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God of War III picks up where the story of Kratos left off, with our favorite anti-hero and an army of the Titans climbing Mount Olympus to storm the gates with Zeus and the other gods watching on in horror.  The opening sequence alone is worth the ride and the game really doesn’t slow down from there, taking you from the depths of Hades to the very highest tower of the City of Olympus and back again (then back another time, but if you play you’ll see what I mean).  I’m sorry that the creators are ending (or as the rumors go) the story of Kratos with this game, but what a way to go out.  Kudos to the team at Sony for one of the most spectacular games I’ve played this year.  (click on the image below to see the official God of War III trailer, and yes, the graphics in game ARE that good)

Click Here for God of War III trailer

Objective:  10  The objective of these games has always been simple enough:  kill everything that moves, and if it fights back all bets are off.   The God of War series takes the term “hack and slash” to a different level as Kratos can “finish” some of his opponents off with a series of  button and thumbstick combinations.  The best part of this game is the cast of characters Kratos walks through to get to his goal.  With everyone from Poseidon, Mercury, Helios (yes, he even kicks the sun’s ass), to his half brother Hercules, you never run out of someone famous to beat to a pulp.  The fight with Hercules is particularly brutal as there seems to be no love lost between these two boys (each seems to think the other was Zeus’s favorite).

Theme:  10  How can I not love the theme of this game?  The writers took the best parts of written mythology, threw in some Clash of the Titans (the original, the new one just seemed to be a ripoff of this game….which ironically seemed to be based heavily on the original Clash of the Titans), a little bit the anachronistic humor of Sam Raimi’s Hercules, the bloody violence and against-all-odds battles from 300, and a few Mortal Komat style finishers for good measure.  There’s nothing like beating down a centaur who’s been kicking you in the head for the last 5 minutes, then gutting him from nut to nipple while he’s still kicking. 

 Gameplay:  10  The gameplay aspect really hasn’t changed since the original, albiet with a few improvements here or there to keep things interesting.  The creators have added or changed weapons to better fit with the style and flow of the game, or added skills that Kratos could earn to mix things up a bit (like using Helios’s head to blind your opponent).  I did like the fact that they added more puzzles to this installment and kept the fighting of endless hordes to a minimum.  In my opinion it improved the gameplay drastically.  As simple as the controls and gameplay is, it is well constructed and keeps things from getting too stale as the game progresses. 

Sound:  10  The sound effects in this game are sold in the details.  There are quite a few scenes where you’re looking down on a battlefield and the distant sounds of swords clashing, people screaming, etc… really sells the effect.   The voice acting was well cast and included the return of Terrence Carson as Kratos.  The cast also featured surprise turns from Adrienne Barbeau as a bitter alcoholic Hera, Malcolm McDowell as the tragic Daedalus (Kratos had killed his son Icarus in the first game, and Dad finds that out as soon as he sees the wings on Kratos’s back), Clancy Brown as a particularly menacing Hades (but Mr. Brown goes all out on just about every voice over he does.  Gotta love the guy), Rip Torn as Hephaestus the one I felt the worst about cutting down, and Kevin Sorbo as Hercules (which I didn’t know until just now, well after I referenced the Sam Raimi Hercules as an influence).

Replay Value:  8 I do have to finish Resistance:  Fall of Man, and Assassin’s Creed II, both of which I’m currently playing, but I do plan on playing this game at least one more time.  Replay unlocks further items, however the usefulness of said items remains to be seen (hence the comment about “at least one more time” for replay).

Total Score:   9.6

I really enjoyed this game, I think moreso than its predecessors.  I attribute that to the addition of all the puzzles and the extent of scale used in this game.  The battle with the Titan Chronos exemplifies everything this series of games has been all about.  There’s something to be said for scaling your opponent to get a few shots in… and when you do take down the boss that stands hundreds of feet tall.

Thanks for tuning in.  I guess the next time you hear from the DerosbyBrothers review desk, it will be to report on either Transformers:  War for Cybertron or Assassin’s Creed II. 

 -CWD

Happy belated VD day (that’s Valentine’s Day for everyone else).  To express her undying love for me, my wife bought me Bioshock 2, a game filled with mutated, morlock-looking  inhabitants of the near-deserted and decaying underwater city of Rapture.  More specifically you as the main character blasting, drilling, and stomping your way through the underwater city of Rapture as one of the previous game’s most popular antagonists, the Big Daddy.  You’re actually Big Daddy Delta, the prototype created 10 years before and recently “awakened” after being killed by the main villian in this game, Dr. Lamb.  She has returned to Rapture to reboot the Little Sister program, kidnapping little girls from all over the world and spiriting them to Rapture to convert them into the creepy little Adam-collecting angels we all know and love.  It’s your job as Delta to rescue them and your original Little Sister, the prototype and also the daughter of the good Doctor.

