Video-game sales are off again this year, but that doesn't mean we're lacking big-ticket titles. The latest, God of War III for the PlayStation 3, launches at midnight Monday night -- or 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, if you want to be technical. All GameStop stores in the Twin Cities and all 24-hour Wal-Mart stores will have the game available for late-nighters, as will Best Buy stores in Apple Valley, Blaine, Maple Grove, Rochester (south) and Shakopee.
Is God of War III worth the hype? You bet it is. Although there's nothing terribly new, this epic third entry in the Spartan warrior Kratos' battle against the Greek gods takes everything great about the first two games and cranks them up to eye-popping, jaw-dropping levels. The visuals are out of this world, with an especially vivid re-creation of Hades that bests the recent Dante's Inferno. There are also some lovely flashback scenes that brilliantly recall the look of the 300 graphic novel. The battles with giant bosses prove more thrilling than ever, including a marathon run-in with Chronos that has Kratos navigating the behemoth like a mountainside. (The picture shows tiny Kratos being held between the fingers of the Titan.)
The game also pushes the boundaries of what constitutes a Mature-rated game. The violence is gleefuly bloody and gory, such as when Kratos wrenches off the horn of a beast and jabs it through its skull or when he rips off the head of the sun god Helios and then uses it to light his way. There are also several topless women, including the goddess Aphrodite, to whom Kratos can make love (off-screen) in a mini-game. It's tough being a god-warrior.
