I was recently sent a pretty detailed run down of what to expect from God of War 3... This is an actual build of the game and not the trailer we\'re all set to see at the VGA\'s. I am told that it will only be a very short glimpse of what the game is going to offer and will probably be further edited down to about 20 seconds if that. He thinks it could be so edited that if you blink you might miss it... 10 seconds, even.
Sadly, I\'m not able to go into as much detail here. It sucks, I know. But, at the request of the man in question and in hopes of building a better relationship with him in the future I will honor that request.
What I can talk about is this:
Graphically it is going to set a new standard. Easily eclipsing the detail in Gears of War 2 and uncharted... God of War 3 is set to offer up the most cinematic experiences ever! He was over the moon about how good it looked... he said there is nothing that comes remotely close. "The detail is crafted with highest of care and the animations sell the experience like nothing you\'ve ever seen" .
He was told that the game will be 1080P and 60FPS... He then said it was obvious the footage he seen wasn\'t, though. So, if they\'re shooting for 1080P and 60fps and haven\'t hit it yet that\'s a good thing... since the game already looks better than anything out there. This is a win for the gamers.
Kratos doesn\'t look like the only playable in the game. Apparently their might be someone along for the ride... His brother perhaps???
Gameplay remains somewhat the same but with tweaks that begged to be put in from the beginning. The camera is now placed much closer and everything is bigger and only on "certain" instances does the camera pan way out on you. He explained to me there are 3 new mechanics to the gameplay engine that drastically alter it for different players.
There will be an online mode... Gladiator mode and co-op are two he touched upon.
The area he has seen shows Kratos battling hordes of rotting corpses in a highly detailed cemetery. There is a a sea supplying eerie fog as the backdrop, along with dead trees and headstones. The sky has a reddish hue to it but real time storm clouds act as a blanket of night for the setting.
He said the zombies realistically came up through the ground, disruptting the dirt and clawed their way into battle. He said the detail and quality of work represented in this was something he\'d never seen in a video game before. After Kratos had ripped through the onslaught of undead he comes to a tomb and a battle rages on between he and a reaper-like boss battle.
Described as one of the most cinematic fights in gaming history, it came together by actual fighting, timed button presses but also another brand new mechanic he didn\'t elaborate on further.
He said the there will be100% be a playable demo for the PSN in the coming months ahead. Maybe sooner than later???
He ended it by saying the trailer we see at the VGA\'s isn\'t going to be anything to get too excited about and will end up showcasing very little of the game. And finally, while highly impressed with how the game looks and seems to play, he said he was hoping to have seen more than the cemetery in wish he feels probably starts the game off or finds its mark shortly afterwards. He said the fighting and sheer amount of enemies on screen is unheard of and was epic enough to open up the game, but he wouldn\'t be surprised if they didn\'t toss in something even bigger than what he seen.
So do i.. but all those "game look better then Gear, game will be 1080p 6fps, game this, game that".. It\'s all internet hype. I mean nothing.
maybe it was the "graphically set a new standard" comment that raised my expectations, but i was kind of disappointed with how the trailer looked.
going by those 5 seconds, whoever said it \'easily eclipses gears and uncharted\' is retarded
Looks just as good as god of war 2....which is good for ps2, bad for ps3....the game doesn\'t look bad by any means, but it looks exactly like the previous game...i really don\'t see a graphical upgrade.
God of War III will see Kratos hop on and control mythical beasts such as Cyclops, crashing through hordes of enemies to get to objectives and solve puzzles.
And that\'s just one of the new mechanics in Sony Santa Monica\'s new game, according to a preview in the latest issue of GameInformer magazine.
The biggest challenge will be harnessing what the PS3 can accomplish. "We want this to be the game that shows people what the PS3 can do," game director Stig Asmussen told the magazine.
That means titans: enormous and ancient god-like beings that have been tussling with the Greek gods for a while. Whereas action sequences involving titans in previous God of War games were restricted to cinematic sequences, they\'re now integrated on a much more dynamic level.
