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" With a new console generation now under way, each week Digital Spy looks back at some of our favourite games from the Xbox 360 and PS3 era. This week, Mark Langshaw remembers God of War 3.  The hack and slash genre has progressed very little during the last hardware generation, but that&amp;#039;s hardly a bad thing given that it neared perfection with the original God of War in 2005. Sony&amp;#039;s Santa Monica Studio didn&amp;#039;t have to reinvent the wheel when it came to making God of War 3, yet the subtle refinements the studio introduced to the formula and the raw power of the PlayStation 3 made it the definitive entry in the series. The game brought irate anti-hero Kratos&amp;#039;s revenge question to a brutally stratifying climax, with the son of Zeus completing his transformation from pawn of the gods to god slayer. In hindsight, there didn&amp;#039;t appear to be much mileage left in the God of War story following the conclusion of the second game, which left off with Kratos on the brink of decorating Mount Olympus with his father&amp;#039;s blood. It&amp;#039;s impressive that the writers managed to drag the story out for another full instalment, although plot takes more of a backseat in God of War 3 as awe-inspiring set pieces and polished combat mechanics drive the experience.  Kratos&amp;#039;s PS3 debut offers up one incredible spectacle after another. As far as opening sequences go, climbing up the hide of a great Titan while warding off the onslaught of the sea god Poseidon is up there with the train sequence from Uncharted 2 as one of the greatest of all time.  And that was merely for starters, as some of the most memorable boss battles ever to grace the PS3 followed. Who can forget taking down the towering titan Kronos, that blood-soaked brawl with Hercules, or the final confrontation with Zeus? Each of these battles are worthy of a place in gaming history, but the showdown with Kronos stands out as a personal highlight for this writer, ludicrous as it is that a being the size of Kratos could take down an opponent as big as a small town. The original God of War introduced some of the most polished hack and slash mechanics ever seen, and the third home console instalment followed in its predecessors&amp;#039; footsteps, adding an extra layer of gloss and a dash more variety. Sony got more creative on the puzzle front, succeeding in its goal to challenge player without frustrating them too much, while the inclusion of HD graphics took the God of War series to new cinematic heights. As a conclusion to Kratos&amp;#039;s story arc, God of War 3 did not disappoint. Stepping back into the Ghost of Sparta&amp;#039;s sandals was as gratifying as ever, making a refreshing change from playing the stock good guy on some wholesome mission to save the world.      This is what has always set the series aside from similar third-person action titles, coupled with its water-tight controls, dizzying sense of adrenaline and epic boss battles, all of which were present in Kratos&amp;#039;s PS3 debut. There was a degree of finality about the end of the game, but we hadn&amp;#039;t seen the last of Kratos on PS3. Prequel God of War: Ascension arrived in March of this year, introducing multiplayer to the series and fleshing out the protagonist&amp;#039;s origin. Although God of War: Ascension was an evolutionary title thanks to the inclusion of online play, God of War 3 is a superior game, thanks to its superior boss battles, greater sense of scale, and more climactic storyline. While we can only salivate at the thought of what a God of War game would look like on PS4, where Sony will take the series for here is anybody&amp;#039;s guess.  After four home console instalments, the hack and slash formula is beginning to feel a little tired, and there are only so many stones from Kratos&amp;#039;s past that can be unturned. &amp;#039;The Fate of the Titan&amp;#039; secret ending from the original God of War hinted that the series could eventually take on a modern setting and introduce a new hero, but give that almost a decade has elapsed since then, it is likely that this idea has been shelved. God of War 3 will be remembered as an effective showcase for the PS3 hardware, and an epic conclusion to one of the finest hack and slash series ever conceived. Many have attempted to replicate the God of War formula over the years, but nobody does it better than Kratos (just ask Aphrodite), and God of War 3 was his finest hour. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/retro-gaming/news/a536432/games-of-the-generation-god-of-war-3/>