Any PS3ers out there pumped for God of War III?

[mmosu]

Thanks Art! No one on here knows this about me, but in my non-OWG life I'm a dental student.  Thus the new avatar.  I figured it would get some comments  ;D

[Fiach]

Still no EU release date  :'(

[mmosu]

GOW III newsflash:

For those of you here in the States, GameStop is currently taking pre-orders for GOW III, and with a pre-order you get a promotional code to download the E3 2009 demo in it's entirety from the Playstation Network.  I will be downloading mine this afternoon - comments to follow soon!!  I've also heard there are other ways to get your hands on these codes (heard a rumor people are selling them on Ebay for $1), so if you can't preorder you might still be able to play the demo.  This is supposed to contain nearly half an hour worth of the final game, so it is definately one to get your hands on!   :-X

[spaceboy]

Hey mmosu,

Amazon has the following pre-order, looks they might be one-upping Gamestop.

Pre-order Bonus
Pre-order God of War III and get access to the E3 2009 demo, and an in-game Apollo Skin. This exclusive in-game skin unlocks AFTER you've completely played through the full retail version of God of War III at least once. Access codes will be e-mailed within 10 business days after you place your order. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com, while supplies last. Limit one per customer.

http://www.amazon.com/God-War-III-Playstation-3/dp/B000ZK9QCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1260982664&sr=8-1


btw, I've got my copy of the GOW Collection primed and ready to go once I finish Assassin's Creed II.  I can't wait to play this series finally!

[Fiach]

Thats the HD version of the games? If so well done, be nice to hear how they look, I dont think there is a euro release date yet.

[spaceboy]

yeah,the remastered HD versions.  So I guess it should be a good introduction to the series.

[mmosu]

Let me know how you like them Space!
My gamestop pre-order has a "Phantom of Chaos" skin that looks like the same type of thing - it only unlocks with the promotional code after you complete the entire game.  Looks like everybody is running their own version of the same deal!

[mmosu]

Got a couple of playthroughs of the E3 demo in ...  :-X :-X :-X
There's nothing to say but everything seems to be as promised.  From the beginning Kratos feels and plays exactly like previous renditions, so if you've played the others you can pick it right up and start devastating hordes of undead soldiers!  The character models are extremely detailed, blood now sticks to Kratos' body, and the size and scope of the game is going to be truly epic!!  Can't wait till March!! ;D

[spaceboy]

Sounds awesome.  Is it a pretty long demo?

[mmosu]

It's about 20 minutes - and it's action packed, no dead time.  You go from fighting undead soldiers, to riding harpies across a gap, to fighting a mob of like 30 soldiers and a Centaur at the same time, to fighting a Chimera (which takes a long time cause you have to kill each part of it - snake, lion, and goat - individually).  After that it's interfere in a battle between Helios and a titan, more harpies, ride the back of a cyclops, finish off Helios after he is grounded as a result of you tipping the scales in the titan's favor, and then a rapid accent through a collapsing hot air vent using the Icarus wings.  Did I loose you there? ;D
It's exactly the same demo as the videos I posted a link to earlier in the thread as well.

[mmosu]

So, I thought I had posted that link - guess not  :-[

http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/886/886158/vids_1.html

Contained here are all the videos out there of GOWIII gameplay, the "IGN E3 2009 live demo" series is the one I'm thinking of that shows the whole demo.  It's in 4 parts, you just have to endure one of the devs being interviewed over the game, but he does add some interesting insight to the innovations they've made.   

[spaceboy]

hey mmosu, I started playing GOW1 this weekend, and I'm really impressed with this game.  The gameplay is a lot of fun and I guess I'd call it advanced button mashing.  I had trouble in Athens fighting a troll and several undead soldiers and I really had to decide what were the right combos to use, and use the dodge smartly.  I'm also enjoying the mythical storyline.

I can't compare the graphics to the original PS2 games, but the upgraded graphics in this collection are very appealing.  What I'm really impressed with the feel of scope and scale in the game.  The playable areas are quite extensive and the fact that you wind up doubling back through certain areas for some reason makes them seem more open.  But when you are in Athens and Ares is destroying everything in the background it gives a great sense of scale.

