get the chance for more ‘beast-jacking’ in the form of riding a large Cyclops using it’s strength to defeat even stronger enemies. Obviously this ends badly for the Cyclops as well as as Helios who’s head ends up cunningly concealed about Kratos’ person. You’ll need to whip it out from time to time as the beam of light it gives off reveals hidden doorways and passages.

Remember the huge lava Titan from earlier? Well he’s next on Kratos’ hitlist, this gives Kratos the opportunity to show off his Icarus Wings again as he jumps into a huge vent in the mountain soaring upwards and upwards though its innards, initially difficult to control you must avoid huge structures and falling rocks as you soar ever upwards to mammoth battle with the Titan, and then just as the Titan comes in to view…. DAMN! The demo ends just as your appetite has been sufficiently whetted, ensuring the full game purchase is a certainty.

The demo does an excellent job of re-acquainting you with Kratos and his mythical creature destroying antics. The controls never feel anything other than tight, probably helped by the high framerate the combat is ultra satisfying and the urge to play for ‘just a couple more minutes’ is stronger than ever if only to see what enormous battle is round the next corner. It’s not without its negative points though; as I’ve said the double jump is possibly a bit too precise, the ledge grabbing in a post-Uncharted 2 world doesn’t feel satisfying. In true God Of War style your path through the game is always pretty linear, as the game uses the camera angle to shepherd you down practically the only path, but with combat this satisfying and set pieces this jaw dropping, who cares, Kratos is back, and so far seems better than ever – and that is saying something indeed.

Comments

Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.

Newer Comments

  1. mynameisblair | 07/11/2009 14:06
    Member
    3668 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

    Damn, I can’t wait for this game!
    The GoW collection shall be mine next week! MINE!


  2. hazelam | 07/11/2009 14:09
    Member
    2986 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009

    there was an empty space on my hard drive that was waiting for the demo, now it sits there alone and depressed :(


    • Dexter17 | 07/11/2009 17:06
      Member
      2785 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009

      Give it Zombie Apocalipse!


      • Dexter17 | 07/11/2009 17:06
        Member
        2785 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009

        Crap. Sorry about the spelling.


  3. coolgr33k | 07/11/2009 14:13
    Member
    409 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009

    The demo was amazing, the only tiny problem was the fact that you cant control the camera, but still it works nicely. The graphics were amazing, the boss battles amazing, and I love the gore, especially pulling the cyclops eye out! fantastic! The controls are easy, the gameplay is amazing, and compared to the ratchet and clank demo, I think god of war has become my new favourite, but I still love ratchet and clank. I will be getting both of them, and the god of war collection, but becuase at the moment my eyes are fixed on call of duty and gran tursimo 5, a 3 month gap with exams in it.
    But this game is a must buy. ITS SO GOOD!
    98% i give it. (99% is saved for gran turismo 5).


  4. gazzagb | 07/11/2009 14:22
    Master of speling mitakse
    2396 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009

    Demo is amazing, i especially love the violence and gore. Camera can be annoying at times, but its still a game im keeping my eye on.


  5. gordon_strange | 07/11/2009 14:45
    Member
    191 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2009

    Hi -Long time viewer, first time poster.

    I had never played GOW until i received the demo code, so was rather excited to experience a game franchise held in such high regard.

    i’m not a particular fan of “hack ‘n’ slash” games at the best of times, and although this demo did it well, and as the review said precise, it still felt fundamentally akin to the genre

    next i was disappointed with the camera, which felt almost obtuse at times, with it’s complete refusal to let me adjust it…. unless i am a complete monkey and didn’t work out how to change it!

    next were the much talked about QTE’s which i am led to believe are standards in GOW . i really enjoyed these and they didn’t feel forced, which i suspect is due to the aforementioned precision controls

    what i have written so far maybe taken as non enjoyment of the demo, but i found quite the opposite, which was a pleasant surprise. it looks fantastic – visceral. when helios has his head ripped off, you can actually count the droplets of of blood. it has some really frustrating moments (the time it takes to open a chest full of regen orbs when your close to death), but it added the ‘one more go’ factor for me. and as the OP rightly says, the demo ends at a point that makes you want to play the full game.

    so although this type of game wouldn’t normally appeal to me, it’s a day one purchase.

    ps shall i buy all 3 based on this demo ?

    pps sorry for any incoherent rambling im very hungover and the mrs is bugging me to go shopping


    • mynameisblair | 07/11/2009 14:49
      Member
      3668 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

      I think you should check out the GoW 1 & 2 collection.
      Both of the first games, remastered in HD for the PS3!
      http://www.gamesbasement.co.uk/games-action-adventure/sony-ps3/god-of-war-1-2-collection-hd-ps3-PD-1776.html

      Welcome to TSA by the way!


    • wedgehog | 07/11/2009 16:05
      Friendly
      560 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

      Welcome to TSA, were all friendly here. I would also highly recommend the GoW 1 & 2 collection, although there are a lot af great games out or coming out at the monemt that could be said to be ‘essential’; so it depends upon how much free time you have.


    • Aitrus | 08/11/2009 19:56
      Member
      1253 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008

      Welcome! Nice ’second opinion’ of the demo. I can also vouch for the quality of the first GoW (tohugh not GoW2 as I never played that) – it’s a superb game no matter if you’re a fan of hack ‘n slash or not.