Kratos - a tiny cluster of pixels compared to the full model of a titan - clambers up their immense frames as they rock to and fro, some even aggressively interacting as our hero ploughs forward. "It\'s not just a set piece anymore; it\'s a living, breathing character," added Asmussen.
As for Kratos himself: he\'ll be around four times as detailed as on PlayStation 2. "Kratos on PS2 was probably about 5,000 polygons, and now he\'s 20,000," said art director Ken Feldman. "We wouldn\'t even be able to load him on PS2."
The gnarled warrior also visually carries the scars obtained in previous God of War games, as well as some of the abilities acquired: the Golden Fleece and the Icarus Wings are mentioned.
There\'s plenty of room for him to grow, though. The skill-set has expanded to include a wider array of combos and grapples and environmental interaction like smashing heads on walls. And a brand new supernatural magic-type has been introduced, as relying on god-powers of the past would be thematically daft; the gods are no longer friends of Kratos and are unlikely to grant him any more power, so his magic will come from somewhere intrinsic, somewhere else.
Additional weapons also await, and Sony Santa Monica promises each weapon will feel completely different to the signature Blades of Chaos, providing real alternatives rather than quick-thrill distractions. The Cestus gauntlets are given as an example; these spout spiked balls on chains from their decorative animal mouths, causing shockwaves that throw enemies back on each hit.
Abilities such as those will come in handy, as Kratos faces much stiffer opposition than ever before. The developer reached around 12 to 15 enemies on-screen in God of War II, and has bumped that number somewhere closer to 50 on PS3. Enemies can also jump on Kratos, eventually weighing him down and smothering him. This can be broken by wiggling the analogue stick.
Multiple baddies will now coordinate attacks, too, or take orders from a commander to organise into formations. And, of course, Kratos will face boss battles.
"You can look at the cast of characters from the end of God of War II, and you can kind of deduce [the bosses] from that," hinted Asmussen. One confirmed battle will be with Hades, who rules the underworld.
Sony Santa Monica went on to confirm that God of War III will not have multiplayer, although DLC remains a possibility for the future.
As far as story is concerned, God of War III will bring the trilogy to a close, but the franchise will live on, although we\'re told it won\'t be "run into the ground".
God of War III is in development exclusively for PlayStation 3. No firm release date has been set. Sigh.
DETAIL 1: Rip off his head - As Kratos tugs on the head of Helios the sun god, senior editor Sid Shuman says, "You\'re in control the whole time; it\'s a quick-time sequence like in the other games." It\'s shocking really, "You can see the fear and anguish in Helios\'s face as Kratos strains to tear his head off." The breaking point occurs when the neck skin tears and stretches, revealing muscle tendons and copious amounts of blood. The camera never looks away.
DETAIL 2: The Golden Fleece - Kratos is still in possession of Jason\'s Golden Fleece from God of War II. As you can see here, the Golden Fleece is majestically rendered in high definition, smattered with blood, and reflects light in real time. The Golden Fleece was used to reflect projectiles in GoW II. In GoW III, however, senior editor Sid Shuman says he did not see this move performed yet, "but wouldn\'t be surprised if it\'s in the game."
DETAIL 3: The Blades of Chaos - The primary weapons of choice, The Blades of Chaos, still remained chained to Kratos\'s wrists and are accompanied by new weapons and items in GoW III. The Cestus, for example, are a pair of huge spring-loaded gauntlets. The Cestus enables Kratos to bully his way up close to enemies, and also grants him a nimbler dodge move that allows him to literally counterpunch incoming attackers.
DETAIL 4: Supreme animation - Kratos\'s facial expressions are hyper detailed with scowls and individually modeled teeth, which he bears often when performing strenuous combos and speaking angrily to the gods. Also, notice the attention to detail on Kratos\'s chipped and broken fingernails.
