God of War III

Wiki: God of War III Guides

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:23:00 GMT

Guides for God of War III

Blog Post: Undeniably Pretty

Ener — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:29:00 GMT

This game has the best graphics I've ever seen and has a tremendously epic presentation that succeeds in drawing the player into the game with manificent and detailed giant bosses, but it just didn't excite me the way the original did.

The combat is the same polished system used in the other games. In fact, that's the game's largest problem. What was an amazingly fun combat system in 2005 hasn't really evolved. While there are a few variations on the chaos blades, I found that changing the weapon only resulted in small button-press variations; they were really just for flavor. Just-timed blocks do exactly what they did in the other two, and many of the enemies are the same (standard legionnaires, minotauren, gorgons, cyclopes, dive-bombing harpies). I'm not even sure that I can think of any non-trivial enemies besides bosses that are new.

As far as storytelling goes, there are some very nice techniques here. Kratos is really made out to be a monster: from the beautiful (near-sickening) gore to his unpitying barbarism to a new cinematic technique at the end of the first chapter which sets the camera to his victim's perspective. Right from the start, it's clear that whatever obstacles -- friend or enemy-- stand in his way will be killed.

I wasn't too fond of Kratos's quest being discovered futile, and I found the reuse of plot items from the first unoriginal. Why do I have to acquire Pandora's box again? His guilt over his family was a great plot device that, unfortunately, has aged like unrefrigerated milk. And again like the first, the peasants would rather die than accept aid from him. Heard it already! Too, Pandora just didn't hit the spot. He kills a beautiful helpless princess without a second thought, but he treats a young imprisoned demigod as his daughter.

Neither the extras nor the collectibles really did much inspiring, so as incentive to replay the game, that leaves just the Very Hard mode. Like the other god of war games, this is unlocked by beating it on the hard setting, and like the others, this mode is truly challenging. Playing through just the first chapter involved upwards of 40 deaths for me. Killing the Neptunian Hydra-Kraken required perfectly learning its moves and vulnerability periods since it brought death in a maximum of two hits. Most of the checkpoints that were present between phases in Hard mode were removed, making it a masochistic nightmare (in a good way). I am confident that I could beat the rest of the game, but I'm just not excited to. Whatever magic in the original had me refusing to put down the controller until 3-5 hours of kratos clones had finally submit to me just wasn't present. Even the second, while less enthralling, motivated me for a second playthrough on its unlockable difficulty.

The conclusion is that it's a great game, but the team rested on its laurels and made the classic Hollywood fail by confusing a sequel with a lot of special effects, albeit beautiful ones. I've already played this game twice.

Blog Post: Kratos is back and better than ever

manbearpig894 — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:33:00 GMT

When I played the first two God of War games, it blew my mind. The mix of many different genres combined with incredible combat and great boss battles made them maybe the best games on the PS2. I couldn't imagine how God of War 3 could possibly up the ante, but it did that and more. Prepare to go on a god killing spree. Kratos wants revenge and he will not stop until he gets it. Between the crazy boss battles with titans or the incredible boss battle against Poseidon this game will draw you in from the very beginning and you will not want to stop until the credits roll. Right when you think you've seen the best this game has to offer something better happens and blows your mind. I don't think I need to say anything else, if you're reading this and don't already own this game you have to go buy it now. This game is the best exclusive for any console on this generation of consoles and may even be one of the greatest games of all time. Get ready to bring down Olympus in style.

Wiki Page: Boss Guide - Chaos Difficulty

Ian Farris — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 06:41:00 GMT

The bosses in God of War III are somewhat challenging even on God difficulty, and become insanely difficult on Titan and Chaos. Still, they are very much defeatable, and, like anything, can be countered with effective strategy. I'm writing the guide as if the reader is playing Chaos difficulty (the highest) but the general strategy can be used on any difficulty. Note: spoilers ahead, obviously, since I'm going to have to list the bosses.

1st Boss: Hippocamp

Otherwise known as the Water-Crab-Horse-Appendage thing. No, unfortunately you don't ruthlessly slaughter a camp of hippos. But I digress...

The first phase involves a straight-up fight with the Hippocamp, who has a single attack - a water spout. Nonetheless, this will either kill you or leave you very nearly dead on Chaos, so you must dodge every one of these. To accomplish this, stick to either the left or right side of the boss area, then roll to the opposite side whenever the Hippocamp begins to raise and shake it's head. Other than that, keep hacking.

The second phase occurs when Gaia flips her arm in pain. You are now hanging from the arm of Gaia, and the Hippocamp will only attack using either a left-side or right-side claw attack. He broadcasts which side he will attack by raising that side (or lowering, since you are upside-down at this point) for a brief moment. To avoid, simply move to the opposite side while hitting X (which speeds up Kratos). Getting hit will shave off about half of Kratos' health.

After sustaining enough damage, Gaia's arm catches onto a rock on Olympus, and Kratos is left climbing along it. The Hippocamp regains it's massively damaging water spout attack again, while retaining the left-and-right side claw attacks. Stay in the middle of Gaia's arm, hacking away until either the head rises and shakes (which signals a water spout) or either side or the Hippocamp rises up (that side will attack with it's claws). In the event of a claw attack, again, move to the other side. If a water spout attack occurs, simply move horizontally from the position that you were in when the attack animation began.

The fourth phase will occur after enough damage. It's essentially a repeat of the first phase, so repeat that strategy. After thoroughly ruining it's day, a O button command will appear over the Hippocamp's head. Pressing O will initiate a cutscene where you must press the buttons shown quickly enough, or suffer damage and redo the cutscene. Succeeding will take the Hippocamp's jaw off and end the boss fight!

2nd Boss: Hippocamp: Round Two

Far from dead, the Hippocamp is harder than before. In the first phase, the Hippocamp has it's trademark water spout attack, a close range clawing attack, and an attack where it drags itself forward before delivering an unavoidable water spout to Krato's face. For the water spout, just roll out the way (just like every other time). For the close-range claw attack, which is usually delivered mid-combo at a remarkably inconvenient time, pay attention to when the Hippocamp's claws raise sharply and roll directly backwards - this attack has less warning than any others thus far. Finally, when the Hippocamp drags itself forward, stay in the middle where neither of it's claws can hit you, and deal as much damage as possible - if enough damage is sustained, the boss will rear back in pain and not perform the water spout attack. If worst comes to worst, use a magic attack to both deal damage and become invulnerable against the water spout.

You'll get a O prompt, further wounding the Hippocamp. Finishing this context-sensitive cutscene will lead into phase two - which is identical to phase one, save that the boss gains another attack - when it's entire body rises upwards, run away! Afterwards, when it comes crashing down, it will create a shockwave which must be jumped over. Other than that, just hack'n'slash like you were before and a second prompt will appear, which causes Kratos to rip open the chest of the Hippocamp. After this, simply walk up to the ripped-off spike and lob it in the chest, and the Hippocamp is down for the count (or at least until...)

3rd Boss: Poseidon, God of the Sea

The fight against Poseidon starts on Gaia's head, with two Hippocamps (God, those things never die!) clinging to her. You'll need to attack both until each falls off, but Poseidon himself makes that difficult. He has two attacks, and multiple variants of both attacks - he summons lightning (looks like he likes to copy his brother) and attacks with even more Hippocamps which act as extra arms. Whenever the camera zooms to either side, he's going to try to strike you with his Hippocamp-arms. To avoid, simply roll to the other side. His other attack, a lightning strike, will occur shortly after half of Gaia's head is illuminated by a cyan static effect. Roll out of the cyan area to avoid the strikes. He can strike either the top, bottom, left, or right halves in this manner.

After knocking off both Hippocamps, you have to swing to Gaia's hand (R1) and initiate the second phase of the battle - the fight against Poseidon proper. He has four attacks you'll need to look out for, but only two are really a threat. First, he'll raise his fist and pummel the area directly in front of him - this does a lot of damage, but it's so slow that it poses next to no threat. Next, he'll slowly raise his trident and then violently thrust it, which will one-shot you if you don't back up. Again, this attack is very slow, but don't touch the trident - even after he's thrust it into the ground. His next attack involves a three-thrust combo with his trident - he'll attack the area directly in front of him, then the middleground, then reach around to attack the back. I suggest hanging around the back area for the first two hits, then moving to the front for the final attack. His final attack is an arm swipe which deals moderately high damage and is relatively fast. Roll back to avoid this, though I still find it difficult to avoid - it has a long range. Avoid these four attacks and wail on Poseidon in the intermissions between them. When a O prompt appears over his head, climb up the vines and complete the onscreen prompts to advance to phase three.

Phase three is essentially a repeat of phase one, but with harder-to-avoid lightning. Instead of striking one-half of the area, Poseidon now strikes either the left directly followed by the right (or vice versa) or the top third, middle third, and bottom third in sequential order. What this amounts to is that you'll have to roll away from the initial cyan static to avoid the first strike, then roll back to your starting position to avoid the second (and third, if applicable) strikes. Other than that, his Hippocamp attacks are unchanged. So wail on those claws until phase four begins...

Phase four simply involves swinging from claw to claw (R1) and finally hitting a final context-sensitive button at the end to free Gaia's fist. She'll Falcon Punch Poseidon, and Kratos is launched from her arm, going directly through the watery creation of himself which Poseidon made and grabbing the flesh-and-blood god that was within. After the cutscene, simply follow the button presses to watch a satisfyingly gruesome end to the annoying boss.

4th Boss: Hades, God of the Underworld

Hades is definitely the most resilient boss thus far (unless you count all three boss battles as part of the larger Poseidon fight). He has ten phases (more or less, depending on what you define as a 'phase') though fortunately the later ones are much easier. I'm tired, so I'll finish this guide later.

Wiki Page: god of war 3 guide i give credit to vampirehorde on ign.com

Ryan Porter — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 02:08:00 GMT

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+++LATEST UPDATE: More new info on New Game + Glitch
+++LATEST UPDATE: Added list of additional credited submissions


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What it do, nephews! Ready to continue where we last left off from the 
last game? Sure ya are! 


NO MORE CHIT-CHAT, FIGHT!!!


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                       +++   GAMEPLAY CHANGES   +++
               ________   __  __________  __   _____  __
              / ___/ _ | /  |/  / __/ _ \/ /  / _ \ \/ /
             / (_ / __ |/ /|_/ / _// ___/ /__/ __ |\  / 
             \___/_/ |_/_/  /_/___/_/  /____/_/ |_|/_/  

--CONTROLS 

X BUTTON: JUMP/DOUBLE JUMP/SWIM/GLIDE
SQUARE BUTTON: LIGHT ATTACK/DIVE
CIRCLE BUTTON: GRAB
TRIANGLE BUTTON: HARD ATTACK

L1 BUTTON: BLOCK/DEFLECT WITH FLEECE
L2 BUTTON: USE ITEM 
R1 BUTTON: ACTION BUTTON
R2 BUTTON: MAGIC

L3+R3: RAGE OF THE SPARTANS/BLADE OF OLYMPUS


+++SWITCHING BETWEEN ITEMS
When Kratos' obtains items like the Bow Of Apollo, Helios Head, and the 
Hermes Boots, press and hold the L2 Button and then switch items by 
pressing the Square, Triangle, or X Button.


++NEW COMBAT MOVE: THE BATTERING RAM
At the start of the game, Kratos can use a new move called the 
Battering Ram. To use this move, grab an enemy and then press the 
Square Button and then run around the area with the enemy in hand to 
use them as a Battering Ram! This will clear out large groups of 
enemies that swarm around you (which will happen occasionally).

The Battering Ram can also be useful against the big enemies. Pick up a 
soldier and run towards them to quickly decrease their health. Use this 
move when fighting off big enemies like the Centaurs, Minotaurs, 
Cerberus, and Cyclops.


++NEW COMBAT MOVE: THE GRAPPLE PULL
When Kratos receives the Blades of Exile from Athena, he will use a new 
attack called the Grapple Pull. When he does this move, Kratos flings 
his blades at an enemy and then pulls them towards him for a shoulder 
ram. This is probably the single most useful move in Kratos' arsenal of 
moves, so abuse this move! You can even use a combo after he rams the 
enemy to damage them even more!

Almost all of the enemies and bosses are no match for the Grapple Pull, 
so use it in addition to using mixed combos. All four of Kratos' 
weapons (except the Blades Of Athena) can use the Grapple Pull.


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             +++   A LOOKING IN VIEW - THE WALKTHROUGH   +++
    _      _____   __   __ __________ _____  ____  __  _________ __
   | | /| / / _ | / /  / //_/_  __/ // / _ \/ __ \/ / / / ___/ // /
   | |/ |/ / __ |/ /__/ ,<   / / / _  / , _/ /_/ / /_/ / (_ / _  / 
   |__/|__/_/ |_/____/_/|_| /_/ /_//_/_/|_|\____/\____/\___/_//_/  

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+++AREA: GAIA
                          _________    _______ 
                         / ____/   |  /  _/   |
                        / / __/ /| |  / // /| |
                       / /_/ / ___ |_/ // ___ |
                       \____/_/  |_/___/_/  |_|

Re-acquaint yourself with the controls and practice your fighting 
skills against the enemies that show up. For faster results, use 
Kratos' new ability called the Battering Ram.

To clear away multiple numbers of enemies, grab the one baddie with the 
Circle button and then press and hold the Square Button while running 
around to use him as a Battering Ram. By using this move, you can clear 
out large groups pretty quickly! Defeat the group to trigger a 
cutscene.


CUTSCENE


After Gaia clears the flaming path, approach it and press the R1 Button 
and then rapidly tap the Circle Button to lift the tree trunk. Clear 
out all the enemies in the way and then work your way up the hill to 
meet a new sub-boss!


--SUB-BOSS BATTLE: LEVIATHAN - PART 1
              __   _____   _________ ________ _____   _  __
             / /  / __/ | / /  _/ _ /_  __/ // / _ | / |/ /
            / /__/ _/ | |/ // // __ |/ / / _  / __ |/    / 
           /____/___/ |___/___/_/ |_/_/ /_//_/_/ |_/_/|_/  


This giant horsey-crab hybrid may look like a toughie, but with your 
skills, it's just a walk in the park. To damage the enemy quickly, use 
double jumps and attack from the air. Dodge the horsey's water breath 
by rolling away to the left or right. 

Continue to damage the horsey until the next part where Kratos hangs 
from the ceiling. Move towards the horse and continue to swing at it 
while moving from its claw swipes.

When the perspective changes again, climb UP the wall to the top and 
continue to damage the horsey with hard attacks. As you continually 
damage it, the horse will finally keel over and the Circle Button will 
appear above its head. Activate the Context Buttons to start the first 
SPECIAL ATTACK Sequence. Press the FOUR buttons that appear onscreen to 
complete the battle.


+++AREA: MT. OLYMPUS
        __  _________      ____  ____  ____  _______  __  _______
       /  |/  /_  __/     / __ \/ /\ \/ /  |/  / __ \/ / / / ___/
      / /|_/ / / /       / / / / /  \  / /|_/ / /_/ / / / /\__ \ 
     / /  / / / /  _    / /_/ / /___/ / /  / / ____/ /_/ /___/ / 
    /_/  /_/ /_/  (_)   \____/_____/_/_/  /_/_/    \____//____/  


Climb to the right side and work your way to the top of the area. 
Approach the chest to obtain some goodies. Now use the Ledge Climb to 
traverse along the nearby ledge to the other side.

As Gaia takes damage, continue to shimmy the ledge to the next area. 
Disperse the baddies waiting for you by using the Battering Ram move to 
clear out the area.

Take the nearby ladder to the top of the cliff with more enemies. 
Again, 
use the Battering Ram move to clear them all out. Open the GREEN chest 
if you need to and then jump to the nearby ledge and use the GRAPPLE 
move to jump to the other side.

Clear out more enemies with the Battering Ram move and then take the 
ladder up. Climb up and then jump to the left to grab the ledge. Shimmy 
all the way to the left. Climb up all the way to the top to trigger a 
cutscene with Gaia.


+++AREA: TOMB OF ARES
       __________  __  ______    ____  ____  ___   ___  ________
      /_  __/ __ \/  |/  / _ )  / __ \/ __/ / _ | / _ \/ __/ __/
       / / / /_/ / /|_/ / _  | / /_/ / _/  / __ |/ , _/ _/_\ \  
      /_/  \____/_/  /_/____/  \____/_/   /_/ |_/_/|_/___/___/  


Unfortunately, you cannot help Gaia from this ledge, so continue up the 
path and use the ICARUS GLIDE and float to the next ledge. Open the 
giant door to enter the Tomb Of Ares.

A new enemy emerges from inside: the Guardian Centaur! To avoid getting 
badly damaged, use defensive tactics. Block his attacks and then swing 
a bevy of hard attacks to damage him quickly.

After a series of hard attacks, the Circle button will float above the 
Centaur's head, so activate the SPECIAL ATTACK sequence and press the 
FOUR Context Sensitive buttons to kill him off. Clear out the remaining 
baddies by using them as Battering Rams.


--PUZZLE: THE ELEVATOR PUZZLE

If you can't figure this simple puzzle out within a few seconds, then 
you must be relatively new, otherwise, this one is a cinch! Activate 
the nearby lever to move the elevator platform. Climb the ladder to the 
top and get on the platform. When it moves to the next side, double-
jump off to find the very first SAVE POINT!


SAVE GAME


Work your way up the hall and open the metal gate. The Leviathan's claw 
will come crashing down, so rapidly tap the Circle Button to fend it 
off and trigger the next battle.


--SUB-BOSS BATTLE: LEVIATHAN - PART 2
              __   _____   _________ ________ _____   _  __
             / /  / __/ | / /  _/ _ /_  __/ // / _ | / |/ /
            / /__/ _/ | |/ // // __ |/ / / _  / __ |/    / 
           /____/___/ |___/___/_/ |_/_/ /_//_/_/ |_/_/|_/  

For this battle, you'll have to watch out for the horsey's giant claws. 
Use lots of hard attacks while dodging those claws. After lots of 
damage, the Circle Button appears, so activate the SPECIAL ATTACK and 
press the THREE Context Buttons and then rapidly tap the Circle Button 
to destroy the claw.

The claw will be sitting on the let side of the screen but DO NOT 
access it yet! Continue to damage the horsey while dodging its water 
breath and claw swipes. Use a mixture of aerial attacks to damage it 
faster! After more damage is caused, activate the SPECIAL ATTACK and 
rapidly tap the L1+R1 buttons to open up its chest.

Approach the large claw and the swing it towards its chest to end this 
part of the battle.


+++AREA: HEART OF GAIA
       __ _________   ___  ______  ____  ____  ________   _______ 
      / // / __/ _ | / _ \/_  __/ / __ \/ __/ / ___/ _ | /  _/ _ |
     / _  / _// __ |/ , _/ / /   / /_/ / _/  / (_ / __ |_/ // __ |
    /_//_/___/_/ |_/_/|_| /_/    \____/_/    \___/_/ |_/___/_/ |_|


The area is empty, so just approach the next area and shimmy between 
the cracks to the other side. Climb and shimmy through the branches 
until you reach Gaia's heart.