  6. Yung Jones | 07/11/2009 14:46
    Member
    637 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

    Only thing I didn’t like was the gap where you had to fly over, soooo fustrating!


    • coolgr33k | 07/11/2009 15:54
      Member
      409 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009

      i got stuck on that for ages! i was like howd u do this part? then i held x and i was like, o yer i can fly!!


  7. Yung Jones | 07/11/2009 14:46
    Member
    637 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

    * frustrating


  8. teflon | 07/11/2009 15:00
    Member
    1601 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

    Don’t forget that this demo is 5 or 6 months old now. It’s nowhere near being a truly polished product, and there’s going to have been plenty tweaking to the double jump timing and all the other mechanics of the game. When the game is released, I have no doubt it’ll be practically perfect.

    My main dislike is the camera. I know it’s always been like that, but it’s still annoying when almost every other 3rd person game uses the second stick to tweak the camera, and here you end up doing a dodge. Im constantly finding myself dodging…


    • wedgehog | 07/11/2009 16:07
      Friendly
      560 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

      Exactly – the demo is very much a sample of work in progress, i’m sure it’s currently being tweaked to perfection.


      • iNsAnE_gAmInG | 08/11/2009 19:14
        * Banned *
        -1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

        Yeah and it says that when you load it up. It is back from E3 isn’t it?


  9. rht992 | 07/11/2009 15:33
    Member
    2284 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009

    never played a god of war game before this demo and i absolutely love it. the endings just epic
    but the camera took a bit of getting used to and some of the quick time events were tricky but i’m sure i’ll get used to it with time


  10. BIGAL-1992 | 07/11/2009 15:44
    Member
    833 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009

    I was suppose to download this, but the file size is too big for me to download the demo with the mobile broadband I have, and it sucks.


    • cc_star | 07/11/2009 16:25
      Team TSA: Writer
      5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

      Mobile broadband, so 2.6gig = a 3gig topup = £15, I have to agree with you, but it is awesome.


    • mynameisblair | 07/11/2009 17:15
      Member
      3668 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

      I’ll have your code then ;)
      Or did you already enter it? :(


      • BIGAL-1992 | 07/11/2009 22:36
        Member
        833 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009

        Already entered it, so no.


  11. cc_star | 07/11/2009 16:30
    Team TSA: Writer
    5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

    Interesting that most people have mentioned the camera being fixed.

    yes it does seem slightly weird these days but gameplay-wise I didn’t feel it hindered anything, plus because the use can’t spin the camera around it never suffers from drops in resolution and blurring effects like other games do, so the graphics are never anything less than picture perfect 720p.

    Kratos has never been limited to an other the shoulder 3rd person view,and if it ever was it wouldn’t be God Of War…. it would just look like A.N.Other Unreal Engine clone


  12. rick_x | 07/11/2009 17:58
    Member
    57 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

    I played the originals and was chuffed to get the demo but I couldn’t help but feel it was very ‘meh’ after a couple of playthroughs. The game hasn’t really moved on over the 3 iterations, even the graphics don’t seem to be a massive improvement over the, admittedly excellent GOW 2 on last gen hardware. Think this will be a rental for me.


  13. SpikeyMikey23 | 07/11/2009 18:21
    Member
    643 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

    i have a code but not entered it yet, havent got the room yet so ive been nagging the mrs for my new hdd now intead of xmas so i can download it, if i like the demo then ill buy GOW collection, if i dont like it…….ill probably still buy the GOW collection


    • SpikeyMikey23 | 08/11/2009 19:24
      Member
      643 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

      got my new hdd, installed, restored bla bla bla, now…. wheres that email?


  14. iNsAnE_gAmInG | 07/11/2009 19:23
    * Banned *
    -1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

    The demo did not affect my level of anticiption for better or worse thus was a bit of a waste downloading really. The graphics are marvellous, however I had expected this prior to playing. Also, the fast, fluid and very enjyoable combat with it’s brutality was great, but nothing more than I expected. The only things that successfully WOWED me were the finishers (the moves where you tap circle and you have to play a near-enough interactive cutscene to deliver a brutal and very satisfying killer attack). The new abilities were cool, however the controls were not up to scratch in my view and the lack of a manual camera really damaged the experience in my view. Perhaps different control set-ups and an option for a manual camera will be evident in the final code. :)


    • cc_star | 07/11/2009 19:28
      Team TSA: Writer
      5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

      There won’t be any form of manual camera, GoW is not a 3rd person game.

      They would severely have to downgrade the graphics, lighting, shadowing etc. if they did have a free camera and then add in effects to lower the res when a user spins the camera and other blurring effects – in other words change the whole game so that it’s not GoW.


      • iNsAnE_gAmInG | 08/11/2009 16:56
        * Banned *
        -1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

        Ok, fair enough. :)
        Thank you for the enlightment. I suppose the cinematic experience does pretty much make the game what it is. I guess I will just need to try and get used to not having a manual camera. :(


    • Alex_Assassin_08 | 07/11/2009 19:32
      Member
      735 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009

      SONY Santa Monica have chosen the best camera for all times, keeping it cinematic. :)


  15. Alex_Assassin_08 | 07/11/2009 19:33
    Member
    735 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009

    Truly, truly, amazing :)

    can’t wait! :)


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