LOS ANGELES, CA — March 16, 2009 — Image Metrics, which recently provided facial animation for Sony Computer Entertainment America’s God of War® III video game to be released exclusively on the PlayStation®3 system, is introducing new facial rigging services to the video game and film markets. Developed in response to client demand, the services utilize many of Image Metrics’ proprietary technologies as well as the expertise of its in-house rigging specialists to speed facial rig creation and improve the core facial structures essential for producing highly emotive facial animation.
“Rigs serve as the core foundation for the character’s movement and are crucial for creating believable facial animation,” said Michael Starkenburg, Image Metrics’ CEO. “While most game developers will rig a handful of characters per game, our specialists have experience rigging thousands of characters. Image Metrics’ new rigging services take advantage of our expertise in facial animation to optimize the entire facial animation pipeline and quickly bring the faces of one or multiple characters to life.”
While the God of War franchise has traditionally been a particularly brutal series, the developers claim God of War III will push the boundaries to the limit. When showing off the game most recently, the developers over at Santa Monica\'s studio told viewers that "Some of these scenes are so violent, they are never going on the internet - at least, not by us. They\'re just not appropriate for some audiences."
Sony Santa Monica recently showed off God of War III\'s new \'Zipper Technology\', a feature the developers had long wanted to include but never had the power to do so - until they had the PS3. The feature allows enemies\' skin to slice open realistically, allowing for internal organs to spill out depending on the severity of the cut. The Official PlayStation Magazine talks explicitly about seeing Kratos gutting a centaur, with the stomach, guts, and internal intestines oozing out of the wailing beast.
Just hearing that makes me squeamish. Has God of War III gone to far? Is that even possible? God of War III is due out in the fiscal year of 2009, exclusively for the PS3.
God of War I and God of War II to Possibly Come On Blu Ray With GOWIII CE:
In a recent survey, a question was asked based on importance, how God of War 1 and 2 would be on blu ray.
By Michael Ogunnubi - April 15, 2009
Today Sony sent out surveys to select members about the God of War® III – Collector’s Edition. One of the questions was how important would it be that God of War 1 and 2 come on the blu ray disc. This could mean one of two things:
1) Updated visuals and more for God of War 1 and 2
2) Three God of War titles...on one disc!
The option will only happen if its voted one of the most important features but we still would not mind such a cool bundle and it would be such a nice way for the God of War series to go out giving new, and old, players a taste of what is...God of War.
A couple of months ago, Sony put up a poll on the PlayStation Blog asking the fans what they would want in a God of War III Collector’s Edition.
"3. PlayStation is currently hard at work developing the latest God of War title, God of War III. We want to hear from you on what would make the ultimate God of War III Collector’s Edition. Review the items below and rate them in order of how important it would be to have in the Collector’s Edition. Please rate from 1-10. 1 = least important, 10 = most important." Click Read More to see more coverage.
If you scroll down a bit, you\'ll see that one of the choices says God of War I and II on Blu-ray Disc. Now, this is old news, but something else has popped up recently that adds fuel to this fire. According to the Twitter of Marco Delgado, a supposed high ranking Sony employee of Sony Mexico, there will be a God of War Pack that will be released this winter for the PlayStation 3 that includes God of War I, God of War II, and a demo/preview of God of War III.
Now most people will be thinking that backwards compatibility must be returning with this, but if you go back to the survey, it says that the God of War I and II will be on a Blu-ray disc. Now if it is on a Blu-Ray disc, that means one of two things:
1. Sony developed a way for PlayStation 2 discs to be run off Blu-rays.
2. Sony redesigned/recoded the games to work on a PlayStation 3.
Now in my opinion, I think this is one rumor that won\'t come true. It would be very difficult to redesign the games for the PS3, and Sony themselves also said that backwards compatibility will not be returning to the PlayStation 3. What is more likely is that they would do something along the lines of what Kojima did for MGS4 and have a DVD/Blu-ray highlighting the history of the God of War series. Again, this is speculation, but for anyone looking to play God of War I and II on the PlayStation 3, you better either have a PlayStation 2 or a 60 GB PlayStation 3 because this is one rumor that I do not believe will come true.