--GODLY POSSESSION #1: ZEUS' EAGLE
There is a nice prize in this area! To the right side of Gaia's heart 
are some vines to climb. Climb up those vines and go to the top to find 
a nice shiny object, Zeus' Eagle! This item will grant Infinite Rage Of 
The Spartans on a repeat playthrough.


Now, on to our first puzzle!


--PUZZLE: THE ROTATING STONE PUZZLE

See that shining object on the right side wall? Grab hold of it and 
pull the giant rock wall out. Rotate the wall 180 degrees (use the 
Right Analog Stick) and then move it to the left side of the area. 
Place the wall in between the empty crevasse to solve the puzzle!

Now climb the vines to the top and then grapple to the next area. Climb 
to the top to encounter more enemies. Clear them out and continue down 
the path to find more vines.

Jump and grapple higher while clearing more enemies all the way to the 
top to trigger the first boss battle!


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--BOSS BATTLE: POSEIDON
              ____  ____  _____ ______________  ____  _   __
             / __ \/ __ \/ ___// ____/  _/ __ \/ __ \/ | / /
            / /_/ / / / /\__ \/ __/  / // / / / / / /  |/ / 
           / ____/ /_/ /___/ / /____/ // /_/ / /_/ / /|  /  
          /_/    \____//____/_____/___/_____/\____/_/ |_/   

First thing's first, damage the giant claws on the left and right side 
of the area. Watch out for Poseidon's electric attacks and claw swipes! 
Damage all the claws to trigger the next sequence.

Grapple on to Gaia's hand to face Poseidon. Dodge his Trident and wait 
for him to pull away. Attack him with hard combos while dodging his 
attacks. After lots of damage is dealt, Poseidon will keel over, so 
climb to the top above his head (use the nearby cliff) and activate the 
SPECIAL ATTACK.

Press the TWO Context buttons and then rapidly tap the Circle button 
and then ONE more Context button to trigger the second sequence. Damage 
the claws until they are all off. Grapple THREE times and then press 
the Context button to complete the battle!


--OBJECTIVE: KILL POSEIDON

Activate the SPECIAL ATTACK sequence and press the SEVEN Context 
Buttons to beat Poseidon to a bloody pulp. Complete the sequence by 
pressing the L3+R3 Buttons to end the battle.


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Approach the Save Point to save your progress.


SAVE GAME


Jump onto Gaia's hand to trigger the next cutscene.


CUTSCENE


+++AREA: THE RIVER STYX
          ____  _____    ____________     _____________  ___  __
         / __ \/  _/ |  / / ____/ __ \   / ___/_  __/\ \/ / |/ /
        / /_/ // / | | / / __/ / /_/ /   \__ \ / /    \  /|   / 
       / _, _// /  | |/ / /___/ _, _/   ___/ // /     / //   |  
      /_/ |_/___/  |___/_____/_/ |_|   /____//_/     /_//_/|_|  

As you swim the river, Kratos will lose all of his abilities. His 
health will be cut in half and his magic will completely be taken away. 
Swim to the other side and walk to the next area.


+++AREA: REALM OF HADES
    ___  _______   __   __  ___  ____  ____  __ _____   ___  ________
   / _ \/ __/ _ | / /  /  |/  / / __ \/ __/ / // / _ | / _ \/ __/ __/
  / , _/ _// __ |/ /__/ /|_/ / / /_/ / _/  / _  / __ |/ // / _/_\ \  
 /_/|_/___/_/ |_/____/_/  /_/  \____/_/   /_//_/_/ |_/____/___/___/  


After the cutscene, use the grapple to the next area and clear out the 
enemies. Use Kratos' new move called the Grapple Pull to gain an edge 
on the enemies. The Grapple Pull is a great move for bigger enemies and 
can slow them down. Press the L1+Circle Button to grapple in closer 
with a shoulder ram.


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #1
In this area with the non-working portal, there is a Gorgon Eye chest 
at the bottom! There is a set of vines just near where you landed from 
the grapple point. Slide down the vines and find the chest around the 
corner for the first Gorgon Eye!


Clear the area of the baddies and approach the Save Point.


SAVE GAME

There are two areas to explore. The area on the left contains a series 
of chests. If you want to grab those items, then do it. Otherwise, 
continue on to the right side to encounter a series of enemies.


--OBJECTIVE: USE THE ARMY OF SPARTA TO CLEAR THE AREA

In this sequence, Kratos will have temporary Infinite Magic, so summon 
forth those Spartan boys and use them to kill off all the enemies that 
appear. From there, jump up to the large chain and shimmy to the other 
side. Kill off all the enemies on the chain and jump to the platform.


Collect all the goodies and then continue down the platform towards the 
large double-doors. Open the large doors to encounter a familiar enemy.


++AREA: GORGON ARENA
       _________  ___  _________  _  __  ___   ___  _____  _____ 
      / ___/ __ \/ _ \/ ___/ __ \/ |/ / / _ | / _ \/ __/ |/ / _ |
     / (_ / /_/ / , _/ (_ / /_/ /    / / __ |/ , _/ _//    / __ |
     \___/\____/_/|_|\___/\____/_/|_/ /_/ |_/_/|_/___/_/|_/_/ |_|

This battle consists of a Gorgon and lots of lackeys. Use defensive 
rolls to roll away from her Gorgon stare and use blocks for her tail 
swipes. Damage her with hard combos and then kill it off with the 
SPECIAL ATTACK.

Kill off both Gorgon enemies and then clear out the other baddies in 
any way you want. Open the doors and enter the next area. Traverse the 
cave and enter the next area.


++AREA: PEIRITHOUS CHAMBER
            ___  ___________  ____________ ______  __  ______
           / _ \/ __/  _/ _ \/  _/_  __/ // / __ \/ / / / __/
          / ___/ _/_/ // , _// /  / / / _  / /_/ / /_/ /\ \  
         /_/  /___/___/_/|_/___/ /_/ /_//_/\____/\____/___/  

                  _______ _____   __  ______  _______ 
                 / ___/ // / _ | /  |/  / _ )/ __/ _ \
                / /__/ _  / __ |/ /|_/ / _  / _// , _/
                \___/_//_/_/ |_/_/  /_/____/___/_/|_| 


In this area, you'll find Peirithous bound to a chair behind a wall of 
Bramble (red roots) and a caged fire-breathing Cerberus on the other 
side. Yup, it's time for your first REAL puzzle!


--PUZZLE: THE BURNING BRAMBLE PUZZLE

First, jump up the ledge and jump on the large platform above 
Peirithous. This will lower the platform and open the gates on the 
other side. 

See that ledge across from you? Glide on towards that ledge to find a 
large wicker pot of Bramble. Grab the wicker and push it out to the 
floor below. Now drag the wicker pot towards the fire-breathing 
Cerberus and place the pot in front of the cage to light it up!

Leave the burning bramble near the cage and go back to the platform 
above Peirithous. Jump on the platform to open the gates above the 
caged Cerberus. From there, quickly run towards the cage and use the 
burning Bramble to float higher towards the open cage above.

Now activate the lever to open the Cerberus cage. Jump down and damage 
the Cerberus until the Context buttons appear. Press those buttons and 
Kratos will mount onto Cerberus!

Guide Cerberus towards Peirithous (burn all the enemies in the way) and 
use a fireball attack on Peirithous to complete the puzzle and gain a 
new weapon: the BOW OF APOLLO.


From this point, Kratos can use the Bow Of Apollo to burn any bramble 
that he sees. Press and hold the L2+Square Button to fire up a charged 
arrow and then release it to burn off the bramble.


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #1
There is a Phoenix Feather inside the Peirithous Chamber! At the other 
end near the Cerberus cage, there is some Bramble above one of the 
cages, do you see it? Fire a charged arrow at it to burn off the 
Bramble and then use the smoke from the wicker to float higher. Glide 
towards the newly opened ledge to find the PHOENIX FEATHER.


Exit the chamber and burn off the Bramble to reveal the Save Point!


SAVE GAME


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #1
Enter the next area to see some chests and some Bramble. Shoot an arrow 
at the Bramble to find a chest with a Minotaur Horn! From there, 
continue up the hall to the next area.


--OBJECTIVE: KILL THE HARPIES

A bunch of flying rodents will appear in this area. Use grab moves to 
make short work of the harpies. Grab them on the ground and grab them 
in the air to kill them faster.

When the area is cleared, continue down the hall and jump and glide to 
the bottom platform. From there, shimmy on the walls to the top of the 
area, BUT WAIT!


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #2
As you jump from wall-to-wall, you will see a waterfall on the LEFT 
side, do you see it? As you reach the top ledge, shimmy all the way to 
the left and jump over the waterfall to find a chest with a Gorgon Eye! 
AWESOME! Now go back to where you were and shimmy all the way to the 
top of the area.


Climb your way to the top and then jump and climb the large pillar to 
the next area.


+++AREA: JUDGES OF THE UNDERWORLD
          ____  _____  _____________  ____  ____  ________ ______
      __ / / / / / _ \/ ___/ __/ __/ / __ \/ __/ /_  __/ // / __/
     / // / /_/ / // / (_ / _/_\ \  / /_/ / _/    / / / _  / _/  
     \___/\____/____/\___/___/___/  \____/_/     /_/ /_//_/___/  

         __  ___  _____  _______ _      ______  ___  __   ___ 
        / / / / |/ / _ \/ __/ _ \ | /| / / __ \/ _ \/ /  / _ \
       / /_/ /    / // / _// , _/ |/ |/ / /_/ / , _/ /__/ // /
       \____/_/|_/____/___/_/|_||__/|__/\____/_/|_/____/____/ 


Jump and grapple towards the next platform but DO NOT inspect the 
circular plate just yet!


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #3
Make your way towards the giant ledge (with the pedestal). To the left 
side of the pedestal is a broken stairway. Glide towards that next 
ledge to find a chest with a Gorgon Eye at the back wall! YEAH!


Jump back to the giant ledge and approach the circular plate and 
inspect it.


--OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE THE THREE TRIALS OF EREBUS

Approach the pedestal with the book and read it to start the trials. 
All three trials consist of the same thing: kill, kill, kill!

During the trial, you will encounter a new big enemy: the Minotaur. 
These guys are quite tough and like to use uppercuts. But the quickest 
way to dispatch them is to use the Combat Grapple attack.

Press the L1+Circle button to grapple onto the Minotaur and ram him 
with your shoulder (followed by hard combo attacks). When prompted, 
kill him off by rapidly tapping the Circle Button. Complete all three 
trials by killing all the Gorgon, Minotaurs, harpies, etc.

From there, approach the circular plate and step on top of it to 
trigger a cutscene.


CUTSCENE


After the cutscene, approach the Save Point on the left side.


SAVE GAME

Enter thru the portal on the right side to enter the top of the area. 
There is nothing to do in the upper area, so simply make your way to 
the other side.

Slice down the Minotaurs that show up and continue past the gaps until 
you reach the Bronze statue.


CUTSCENE


Jump towards the large chain and shimmy to the other side. There are no 
enemies here, so keep going and then jump down to the ledge. Continue 
down the path and shimmy in between the large crevasse to the other 
side. Work your way up the hall while eliminating some baddies until 
you reach a dead end.


--PUZZLE: THE FLAMING HOT ELEVATOR PUZZLE

First thing's first! Shoot a charged arrow at the Bramble to light it 
up. Jump on top of the hot heat and glide to the top of the area. 
Eliminate the enemies that appear and then activate the lever to bring 
down the elevator.

Quickly jump on the elevator and then exit the upper ledge. Towards the 
wall is a large Bramble wicker pot. Grab that thing and pull it out. 
Slice up the baddies and then jump down to the elevator below.

Activate the lever again and jump on the elevator. Grab the wicker pot 
and slide it to the elevator. Again, slice up the enemies that appear 
and then drag the wicker pot and kick it to the lower area (with all 
the smoke) to light it up even more! Now jump down to the bottom and 
then glide up to the platform above to lower it. 


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #2
Climb to the top of the platform and open the door in front of you. A 
big gang of demon hands will block your way, so slice them down and 
then approach the two chests for goodies including a PHOENIX FEATHER!

Now go back out and glide all the way to the very top of the area. 
Traverse the halls and go all the way to the top.


+++AREA: PIT OF TARTARUS
                       ___  __________  ____  ____
                      / _ \/  _/_  __/ / __ \/ __/
                     / ___// /  / /   / /_/ / _/  
                    /_/  /___/ /_/    \____/_/    

             _________   ___  _________   ___  __  ______
            /_  __/ _ | / _ \/_  __/ _ | / _ \/ / / / __/
             / / / __ |/ , _/ / / / __ |/ , _/ /_/ /\ \  
            /_/ /_/ |_/_/|_| /_/ /_/ |_/_/|_|\____/___/  

Approach the pedestal and read the book. After you read the book, all 
the statues with the hammers will come to life! These Hammer dudes are 
quite strong but only have limited attacks.

Kratos can block their Hammer swipes if he isn't countering. To defeat 
them, use the Grapple Pull+Square button to make short work of these 
guys. Be defensive when fighting these guys and they should be no 
problem to defeat. Just be sure not to press the wrong Context button!

When the area is clear, continue down the stairs to a new area.


+++AREA: THE FORGE
               ________ ______  ________  ___  _________
              /_  __/ // / __/ / __/ __ \/ _ \/ ___/ __/
               / / / _  / _/  / _// /_/ / , _/ (_ / _/  
              /_/ /_//_/___/ /_/  \____/_/|_|\___/___/  

Make your way up the stairs to encounter Hephaestus.


CUTSCENE


After the cutscene, make a right turn to find the Save Point. 


SAVE GAME


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #4
Before you do anything, go to the opposite side of the room. You will 
see a large door with a Hades engraving on it. To the left side of the 
door is a well-hidden chest with the Gorgon Eye, so open it up!


Activate the lever next to the Save Point to open the door at the 
bottom of the stairs. Make your way downstairs to the large rotating 
room. Rotate the crank all the way until it stops at the Bramble 
blocking the way (there is another secret area you can access when 
rotating the crank that contains a whole bunch of dogs and two chests).


--OBJECTIVE: OBTAIN THE BLADE OF OLYMPUS

Shoot the Bramble with an arrow to clear the way. Navigate the path all 
the way to the bottom to trigger a cutscene.


CUTSCENE


With the Blade Of Olympus on hand, activate the RAGE OF THE SPARTANS 
and destroy all the enemies that show up. When the area is cleared, 
jump down to the bottom and grapple towards the Save Point. Clear out 
the enemies first and SAVE if you need to.


--OBJECTIVE: OPEN THE DOOR OF HADES

As you make your way towards the large doors, use a charged arrow to 
burn the Bramble blocking the doorway and to trigger a small battle 
with two Cerberus dogs.

These dogs aren't so tough! Simply abuse the Grapple Pull+Square Button 
attack while blocking their fireballs. Use Context buttons to kill off 
both mongrels. From there, open the doors and enter the next area.

More baddies and doggies will show up for a party, so slice them down 
to clear them out and then open the doorway and head up the stairs.


+++AREA: PALACE OF HADES
               ___  ___   __   ___  _________  ____  ____
              / _ \/ _ | / /  / _ |/ ___/ __/ / __ \/ __/
             / ___/ __ |/ /__/ __ / /__/ _/  / /_/ / _/  
            /_/  /_/ |_/____/_/ |_\___/___/  \____/_/    

                        __ _____   ___  ________
                       / // / _ | / _ \/ __/ __/
                      / _  / __ |/ // / _/_\ \  
                     /_//_/_/ |_/____/___/___/  


--PUZZLE: THE HADES STATUE PUZZLE - PART 1

This puzzle comes in two parts (that's what she said). First, you need 
to open the doorway on the second floor. There is a large wheel on the 
left side of the room and a large crate of flat tiles on the right side 
of the area.

Grab the crate of tiles on the right side and drag it towards the large 
wheel. Kill off the harpies and then activate the wheel to open the 
doors on the second floor. From there, quickly grab the crate of tiles 
and place it UNDER the wheel so that it doesn't rotate back.

Climb up the large white tree and jump on the second floor. Enter the 
doorway to trigger some Minotaurs and other baddies. Slice them all 
down to clear the area. Make your way up the halls to the third floor 
with the Hades statue.


--PUZZLE: THE HADES STATUE PUZZLE - PART 2

And now comes the tedious part. Rotate the crank to bring up a coffin. 
After the cutscene, press the R1 button to activate ladders on both 
sides of the room. Eliminate the enemies to clear the area first!


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #3
Before you do anything, take the path to the left and all the way to 
the back. There is a hidden ladder that leads to the top of the statue 
where you will find a chest with a Phoenix Feather! Now jump back down.


Take the ladder on the LEFT side of the room and climb it to the top. 
DO NOT touch anything in the room yet! Instead approach the nearby 
lever to lower the platform back to the first floor.

Open the metal gate and grab the crate of tiles (slice up the Harpies 
first) and drag the crate back to the platform and then pull the lever 
and go back up.

At the top, drag the crate near the large wheel. From here, go back 
down to the large crank and rotate it. Quickly climb the LEFT ladder 
again and activate the wheel to clasp Hades' right hand. From there, 
quickly drag the crate of tiles UNDER the wheel to keep it from moving.


WHEW, now for the right side of the room! Go back down towards the 
crank and rotate it all the way around. From there, take the ladder on 
the RIGHT side to the top. Activate the nearby wheel n the room to 
solve the puzzle! 


From here, I suggest you go back down to the first floor and SAVE your 
game because the next part will be a boss battle.


SAVE GAME


With the puzzle solved, approach the coffin in front of the pedestal 
and press R1 to open up the path and trigger a boss battle!


=======================================================================
=======================================================================


--BOSS BATTLE: HADES
                      __  _____    ____  ___________
                     / / / /   |  / __ \/ ____/ ___/
                    / /_/ / /| | / / / / __/  \__ \ 
                   / __  / ___ |/ /_/ / /___ ___/ / 
                  /_/ /_/_/  |_/_____/_____//____/  

After the cutscene, rapidly tap the L1+R1 buttons to avoid getting your 
soul stolen! The battle with Hades is a 5-part affair, so be ready for 
a lengthy and brutally bloody battle!

Hades has a big collection of attacks in his arsenal. He uses his claw 
weapons and likes to use his stomp attack. A lot. All of these simple 
attacks can be evade and blocked, so be ready roll away from him when 
he starts flinging the claws.


--HADES SPECIAL ATTACKS
Hades also has FOUR (count 'em, FOUR) Special attacks that he uses. 

GRAPPLE ATTACK
The first one is his Grapple attack. After damage is dealt to him, he 
grapples to the ceiling and jumps down for a tremor attack. To avoid 
damage, double-jump just before he lands on the floor.

