God of War 3 [Remastered for PS4]

Wow, what a grandiose and literally epic bookend to the story arch that began in God of War 1!

It seems that the graphics capabilities of consoles are here finally able to match the ambitions of the design team, and the game looks as over-the-top as it feels (at least in the PS4 Remastered version). Battling humongous titans as a tiny little mortal is just so bad-ass. The brutal kills of lesser opponents also feel very satisfying, especially the butchering of the centaurs. The gameplay is especially polished: there are several difficult battles, but they seem to logically follow in difficulty from previous ones, such that your button-mashing skills should be just about right to beat them.

The story here is more straightforward than in previous games, in that there is a clear mission from beginning to end. However, it is pepperedd with encounters with fascinating characters and side stories that fit well with the tone and narrative arc of Greek mythology. This seems a better approach than the meandering "adventure" narrative thread of God of War 1.

The ending, too, deserves compliments for allowing for some self-awareness, contemplation of the long journey to reach this place, and an examination of just what Kratos has become. It's all very heavy-handed—this is, after all, God of War—but feels appropriate.

A great game! Easily the epitome of the pre-PS4-reboot series.