GP: What was the biggest challenge that came up during the development of God of War 3?
Stig: Well, the biggest challenge is the complexity of everything. Many things that we\'re trying to do in the game crosses multiple departments. What we used to be able to do was get three or four guys in a room, saying "This is what we\'re trying to achieve here," and pretty much rest assured that those guys would be able to go off and make that happen.
Now, the technology is so complicated, and the level of detail that\'s expected is so high and intricate, it crosses multiple departments. So, something that used to take three to four months takes twenty, twenty-five, forty, or even fifty, and requires a level of communication and management that is incredibly complicated.
It could be incredibly small, something you see in the game, like the "Helios Head Rip" for example. That probably involved 15 people to get that one thing done. It took multiple iterations. A lot of that was the process of just learning how to do that, and getting the technology right. And a lot of that process was making sure that the proper communication happened between all those teams of people.
GP: Do you feel pressure to show some restraint when determining the amount of gore to put in God of War 3? How do you know how far to push the overall level of violence?
Stig: Well, I think that with the lightning quick kills, that\'s something that\'s part of Kratos\'s character. We have an opportunity on the PlayStation 3 to make those things really come across.
But we\'ve got to be careful because we\'re treading a fine line, and we want to keep falling into that canonical realm. We always have to make sure that we keep it real personal and in the fiction of the game. When we have these discussions in these meetings about how we execute some of these gory moments, it tends to always get to the point when we\'re laughing about stuff, and I think once we\'re laughing, we\'ve probably pushed it too far. [Laughs]
GP: The demand for providing some sort of multiplayer in games has grown tremendously over the years. Even franchises like Resident Evil, known predominantly for their single-player content, have integrated multiplayer support to satisfy this demand. Have you guys played at all with the possibility of including a multiplayer mode in God of War 3, maybe with co-op? Or is that something that just doesn\'t fit?
Stig: Well, why don\'t I ask you a question? How did it work in Resident Evil 5? Do you think it was better, or do you think they should have stuck to a single-player game?
GP: Well, I thought it took away from the terror, because it\'s a survival-horror game, and you\'re supposed to have this overwhelming feeling that your life is on the line. When you have another player who\'s able to assist you every time you run out of health; that takes away from how scary the game is.
Stig: Hmm, that kind of sets me up for my response, then. I\'m a huge Resident Evil fan, but I got two hours into Resident Evil 5, and I wasn\'t playing multiplayer, either. I stopped playing, which I\'ve never done before. Previously, I\'ve beaten them all. With God of War 3, there\'s a story we want to tell and an experience we want to deliver, and multiplayer doesn\'t fit into that.
Does that mean we don\'t have conversations about multiplayer? No. Of course we have conversations about multiplayer, and there\'s a lot of things we think about.
Imagine two Kratos characters running around at the same time. Once you do that, the story becomes something more about an experience between two players and less about something that we\'re scripting.
So, you have something like Left 4 Dead, which is sweet, but we just decided with this game, there\'s a certain way that we want to tell it. And staying with what we\'ve done in the past, we want to complete the story in a way that was familiar to everybody.
...
Sony has a great post-holiday present for PlayStation 3 owners in the works. If you pick up the Blu-ray release of District 9 on December 29, you’ll have access to an exclusive God of War III demo that’s built into the disc. Once you beat that demo, you’ll also be able to check out a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the game.
“Blu-ray functionality has long been a differentiator that separates the PS3 from other home entertainment systems,” says Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA. “Through this collaboration with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment we\'re able to create a unique experience only available on the PS3 system that blends two of the most popular entertainment options available, watching District 9 and playing God of War III off the same disc.”
The Blu-ray edition of Neill Blomkamp’s movie also includes a digital copy, an interactive map and other special features. It will be available for $39.95. Its’ rated R, which should make Kratos feel right at home.
Sony Santa Monica fills us in on its progress with Kratos\' latest, and maybe final, battle against the gods.