HELL AWAITS
The second Special move is his "Hell Awaits" chain attack where he 
summons a billion chains from the floor. To avoid damage for this one, 
the entire floor will turn black except for one small area. Quickly 
roll towards that little area to avoid getting shanked.

CHAIN SPIKE
His third Special attack is his Chain Spike attack where he sticks both 
chains on the ground and spikes protrude all over the arena. To avoid 
damage for this, simply run around in a circular motion until he stops 
the attack.

SOUL SUMMON
For this attack, he summons three floating heads to come after you. 
Simply attack these souls to disperse them.


--BOSS TACTICS PARTS 1-3
The battle with the Hades starts off as a 3-part battle followed by two 
more waves. To damage him properly, abuse the Grapple Pull+Square 
Button attack. Dodge all his attacks I mentioned above until the 
Context button appears.

Approach him and rapidly tap the Circle Button to rip out a shred of 
his skin. After the skin chunk is ripped out, quickly approach that 
piece of flesh and destroy it! From there, continue to dodge Hades' 
attacks and repeat this strategy TWO more times!


--BOSS TACTICS PARTS 4-5
After the third time, Kratos and Hades will enter a tug-of-war match 
with their weapons. Keep using hard attacks (while avoiding getting 
thrown into the water) until the Circle Button appears above his head.

Press the Context button and rapidly tap the Circle Button to end the 
fourth wave. With the Hades Claws in hand, slay all the soldiers that 
appear and Hades will appear ONE more time.

In the final wave, evade Hades' hand attacks by grappling behind. Use 
the Grapple Point on the upper left or right sides and get behind him 
and pound all those combos on him. There's no tricky part, so just 
damage him until he keels over. From there, complete the Context 
buttons to defeat Hades!


=======================================================================
=======================================================================


After the battle with Hades, Save your game!


SAVE GAME


--GODLY POSSESSION #2: HADES' HELM
Dive into the water and swim all the way down to the bottom to find the 
HADES' HELM item! Now swim to the other side and jump out.


--OBJECTIVE: USE THE SOUL SUMMON ATTACK

Clear out all the baddies using the Soul Summon Magic. Once that's 
done, 
dive into the water and swim to the next area and dive out. Activate 
the lever and then swim to the other side and dive out back to the 
Forge area.


+++AREA: THE FORGE

--OBJECTIVE: GET THE HELL OUTTA DODGE

After the cutscene, make your way back down the stairs of the Forge to 
the rotating crank room. As you rotate the crank, the Hammer dudes will 
come to life, so clear them out with your hot Hades Claws! Clear them 
out and then rotate the crank all the way around.

Exit the area and jump and grapple towards the open portal on the other 
side of the Realm. Clear out the archers and then approach the portal 
to return back to Olympia.


+++AREA: THE CITY OF OLYMPIA
                   _________________  __  ____  ____
                  / ___/  _/_  __/\ \/ / / __ \/ __/
                 / /___/ /  / /    \  / / /_/ / _/  
                 \___/___/ /_/     /_/  \____/_/    

                   ____  ____  ____  ______  _______ 
                  / __ \/ /\ \/ /  |/  / _ \/  _/ _ |
                 / /_/ / /__\  / /|_/ / ___// // __ |
                 \____/____//_/_/  /_/_/  /___/_/ |_|


--OBJECTIVE: RELEASE GAIA

Make your way around the bridge to encounter Gaia. After the cutscene, 
approach her arm and slice it off. From there, clear the path by 
shoving her hand outta the way to clear the area. Approach the doorway 
to trigger a battle.


--OBJECTIVE: OPEN THE DOOR TO OLYMPIA

A whole bunch of Olympian enemies will appear. Slice down every single 
one of them and the doors will open. Enter inside to a dark cavern.


--OBJECTIVE: CROSS THE GAPS USING THE HARPIES

Follow the instructions and shoot the Harpy. When it gets close, 
grapple the Harpy and fly towards the next higher ledge. Now go around 
the corner and cross the next gap using the Harpies.

You do NOT have to hold the R1+O Button when hanging from the Harpy! 
Press the jump button when the next Harpy is close by and Kratos will 
automatically jump and grab it. 


--ITEM: POWER-UP CHESTS
After you land on the upper ledge, look across to see an upper ledge 
with some chests. You cannot reach these without using a Harpy. A Harpy 
will spawn nearby, so grapple onto it and fly towards the ledge. 
Careful because you can still fall down the giant gap! Open the chests 
for some hot goodies!


SAVE GAME


++AREA: ROOFTOPS

Make it to the other side of the cavern to the end. Glide towards the 
adjacent rooftop to encounter another stream of soldiers. Once a whole 
bunch of the baddies has been destroyed, a Centaur jumps out!

To weaken the Centaur quickly, you can use the Grapple Pull attack OR 
you can damage one of the soldiers and then grab and use them as a 
Battering Ram towards the Centaur. Keep using soldiers as Battering 
Rams to weaken him and the Context buttons will appear! Defeat the 
Centaur with a gruesome finisher to open up the next area.


++AREA: UPPER ROOFTOPS

--MAIN OBJECTIVE: USE THE GIANT STRONGBOW ON HELIOS

After the Centaur is dead, make your way up to the upper roof walkway 
to encounter a Titan. Approach the large strongbow to trigger another 
enemy battle!


--OBJECTIVE: DEFEAT THE CHIMERA

This hybrid enemy may seem tough, but you just need to be defensive to 
defeat it! The battle is in three parts: you have to kill the Snake 
tail, then the Lion's head, and then the Ram's head.

Block the Snake's melee attacks and then counter back with a hard 
combo. Use the Grapple Pull +Square Combo for more damage.  Repeat this 
tactic and the Circle button will appear above its head after lots of 
hits. Grab it and finish it off! 

When fighting the Lion's head, use lots of evasive maneuvers! The Lion 
likes to use fireballs, so block and then counter. Defeat the Lion's 
head and then it'll be just the Ram's head.

The Ram is a bit tricky because it likes to jump away and then charge 
at you (because it's a RAM!). Just Grapple Pull to get closer to him 
and pound the hard combos until the Circle buttons appears. You know 
what to do from there.

Once the hybrid beast is dead, approach the Strongbow and activate it. 
Hold for a few seconds and wait for Helios (the flaming one on the 
flying chariot) to fly within shooting distance of the arrow and then 
fling an arrow at him. If done correctly, Helios will stumble and the 
Titan will grab him.


--MAIN OBJECTIVE: FIND HELIOS, THE SUN GOD

--OBJECTIVE: CROSS THE CHASM

Refill on health and then go back down to the rooftops. See those 
Harpies across the chasm? Shoot the first one and then grapple it. Jump 
from Harpy to Harpy until you reach the other side.


++AREA: OUTER SANCTUM

Defeat all the baddies that show up to clear the area. From there, 
enter the large hallway to encounter a larger gang of baddies. Use the 
Battering Ram move on all of them to clear them out.

With the hallways cleared, open all the chests for some goodies and 
then exit the sanctum outside. Cross the bridge and then jump on the 
ledge next to the doorway and climb up.

Shimmy to the other end of the burning building to encounter a 
civilian. 
Press the Circle button to get him out of the way and then press the R1 
Button to shimmy down past the open flames. Jump up past the flames and 
continue to shimmy towards the end. Jump to the top of the building to 
trigger a cutscene.


++AREA: CAVERN ENTRANCE

--OBJECTIVE: OBTAIN THE HEAD OF HELIOS

A group of shielded soldiers will encircle around Helios to guard him. 
After a few combos, a new enemy pops out!

The Cyclops is a strong beast and can really frustrate you with its 
constant cheap attacks. But all you have to do is stay defensive and 
evade behind him. Roll away from its club attacks and get behind him 
and then pound those combos!

Another thing you can do is use the soldiers for a Battering Ram. After 
lots of damage is done, the Circle Button will appear above its head. 
Grab the Cyclops and press the Context buttons to ride that thing! When 
Kratos is on top of the Cyclops, he can temporarily control its actions 
to attack the soldiers. Clear out the soldiers and then when prompted, 
kill the Cyclops with the Context buttons.

When the area is cleared, refill on health and then approach Helios to 
trigger a cutscene. 


CUTSCENE


--OBJECTIVE: BLOCK THE SUNLIGHT

After Helios screams "Feel the power of the Sun!" Kratos will not be 
able to see in front of him. Use the Right Analog Stick to move Kratos' 
right hand to block the sunlight. Keep moving his hand to block the 
bright light until Kratos moves in closer for the kill.

When he's close, use the Context buttons to kill Helios and rip out his 
head. From here, you can use the Helios Head to find secret chests and 
secret paths! Woo-hoo!


--GODLY POSSESSIONS #3: HELIOS' SHIELD
To the immediate right side of Helios' dead body is his shield. Grab 
the item to obtain the Helios' Shield. This item enables you to have 
triple amount of combos.


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #2
Whenever you see floating gold dust in a certain area, use the Helios 
Head and shine a bright light to reveal a secret chest. Speaking of 
which, there is some gold dust just across from Helios' dead body. Use 
the Helios Head to reveal the chest with a Minotaur Horn!


--OBJECTIVE: USE THE HEAD OF HELIOS TO FIND THE SECRET PATH

Now stand in front of the large rock wall behind Helios' dead body and 
take out the Helios Head. Press and hold the L2 Button to reveal a 
metal door behind the wall. Keep moving the head around the wall until 
the whole door appears.

Enter the cavern and bust out the Helios Head to light the way. Slice 
up the enemies that show up and make your way to the other side.


+++AREA: THE PATH OF EOS
            ___  ___ ________ __  ____  ____  ________  ____
           / _ \/ _ /_  __/ // / / __ \/ __/ / __/ __ \/ __/
          / ___/ __ |/ / / _  / / /_/ / _/  / _// /_/ /\ \  
         /_/  /_/ |_/_/ /_//_/  \____/_/   /___/\____/___/  


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #5
To the immediate left of where you entered is a chest in a corner with 
a Gorgon Eye. Grab that thing! Approach the Save Point and Save!


SAVE GAME


Enter the adjacent cavern and use the Helios Head to light the way. 
You'll encounter a few baddies, so use a bright stun on them and then 
slice them up. 

When you exit the cavern, a group of Harpies will fly in for some fun. 
Use the Grapple Pull to eliminate them faster or grab them from the 
ground to tear off their wings.

When the area is cleared, use the Helios Head on the adjacent wall to 
open the path. Enter the cavern and eliminate the next set of baddies. 
At the other side of the cavern is a large chain but DO NOT use it yet!


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #4
Underneath the long chain is a small little ledge. Jump down to find 
the chest with a Phoenix Feather! RAD! Now jump back up and climb onto 
the large chain.


Climb the chain to the other side (while slicing up the baddies) and 
jump down. Enter the next cavern to find a giant gap in the path. For 
this, you'll need to use a Solar Flare. Press and hold the L2+Triangle 
button to charge the Helios' Head and then release the buttons to 
unleash a bright light that will brighten up the gap. 

From there, glide over the gap. Traverse the cavern to the other side 
to trigger a cutscene.


CUTSCENE


After the cutscene, bust out the Bow and shoot the Harpy. Grapple onto 
it and fly the other side. Work your way up the bridge and onto the 
mountain path to encounter a new enemy: the Shadow Wraith.


--NEW ENEMY: SHADOW WRAITH
These guys are no match for the Grapple Pull attack. Even if they 
disappear in to the ground, Kratos can use the Grapple Pull to hoist 
them out! Too cool for school! Also, you can deflect their scythes with 
the Fleece and throw it back at them.

Eliminate these wraiths by abusing the Grapple Pull+Square Button 
attack to make some mince meat for dinner.


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #6
When the coast is clear, make your way up the path to find two chests 
and some scaffoldings. Destroy the scaffolding and then use the Helios 
Head to reveal a secret chest with a Gorgon Eye inside! Right on!


Continue up the bridge to encounter a group of wraiths and some 
archers. 
Eliminate the Wraiths first and then use charge arrows to blow up the 
wicker pots next to the archers.


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #5
This chest is VERY well-hidden and hard to spot. As soon as the enemies 
are dead, continue towards the next two chests. To the left of the 
chests, the Phoenix Feather is all the way to the left of the wall. 
Move around until the R1 Button appears and then open it up for a 
Phoenix Feather!


+++AREA: THE CHAIN OF BALANCE
                 _______ _____   _____  __  ____  ____
                / ___/ // / _ | /  _/ |/ / / __ \/ __/
               / /__/ _  / __ |_/ //    / / /_/ / _/  
               \___/_//_/_/ |_/___/_/|_/  \____/_/    

                  ___  ___   __   ___   _  ___________
                 / _ )/ _ | / /  / _ | / |/ / ___/ __/
                / _  / __ |/ /__/ __ |/    / /__/ _/  
               /____/_/ |_/____/_/ |_/_/|_/\___/___/  


First up, save your game!

SAVE GAME

Before you ascend the large chain, explore the area for some goodies! 
There is secret wall behind the chain, so use the Helios Head to reveal 
the chest. When you're, ready, jump onto the chain and fly up.

All you can do for this part is move Kratos in the direction away from 
the falling rubble and obstacles that block the way. As you fly to the 
top, be prepared for a Context Button just as Kratos jumps towards the 
Titan! If you miss, it's Game Over, so watch for it!


--OBJECTIVE: CLIMB TO THE TOP

After dispatching the red Titan, you'll be doing some platforming! Jump 
the three ledges and grab hold of the ropes. Climb up and make a left 
and then slide down.

Jump another batch of ledges and then Grapple to the next area. Jump 
another batch of ledges and then Grapple again to climb the large wall.

When scaling this wall, qcuikly move up and then move to the left and 
upwards to the top and then all the way to the right and slide down. 


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #6
As soon as you slide down the large wall, the ledge will have some gold 
dust. Use the Helios Head to reveal a chest with a Phoenix Feather 
inside! Yeah!


Jump more ledges and then Grapple two Grapple points to start the next 
ascent to the top. As you fly to the top, you'll be dodging more 
rafters, scaffoldings and fireballs, so GET TO IT!



+++AREA: THE CAVERNS
                _________ _    ____________  _   _______
               / ____/   | |  / / ____/ __ \/ | / / ___/
              / /   / /| | | / / __/ / /_/ /  |/ /\__ \ 
             / /___/ ___ | |/ / /___/ _, _/ /|  /___/ / 
             \____/_/  |_|___/_____/_/ |_/_/ |_//____/  


--OBJECTIVE: ACTIVATE THE LABYRINTH BOXES

After the cutscene, approach the large Bramble and shoot it with an 
arrow to get the large box moving.


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #3
After the large box stops, approach the lower corner to find some gold 
dust. Use the Helios Head to reveal a chest with a Minotaur Horn!


See the Grapple point? Grapple onto it and swing to the top 
scaffolding. 
Grapple two more times to reach the upper large box. Shoot the Bramble 
to activate the box and get it moving.


--OBJECTIVE: DEFEND THE SUPPORT CHAIN

As the box you are riding on moves, a large gang of baddies will show 
up to ambush you. A few enemies later, two Minotaurs will jump in and 
try to destroy the support chain holding the box!

Stand your ground and slice these baddies up with the Grapple+Square 
Button to make short work of these boys. When the large box reaches a 
stop, use charged arrows at the archers above to clear them out.

More Minotaurs will show up, so Grapple them out! After the Minotaurs 
are gone, a Cerberus will show up. Beat that mongrel and then ride him! 
Use the fireball attack on the other Minotaurs until all are dead!


When the box finally stops, approach the walking figure across from you 
to trigger a cutscene.


CUTSCENE


--OBJECTIVE: ASCEND THE CHAIN OF BALANCE TO OLYMPUS

There is nothing else to do in this area, so grapple to the large chain 
and then climb your way to the top.


+++AREA: THE FLAME OF OLYMPUS/CHAMBER OF THE FLAME
                 ______   ___   __  _______  ____  ____
                / __/ /  / _ | /  |/  / __/ / __ \/ __/
               / _// /__/ __ |/ /|_/ / _/  / /_/ / _/  
              /_/ /____/_/ |_/_/  /_/___/  \____/_/    

                  ____  ____  ____  ______  __  ______
                 / __ \/ /\ \/ /  |/  / _ \/ / / / __/
                / /_/ / /__\  / /|_/ / ___/ /_/ /\ \  
                \____/____//_/_/  /_/_/   \____/___/  


Once you've reached the top, enter the next large room to the Flame Of 
Olympus, but DO NOT approach the center of the room just yet! 


--ITEM: POWER-UP CHESTS
Go to the opposite side of the room (with the other large chain). One 
of the walls near the chain has gold dust, so use the Helios Head to 
reveal a secret room with some chests and Onyx stones. You can't break 
the Onyx yet, so come back here later in the game! (Unless you've got 
the New Game+ Glitch then you can break it right there.)


When all that's done, approach the Flame to trigger a cutscene.


CUTSCENE


--OBJECTIVE: READ THE HISTORY OF THE FLAMES

After the cutscene, there is nothing else to do in the room, but on the 
upper left side of the room, you will see walls with candles and SIX 
pedestals all aligned.

Approach each pedestal and take out the Helios Head. Shine the head on 
the wall to reveal a painting and then read the book on the pedestal. 
Do the same thing for the other pedestals to trigger another cutscene 
with Hermes.


+++AREA: THE OLYMPIAN CITADEL
               ____  ____  ____  ______  _______   _  __
              / __ \/ /\ \/ /  |/  / _ \/  _/ _ | / |/ /
             / /_/ / /__\  / /|_/ / ___// // __ |/    / 
             \____/____//_/_/  /_/_/  /___/_/ |_/_/|_/  

                   __________________   ___  ______ 
                  / ___/  _/_  __/ _ | / _ \/ __/ / 
                 / /___/ /  / / / __ |/ // / _// /__
                 \___/___/ /_/ /_/ |_/____/___/____/


--OBJECTIVE: CHASE AFTER HERMES

The chase after Hermes is gonna be a doozy! Glide towards Hermes and 
the approach the broken wall and slide down to the bottom. Jump the gap 
and Grapple towards the large wooden bridge.

Jump over the gaps until the bridge collapses. From here, you have a 
few seconds to climb up the wooden wall to the top while mobbing left 
to right. Make it to the top AND FOLLOW Hermes up the wall.

Shimmy all the way to the right and climb the ladder to the top. Shimmy 
to the right and then jump up and then down again. Drop down and then 
jump the gap. Jump to the next wall and then shimmy to the right. 

Now jump towards the wooden bridge and follow Hermes to the other side. 
Glide onto the large scaffolding and quickly grapple to the grapple 
point and HOLD! The scaffolding will fall and move upwards.

Approach the lever and pull it. From there, wait for the swinging 
grapple point to get close and then grapple on and swing and glide 
towards the concrete bridge.

From here, the bridge will start collapsing, so grapple each grapple 
point and keep following Hermes to the next doorway. Climb the ladders 
and jump from side-to-side until you reach the top.