Objective:  7  This game takes place about 10 years after the original and utilizes many of the same ideas and gameplay.  You have to fight your way through various areas of Rapture (none are repeats of the original game, keeping things kind of fresh).   I’ve read plenty of posts boasting a 6 hour play time.  I think that’s a total waste of $50 plus dollars (and suspect that it’s a steaming load in some cases).  I’m a player who likes to explore every nook and cranny and the game map has plenty of rooms and areas to keep you busy for hours.  I had a play time of about 20 hours or so and had a total blast playing.  I give the Objective a 7 only because it’s a fairly linear game.  You can go just about anywhere in the level you’re in, but once you advance to the next one, there’s no going back.  I’d have really liked to see a more open environment like the first game, giving the player the ability to go to just about any level at almost any time (as long as you’re at a train station or bathysphere of course).

Theme:  9  I love the theme of this game and it’s predecessor.  Everything from the gorgeous scenery, both indoors and out, to the weapons and clothing, the items (specifically the technology) and even the background music just enhances the gameplay to the maximum.  Unlike the previous game, being a Big Daddy allows you to walk around on the ocean floor for a different view of the city of Rapture.   The weapons, the items you utilize in-game, and the “everyday” items that are part of the backdrop utilize a wonderfully designed retro-technology.  The artists took the design of things that were around in the 40′s and 50′s (radios, guns, automatic doors, etc…) kept the general design and aesthetic but added touches to show modern functionality.  It fits so well in game that they are details that are sometimes overlooked, but it really enhances the experience to just take a few seconds to take this all in.  The music will be covered below.

Gameplay:  8  It’s one of only a few first-person shooters I’ve played, but I got used to the controls fairly quickly, and the developers worked out some of the kinks from the previous game.  Health items, ammunition, and vending machines are scattered around and are readily available unless you don’t know what you’re doing.  Which is the situation I was in for the first level or so of this game.  Once I got the hang of it, I was always full up on everything I needed.  

Sound:  9  The soundtrack was by far the best of any game I’ve played this year.  I love the 40′s tunes, some I remember from old Black and White movies I saw when I was a kid.  They don’t play constantly in every area like they seemed to in the original, but I think that kept things from getting annoying or stale.  The voice-over talent was very well done as well, with the accents, inflections, and phrases used invoking a real early 20th century feel.  It’s like watching old Three Stooges shorts or a Crosby and Hope flick, or listening to the old radio serials.  One standout is Armin Shimmerman (Quark from DS9, the principal from Buffy) playing the enigmatic Andrew Ryan to perfection.  I didn’t even realize it was him through 2 games.  I looked up the cast on IMDB.com thinking I recognized Dr. Lamb’s voice.  I was wrong about her, and blown away that he played Ryan.  He plays the character as a Howard Hughes/Walt Disney/Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) personality with the booming voice to match.   I have to put this game up at the top of my list with Arkham Asylum for sound, music, and voice quality. 

Replay Value:  7 I really want to play this game again, but I need some serious decompression time before I attempt it again.  Plus I’ve got other games to play (Assassin’s Creed II, God of War III, Final Fantasy XIII).  With the infrequency that I play lately, I won’t get a second shot at it for about 8 months. 

Total Score:   8

I really enjoyed this game and as I’ve said in the past, you’ve got to love a game that pays attention to the small details.  The background mattes are gorgeous and if you look, there’s plenty of stuff hidden in plain site.  One thing to look for is one of the many posters hung all over rapture.  Many are advertisements for products that were sold around rapture (or are still available in the vending machines or in the Gatherer’s Gardens machines in the form of Plasmids).  One in particular is a propaganda poster about the movement to reclaim Rapture, showing a fist raised in defiance.  Around the wrist is a tattoo of chain links, the same tattoo worn by your character in the first game.  Look for it if you play.

I’m about 80% through God of War III so that will be my next Game Review post.  Thanks for tuning in. 

 -CWD

I can kick it up to “moderate” if I want to.  I just really don’t want to right now. 

I am dangerously close to finishing God of War III. I think it’s time I contributed to this site again with a review of the game, followed up by more frequent posting in the near future. I apologize to Alan and our fans (all 3 of you).

I think I also owe DB.COM a review of Bioshock II, which I have not yet posted.  I’ll get to it. 

-CDerosby

By springboarding off of Craig’s post about his “Wii”, I am very excited about this year’s PS3 releases.  Sure, we don’t have Mario’s potty time or Kirby Confronts his Alcoholic Dad, but PS3 owners have a few titles to be excited about.

1,  Resident Evil 5

2.  Batman: Arkham Asylum

3. God of War 3

4.  Ghostbusters

5.  Wolfenstein

6.  MLB 09

7. Assassin’s Creed 2

There are actually quite a few really good looking games, however with a family, budgetting also means not buying every new game that comes out.  So when new games do come out, we must be picky.  However, for the Craig’s out there that don’t have a PS3, fear not.  Playstation has announced a drop in price so the $399 machine will now be going for $299.  Even though that is still a lot of money, if Craig asks for gift certificates for his birthday and fathers day, he will find that the PS3 is within his gentle loving reach.