December 8, 2009 - The end is beginning. Kratos\' god-killing adventure is set to receive its third and final installment (for now) this coming March in God of War III, exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Sony\'s Santa Monica studio is hard at work on finishing up development on the game, and though we haven\'t seen anything new from it in some time, that doesn\'t mean the excitement for Kratos\' finale isn\'t still sky-high.
We\'re just as eager as anyone to know more about the game, so we spoke with the director on the title, Sony Santa Monica\'s Stig Asmussen, to find out where it is in development, when we\'ll get our next tease at the game and more.
IGN: How far along is the game?
Stig Asmussen: We are currently in the final stages of development. The entire game is together from start to finish and we\'re working our butts off putting on the finishing touches. We\'ve been conducting external playtests and evaluating and addressing the feedback we\'ve received, doing our best to incorporate it into the game. However, there are a couple of parts that still have pretty big question marks left. We have to do our best to work these out. But that is par for the course on God of War. Things always seem to come together at the end.
Director of God of War III Product Development John Hight has said that future games in the series (not the trilogy) will be dealt with very carefully. In a video interview with GamerVision, Hight said;
"This is not the end of God of War. This is definitely the end of the trilogy, but we\'re going to continue making God of War games, we\'re going to be very careful about what we do. We\'re the keepers of the franchise and we don\'t want to see it ruined"
So although this instalment concludes the trilogy, we\'re sure the Santa Monica team will come out with a couple more beauties.
I\'m self-imposing a media blackout for this game; gotta save some of the "wow" factor for when it\'s out.
There have been a lot of people asking about when God of War III is going to hit store shelves. Well, today I have some good news to share for those of you eagerly awaiting this highly anticipated PS3 exclusive. Kratos fans can get their hands on God of War III beginning Tuesday, March 16! You can pick up the God of War III Ultimate Edition on the very same day, which includes premium collectibles and digital content that is fit for any Spartan warrior. I’m also thrilled to unveil the official box art for God of War III and God of War III Ultimate Edition. Here’s a look…
For those you thirsty for more God of War excitement, on February 11, we’ll be debuting our brand new God of War III trailer exclusively on SPIKE’s GameTrailers TV, so make sure to tune in. And if you’d like to get reacquainted with Kratos and refresh your skills before March 16, the God of War Collection is now ONLY $29.99. This epic deal gets you God of War and God of War II in stunning HD for one low price! Stay tuned for more God of War news as we move closer to launch.
and keighley commonly does a "does this happen at the end of the game?" kind of question. i like the guy, but the questions he asks like hes trying to uncover a story to ruin the game pisses me off sometimes
For the ones who are not getting GOW3 :D huge spoiler !
God of War III First 10 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKV8_NogSUY&feature=player_embedded
12 DAYS TO GO, yesssssssss
metacritic say 94/100 average, and I saw a lot of perfect scores. Anyway it\'s not important, we know it\'s a business and some got paid to give a 7 just to lower metacritic. some dirty $$$ and some mafia exist in videogames too, sadly.
8 days to go !!!!!
God of War 3 has set a new standard in video game visuals, but that\'s only about half of what the PS3 is capable of producing says the game\'s director Stig Asmussen.
Asked by Destructoid if the team at Sony Santa Monica would use the God of War III game engine again, Asmussen said: "Well, I think our studio will use this engine again and it\'ll get better. And I think we\'re probably about 50 or 60 per cent at it right now. I think there\'s a lot more we can do with it."
He also says the team is already improving on what has shipped with God of War III, with improved animations coming in just too late to make the cut.
"I think individually our animations are incredible," he said, "and our animators are incredibly talented. But I think we could make our system technically better, in the way we blend animations. And I\'m pretty sure that we already have the code to do that, and we just didn\'t implement it in God of War III because it came in real late."
Other improvements, said Asmussen, will include better lighting and a more seamless transition from cut-scenes to gameplay.
p
im going to have a hard time not beating this too quickly
I don\'t know why I keep looking at this thread. I just know if I buy it Logan will watch it, get all screwed up in the head and then when my wife leaves me she\'ll use it in court to get epic funds out of me.