--OBJECTIVE: ACTIVATE THE CATAPULT

Rotate the turnstile clockwise and then approach the catapult and 
activate it! Press the Context buttons to jump after Hermes.


--OBJECTIVE: FIND AND KILL HERMES

After the statue crashes, follow the trail of blood to find Hermes. 
When you find him, Hermes will make a poor attempt at a boss battle. 
Hermes will run at you and try to jump you. Simply swing away at him 
while dodging his running attacks until a cutscene occurs.

Walk up towards Hermes and then press the Context buttons for a 
brutally bloody finish! Follow him as he crawls away and then finish 
him off. After the bloody finish, use the Boots of Hermes to eliminate 
the enemies that show up!


--GODLY POSSESSIONS #4: HERMES' COIN
When the area is cleared, go to the back of the room with the broken 
statue's head. The Hermes Coin is located just behind the statue head 
(on the right side), so take it! This item will allow you to gain 10x 
more Red Orbs!


--OBJECTIVE: USE THE AGILITY RUN

To use the Agility Run, there has to be Golden footsteps on the wall. 
Walk up to it and press the L2+X Button to run up a wall or on the side 
of it. Run up the first wall to find a Save Point.


SAVE GAME!


Use the Agility Run on the next set of walls to the other side and then 
run to the top. Eliminate the baddies and exit outside to the pouring 
rain. Continue up the wooden bridge and use the Agility Run across the 
large wall mural.


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #7
After you cross the large mural, there is some gold dust in the corner. 
Use the Helios Head to reveal a chest with a Phoenix Feather!


Continue running up the walls to the top and then glide to the ledge on 
the right side. Make your way towards the large doorway to encounter 
lots of big baddies!


+++AREA: THE MUSE COURTYARD

--OBJECTIVE: CLEAR THE USE COURTYARD

A bunch of armored Cyclops baddies show up for a big ol' party! These 
guys are victim of the Grapple attack, so abuse the Grapple on them 
while blocking their giant maces. Stay defensive and keep using the 
Grapple pull to defeat them quicker.


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #4
When the area is cleared, go to the other end of the courtyard to find 
two chests. One of them has a Minotaur Horn inside! From here, open the 
doors in the courtyard and go inside.


+++AREA: UPPER CHAMBER OF THE FLAME


SAVE GAME


Approach the large hallway at the other side of the floor to meet a 
familiar enemy: the Siren. The Sirens like to use their screams and 
their claws on you. Fortunately, these girls are no match for the 
Grapple Pull! Simply use the Grapple Pull on them to defeat them faster 
and then use Context buttons to finish them off.

When the hallway is cleared, approach the spiral staircase and go all 
the way to the top and open the metal doors.


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #8
Before you solve this puzzle, find the chest first! Take the air vent 
on the left side and glide to the top. There is a chest to the upper 
left side of the air vent. Open the chest for a Phoenix Feather! Now 
jump down and solve the puzzle!


--OBJECTIVE: SOLVE THE SONG OF THE MUSE

--PUZZLE: THE MUSE'S SONG PUZZLE

This one may seem a bit confusing, but it's really not. First thing you 
need to do is fine-tune the large music box. To do that, use the vents 
on the left or right and glide to the top.

Jump towards the large golden metal turnstiles. There are FOUR metal 
turnstiles and the objective is to rotate each one until the music box 
at the bottom has the imprint of the Blade Of Olympus. Understand it so 
far? Good! The directions below are from left to right.

METAL TURNSTILE #1: Rotate ONE time.
METAL TURNSTILE #2: Leave it alone.
METAL TURNSTILE #3: Rotate THREE times.
METAL TURNSTILE #4: Rotate THREE times.

When the music box has the imprint of the Blade Of Olympus, jump down 
and approach the PS3 button scheme in the center to activate the music 
box. From there, press the buttons accordingly as they pass through the 
circle. There will be four notes to do, so do it!

After the puzzle is solved, activate the lever to start the elevator. 
Of course, the elevator will stall for a battle.


--OBJECTIVE: FREEZE ALL THE ENEMIES TO DESTROY THEM

Enemies with Onyx shields will appear. You cannot destroy their 
shields, 
so press and hold the Block Button until a Gorgon appears. Beat up that 
Gorgon to freeze the enemies and then smash them up! Do it one more 
time on the next set of enemies to activate the elevator.

When the coast is clear, exit the elevator and head outside. Take the 
newly revealed spiral staircase to the top. Approach the turnstile and 
turn it to trigger a cutscene.

After the cutscene, enter the next hall to encounter some Wraiths. Use 
the Grapple Pull on them for faster results! When that's done, take the 
spiral staircase to the bottom.


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #7
At the bottom of the staircase you will see gold dust on the circular 
plate. Use the Helios Head to reveal a chest with a Gorgon Eye! Now use 
the nearby Save Point because the next part will be a doozy!


SAVE GAME


+++AREA: THE FORUM
             ________ ______  ________  ___  __  ____  ___
            /_  __/ // / __/ / __/ __ \/ _ \/ / / /  |/  /
             / / / _  / _/  / _// /_/ / , _/ /_/ / /|_/ / 
            /_/ /_//_/___/ /_/  \____/_/|_|\____/_/  /_/  


=======================================================================
=======================================================================


--BOSS BATTLE: HERCULES
             __  ____________  ________  ____    ___________
            / / / / ____/ __ \/ ____/ / / / /   / ____/ ___/
           / /_/ / __/ / /_/ / /   / / / / /   / __/  \__ \ 
          / __  / /___/ _, _/ /___/ /_/ / /___/ /___ ___/ / 
         /_/ /_/_____/_/ |_|\____/\____/_____/_____//____/  

The battle with Hercules is a two-part affair. Unlike the Hades battle, 
Hercules doesn't use special moves but, instead, relies on heavy 
attacks and wrestling moves.


For the first part of the battle, slice up all the soldiers until the 
area is cleared. From here, Hercules will jump in to join the fun. When 
battling Hercules, use lots of defense! His Cestus attacks are quite 
painful, so block his punches/ground pounds and use the Grapple Pull 
attack to close in on him.

After some damage is dealt, he will charge at Kratos and the Context 
button will show up. Rapidly tap the Circle Button to win the shoving 
match and Kratos will carry Hercules as a Battering Ram. Slam Hercules 
into the wall of spikes. Repeat this tactic two more times to trigger 
the next sequence.


For the next part of the battle, Hercules will stand on front of Hera 
while the Circle Button hovers over his head. Grab him and use the 
Context buttons to retrieve a new weapon: the Neaman Cestus!

With the Cestus equipped, Hercules will be defenseless and starts using 
wrestling moves. He'll charge after Kratos and grab him for a choke 
slam or a backbreaker, so press the Context buttons when he does this! 
Also, try to avoid getting too close to him or he'll grab and toss you 
across the arena!

Again, use defense on Hercules while pounding some heavy Cestus combos 
on him. After much damage is done, Hercules will start the next 
sequence. Rapidly tap the Circle button and then L1+R1 buttons to run 
up the arena. Press the next set of Context buttons and then rapidly 
tap the Circle button to beat Hercules to a bloody pulp.


=======================================================================
=======================================================================


--GODLY POSSESSION #5: HERCULES' SHOULDER GUARD
After defeating Hercules, dive under the water to the bottom to find 
the item. This item will allow you take only a third of damage.


+++AREA: LOWER SEWERS

Work your way up the sewer path to the next area.


--OBJECTIVE: USE THE CESTUS TO CLEAR THE AREA/DESTROY THE ONYX

Use the Magic attack from the Cestus to clear all the enemies. From 
there, attack the blue Onyx rocks to reveal a lever. Activate the lever 
to open the underwater gate.

Use the Cestus to destroy the Onyx shields that the soldiers are 
holding. You can only use the Cestus to destroy the Onyx shields! Clear 
out the baddies and then jump into the water and swim out.


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #5
As soon as you reach the surface, make a 180 degree turn to find some 
chests. One of them has a Phoenix Feather, so take it!


+++AREA: POSEIDON'S CHAMBER
               ___  ____  _______________  ____  _  ______
              / _ \/ __ \/ __/ __/  _/ _ \/ __ \/ |/ / __/
             / ___/ /_/ /\ \/ _/_/ // // / /_/ /    /\ \  
            /_/   \____/___/___/___/____/\____/_/|_/___/  

                  _______ _____   __  ______  _______ 
                 / ___/ // / _ | /  |/  / _ )/ __/ _ \
                / /__/ _  / __ |/ /|_/ / _  / _// , _/
                \___/_//_/_/ |_/_/  /_/____/___/_/|_| 

Enter the chamber to encounter some Onyx soldiers and some doggies. 
Bust out the Cestus and pound them all into the ground. Once it's 
cleared, approach the wheel on the left side of the metal gate and turn 
it to open the gate.

As soon as you enter the next area, the gate slams shut. Use the Save 
Point to Save your game.


SAVE GAME!


--OBJECTIVE: RESCUE THE POSEIDON PRINCESS

Enter the next area where you will find THREE blue portals. Glide to 
the portal on the right side and you will emerge on the upper portal. 
Glide to the lever switch on the left side and pull the lever to 
activate the lower platforms and make some doggies appear.

DO NOT kill the doggies! Instead, grab each dog and kick them towards 
the portal on the right side. You want to kick each dog into the upper 
portal to lower the platform. Understand it so far? Good!

After kicking FIVE dogs into the portal, enter the portal to make 
platform go its lowest and then enter the bottom portal to the 
Princess' Room.


--GODLY POSSESSION #6: POSEIDON'S CONCH SHELL
Inside the Princess' room on the very right side is a conch shell. This 
item will allow you to have infinite magic!


Exit the room and save the princess from the doggies. Rescue her from 
the ledge and then kill off the rest of the doggies. From there, drag 
the princess the next portal.

The Hammer dudes will spring into action, so bust a Grapple Pull move 
into their asses! Defeat both of the Hammer dudes and then approach the 
princess and get her moving.

As you make it back to the first room, bust out the Cestus and destroy 
the Onyx soldiers and the last Hammer dude. When the coast is clear, 
approach the wheel on the left side and turn it. Quickly make your way 
towards the other side of the Save Point before the gate closes. Poor, 
poor princess.


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #9
After the cutscene, make a 180 degree turn to find some gold dust 
nearby. Use the Helios Head to reveal a chest with a Phoenix Feather! 
Now exit the chambers using the adjacent hallway.


+++AREA: UPPER GARDENS
     __  _____  ___  _______    ________   ___  ___  _____  ______
    / / / / _ \/ _ \/ __/ _ \  / ___/ _ | / _ \/ _ \/ __/ |/ / __/
   / /_/ / ___/ ___/ _// , _/ / (_ / __ |/ , _/ // / _//    /\ \  
   \____/_/  /_/  /___/_/|_|  \___/_/ |_/_/|_/____/___/_/|_/___/  

Approach the turnstiles and rotate them to make the bridge turn. Jump 
to the next turnstile and turn it. Jump to the next turnstile and turn 
that one. Jump the next one to find out that it is broken!

Jump back to the previous turnstile and turn it. This will rotate the 
bridge towards the center of the Upper Gardens. Open the door to a 
special place.


+++AREA: APHRODITE'S CHAMBER
           ___   ___  __ _____  ____  ___  __________________
          / _ | / _ \/ // / _ \/ __ \/ _ \/  _/_  __/ __/ __/
         / __ |/ ___/ _  / , _/ /_/ / // // /  / / / _/_\ \  
        /_/ |_/_/  /_//_/_/|_|\____/____/___/ /_/ /___/___/  

                  _______ _____   __  ______  _______ 
                 / ___/ // / _ | /  |/  / _ )/ __/ _ \
                / /__/ _  / __ |/ /|_/ / _  / _// , _/
                \___/_//_/_/ |_/_/  /_/____/___/_/|_| 


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #6
Make your way up the stairs but DO NOT disturb the ladies just yet! On 
the right side of Aphrodite's room is a small corner with a chest. Open 
the chest for a Minotaur Horn!


When that's done, approach the mighty Aphrodite. Choose whether you 
want to "stay with her" or not. It's up to you! Once you're done 
playing around with her, there is one more item to find here.


--GODLY POSSESSION #7: APHRODITE'S GARTER
This item is located directly behind Aphrodite's bed. After talking to 
her, go to the left or right side of her bed and jump up and glide to 
the area behind her bed to find the garter. This item will allow you to 
switch back to the Blades Of Athena weapon (although you can't use the 
Grapple move with them).


When you're ready, enter the portal back to a familiar place.


+++AREA: THE FORGE

After the cutscene, Save your game.


SAVE GAME


+++AREA: TARTARUS
           _________    ____  _________    ____  __  _______
          /_  __/   |  / __ \/_  __/   |  / __ \/ / / / ___/
           / / / /| | / /_/ / / / / /| | / /_/ / / / /\__ \ 
          / / / ___ |/ _, _/ / / / ___ |/ _, _/ /_/ /___/ / 
         /_/ /_/  |_/_/ |_| /_/ /_/  |_/_/ |_|\____//____/  


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #10
As you enter Tartarus, make your way around the path and you will see a 
large chest around the bend. Open it up to find a Phoenix Feather!


Go all the way down the path to encounter the third and final Centaur. 
Make short work of this guy by Grappling on him like crazy! Defeat the 
Centaur and his minions to clear this area. Jump to the top of the 
arena and up the stairs to the next area.


+++AREA: THE GATES OF TISIPHONE
                  ________ ______________  ____  ____
                 / ___/ _ /_  __/ __/ __/ / __ \/ __/
                / (_ / __ |/ / / _/_\ \  / /_/ / _/  
                \___/_/ |_/_/ /___/___/  \____/_/    

              _____________________  __ ______  _  ______
             /_  __/  _/ __/  _/ _ \/ // / __ \/ |/ / __/
              / / _/ /_\ \_/ // ___/ _  / /_/ /    / _/  
             /_/ /___/___/___/_/  /_//_/\____/_/|_/___/  


When you enter this area, TWO Chimera enemies will jump out for some 
action. As usual, beat them up with the Grapple pull and some hard 
combos to clear the out. After that's done, time to solve this puzzle!


--PUZZLE: THE GATES OF TISIPHONE PUZZLE

There are two chains: one on the left and one on the right. When you 
activate either chain, a block will protrude on the wall. Push both 
blocks in to activate the puzzle.

From here, jump to the top of the block on the left side and wait for 
the Harpy to fly by. Grapple on to it and fly towards the right side. 
Time it so that you land on the platform! Once there, jump on top of 
the moving block and jump all the way to the left side.

Push the block on the left side to activate the blocks on the right 
side. Grapple to another Harpy and fly to the right side before the 
block closes up and then push the next block in to complete the puzzle.

Now jump to the top center and turn the large wheel to open the door. 
Exit outside to the Save Point.


SAVE GAME


+++AREA: THE PITS OF TARTARUS
                       ___  __________  ____  ____
                      / _ \/  _/_  __/ / __ \/ __/
                     / ___// /  / /   / /_/ / _/  
                    /_/  /___/ /_/    \____/_/    

             _________   ___  _________   ___  __  ______
            /_  __/ _ | / _ \/_  __/ _ | / _ \/ / / / __/
             / / / __ |/ , _/ / / / __ |/ , _/ /_/ /\ \  
            /_/ /_/ |_/_/|_| /_/ /_/ |_/_/|_|\____/___/  

SAVE GAME

As you approach the Pits, a bunch of baddies will jump down. You can 
ignore them and just continue running down the path to a dead end. 
Glide over the gap and approach the large rock formation to trigger a 
boss battle!

=======================================================================
=======================================================================

--BOSS BATTLE: CRONOS
                   __________  ____  _   ______  _____
                  / ____/ __ \/ __ \/ | / / __ \/ ___/
                 / /   / /_/ / / / /  |/ / / / /\__ \ 
                / /___/ _, _/ /_/ / /|  / /_/ /___/ / 
                \____/_/ |_|\____/_/ |_/\____//____/  


--OBJECTIVE: OBTAIN THE OMPHALOS STONE

The battle with Cronos takes up the entire part of this level, so be 
ready! The battle with Cronos is a 7-part affair and will take some 
figuring out.


++PART 1: USE THE SOLAR FLARE ON CRONOS

Rapidly tap the Circle Button to prevent being squished and then press 
and hold the L2+Triangle Button and release a Solar Flare attack to 
blind Cronos temporarily. As Kratos flies through the air, press the 
Context button to land on Cronos' hand.

Kill off a few spawning baddies and then Cronos will move his hand to 
change perspective. Climb up the hand and attack the piece of skin to 
get Cronos' attention.


++PART 2: DESTROY THE MIDDLE FINGERNAIL

For this part, Cronos will use several hand attacks plus an annoying 
breath attack. When he slams his hands onto the ground approach the 
giant middle finger and attack the fingernail. I know, weird, right?

His most lethal attack is when he slams his palm against the ground, 
which causes you to fly up in the air. Press the Context button quickly 
to avoid getting thrown off.

Keep attacking the fingernail when he slams his hand and the Circle 
button will float over it. Rotate the Analog stick to rip out the 
fingernail. Eeeew!


++PART 3: CLIMB THE ARM AND USE THE SOLAR FLARE

After ripping out the fingernail, Cronos will slam his entire hand down 
on the ground. Stand in the sunny areas to avoid getting slammed! When 
his hand is down, jump and climb the finger to the top of the hand and 
then release a Solar Flare attack on him again.


++PART 4: OPEN THE ONYX IN CRONOS' CHEST

Press the Context button to land on the side of his stomach. Climb the 
wall to the top and then jump and grapple to Cronos' chest. There will 
be two Hammer dudes and some soldiers that spawn, so Grapple them all 
off the platform or fight them off.

When it's clear, open the circular door and then slice up the skin to 
reveal the Onyx. As more soldiers appear, Cronos will grab you and 
change perspective. Fight off the enemies at the wall until it changes 
perspective again. Fight off more baddies until Cronos slams his hand 
to squish you.

Rapidly tap the Circle button and the perspective will change again. 
Traverse the ceiling and then jump and grapple FOUR grapple points to 
get to the next area.


++PART 5: ESCAPE FROM GETTING SQUISHED

When you land in this area, Cronos will say, "Why do you flee Kratos?" 
That's the signal to start RUNNING! Avoid enemies and keep moving to 
the other end and grapple to the next platform on his shoulder.

As you land, more enemies and a skeletal Cyclops will jump out. Focus 
on beating up the Cyclops with some Grapple moves and hard combos and 
then ride him! After a few combos on the Cyclops, press the Context 
buttons as you both fall off the platform.


++PART 6: ESCAPE FROM CRONOS' STOMACH

After Cronos puts you in his belly, immediately start sliding down the 
throat! Jump to the right and slide down some more. Jump to the left 
and slide down until you stop at the Cyclops. Beat him down and 
continue sliding until a short scene triggers.