[mmosu]

One thing these games do extremely well is making you feel puny and powerful all at the same time.  As you progress through both games you will encounter creatures even larger and more powerful than Ares, creatures that will dwarf you in a way you may have not yet experienced in a video game - and yet, even at your size, you will find ways to effect their behavior, and even injure and kill them in some cases.  It's truly a game done on a scale that does justice to it's mythological story. 
I can remember standing at the gates of Athens when I saw Ares for the first time too Space - and it was from that moment on that I was completely and totally hooked on this game ;)  It's also funny that you mention the doubling back to certain areas - in my opinion it shows some very creative and resourceful game design, and even though you often visit areas you've seen before there is always some new twist on it to keep things interesting. 
One side note:  Devil May Cry 3 also did this well and had similar game elements, yet it had the misfortune of releasing in the same year as GOW, and was almost completely overshadowed by it even though it too was a great game.  It shows how spectacular GOW was at the time, given that it was able to almost completely steal the show from a great game like DMC3.     

[spaceboy]

well said about puny and powerful at the same time.  I just defeated those darn sirens and got to see the cutscene where Kratos climbs Kronos (sp) the last of the Titans.  Playing this makes me want to brush up on Greek mythology - I love the lore that is in the game.  Pandora's box hidden in a mountain that is literally chained to an enormous Titan's back.  Wicked.  The fact that he is the last of the Titan's and destined to roam the desert in swirling sandstorms for the rest of his life (I believe until the sand literally tears him apart is what is said).  Yeah, I'm sorry I never played the series but wow what a way to get into it now.  1 and 2 remastered in high def literally 3 months before GOW III comes out.  Not a bad way to begin 2010!

[mmosu]

That storytelling you speak of is hard to beat - they created this brutal world, where uncaring and unfeeling gods rule without mercy or regard for the consequences of their actions - perfectly in tune with the stories of Greek mythology.  You'll grow to know more as you play on, in Pandora's temple the remainder of the story (at least for the first game) will be layed open in all of it's glory  ;D  Enjoy!!

[mmosu]

Found a write-up of a short but cool GOWIII demo that some of the writers for IGN got to play.  You can read all about it here, and there are also lots of new screenshots posted that we can spend the next month drooling over  ;D

3/16/10...
3/16/10...
3/16/10... ::)

[Art Blade]

uh-oh. The release date, I assume?

[mmosu]

Yep, it's plastered 8 feet wide on the window of my friendly neighborhood GameStop  ;D

[Art Blade]

lol  ;D

[spaceboy]

this'll be epic mmosu.  I am probably 3/4 thru GOW I and loving it, but I've gotten sidetracked with MAG the last week - gotta fight those SVER and Valor scum you know  ;)   But yeah I can already tell that as good as I is, and if II is better, III is going to be amazing.  I'm going to be really increasing my gaming allowance the first 4 months of this year.  (shhh)  :-\

[JRD]

I'm with spaceboy... With guys like you lot and games like those you keep opening my eyes to, I'll have to get a better job soon...   :'(


See it in a positive way, of course  ;)

[Art Blade]

Well said, JRD: Without the guys here and without OWG, gaming would still be fun. But far less widespread and lacking the ability to share one's experience with one another  :-X

[mmosu]

Cheers guys  :-X

Just got the final details on my pre-order - I reserved a copy of the Ultimate Edition, and here's what is included:
-concept art book
-exclusive challenge arena game mode
-scale model of Pandora's box (don't know what I'm gonna do with that  ::), more interested in what's inside it!)
-redemption codes for exclusive game content from Playstation Network (I think these are going to be Kratos skins mostly)
-soundtrack from GOW I, II, & III
-full-length documentary feature following the creation of the entire series
In addition, since I pre-ordered at GameStop, I got a redemption code for the "Phantom of Chaos" skin, which makes Kratos look like one of the earliest pieces of concept art done when they were still designing him. 

March can't come soon enough  ;D ;D ;D

[spaceboy]

dang mmosu that sounds cool.  I've always liked good movie soundtracks and lately the gaming soundtracks have gotten so good - I can't stop listening to some of them.  But PLEASE don't open Pandora's box!! ;D

I'll bet that set you back about $100 right?  Not too bad if you consider the extras.  The soundtracks alone would probably be about $10 each.

I need that new job JRD was talking about...

[Art Blade]

Become a city clerk. Overpayed and underemployed.  ;D