Ugh...
God of War III, as can be seen in our review, is a fantastic game. There are niggles, sure, but it felt like a complete, whole experience and a perfect one to round off the current canon. However, it now appears that the game isn’t totally complete, and that there’s a missing (and seemingly quite massive) epilogue chapter after the final few cut-scenes that was cut from the game. According to Santa Monica’s Steve Caterson, that is (via Kotaku).
“Probably the hardest cut was we had a whole kind of epilogue at the end planned that we just never got… just didn’t get,” said the game’s Senior Producer, following with a teasing “maybe later!”
Stig Asmussen chips in too, hinting at a Titan battle: “there was a pretty large thing that we chopped from the ending that I had regrets about,” he said, “but then something we added at the end that helps make up for it a little bit, and helps make it more personal. We had titan encounters in the game, we had a pretty big one planed for the end and we got pretty far with it it, but it was just one of those deals”
“It was to the point where we had to remove one just to invest time in the other ones that we had in the game, to get those right. As far as DLC goes, it might be something we might think about getting out there someday,” Asmussen said. “The pieces are in place, the idea is written. If it’s something we put out there it would be something that would be free.” If the final section of the game is free DLC we’ll be very happy bunnies indeed.
clips, have you got GOW3 ?
I played 1 hour more today, I don\'t want to finish it soon. These beautiful games must not be finished in few days, just my habit.
I have friends who finished Uncharted2 in 2 days, playing all the day, saying they couldn\'t stop playing it.
If I can manage to beat the challenge, i\'ll try to beat the game on Titan mode :D
I knew I wouldn\'t see that ass again once I left her room
Well, I saved her room on the memory list. :) The plus side to this is I get to fight Cronus after! And I feel he\'s the best part of the game!
cerberus that spits out exploding dogs AND those pain in the ass darth maul
I had maxed out the fist lion thing weapon on that part and it didn\'t seem all that bad. you can [] [] [] endlessly the darth maul without getting hit and if they go underground pull them back with L1 + O
What to do with that damn fat monster with chains, which you tear the heart, and destroy it, but he lives again. I must wring the heart more
times consecutively? 3, 4 times ? I\'m playing at Titan, and never played a GOW game before, and I\'m really too busy with Uncharted2; I should put more effort and time on GOW3, if I want to finish it.
Are you talking about Hades himself? Hit and run, hit and run. Patience is the key with this guy. Melee works sometimes but the last hit could get you countered.
BTW, I finished all the challenges. The toughest was the part where I have to be turned to stone 10 times. Jeez. To get the medusas to stone me, I try to grapple, it fails and it makes them use their stoning spell. I press block but intentionally fail the reflect button sequence. This makes me turn to stone faster. Otherwise, the other monsters will attack me when I DO turn to stone and that kills me instantly.
Have you tried the Challenges ?? I took 2 shoot to beat the 1st one. then almost a complete hour of retries without success for the 2nd challenge. This is madness ! but pretty cool :D
As for Titan Mode.. I don\'t know. I died a couple time in boss fight here and there. But none were all that hard. I never died in normal melee. I think I died over 200 times over failed double jump which won\'t change a damn between normal and titan mode :)
You have to kill the flesh you cut out before it gets back to Hades or else you start over again.
Screw it. I\'m spoiling the game.
WARNING: SPOILER!
Why did they include a Guitar Hero mini-game in the story? THAT WAS STUPID! Ugh! And ending was kinda weak. I was kinda expecting a tie in with Christianity....since the flooding, the pestilence, disease....it reminds me of what Moses did to the Egyptians. :)
Yeah i agree....i thought the ending was weak as well....i was expecting a more dramatic and satisfying ending. Not sure where the series can go from here, but at least kratos story is closed.
Yeah i agree....i thought the ending was weak as well....i was expecting a more dramatic and satisfying ending. Not sure where the series can go from here, but at least kratos story is closed.
that would be Hercules(?) which you kill to.