Rapidly tap the Circle button and then the L3+R3 buttons and then 
rapidly tap the Circle buttons to rip out Cronos' entrails.


++PART 7: KILL CRONOS

With Cronos incapacitated, jump up his finger to the top and glide to 
the Onyx on his chest. Bust out the Cestus and knock the Onyx out of 
the chest. Press the Context buttons and then wait.

Destroy the Onyx sticking out of the mouth and then approach Cronos' 
forehead. After he says "A coward that kills his own kin", the Circle 
button will appear above the forehead. From there, press and hold the 
L2+R2 buttons to charge the Blade Of Olympus. Release the buttons to 
kill the mighty Titan!


=======================================================================
=======================================================================


After the battle, destroy the Onyx blocking the way and jump down the 
large gap to return to the Forge.


CUTSCENE


--OBJECTIVE: KILL HEPHAESTUS

After the cutscene, grab the new weapon from Hephaestus to trigger a 
small battle. Rapidly tap the Circle Button and the L1+R1 buttons to 
clamp down on Hephaestus.

Approach the other pedestal and attack it with the new weapon to power 
it up and kill Hephaestus. From there, use the new weapon called the 
Nemesis Whip on the baddies that show up and clear them out.


--GODLY POSSESSION #8: HEPHAESTUS' RING
After the coast is clear, go to the LEFT side of Hephaestus' dead body 
(to the door that leads to Tartarus) and Hephaestus' giant ring will be 
there, so TAKE IT! This item will enable you to win (almost) all the 
Context Button attacks. Anytime a battle requires certain button 
presses, the ring will automatically do it for you! Awesome!


If you feel so inclined, jump up towards Hephaestus' head and attack it 
and see what happens. When you're done collecting all the crap, make 
your way back to Aphrodite's room.


+++AREA: APHRODITE'S CHAMBER

If you need to get yourself a piece of Aphrodite, do it now! Once you 
leave, no more poontang for you! 


--OBJECTIVE: USE THE NEMESIS WHIP TO KILL THE ENEMIES

Exit back out to the Upper Gardens and a bunch of baddies will show up. 
Use the Nemesis Rage on them all to clear them out. From here, go to 
the other turnstile and turn it.

Use the Nemesis whip on the last turnstile by attacking it until the 
bridge rotates. Make your way to the next area and then open the doors 
and enter the empty hallway to the next room.


+++AREA: DAEDALUS' STUDY ROOM
                ___  ___   _______  ___   __   __  ______
               / _ \/ _ | / __/ _ \/ _ | / /  / / / / __/
              / // / __ |/ _// // / __ |/ /__/ /_/ /\ \  
             /____/_/ |_/___/____/_/ |_/____/\____/___/  

                        ___  ____  ____  __  ___
                       / _ \/ __ \/ __ \/  |/  /
                      / , _/ /_/ / /_/ / /|_/ / 
                     /_/|_|\____/\____/_/  /_/  


--OBJECTIVE: FIND ALL THE SECRET CHESTS

This area is just chock full of Power-up chests, but some of them are a 
bit tricky to get. Worry not, I will guide you to each chest, so grab a 
drink and get ready!

In the room are FOUR Power-up chests, seven portals (five blue and two 
red), a giant strongbow, some Golden footsteps, and a lever on the 
right side of the room. Follow my directions to obtain all four chests.


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #7
First, approach the large strongbow and rotate it 45 degrees so that 
the arrow faces the LEFT side. Shoot the arrow and it will create a 
zipline. Climb the zipline until you reach the pillared ledge above. 
Jump and fly around this ledge to grab the zipline and then zip your 
way to the end to find the first chest with a Minotaur Horn inside!


Now jump down and reset the strongbow.


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #11
--GODLY POSSESSIONS #9: DAEDALUS SCHEMATICS
See those two chests hanging above? To get those chests, first thing 
you need to do is activate the lever on the right side of the room. 
This will raise the strongbow platform higher. Rotate the strongbow so 
that it is facing the large shield on the metal gate. Shoot an arrow at 
the gate to lower it.

From there, leave the strongbow and approach the Golden footsteps and 
run up the red portal to the top. Approach the lever on this upper 
ledge and activate the lever to lower the two chests. Now quickly jump 
back out of the red portal and approach the strongbow and shoot an 
arrow while the two chests are still lowered.

If done correctly, the arrow will shoot down both chests! Approach the 
chests to receive a Phoenix Feather and a new Godly Possession called 
the Daedalus Schematics. This item will enable you to have infinite 
item use (for the bow, Helios Head, and Boots)!


Hold up, there is still ONE more chest to obtain!


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #8
With the platform still raised, approach the strongbow and rotate it 45 
degrees to the left again. Shoot an arrow at the portal to reveal the 
fourth chest! Climb the zipline and make your way to the chest to 
receive a Gorgon Eye! Mondo tubular!


Now that you've taken all the hot items, time to continue with the 
game. 
Go down the stairs and slide down the metal pole and jump down.


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #8
As soon as you jump down from the metal pole, make a 180-degree turn to 
find a chest with a Minotaur Horn! Yes way! Now continue up the hallway 
to a new area.


+++AREA: HERA'S GARDEN
        __ _________  ___   ____  ________   ___  ___  _____  __
       / // / __/ _ \/ _ | / __/ / ___/ _ | / _ \/ _ \/ __/ |/ /
      / _  / _// , _/ __ |_\ \  / (_ / __ |/ , _/ // / _//    / 
     /_//_/___/_/|_/_/ |_/___/  \___/_/ |_/_/|_/____/___/_/|_/  


SAVE GAME!


Hera's Garden is also quite packed with chests and Power-ups! Follow my 
directions to find each Power-up chest.


--GODLY POSSESSION #10: HERA'S CHALICE
After the cutscene with Hera, make a left turn and a short scene will 
occur of Kratos grabbing the chalice. This item will enable your Health 
meter to slowly drain. A total waste if you ask me!


--ITEM: PHOENIX FEATHER #12
After taking the chalice, go the other direction (where Hera escaped) 
to encounter some baddies, slice them up to clear the area. On the left 
side is a dead end with some gold dust. Use the Helios Head to reveal a 
chest with the FINAL Phoenix Feather! Way to go! From here, open the 
rest of the chests and then make your way to the other side (where you 
got the chalice).


Enter the garden from the left side and a Hammer dude will jump out! 
Make short work of him by Grappling him to death. Continue up the path 
and make a right turn to encounter more baddies. Slice them up to clear 
the area.

From here, the area is enemy-free, so open up all the chests here. When 
that's done, make your way past the flattened stairs into a small 
hallway where a new enemy shows up: the Satyr!

The Satyr's are also no match for the Grapple pull so grapple them and 
pound all those hard combos on them. Use Context buttons to kill them 
off and clear the hallway. When the hall is emptied, open the metal 
gate on the other end.


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #9
To find the Power-up chest here, make an immediate right and another 
quick right. The camera will change perspective, so move up the path to 
find two red chests and Gold dust near the dead end. Use the Helios 
head to reveal a chest with a Gorgon Eye! Uh-huh!


--OBJECTIVE: SOLVE THE GARDEN MAZE PUZZLE

--PUZZLE: THE GARDEN MAZE PUZZLE

After you've collected all the goodies, enter the next open area to 
start this new puzzle. Step on the circular platform to trigger the 
Hyperion Stone. This will temporarily make 2D perspectives change into 
3D perspectives.

With the stone activated, approach the newly revealed stairway (kick 
down the metal door) and make your way up the stairs. Traverse the 
upper path and open the door. Slide down the ladder and then glide over 
to the other side of the garden.

See that large moveable pillar with a stairway above it? Grab that 
pillar and drag into the next courtyard. In the courtyard is a giant 
bronze chalice. You need to fill that up with water, so rotate the 
pillar so that the stairway above is angled to the RIGHT side. Push the 
pillar to the right of the bronze chalice to make the waterfall fill it 
up water and open the doorway. Enter the doorway to trigger a cutscene.


CUTSCENE


After the cutscene, approach the Bramble and shoot an arrow at it to 
reveal another bronze chalice. Now take Hera's body and drop it on the 
circular platform to activate the Hyperion Stone.

Go back up the courtyard and remove the pillar and move it towards the 
other waterfall (don't rotate the pillar) to fill up the other chalice 
with water. When that's done, remove the pillar and rotate it so that 
the stairs above are angled to the LEFT side.

Drag the pillar to the lower right side of the courtyard (all the way 
at the bottom). If done correctly, it creates a set of stairs. Now go 
and take Hera's body and bring it up the newly created stairway and 
drop her body into the bronze chalice to solve the puzzle!

BUT...before you do anything, take the pillar and drag it towards the 
circular platform so that the Hyperion Stone effect doesn't wear off. 
Make your way up the newly revealed path and go all the way around to 
trigger a cutscene.


--OBJECTIVE: CROSS THE CHASM TO THE LABYRINTH

Make your way up the bridge and shoot the Harpy. Grapple onto the Harpy 
and make your way across the giant chasm. When you land at the 
entrance, 
you will see a turnstile, a Save Point and some chests.


SAVE GAME!


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #10
To the left side of the entrance is some gold dust. Use the Helios Head 
to reveal a chest with a Gorgon Eye! Boo-yeah!


Rotate the turnstile to open the Labyrinth doorway. Enter the hall to 
encounter a new enemy: Scorpions! These creepy crawlers are easily 
dispatched by grabbing them, so do it! Make your way to the end of the 
hall to the large elevator. Activate the large wheel to take the 
elevator down.


+++AREA: THE CAVERNS
          ________ ______  ________ _   _________  _  ______
         /_  __/ // / __/ / ___/ _ | | / / __/ _ \/ |/ / __/
          / / / _  / _/  / /__/ __ | |/ / _// , _/    /\ \  
         /_/ /_//_/___/  \___/_/ |_|___/___/_/|_/_/|_/___/  


Make your way down the darkened path by using the Helios Head to light 
the way. Slice up all the scorpions in the way until you make it to the 
end of the path. Glide on over to the large box for an epic showdown!


--OBJECTIVE: DEFEAT ALL THE CYCLOPS

A pair of armored Cyclops will show up for a party! Take them all down 
with some hot Grapple moves and hard combos to clear them out. After 
that, more armored Cyclops and a Berserker will show up.

Damage the Berserker as much as possible while being defensive and then 
ride him! Bash all armored Cyclops in the way to clear them out. If 
there are some Cyclops left after the Berserker dies, CLEAR THEM OUT! 


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #9
--ITEM: GORGON EYE #11
After the Cyclops brawl, there are two chests at the other end of the 
large box. Open up the chests to find a Gorgon Eye and a Minotaur Horn!


From there, approach the Save Point and Save your game!


SAVE GAME!


+++AREA: THE HYDRAULICS ROOM

Use the Helios Head to reveal the entrance to the Hydraulics Room. Jump 
down to the bottom but DO NOT pull the just yet! 


--ITEM: POWER-UP CHESTS
On the right side is a small cove with some pots and a Power-up chest. 
Open it up for some goodies!


Now approach the lever and activate it to raise the water. You will see 
a platform with a red chest and a Mechanical Lock. You cannot operate 
the lock, so swim to the right side instead and climb up.


--OBJECTIVE: EXPLORE THE DARKENED CAVE

As you work your way up the hall, you will enter a darkened cave. Use 
the Helios Head to light the way. Cross the scaffoldings to the left 
side and then jump towards the ropes and climb up.

A duo of Gorgons will jump in for some fun, so bust out the Grapple 
Pull and chop them up! When the coast is clear, look across to see some 
Golden footsteps, but WAIT!


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #10
Before you use the Agility Run on those Golden footsteps, keep 
exploring the scaffoldings near the footsteps and it will lead you to a 
brightened ledge that contains a chest with a Minotaur Horn!


Now go back and use the Agility Run on the Golden footsteps. Open the 
doorway and enter the next cavern. Step on all the scorpions in the way 
and then open the next door back into the Caverns.


+++AREA: CAVERNS


=======================================================================
=======================================================================

--BOSS BATTLE: ONYX SCORPION
                         ____  _   ____  ___  __
                        / __ \/ | / /\ \/ / |/ /
                       / / / /  |/ /  \  /|   / 
                      / /_/ / /|  /   / //   |  
                      \____/_/ |_/   /_//_/|_|  

             _____ __________  ____  ____  ________  _   __
            / ___// ____/ __ \/ __ \/ __ \/  _/ __ \/ | / /
            \__ \/ /   / / / / /_/ / /_/ // // / / /  |/ / 
           ___/ / /___/ /_/ / _, _/ ____// // /_/ / /|  /  
          /____/\____/\____/_/ |_/_/   /___/\____/_/ |_/   


The battle with the Onyx Scorpion is a 3-part affair. The boss only 
uses three main attacks: its claws, ice breath, and its giant stinger 
tail. To avoid damage from the stinger, you have to roll AWAY from the 
boss before it slams its tail. For the claws, just don't move in front 
of it or he'll grab you and try to gobble you up.


--PHASE ONE
The main objective is to damage the boss's legs by using the Cestus 
weapon. The boss has SIX legs covered in Onyx. First, escape from the 
boss's mouth with the Context buttons and approach each of its legs.

Use light attacks on the legs to damage them! For some reason, if you 
use heavy attacks, it takes longer to damage the Onyx, so stick with 
light attacks. Dodge its annoying tail stinger by rolling away at the 
right moment and then continue to damage those legs until the Onyx 
breaks off the leg.

You need to damage and destroy the Onyx on THREE of its legs to knock 
out the boss. When the boss is down and out, approach its head and 
pound some combos to trigger the Circle Button above its head.  Trigger 
the Context buttons and the boss will run away.


--PHASE TWO
For this phase, the boss will appear and disappear after each Onyx leg 
is damaged. After one leg is destroyed, it runs away and smaller 
scorpions will show up. Slice up all the small ones and the boss will 
reappear. Stay far away to avoid its breath.

Continue to damage its legs until all are destroyed. After the last 
Onyx leg is busted up, the boss will keel over, so approach its head 
and pound some combos to trigger the Context buttons.


--PHASE THREE
As the boss takes damage, you will be thrown down the Caverns and have 
to fly upwards with the Icarus Ascent. Dodge all the falling Onyx and 
use the Context buttons to kill the boss.

After the boss freezes itself, smash its frozen body to pieces. 
Approach the frozen stinger and smash it up to reveal a new item: the 
Boreas Icestorm! This item will allow you to open the Mechanical Locks.


=======================================================================
=======================================================================


--OBJECTIVE: USE THE BOREAS ICESTORM TO SOLVE THE LABYRINTH PUZZLE

Use the Boreas on the nearby Mechanical lock to open up a vent. Fly 
upwards to the next platform and use the Boreas on the other Mechanical 
lock. From there, approach the Grapple point and grapple and swing past 
seven more grapple points to the next area.

Use the Boreas to activate the large box (and some enemies). A whole 
gang of Gorgons, Onyx soldiers, and Minotaurs will show up to greet 
you, 
so greet them back with some hot Grapple moves and Cestus combos.

Slice up all the baddies and then grapple your way outta there when the 
box comes to a complete stop! Climb up and jump towards the Save Point.


SAVE POINT


+++AREA: THE HYDRAULICS ROOM

Enter the cavern and back into the Hydraulics Room. Use the Boreas on 
the Mechanical lock to reveal some Golden footsteps. Use the Agility 
Run to the top and go to the other side to trigger a cutscene.


CUTSCENE


--ITEM: GORGON EYE #12
After the cutscene with Daedalus, there is a zipline above Kratos but 
DO NOT take it just yet! Instead, make a right turn and go all the way 
down to the dead end to find some chests. One of the chests contains 
the FINAL Gorgon Eye! Yeah, that's all of them!


Take the zipline all the way to the end and drop down on the 
scaffolding. Grapple and jump past seven grapple points to the top box. 
Use the Boreas on the Mechanical lock to solve the Labyrinth puzzle!


+++AREA: THE LABYRINTH
           __    ___    ______  ______  _____   __________  __
          / /   /   |  / __ ) \/ / __ \/  _/ | / /_  __/ / / /
         / /   / /| | / __  |\  / /_/ // //  |/ / / / / /_/ / 
        / /___/ ___ |/ /_/ / / / _, _// // /|  / / / / __  /  
       /_____/_/  |_/_____/ /_/_/ |_/___/_/ |_/ /_/ /_/ /_/   

Slide down and jump into the Labyrinth entrance to find a Save Point.


SAVE GAME!


There are a bunch of gold dust areas throughout the Labyrinth area, but 
since you already all of the Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers, the 
chests will only contain orbs.

Anyway, use the Boreas on the Mechanical lock to switch perspectives. A 
duo of Hammer dudes will show up, so grapple them down with hot combos 
and kill the two of them. After that, a Cerberus jumps in, so damage it 
to ride it!

Use the Cerberus to damage the other Hammer dudes until all of them are 
dead. If they aren't dead after that, then get rid of them! When the 
area is cleared, enter the next room.


--PUZZLE: THE FLAMETHROWER-SMASHING SPIKES PUZZLE

This puzzle isn't really that complicated, so first thing you need to 
do is wait for the flames on the left side to die down. When the flames 
are cooling, climb the metal gate to the top and grapple upwards before 
the flames start up again!

When the smashing spikes stop moving, move to the right and jump to the 
right side but don't climb up yet. Wait for the upper smashing spike to 
move away and then climb up and climb the metal wall on the right side 
before the smashing spike moves again.

Climb to the top and then jump down when the lever is near you. 
Activate the lever to solve the puzzle and open up an exit. Exit the 
room and cross the bridge to the next area.


--PUZZLE: THE PEDESTAL PUZZLE

Again, it's not so much of a puzzle but a bit of a brain-tease. 
Approach the pedestal on the right and drag it towards the Mechanical 
lock. Use the Boreas on the lock to move the room.

Now drag the pedestal across from the other Mechanical lock and use the 
Boreas on the lock to turn the room over. If done correctly, the 
pedestal should land next to the circular switch. Drag the pedestal 
onto the switch to open the metal door above.

Use the Agility Run to the top and enter the next room. Use the Boreas 
on the Mechanical lock on the wall to trigger a deadly little game.


--OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE THE SPIKE ROOM

In this large room, lots of enemies will show up to distract you. As 
you battle them, the spikes on the ground will start to protrude and if 
you don't move to one of the safe corners, it's GAME OVER!

As you fight enemies, the spikes will protrude FOUR different times. If 
you want to be defensive and clever, roll around the area and bait the 
enemies to get near where the spikes are protruding. Quickly roll away 
before the spikes shoot up and the enemies will instantly die!

After the fourth set of spikes shoot up, the entire room will protrude 
with spikes and a Harpy will show up. Quickly (and I mean, QUICKLY) 
grapple onto the Harpy and don't let go! From there, the room will flip 
over and a new set of enemies show up.

