God of War III Remastered Review: Great for Newcomers, but Not Worth Revisiting

God of War is an exploration of Greek myths, wrapped around a cool, action-packed video game that has been incredibly popular, with different instalments on the PS2, PS3, and now, a remastered version on the PS4.

In God of War, you control Kratos - a rage filled Spartan hellbent on getting revenge on the Gods who have wronged him - by killing off the entire pantheon. The first game was so popular that it spawned a series that includes seven games across the PS2, PS3, PlayStation Portable (PSP), feature phones, and PS Vita. Barring the mobile version that was in 2D, every game in the series sported gorgeous 3D graphics complete with gory combat.

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While a new entry for the PS4 is pretty much inevitable, for now PS4 owners can check out God of War III remastered. It's accessible to newcomers so you don't need to have played any God of War games before this to enjoy the game or follow the story.

Without spoiling much, you'll be hacking and slashing your way against hordes of foes. These range from shambling corpses, to minotaurs, to the Gods themselves. Some of the enemies you will face include Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus. Along the way you'll earn a bunch of power-ups, complete puzzles, indulge in glorious action sequences, and exact the vengeance Kratos has desired since 2005.

The game truly shines in combat. It lacks the depth of its contemporaries like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, but it remains extremely enjoyable. Here, combat makes you to feel like a raging lunatic rather than a stylish, calculating combatant, and that is what the character Kratos is all about.

At lower difficulties you can simply button mash your way to victory in most battles. If you decide to ramp up the challenge, be prepared to think a lot harder. Moves at your disposal range from grabbing an enemy soldier's skull and pummelling it into other opponents, to summoning spear throwing Spartans, and there's enough variety to keep things from going stale. But it isn't without problems.

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For one there is the prevalence of Quick Time Events (QTEs), particularly for boss battles. These sequences require you to press buttons as the prompts show up on screen, which takes you out of the gameplay mechanics that have been established so far, and instead turns an enjoyable game into a semi-interactive movie clip. These mechanics also feel a little worse on the PS4, and we found ourselves missing the more sturdy PS3 controllers.

Throw in camera angles that feel a restrictive and serve to annoy you during some of the platforming sections and you'd wish there was a little more work put into this remaster.

Although the game preserves the flaws of the original, it deserves praise for the way in which it makes use of the extra power of the PS4. Like The Last of Us, this game also shows smoother gameplay on the newer console. It was a visual treat on the PS3, and looks even better now.

Graphical enhancements and smoothness aside, the game features a photo mode, allowing you to to share screenshots with friends. Though it's not mentioned at the back of the box, it also has Remote Play - the ability to play the game on a PS Vita as well, which works with no fuss.

Clocking in at around 10 hours, God of War III is worth buying if you've never experienced the series before, but there is not much value added, and old fans have little reason to return to this title.

We played God of War III Remastered on the PS4. It's available on the PS4 for Rs. 2,750.

Pros

• Looks good

• Plays well

• Easy entry point for newcomers

Cons

• Not much value for fans

• QTEs feel tougher on the Dual Shock 4

Rating (out of 10): 8