The room will only flip over TWO times, so use clever defense and avoid 
too much combos otherwise you won't see the spikes. When the room flips 
over the third time, the coast will be clear, so exit outside to the 
Save Point.


SAVE GAME!


--OBJECTIVE: FIND PANDORA AND ASSIST HER

Jump over the gap and use the Cestus to break the door to Pandora's 
cage. Open the door to trigger a short cutscene. 

After the cutscene, open the door and follow Pandora. Boost her over 
the ledge and then follow her into the next room. A bunch of soldiers 
and Gorgons will show up, so beat up on those fat snakes to freeze the 
soldiers and then crush them.

Don't worry about Pandora and just focus on clearing out the Gorgons. 
Once that's done, approach the handle near Pandora and pull it. After 
the room rotates, use the Boreas to trigger a trap.

Quickly jump to the left, then above, to the left, and then jump down 
and push the handle to open the small cage and let Pandora out before 
the giant pendulums slice her up! When the coast is clear, approach the 
large metal door and give Pandora a boost.


--PUZZLE: THE HOUDINI UNDERWATER PUZZLE

Climb the ladder to the top. Approach the wall on the left side and 
pull it all the way out. From there, use the Agility Run on the metal 
gate to the top.

Jump to the right side and latch on to the metal wall. Climb the 
ceiling to the top and use the Boreas on the Mechanical lock.

When the room flips over, quickly climb the ceiling to the top and 
approach the next metal wall. Climb up and climb to the right. Wait for 
the spikes on the right side to drop down and then jump over the gap 
and quickly climb to the top.

Jump to the right and slide down and then approach the turnstile and 
turn it. Quickly insert the Boreas in the next Mechanical lock to save 
Pandora from drowning. WHEW! Jump down and smash the glass box and 
approach Pandora. 



--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #11
After you save Pandora, she will open the doorway exit but DO NOT leave 
just yet! There is some gold dust on the left side of the room, so use 
the Helios Head to reveal a chest with the second-to-last Minotaur 
Horn!


Follow Pandora outside to find a Save Point.


SAVE GAME!


Approach Pandora to trigger a cutscene,


CUTSCENE


After the cutscene, move forward to trigger a big battle with some 
Sirens, Minotaurs, Wraiths, and Onyx Soldiers. By this point, I don't 
have to tell you what to do, so GET TO IT!

After the battle, pull the lever to open the small cage for Pandora. 
From there, jump towards the large step button above and step on it to 
trigger the elevator to the top of the Labyrinth.


+++AREA: TOP OF THE LABYRINTH

There are two additional gold dust areas in this giant area, but none 
contain any Power-ups, so grab them if you want, otherwise, approach 
the Save Point and Save your game.


SAVE GAME!


--OBJECTIVE: DESCEND BACK TO THE UNDERWORLD AND KILL THE JUDGES

Make your way towards Pandora to trigger the flight back to the 
Underworld. Dodge all the scaffoldings and fireballs as you fly down to 
the bottom. When you reach the Underworld, be ready to fight off a 
Cerberus and a bunch of annoying Satyrs.

Eliminate the Cerberus first and then focus on the Satyrs last. Kill 
them off to clear the area. Now approach the circular pedestal and step 
on it to open the gate on the right side.

Approach the portal and enter through to the top of the area. Make a 
left turn and bust out the Cestus. Destroy the Onyx crystals behind the 
statue's head to kill it. From here, more enemies will jump out, so 
take care of them and continue up the path.

Take out the Onyx soldiers and then destroy the Onyx crystal behind the 
second statue's head. Continue up past the small cavern but WAIT!


--ITEM: MINOTAUR HORN #12
As you reach the third statue, you will see gold dust just outside the 
cave. Use the Helios Head to reveal the FINAL Minotaur Horn of the 
game! 
Yee-haw, enjoy that Trophy!


As you approach the third statue, some Onyx soldiers and Satyrs appear 
for some fun. Take them on and grapple them to death to clear the 
entire area. Approach the vines and climb down to the bottom. Smash the 
Onyx crystal behind the third statue's head to release the chain.


--OBJECTIVE: FIND THE SECRET PORTAL/DESTROY THE ONYX CHAIN

Notice that at the bottom of the Three Judges platform, there are TWO 
portals. The one on the left is gated off and the one on the right is 
the one you gain access to the top of the area.

Well, after you destroy the third Onyx crystal, climb back up to the 
top. Located just farther down near where you found Minotaur Horn #12, 
is a well-hidden portal! When you take this portal, it leads you to the 
gated off portal below with a chest and a lever.

Take this portal back down and pull the lever to open the gates. Crack 
the Onyx located under the chain to snap it completely. From there, 
it's time to ascend back to the Labyrinth, so dodge those scaffoldings 
and fireballs as you ascend to the top.


CUTSCENE


--OBJECTIVE: CLIMB THE CHAIN TO OLYMPUS/BRING PANDORA TO THE BOX

After the cutscene, ascend the giant chain back to Mt. Olympus. At the 
top, take the spiral stairway to upper room. Be sure to Save your game 
because from here on in, there's no turning back!


SAVE GAME!


Approach the turnstile and turn it all the way around to trigger a 
cutscene and the battle with Zeus!


=======================================================================
=======================================================================


--BOSS BATTLE: ZEUS
                       _____   ________  _______
                      /__  /  / ____/ / / / ___/
                        / /  / __/ / / / /\__ \ 
                       / /__/ /___/ /_/ /___/ / 
                      /____/_____/\____//____/  


The final battle with Zeus will be a very lengthy one that consists of 
FIVE phases plus an interlude to the final phase. Ready? LET'S ROCK!


--PHASE ONE: MORTAL KOMBAT
For this battle, the perspective will switch to a 2D battlefield (like 
the Mortal Kombat series). Zeus has a couple of predictable moves and 
evading them is easy.

AERIAL LIGHTNING STRIKE
THUNDERCLAP
GODLY TACKLE
THUNDERBOLT UPPERCUT

Simply stay defensive and keep the pressure on him. When he performs 
his Thunderclap, he punches twice and slams both hands on you. You'll 
have to roll away quickly to avoid the painful hand slam! When he 
floats in the air for the aerial strike, simply roll underneath him and 
then attack him when he floats down.

After much damage is dealt, the Context buttons will appear above his 
head. Grab him and start the Context button battle. After you 
successfully complete the Context battle, you'll have to fight Zeus for 
one more round, so DO IT!

After the battle is done, exit the Chamber and Save your game!


SAVE GAME!


--PHASE TWO: BATTLE ON THE MOUNT
Glide over to Zeus to trigger a cutscene. After that, you can either 
fight Zeus or stay defensive and block his attacks until Gaia appears.


--PHASE THREE: BATTLE INSIDE THE TITAN
Climb your way towards Gaia's heart and bust out the Cestus weapons. 
Break open the Onyx crystals blocking her heart and then shoot an arrow 
at the Bramble. Zeus will jump out for another round of fun.

This battle will be quite a doozy because Zeus has a new move where 
creates multiple clones of himself. As usual, stay defensive and 
grapple all the clones to unleash Orbs for health. Keep attacking Zeus 
with lots of hard combos and don't be afraid to use any Rage Of The 
Spartans if you have any left!

After Zeus receives a ton of damage, he keels over. Grab him to start 
the Context button battle. You have to shove Zeus towards the beating 
heart to end this part of the battle, so DO IT!


--PHASE FOUR: FIND YOUR WAY OUT OF THE DARKNESS
After the cutscene, approach Zeus and pull out the Blade of Olympus. 
From there, rapidly tap the Circle button to enter the dark recesses of 
Kratos mind. This one's gonna be a LONG interlude, so grab a snack and 
some drinks! When you're ready, move forward.

Keep running up ahead (keep going right) until you find bloodstains on 
the ground. Follow those bloodstains trail towards the large glowing 
area to trigger a cutscene.

After the cutscene, the blood trail ends. Keep moving to the RIGHT side 
until you find Pandora. Make your way towards Pandora to receive a blue 
lantern. Follow the bloodstains trail to the next area to trigger 
another cutscene. Approach your family and press the R1 button to 
trigger the next sequence.

Follow after the blue light until you reach the area with Athena. 
Approach Athena to talk to her and then continue to follow the blue 
light to the end of the cliff. Jump down the cliff to the water below.

From here, swim towards the blue light and swim around until Pandora 
lights the way. Keep swimming while following the blue light to the end 
to find Pandora's Box. Approach the box and open it to end this phase!


--PHASE FIVE: KILL ZEUS
After the immensely strenuous interlude, the perspective will switch to 
First-Person view. Fling your blades at Zeus until he falls over. From 
there, rapidly tap the Circle Button as much as you want to beat Zeus 
to a bloody pulp. You can stop punching him at anytime (after the 
screen turns red) to finish the game. Seriously, you can stop now!


=======================================================================
=======================================================================

Mon Congrats, you just completed the God Of War Trilogy! BUT WAIT!!!!!! 
There is one last thing you have to do to!


--OBJECTIVE: END IT ALL

When prompted, press and hold the L2+R2 buttons to charge up the Blade 
Of Olympus and then release them to end it all!


                               THE END...?


=======================================================================
=======================================================================
=======================================================================
=======================================================================


+++THE UNLOCKABLES
   __  ___   ____    ____  ________ __ ___    ____  __    ___________
  / / / / | / / /   / __ \/ ____/ //_//   |  / __ )/ /   / ____/ ___/
 / / / /  |/ / /   / / / / /   / ,<  / /| | / __  / /   / __/  \__ \ 
/ /_/ / /|  / /___/ /_/ / /___/ /| |/ ___ |/ /_/ / /___/ /___ ___/ / 
\____/_/ |_/_____/\____/\____/_/ |_/_/  |_/_____/_____/_____//____/  


Once you complete the game on any difficulty, you will unlock 3 out of 
4 unlockables: Costumes, Chaos Mode, and exclusive videos.

Also note that there is NO carryover of weapons or magic on a new game! 
Once you beat the game and start another playthrough, the only thing 
that Kratos will have in his inventory are the Godly Possessions found 
in the previous playthrough!


--NEW DIFFICULTY: CHAOS MODE

--COSTUMES
FEAR COSTUME - Complete the game on any difficulty. This is the only 
unlockable costume in the game.

PHANTOM OF CHAOS - This costume is available as a pre-order bonus from 
Gamestop. If you pre-ordered the game, you will receive a PSN code to 
download the costume.

**MORPHEUS COSTUME - This costume is available via a code from 7-11 
stores. Go to your local 7-11 store and pick up a regular Slurpee cup 
with the God Of War 3 artwork and there will be a code under the cup. 

MORPHEUS NOTE: You have to sign up to the Slurpee website and input the 
code to get points. Each Slurpee you buy is worth 2-5 points each. The 
Kratos costume is worth TEN points.


--CHALLENGE OF OLYMPUS
There are SEVEN challenges to complete and some of them are quite 
tough. 
Read the section below for my tips on completing the challenges.


--BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS
There's nothing special here but a series of videos from the peeps at 
Santa Monica Studios getting all mushy with each other and explaining 
the creation of the game. TAKE A HINT, ROCKSTAR GAMES!!!!


--COMBAT ARENA
Complete the Challenge Of Olympus to unlock this one. This little 
unlockable allows you to fight off as many enemies as you want with 
limited or Infinite Health, Magic, and Item use. Not really a useful 
unlockable, but still cool.


--GODLY POSSESSIONS
There are TEN Godly Possessions in the game and each one grants you 
various cool rewards like Infinite Rage and Infinite Magic but only 
after you complete the game. Just be aware that activating one of these 
items will disable Trophies for the rest of that particular 
playthrough!


--NEW GAMES+ WEAPONS & HEALTH GLITCH
Read the section below to find out how to start off a new game with ALL 
Weapons and Items Maxed and Infinite Health activated!


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=======================================================================


---NEW GAME+ WEAPONS GLITCH
               _  _______      __  ________   __  _______
              / |/ / __/ | /| / / / ___/ _ | /  |/  / __/
             /    / _/ | |/ |/ / / (_ / __ |/ /|_/ / _/  
            /_/|_/___/ |__/|__/  \___/_/ |_/_/  /_/___/  

                     _______   _________________ __
                    / ___/ /  /  _/_  __/ ___/ // /
                   / (_ / /___/ /  / / / /__/ _  / 
                   \___/____/___/ /_/  \___/_//_/  

It's come to my attention that there is a glitch that enables you to 
have Maxed Weapons AND Infinite Health at the start of a New Game and I 
can confirm that the glitch DOES indeed work!

To use the New Game+ Glitch, you need to first unlock the Combat Arena. 
If you haven't completed all seven Challenges of Olympus, now's the 
time to do it! Once the Combat Arena is available, follow these 
directions:

--Select the Combat Arena and choose TITAN Mode. Choose Infinite Health 
and leave Magic and Item at Level 1. Choose the Gorgon enemy (any of 
the two Gorgons is fine).

--Let the Gorgon kill you FIVE times in a row. But since Infinite 
Health is activated, you cannot get killed even after you get turned to 
stone. To shatter yourself, wait for the Gorgon to do the Stone Gaze. 
Stand in front of it and use a double jump straight up just before it 
stares you down and, if done correctly, Kratos will turn to stone just 
as he lands and he'll shatter.

--After the fifth try, the game will ask if you want to switch to "Easy 
Mode". Choose NO and you will be taken back to the Main Menu.

--From there, choose ANY difficulty and when the game starts, you will 
have immediate access to all Maxed out weapons and Items (except for 
the Blades Of Exile) and you will also have Infinite Health for the 
entire game!


It's a cool little glitch and it definitely makes early enemy battles 
much easier, especially with the Cestus. But be aware that this glitch 
is ONLY for Maxed Weapons and Health! There is no glitch for Infinite 
Magic, so don't even ask. 

It's possible that Sony will fix this glitch, so try it now while there 
is still time!


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+++CHALLENGE OF OLYMPUS
             __          ____                               ____
       _____/ /_  ____ _/ / /__  ____  ____ ____     ____  / __/
      / ___/ __ \/ __ `/ / / _ \/ __ \/ __ `/ _ \   / __ \/ /_  
     / /__/ / / / /_/ / / /  __/ / / / /_/ /  __/  / /_/ / __/  
     \___/_/ /_/\__,_/_/_/\___/_/ /_/\__, /\___/   \____/_/     
                                    /____/                      
                      __                                
               ____  / /_  ______ ___  ____  __  _______
              / __ \/ / / / / __ `__ \/ __ \/ / / / ___/
             / /_/ / / /_/ / / / / / / /_/ / /_/ (__  ) 
             \____/_/\__, /_/ /_/ /_/ .___/\__,_/____/  
                    /____/         /_/


CHALLENGE #1: POPULATION CONTROL
           _______ _____   __   __   _____  ___________  ___
          / ___/ // / _ | / /  / /  / __/ |/ / ___/ __/ <  /
         / /__/ _  / __ |/ /__/ /__/ _//    / (_ / _/   / / 
         \___/_//_/_/ |_/____/____/___/_/|_/\___/___/  /_/  

For this challenge, you are required to have less than 50 enemies 
appear onscreen. When the mission starts, you have 90 seconds to keep 
the arena under 50 enemies or less. You're best bet is to stick with 
the SQUARE, SQUARE, SQUARE combo with the Cestus.

The combo can clear out multiple enemies at a time. While doing this 
combo, keep moving constantly around the arena! You want to cover as 
much ground and target areas that have more enemies.


CHALLENGE #2: BARE HANDS
           _______ _____   __   __   _____  ___________  ___ 
          / ___/ // / _ | / /  / /  / __/ |/ / ___/ __/ |_  |
         / /__/ _  / __ |/ /__/ /__/ _//    / (_ / _/  / __/ 
         \___/_//_/_/ |_/____/____/___/_/|_/\___/___/ /____/ 

This challenge requires you to defeat TWO Hammer dudes, ONE armored 
Cyclops and a bunch of soldiers in less than 75 seconds. This mission 
is quite tedious and may take multiple tries doing the same thing.

Your best (and only guaranteed) bet at making the time limit is to push 
one of the big guys out of the way. Grab the soldiers and start using 
them as Battering Rams. If you can push one of the Hammer dudes or even 
the Cyclops off the ledge with the Battering Ram, then you'll have your 
work cut out for you!

By luck, I was able to push the Cyclops out of the arena, which left me 
with enough time to batter the Hammer dudes and complete the challenge.


CHALLENGE #3: GET STONED
           _______ _____   __   __   _____  ___________  ____
          / ___/ // / _ | / /  / /  / __/ |/ / ___/ __/ |_  /
         / /__/ _  / __ |/ /__/ /__/ _//    / (_ / _/  _/_ < 
         \___/_//_/_/ |_/____/____/___/_/|_/\___/___/ /____/ 

This challenge requires you to get "stoned" by the Gorgons TEN 
different times. To get turned to stone faster, your best bet is to 
block with the Fleece to start the counter move. When the counter 
buttons appears, press a different button to immediately turn to stone.

After you turn to stone, QUICKLY wiggle the Left Analog stick as fast 
you can to break free! Sounds easy, right? Now that you know how to get 
stoned, it's all a matter of surviving the challenge.

When the challenge begins, you will start off with one Gorgon and some 
wandering baddies. The baddies are only there for health, so use them 
as often as you can. After getting stone two times, a bunch of non-stop 
spawning Harpies will show up. After getting stoned five times, a bunch 
of Satyrs will show up. And after getting stoned seven times, a bunch 
of armored Cyclops shows up!

My only advice is to stay defensive and avoid fighting too many 
enemies. 
Keep blocking and rolling around while trying to get into the Gorgon 
stare. If you lose health, keep killing the wandering baddies! Stay 
alert as to where the Gorgon stare is coming from and then block and 
miss with the Fleece to get stoned. Other than that, good luck!


CHALLENGE #4: EL MATADOR - OLE
           _______ _____   __   __   _____  ___________  ____
          / ___/ // / _ | / /  / /  / __/ |/ / ___/ __/ / / /
         / /__/ _  / __ |/ /__/ /__/ _//    / (_ / _/  /_  _/
         \___/_//_/_/ |_/____/____/___/_/|_/\___/___/   /_/  

This challenge requires you to not get rammed by the Minotaur or 
grabbed by the soldiers. This one starts off easy but ends horribly! 
When the challenge begins, you'll have one Minotaur and then some 
soldiers, and then TWO Minotaurs, and then more soldiers, and then 
THREE Minotaurs plus more soldiers!

There are multiple ways to outsmart the Minotaur. One thing you can do 
is approach the edge of the arena and let him charge after you. As soon 
as the challenge starts, stand near the edge (any edge) and wait for 
the Minotaur to charge at you. Jump up twice or fall off the edge to 
make the Minotaur slip and fall (don't worry Kratos will grab on the 
ledge but only for a few seconds, so quickly climb up).

Another way to outsmart the Minotaur is to use the Grapple move on him. 
When they spawn, position Kratos near the Minotaur so that when he 
Grapples and pushes it, the Minotaur will fall right off the ledge. 
EASY, right?

During the last part of the challenge, you'll encounter multiple 
soldiers plus THREE Minotaurs. To fend them off, you'll need to have 
quick fingers! As soon as the soldiers spawn, quickly use the L1+Square 
attack (to kill off a few of them) and then quickly use the Icarus Dash 
(jump and move the Right Analog Stick) to get near the edge and then 
quickly fall off so that Kratos grabs the ledge.

When done correctly, all three Minotaurs will fall down the edge along 
with a majority of the soldiers. Quickly get back up and slice down the 
remaining soldiers. It's not as easy as it sounds but it worked for me!


CHALLENGE #5: KNOCKOUT
           _______ _____   __   __   _____  ___________  ____
          / ___/ // / _ | / /  / /  / __/ |/ / ___/ __/ / __/
         / /__/ _  / __ |/ /__/ /__/ _//    / (_ / _/  /__ \ 
         \___/_//_/_/ |_/____/____/___/_/|_/\___/___/ /____/ 

For this challenge, you have to knock multiple enemies out of the arena 
and gain 1000 points in less than 75 seconds. Each enemy has a point 
value and knocking a bunch of them out of the arena adds to the tally.

When the challenge begins, quickly dispatch the large Cyclops so that 
you can ride him. From there, DO NOT use heavy attacks on the enemies! 
Heavy attacks cause the Cyclops to fall down between hits (which wastes 
precious seconds off the clock), so stick to light attacks only!

Walk in a circle while rapidly tapping the Square Button to knock out a 
bunch of baddies off the arena. Don't wander off! Just walk in a circle 
and keep smashing the enemies and you should get the points within the 
time limit.


CHALLENGE #6: HADES' KIDS
           _______ _____   __   __   _____  ___________  ____
          / ___/ // / _ | / /  / /  / __/ |/ / ___/ __/ / __/
         / /__/ _  / __ |/ /__/ /__/ _//    / (_ / _/  / _ \ 
         \___/_//_/_/ |_/____/____/___/_/|_/\___/___/  \___/ 

For this challenge, you are required to spawn FIVE armored Cyclops in 
the arena. When you kill the first Cyclops, it spawns two more. When 
you kill another one, two more will jump in. When you kill another one, 
THREE more will jump in!

You basically have to kill FOUR armored Cyclops enemies in a row while 
trying to dodge the other Cyclops that crowd the arena. Use the Grapple 
pull as much as you can and keep up your defense. There are no other 
tips I can give you, so good luck!


CHALLENGE #7: SIMPLY SMASHING
           _______ _____   __   __   _____  ___________  ____
          / ___/ // / _ | / /  / /  / __/ |/ / ___/ __/ /_  /
         / /__/ _  / __ |/ /__/ /__/ _//    / (_ / _/    / / 
         \___/_//_/_/ |_/____/____/___/_/|_/\___/___/   /_/  

For this challenge, you are required to destroy 30 pots in 20 seconds. 
It might sound easy, but not with the Blades Of Athena! When the 
challenge starts, stick to using the SQUARE SQUARE TRIANGLE combo to 
break multiple pots without having to move too far.

Use the SQUARE SQUARE TRIANGLE combo on all sides of the arena and you 
should be able to complete the challenge easily. 



That's it! All seven challenges down!


=======================================================================
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=======================================================================
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=======================================================================
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Blog Post: Game Over... continue? God of War 3

Game Over... continue? — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:38:00 GMT

I’ve always been into Greek mythology. The stories of the Olympian gods always stuck with me because, while immortal and powerful, they were still so tragically... human. These tales served a purpose; to explain the unexplainable. The squabbling and bickering of the immortals on Olympus provided an excuse for all the bad things that happened to normal people in the real world. But there were always some who challenged the gods; who flaunted their ultimate authority and power. Kratos, the infamous anti-hero of the God of War series, epitomizes that insolence. His blood soaked march through the halls of Mt. Olympus seeking revenge against those who wronged him is the definition of epic. God of War 3 brings the legend of Kratos to a close in grand fashion, providing one of the most satisfying culminations to any series I have ever played.

God of War 3 takes up where predecessor left off; Kratos riding on the back of the titan Gaia as she ascends to the summit of Mt. Olympus to confront Zeus. There is mythology within a mythology here, sort of an alternate timeline if you will. The battle between the titans and the gods has been raging since time immemorial, and Kratos finds himself caught smack in the middle. Poor Kratos has always been blinded by his own arrogance, and has as a result been betrayed by everyone and is beholden to no one. So what is Kratos to do? Why, kill them all of course!

As the Ghost of Sparta once again winds up in Hades (he should have his hand stamped), we learn from Athena's spirit (gods have spirits, who knew?) that in order to kill his father Zeus, king of all Olympus, Kratos must once again use Pandora's Box. Within it rests the power to kill a god. Of course, that's easier said than done, as the Box is held within the Flame of Olympus which burns so bright and hot that neither man nor god can touch it. To get his revenge, Kratos must get to Pandora's Box. To get to the Box he must get through the Flame... but to get through the Flame he'll need some help. I'm not going to tell you anymore, but needless to say Kratos' patricidal quest for vengeance takes him from the depths of the Underworld to the halls of Mt. Olympus itself, battling gods and titans both, romping and stomping his way through a veritable "Who's Who" of Greek mythology. You can always tell where Kratos has been by the destruction and carnage he leaves in his wake, not to mention the dead deities littering up the place.

Kratos' rampage is brought to life by the best graphics of any game I've played to date. Visually, it is a tour de force, one without equal. Just look at Kratos' face on the main title screen... the attention to detail is phenomenal! Apart from being able to see the pores on his nose, everything from the environments to the enemies looks beyond fantastic. From the dank pits of Tartarus, to battling on, around and in a gigantic Titan, to Aphrodite's silky bed chamber, to the shining halls of Mt. Olympus itself, it's all wonderfully detailed and rich. The gorgons are another great example. While the infamous serpent-haired offspring of Medusa look amazing, the snake skin on their lower half looks real! I mean, really real. The way the light shimmers across them... it's astonishing, like something on the Discovery Channel. That's just one example of many; this entire game shows an incredible attention to detail that should be commended. It illustrates how far we have come in just the last couple of years, and provides a glimpse of what the future may hold for this medium.

If the game looks that good, what about the the legendary God of War cut scenes that we were all so blown away by in the first couple of games? At the time they set a graphical standard. As good as the graphics are in GoW 3, trying to make even better looking cut scenes would have been an exercise in futility. So instead, they smartly went in a completely different route. Cut scenes are done in an anime style reminiscent of the ending of the movie 300. At first I wasn’t sure what to think of this, but ultimately it works and works well, providing a stylized counter balance to the amazing in-game graphics.

Because of the incredible graphical fidelity in GoW 3, the infamous brutality the series is known for gets an obvious bump in realism. This is not a game for the squeamish or the faint of heart. It's realistic violence borders on being too realistic, if you see what I mean. When Kratos eviscerates a centaur (which never gets old by the way) it looks real... or as real as an eviscerated mythological creature can look, I suppose. But when this is most noticeable is during each major boss encounter. Each god dies in a way that is arguably more brutal and graphic than the last, especially those seen through the eyes of the victim. I can only imagine they way he would have killed Aphrodite, but as it is you have other things to do to her;^) Oh, and if you thought killing a god was intense, try offing a titan!

The brilliant graphics are complimented by the sound work. I’d say it deserves near perfect scores as well. The score captures the atmosphere brilliantly. The sound effects are excellent. The dialogue, while stilted and loaded with cliches, is well performed. Kratos usually does a poor impersonation of The Hulk, but as the story unfolds he shows his human side is still there, albeit buried deep down inside.

From a purely gameplay standpoint, GoW 3 is just about perfect in my opinion. Of course, it can quickly devolve into button mashing if you’re not careful. It's worth taking the time to learn the nuances of the controls. Once you've mastered them, I’ve never played a game that makes you feel more like a god, as indestructible and immortal, as GoW 3. I’d say that’s mildly ironic, considering... but when the excellent controls are a huge part of what defines the series, why mess with what works? There are some cool new weapons to play with, although they are really just similar versions of the Blades of Chaos. The main exception is the Cestus, which are basically giant brass knuckles. Those are fun;^), especially in the hands of Kratos. Adding in the ability to switch weapons mid-combo is clever, even though I didn’t use it too much. Controlling the giant monsters is another smart move. I had fun holding on to a giant Cyclops' eyelid and having him run rampant over a bunch of minions. If anything it was probably underutilized...

This series is also known for clever puzzles and platforming sections, and I'm happy to report that Sony Santa Monica took some of the most cleverly designed games in recent memory and pulled out all the stops for the finale. GoW 3 has some of the best pacing ever. There are always little sections tossed in to keep the combat from getting too repetitive. The 'Quicktime' events, a hallmark of the series, have been slightly tweaked to have the prompts on the periphery. Since the face buttons are located on the cardinal directions, it is actually quite instinctive to find the corroborating button without drawing your attention too drastically from the bloody action in the middle of the screen. Not everyone likes QTE' but that small change makes them much more tolerable.

My only complaint, and seriously this is really the only one, is that with sometimes the path to follow in the platforming sections isn't always obvious. Some of the prompts, like where the camera pans through the level, are a little confusing. It can result in some cheap deaths, like jumping off the wrong point just to see if that was the right way to go. Fortunately there are a lot of autosaves, so you tend not to get set back too far. Oh yeah, and I wasn't a huge fan of the flying sections... it was cool the first time, as in once.

I find myself facing one of those moments when I'm struggling for criticism. But sometimes you just have to accept that trying to find fault for the sake of finding fault is moronic. GoW 3 is a wonderful example of how a game can be greater than the sum it's parts, no matter how good those parts might be on their own. Kratos' tale is an experience... and it's final chapter should not be missed lest you risk the wrath of the Ghost of Sparta yourself.

Cheers,

Score = 10 / 10

P.S. Want to read more reviews? Go to Game Over... continue?!

Blog Post: best GoW game

LinkRising77 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:26:00 GMT

This game is the best game ever. i have been playing the God of war games since they came out and i just love this addition to the series. this game is just jaw-dropping and a should-buy game for everyone. the story line, graphics, and just they way you can play is awesome. the stages are brilliant.

Blog Post: Epic!!!!

melvin saballos — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:29:00 GMT

This game was amazing. There was nothing I found wrong with it, except it could have been a little longer. The game play was amazing and the new weapons were great. There was never a dull moment and just about every scene had something explosive about it. The graphics were also amazing.

Blog Post: Kratos clams back the god war title

Gamecrow — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:15:00 GMT

The best game this year so far with amazing grahics and amazing storyline this is a great way to end the story of kratos.

Blog Post: God of War III - Simply Amazing.

xZach — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 23:31:00 GMT

The God of War saga does it again! This game has everything, amazing gameplay spectacular graphics, and an interesting story line!

The power-ups are addicting, the monsters are brilliantly designed, and the boss fights are just unbelievably fun! One thing i really enjoy, is that its almost impossible to get bored of. You never repeat the same way of killing a boss, and even when fighting multiple monsters at once, the possible combinations of attacks you can use are incredible.

After the first God of War, it left me speechless and anxious for the new one to come out! The only way to describe this game, is, Simple Amazing.

Blog Post: Good, but not Great

Daniel Lindberg — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:14:00 GMT

I went into the third game expecting a change from the slightly boring common fighting style that this game has had since the beginning. I was disappointed, but fortunately for me there were the amazing cinematics and epic boss battles. I have come to realize that God of War is just mindless fighting, where button mashing is just as successful as the brainless fighting that you do when you are actually trying. The puzzles are also unstimulating and pointless. God of War III even has a section where you are fighting mindlessly while inside a pointless puzzle.

I may seem like a kill-joy, or even a *** to some standards, but I just do not agree with a ten out of ten rating. For all these downsides, I think that the cinematics were more than enough to keep me awake throughout the game. The boss battles were eye candy and pretty much carried the whole game. This game is outstanding and I recommend playing it, but don't expect much from the common battle.

Blog Post: Zeus!!! Here is my REVIEW!!!!!

CaptMurphy — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:06:00 GMT

Now I have been a God of War fan ever since I played the demo, so far this is the only series that has made to the point where I could not put controller. With this fourth installment (I am counting the god of war game on the psp) they have taken it to new heights showing not only what games can do but what developers can do as well. even the first boss fight that you do is on the outstanding side of the scale and it just keeps climbing from there. Hopefully the team that did this series will continue with the outstanding work but for now here are my review

graphics- 10, I mean how many times have you fought a boss and you go from seeing it behind your character to seeing it through the boss' eyes (well until they are gouged out) so fluidly or watch as a centaur is gutted and the organs slowly ooze out and you can almost identify them, I mean holy cow

story- 10, the story as the rest of the series has been nothing short of outstanding

gameplay- 10, controls are easy to use for anyone

sound- 10, the voice acting, the score, everything was just plain awesome

replay- yes this is one that would go back and play just to find everything and earn every trophy you can get for it

Blog Post: One of the Greatest Games of All Time

PickleMan4258 — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:21:00 GMT

I've been playing God of War since its first game came out in 2005 and have not been disappointed with each release. God of War 3 is an exellent looking game especially if you have and HDTV. The most important part of every game is the gameplay though not much has changed from every other game it 's still a great game. Not much has already been said about this game. If you have a PS3 and don't have this game you need to get it

Blog Post: Epicness incarnate

BigB63 — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:28:00 GMT

This is the best game in the seris. Yes there might be a couple of small things wrong with it but the gameplay and being able to just treat the greek gods like trash is amazing. The graphics are awesome, the weapons are sublime and the ways to kill your enemies make this game so sweet and these are just a few things that make it great but if I went into detail about them all this review would be five pages long. So all in all this game is the best of the best and I know it is going to get lots of praise.

Blog Post: Phenomenal-My opinion on the ending.

Matt Snyder — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:27:00 GMT

This Game is AMAZING!! IMHO probably the best the series has to offer. I would like to say something though that i've been reading on, not only here, but other sites as well. The Ending. *SPOILER* Everyone say that "Kratos was too compassionate" 'Kratos was too soft". Everything about Kratos showing a human side. Does everyone forget about GOW1? The whole Point of this story came when he sought redemption from killing his family. Then GOW2, where he didn't get it, so that was the game that, again IMHO, cemented his status in the gaming world as the vengeful, brutal man that he had become. Then GOW3, where of all things, a little girl tells him that he can't move on until he forgives himself, and that hope will be the thing that saves him. And everybody in the gaming world flipped! Does everyone forget that HE IS A HUMAN? HE FEELS PAIN! As demonstrated in GOW1. HE FELT BETRAYAL i.e. GOW2 Now he has found the redemption he's been longing for for years, and THAT DOESN'T FIT THE CHARACTER?! Gimme a break. He showed compassion to Pandora so that he could, in his mind, recoup the loss of his family. mindless violence is what killed them in the first place. He found redemption. He didn't have to find it in the Titans. He didn't have to rely on the Gods to receive it. He found it by forgiving himself. And to THIS fan who has followed the series from day one, I could not have thought of a better conclusion to the saga of the Ghost of Sparta.

Blog Post: God of War 3 review

kc1324 — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 01:08:00 GMT

I only have one word for this game and that word is awesome! This game i jaw dropping in every way. Since this is their first game on the Playstation 3, this is one of the ways they say "Hey, our games are awesome.". this game will probably be nominated for Game of the Year. Its bloody and hyper-realistic graphics should hang with the best of them, thats th very reason im giving this game a 10/10.

Blog Post: God of War III Will Tear Apart Every Bone in Your Body and Make You Like It

Flying Bags — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 02:46:00 GMT

The God of War series has become unanimous with Greek mythology in the gaming world. Providing an epic retelling of the most famous myths coupled with intense action gameplay, it has carved its way into the hearts of gamers. The much anticipated third installment has finally arrived and it plans to grab the industry by the throat and make them beg for more.

We better start begging...

Aiming to conclude the massive saga, “God of War III” places you once again in the sandals of Kratos, a mortal who has been betrayed by the gods multiple times and is seeking revenge on every Olympian in existence. With the help of the Titans, Kratos plans to climb to the top of Mt. Olympus and put an end to the reign of the gods. Simple by design, the story provides a clear motivation for your actions. Serving mostly as the Sparknotes to Grecian mythology, it would still be wise to brush up on your myths in order to fully appreciate the plot. Every character is rightfully represented yet provide a much darker performance than we are used to getting from other sources.

This sure isn't Disney's Hades...

The brutal gameplay found in the previous games returns with full force. Head ripping, gut-wrenching combat awaits anyone brave enough to pick up the controller. Nonetheless, longtime fans will find a couple of changes to the formula. This time around magic is tied to a certain weapon, forcing the player to switch up his entire strategy for each enemy. The most welcomed change lies in the implementation of quick time events. The series is famous for making the player press certain buttons in an allotted time in order to perform an elaborate finishing blow. The buttons you were supposed to press were flashed in the middle of the screen, obscuring the action and leading to some frustration. In “GOW III,” the commands are shown in the corners of the screen corresponding to the location of the button on the gamepad. This allows for the glory of the battle to be experienced by simply paying attention to your peripheral vision. By living up to “if it ain’t broken don’t fix it” Sony Santa Monica has delivered accessible yet impressive gameplay.

Prior games in the series were graphical powerhouses of their time, with the second iterations pushing the Playstation 2 beyond what anyone though possible. Nonetheless, they relied on pre-rendered cutscenes, similar to a computer generated movie, to deliver most of the narrative. These segments were beautiful but looked significantly better than the actual game. In God of War III, no cutscenes are required. The graphics have been crafted with such polish that every character appears to have been sculpted by the gods themselves. Light and shadows play tricks on your eyes, muscles flex and react naturally to the characters, Kratos even gets drenched in the blood of his enemies as the battle progresses. The sense of scale presented here is unmatched in any other medium, with battles taking place on top of mile high titans whilst they struggle in their climb. After a fingernail the size of a minivan has crushed you, you begin to understand that this game means business. From a technical standpoint it towers above any game ever released, utilizing technology sure to be admired by the entire industry.

This is just a taste of what the game has to offer.

Delivering on every promise with unrelenting brutality, “God of War III” is not only one of the best games of the year, but also some of the most fun anyone can have with interactive entertainment.

Blog Post: SCEA has done it again! Hopefully not for the last time though...

SuperBadger — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 11:04:00 GMT

So you're all going to ask, "Why the 9.75? Why not just give it a full 10? It deserved it". For the most part, yes it did. The game was a blast to play, and it was nice to see Kratos in his full HD glory. I loved ripping guts out of some enemies, and completely ripping apart others. This will be a short and sweet review.

While the game has a few faults, I'll get to them in a moment. Here are the ups:

* The game play is smooth and flows well. I had not trouble dispatching my enemies with the countless amount of available moves.

* The weapons and items were fun to use. Not one of them was useless, and all of them played their parts extremely well throughout the game.

* The boss battles are immense! Taking down a Titan, then destroying a God, and washing, rinsing, and repeating never got old for me. I just wish there were a few more epic battles there.

* The story-writing was top-notch. Having played the other two games, I understood the references that were made. Throughout Kratos' journey, I felt, pity, sorrow, and all-out blood thirsty rage. This game got my adrenaline pumping more than a few times.

And now the minor negatives:

* While overall, the game looked stellar, there were some minor tearing issues and some textures that I thought looked a bit muddy. I understand nothing has been done on quite a scale as this game, I think some textures and character models could have been a little better.

* I HATE grappling in this game. Well, I don't hate it, but its not where it should have been. I often found myself grappling the wrong enemy and sustaining damage because of it. This is especially apparent in the Challenge Mode.

That's it folks. Nothing too brutal right? This game is purely epic, and is a must-own for any PS3 owner or fan of the series. If you haven't played a God of War game, shame on you. Go out, buy a PS3, the God of War Collection, and God of War III. Immerse yourself in the grossly engaging tale wrapped around the appealing instrument that is Greek mythology, and have loads of fun while doing it. I guarantee, you WILL NOT find a more brutal, gory, bloody, disgustingly great of a time than this game or this series.

Go buy whatever it takes to make you play this game....NOW!

Forum Post: Re: God of War III and the perfect 10 score!

deathly_haze — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:50:00 GMT

you can all whine all you want but its not going to change gameinformers opinion.

Blog Post: A Frankenstein assembly of a visual Masterpiece...

Oliver Bautista — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:04:00 GMT

God of War III is the conclusive adventure of the story of Kratos and his quest for revenge against the Gods of Olympus. Showcasing the graphical power of the Playstation 3 console, Sony Santa Monica Studios has been able to render a truly gorgeous looking game, although flawed in areas where previous games in the franchise had mastered.

Rating a game within a series is different than any one stand alone product because you can't just pin it up against other games within the same genre. I think 3 key factors weigh in rating a game from a series. A) It's improvement over the previous installment B) How it fares over other games in the same genre released within a reasonably close time frame ( 12 months or less ) and C) If the story is a continuity, where does the new release stand, does it progress the story - God of War II - , pre-date the main story - Devil May Cry 3 - , change the story - Ninja Gaiden Black - , or ends the story - Metal Gear Solid 4?

( Legend of Zeldas and Final Fantasy games do not apply here )

When God of War came out for the Playstation 2 back in 2005, I was weary of a game based off the lore of Greek mythology could be pulled off successfully. Mainly because of both the constraints and freedom available to the developers in creating a game in that world; the average person's conception of the Mythos would be their constraints and the depth of the mythology's characters and stories would be their freedom. Factor in that it had been well over a decade since a good game with the same theme had been released ( The Battle of Olympus for the Nintendo Entertainment System way back in 1989 ) made you wonder why other companies had stayed away from that storyline for so long. Sure similar games had borrowed enemies or bosses from it, but none had taken it head-on to make it the main thread of their adventure since then.

So I waited. I was waist deep into a certain game called Resident Evil 4 at the time to care about God of War at all, and then it turned into my favorite game of all time so I thought Kratos and his quest for revenge could rot in Hades for all eternity for all I cared...but then Resident Evil 4 came in 2nd place to Santa Monica's new franchise as it won Game of the Year honors...and I was intrigued. I waited some more...then Sony finally placed the game into it's 'Greatest Hits' Collection and at the price tag of $20 bucks, I decided to give Kratos a chance. I was fresh off beating Soul Reaver 2, an average third person action adventure game but with the best story telling I had ever seen in a videogame, worthy of an Academy Award of some sort, so I was a bit familiar with the new direction the God of War franchise had taken in the genre; action, puzzles, adventure, and the exceptionally well used 'Quicktime Events' which spawned all over the game allowed for more interaction by the player when defeating either enemies or bosses became a huge step forward for the genre and the industry as a whole.

God of War held its own and delivered. Its sequel was even better and vaulted into my top 5 games of all time upon completion, and one of the few games I have ever beaten on the hardest difficulty level ( Resident Evil 4 included ). What was amazing to me was how well the story was told and weaved into great gameplay and innovative level design, splendid environments and astounding bosses.

Now to God of War III. Coming in I knew that the Creative Director for the previous game had left the studio completely as seen in the Special Features section of the disc of that game...and I had a notion of how games are made/ who has nay says and so forth but I did not think that the impact of his departure would be this evident or have a negative effect on the conclusion of the franchise, yet in my opinion they did. Instead of a 'Return of the King' conclusion to a trilogy we got more of a 'Matrix Revolutions' end to the story...good as a stand alone sci-fi movie, but pales in comparison to its place within the series and the weakest movie of the three.

I will dissect everything that went well and wrong with this game, removing any biased feelings for or against it by being as objective as possible several days removed from beating it.

The game begins where the last one ended, Kratos riding Gaia climbing their way towards Mount Olympus along with the other Titans on their mission to kill Zeus and end the reign of the gods.

PRESENTATION:

Very good, style used represents the series well. Summary shown at the intro makes it a good reference for newcomers to the franchise, narration in 1st person is a fresh change on occasions. The CGI scenes blend in favorably with the in-game graphics engine, massive scale used exemplifies the firepower the Playstation 3 can withstand. Although the variety of presentations is limited when it comes to the story, Kratos is not a character with enough depth to warrant more. Menu follows pattern of previous games on higher resolution, thus keeping it familiar to the player.

GRAPHICS:

Outstanding. Hands down the best looking videogame I have ever played. What's even more amazing that the graphics are spectacular is that this is Sony Santa Monica Studios FIRST Playstation 3 game and the fact that they nailed it on their 1st try is a testament to their exceptional animation team who had already pulled off the unbelievable on the PS2 the last time around. Kratos looks unbelievably detailed, backgrounds look alive and the lighting effects are fantastic. Enemies and bosses look better than anything else that came before it, the quicktime events seem more engaging and fierce and the framerate is very good. Slowdowns or errors occured only because of something I will touch in on in the next segment. The only game I know can match it's graphical prowess is Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, but since that game sits under the umbrella of the stealth genre I do not play, God of War III game will remain atop my list for a couple of months. I say months because the same guy who created the Metal Gear Solid franchise, whose games have turned out to be one of the most graphically advanced and exceptionally well written games in every installment, in the 'history of histories' has taken up the reins for the next Castlevania title that comes out later this year ( Lord of Shadows ). So Kratos can brag...for now.

SOUND:

Mediocre. This is one of the disappointing parts of the game. When it comes to sound it does not refer solely to music. The music is very good, hand in hand to the theme of the series, epic sounding, fantasy land galore and well orchestrated. However, sound also applies to sound effects, and herein lies the absence of them. Most effects of the game pertaining to sound, even more the effects emitted by the main character you control, are poor, absent or nonwithstanding. I say this because right after the game crashed and I was staring at the blank TV screen while I was thinking whether my roommate had purchased the extended warranty on his PS3 that I was playing in, or whether software can harm hardware evident when I melted all of my PC's motherboard's transformers into oblivion while I was rendering a design that was too much for it to handle, I came to the conclusion that the Sound was actually giving the game errors here and there. Errors that actually affected gameplay, graphical slowdowns, movement of enemies and the like. More than many occasions I would traverse through areas with no sound, music or effect to be heard. The clashing of weapons, the successful block of an attack, the change of materials in the paths you waltzed through...low quality or barely heard. None happened at the same time, but music would not start sometimes, or other times would start when enemies appeared, etc. The most notable of this mishap comes with the Golden Fleece. This is the armor Kratos wears on one of his shoulders/arms and is used for blocking attacks. It very famously blocked, deflected and shot back any and all projectiles launched his way last time around; I say famously because that is the only way you could defeat the last boss in the previous game when you shot back his lightning attacks, and the fleece made a distinct sound when you had successfully blocked a projectile that you could shoot back to your foe. Unbelievably, that sound effect was nowhere to be found and you are left here with the fleece's glow or glare visible only through the incredible graphics engine that powers the game. Seems strange that a feature mastered on lower caliber hardware ( the Playstation 2 ) could be so notably absent or mishandled on a higher end machine. I doubt that they meant for everyone to play it on Dolby 5.1 because odds are high most gamers don't have a Surround Sound system to go with their PS3's even if they possess a good quality HDTV.

GAMEPLAY:

Some people will hold an argument against the gameplay mechanics this time around in God of War III, more so because of the lack of depth and the 'more of the same' snag that hits some games after a couple of sequels. This games does suffer from this, mainly because of the lack of use of other weaponry. Kratos still holds what they call in this game the Blades of Exile, which is basically a different incarnation of the same weapon Ares forged into his arms in the first game. If you are good enough, you can go through the entire game without switching into any of the other 4 weapons you get in the game and you can also refrain the use of other skills that allow you to hurt enemies. I got to the very last version of the last boss by using just two and then decided to 'try' another weapon to see what it looked like. As Castlevanias will have the Vampire Killer whip, Ninja Gaidens will slice and dice with the Dragon Sword, God of War has his Blades of Chaos. But most franchises offer other weaponry not for the sake of variety, but because at some point in the game you NEED to use a certain one to be able to advance or beat a certain boss. This formula has been around too long to pin down a game or a year, yet it continues to work very well when not used excessively. So that part was a letdown when ( again ) the last game had successfully weaved them into the gameplay fluidly. Even the bow you use now seems to be justified only to traverse through some large gaps in some levels, although that one I blame on the level design, but I will weigh in on that one in the next segment. The 'Rage of the Gods' is less effective in this game, as you use it more so because you have it and not because you might NEED it to your advantage in tight situations. Slowdowns occur here and there, not while facing hordes of enemies but rather on strange sound glitches sprayed throughout the game. The camera is fantastic, and the cinematic feel of the series is continued on here to very good taste. It is the best use of a static camera that I have played on so far, and they managed to focus on and in when they wanted to raise or lower the importance of an area, enemy fight or hide items. It is good to note that I am not a fan of this type of camera, mostly because at some point you know it is going to betray you, hide your character or boss from the action and cost you a life. This team has mastered the use of it and it is clearly visible; should other games come up with this type of result I would probably ease my stance on it. Another example of the lack of depth on the character is the absence use of items, whereas Kratos still needs chests to restore magic and health; I doubt Zeus would have purposely left them scattered all over Olympus so his prodigal son can conveniently use them on his vengeful quest to assassinate him. Movements in general are smooth, response time is very good and the quicktime events prompts are better laid out this time, displayed across the edges of the screen coherent to the button you need to push, thus letting you actually see the move or damage you pull off.

LEVEL DESIGN:

Here, as they say, is where the plot thickens...I have huge problems with the level design. If you were to venture through the game by the sole use of portals, the levels would have made a lot more sense. It is not possible to lay out a map of the entire structure of the game in two dimensional form because it escapes the possibility. There is a certain level where I first noticed the discrepancies coming afloat when I was going to the right the whole time and I came out all the way to the LEFT of the starting point of the level. Their vision of Mount Olympus was one of a huge mausoleum sitting atop all the levels, somewhere below it there is a crate filled maze, below that the underworld exists and somewhere in between other worlds open through some doors. There is no coherent transition from one place to the next and most areas suffer from a complete disassociation from each other. I mean, it cannot be both molting hot and freezing cold in the underworld, I'm sure it can be one of those, but not both! You have to revisit certain areas multiple times, and that is a quick indication of poor quality in the way the levels were conceived and/or laid out. These types of games are pretty linear in 'the way you have to go' feature, and although some games offer the ability to revisit the areas for exploration ( finding hidden items mostly ), this is not offered to progress the storyline. After my third flight through the 'Icarus tunnel' I was rather getting annoyed...once was cool, twice was ok, thrice was boring. Some levels left more to be desired as well. I was surprised to see that there was no water level to be conquered, you do kill Poseidon, on land, but his chambers are as dry as can be. I thought he would have gotten better treatment in the game being the 2nd most important God of Olympus...yet you do get to swim in the game, just for the sake of traveling because there are no items to be found in the water or enemies to fight much less bosses to kill in it. Funny this feature was also absent as in previous installments this type of level had been pulled off successfully. Puzzles this time around are on the easy side, with one maybe two giving you a stop and think moment. My favorite level is Tartarus. This is the area where the Titans and Gods fought in the great war, yet appears to fit behind a bronze door in the level of Hades. Although the entrance to this world is highly questionable, the world itself really hit what had been the theme of the series up to this point. It was arid, epic and handled scale at a massive pace. I really felt like I was playing God of War again, whereas most parts of the game you can replace the main character Kratos with another one and re-brand it and not miss a beat. The level with the biggest divorce issue is by far The Labyrinth. The most commonplace association with a labyrinth would be 'getting lost'. There is no getting lost in this level. It is a straight shot through, preceded by a puzzle garden and then followed by huge wooden crates moving around that basically reduce Kratos to a character from the Alice in Wonderland level from Kingdom Hearts. I gave the level the pass at first until I fought a giant Scorpion on top of one of the huge crates, then I started to think something was off and I kind of wasn't playing God of War anymore...so while I am dodging and killing this beast I'm thinking huh this is a strange labyrinth...wait a minute...THE Labyrinth, which the same Daedalus had designed and where Theseus slayed THE Minotaur...here I knew the wheels had come off for sure as far as the level design went AND creative progress of the storyline. The level design suffers from lack of fluidity, creative puzzle solving, and a complete disassociation within the parts to make the whole one cohesive world visibly understandable to the keen eye; the end result was a monster of a world stitched together in bad taste. Seems like every one in the Level Design department went out and did their job separately and they Lego-ed it together. Here is one part where the creative direction was lacking...

STORY:

...and here is the other. It is a head-scratcher of a story they tried to conclude the journey of Kratos with, and a disappointment in how they failed to capitalize on the great storyline laid out in the first two games. Huge pot holes consist of how Athena, after 'becoming one with The Force' apparently, seems to have survived the blow that killed her, even when she had sacrificed herself to save Zeus in the previous game, now wants him dead...Kratos starts out fighting with the Titans, then they turn on each other because...they want to be the one to kill Zeus?...the use of Herm es in the storyline, he neither gives you an important skill or has an impact in the game whatsoever...the dismissal of Hephaestus, god of fire and forge. He could have been a god to reckon with more than Hermes, who is dead last in the totem pole of the Twelve Olympians...how Zeus continues to tell Kratos ' you have defied the gods for the last time' or 'I will put up with your insolence no longer' and yet the world along with Mount Olympus is ( literally ) crumbling to the depths of an abyss, falling into the ocean filled planet at this point...the absence of encountering Kratos family ( for real ) at any point within the game did not add any closure to his quest either, I mean their deaths is what started his adventure in the first place...When I started to play I thought about Kratos dying at the end of the game in the same veins of Maximus Decimus Meridius from Gladiator, reuniting with his family in the afterlife, The End...for them to try and pursue more out of a character with no depth seems like a stretch at this point...it's not like you are dealing with a Dante from Devil May Cry here where even after 4 games, 4 graphic novels and a 12 episode anime later you are still uncovering layers from him and telling the story...that doesn't mean the series has to end, but the main character has to be laid to rest or take a break...

BEASTIARY:

Exceptional. I cannot remember how many different enemies I faced trying to complete Kratos' quest for revenge against the gods. An exemplary job done by this team. Enemies were aggressive, good AI and fit the settings and environments well and none felt to be out of place even with the bad level design constitution this game suffers. Quicktime events were handled better than in previous games and the moves pulled off to defeat certain foes were impressive. The graphical prowess of the game also enhances this effect a great deal, but the moves are pulled off with certain fluid motion that regardless of the graphics engine equipped would add to the gameplay.

Bosses though , are different. There is a total of 8 bosses in the game, but they feel more like 7 and one you fight 3 different 'versions' of. The high note of them all by far is Hades. I would rank this encounter in my top 5 'Best Boss Battles of all times list' for sure. The setting and environment is fantastic, his 'normal' scale is one you would think he would be for being a God of any sort, his attacks are cool and as you start to defeat him his moves start to change and he gets harder to beat. Ultimately he goes into 'God mode' and grows in size trying to make one last push against you, definitely an epic battle...sadly this and the fight against Cronus are the only two you will really remember. Although you pummel Poseidon at the start of the game I found it strange he did not receive a more royal treatment. In popular culture the only 2 gods anybody can name from Greek mythology or have any preconceived notion of are Zeus & Poseidon. So for him not to get his own 'world' to try and conquer and defeat him in was more of a letd own; whereas less known figures like Cronus, Hermes and Hephaestus were given their own levels or lairs. I also have mixed feelings of fighting a huge Scorpion on top of an enormous crate, the boss itself was cool but had we had our little encounter in an underground cavern or in the middle of the Sahara I think would have been more pleased and more fitting. I would have taken a giant Spider instead if the idea behind it was a creature with a long set of legs. Alas it was set in a wrong environment and the ideal battle would have been to have fought a giant Minotaur there to 'escape' the 'labyrinth'. God of War II showcased Zeus in a very good light; massive in scale in 'God Mode' and still larger than you in human form. Different kinds of attacks which got harder as you started to defeat him, excellent environment set in an island in the sky...How all this escaped this incarnation is beyond me. I seldom remember being bored fighting and End Boss in any game, but by the time I reached Zeus fighting version #3 I was looking over at the time and wishing it was over. Not only are you and Zeus the same size the entire time, his attacks are the same in round 1, vary a bit for rounds 2 and 3, but even when close to defeat his attacks do not vary or get harder to dodge, block or fight against. Dracula from the Nintendo Entertainment System Castlevania is harder to predict a pattern from than this lame version of Zeus. The setting in which you face him is nothing to write home about either, no castle in the sky nor atop a floor of thundering clouds nor the black night as a background either...where did it all go...where did Creative Director go again?

DIFFICULTY:

Moderate. Veteran God of War players would breeze through the game in Normal mode so I would suggest Hard to gain some sense of achievement; checkpoints to continue are well placed and are forgiving. Newcomers to the series should do fine on Normal mode, but if you just want to see through the story like in any game you don't want to investment too much time in you do Easy Mode. Hardcore players could beat this game on harder difficulties as well if they want, it is possible.

LASTING APPEAL:

The excellent visuals will surely hypnotize all Avatar fanboys out there and will be the thing that people will remember most from this game. Along with the excellent visuals, extensive hordes of enemies and the boss battles with Hades and Cronus. I would play the game again up until that point, but not any further.

I rate it an 8.7/10

LAST THOUGHTS:

Not exactly closure to an excellent storyline but definitely a staple for other games to follow and improve upon. This is an example in my opinion of what happens when a great game is made with no clear direction or intention as to where they want to go and how they are going to get there...where is that Creative Director again???

- It's interesting to read the Second Opinions article, after the first initial review, and they both touch on subjects I covered extensively here -

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/107/1079967p1.html