By Adrian Morris

Within 30 minutes of “God of War III,” I traveled inside the Titan Gaea, fought a leviathan upside down on the titan’s arm and traveled limb to limb along her and past the leviathan to battle Poseidon.

It’s quite a ride, and while it is only the tutorial, players will sense the epic nature and scale of “God of War III.” Protagonist Kratos may be the size of a tick compared to Olympus, flailing Titans and the Greek gods, but he is more than capable of destroying them all.

Players are thrown into “God of War III” exactly where “God of War II” ended, with Kratos and the Titans scaling Mount Olympus to kill Zeus. However, Kratos will need the Flames of Olympus to slay Zeus. Thus begins his journey, reaching from the pits of Tartarus to the summit of Mount Olympus.

I’ll admit “God of War III” doesn’t change the fundamental design of the series and feels similar design-wise, but what is different is the streamlined combat and story presentation.

Combat grappling allows Kratos to grab an enemy and thrust into them, and it allowed me to close the distance between Kratos and enemies while interrupting group attacks.

The battering ram lets Kratos grab an enemy and drive them into others. While this grab only works on certain enemies, the attack damages everyone, and I used it to clear away the smaller minions while dealing damage to larger ones, like the Cyclops.

Finally, my favorite item, the Wings of Hermes, changes the combat pace and makes “God of War III” feel closer to “Devil May Cry.” This dash can be used in the air or on the ground, but its importance when combined with the battering ram and combat grapping give Kratos the jump on enemies in chaotic situations.

The other weapons besides the chain blades are amongst the best in the series. The claws of Hades, Nemesis whip, and the Nemean Cestus all feel more fluid and attack faster than previous weapons and I actually cared about them. Combine these weapons with the combat ram, grapple and wings, and players will start thinking of new weapon combos and better ways to dispatch enemies.

Switching each weapon using the directional pad is clumsy, but a quick-switch feature has been added, and switching between weapons creates a miniature combo itself.

I fully leveled each weapon and magic in one playthrough, because Kratos’s four magic powers are now leveled with each weapon like an ability, rather than individually. This lets players enjoy each weapon’s full power.

This was the first time I fought creatively in a “God of War” title, and fans of the action and adventure genres will appreciate the new additions.

The presentation, graphics and scale value in “God of War III” will force players to keep playing. From the moment “God of War III” begins, players are treated to a rich, driving musical score alongside a Greek stylized silhouette cut scene.

I wondered, at that point, if there would be other epic moments rivaling my battle against Poseidon with Gaea, and “God of War III” answered with more Titan battles and god decapitations than I imagined.

For example, my fight against Chronos placed Kratos between his fingertips and then Kratos ripped his fingernail off. I kept asking myself “How is Kratos doing this?” It’s like fighting an Empire State building that constantly changes position and makes you climb what was once the ground.

It’s the pacing and variety of these changing environments that make “God of War III” something players haven’t played before.

Since “God of War III” is on PlayStation 3, every aspect and environment feels fully imagined. The creatures, environments and long, panning vistas haven’t changed, but you’re seeing them how they were imagined.

Since “God of War III” doesn’t change its formula and is another improvement on the series, it’s hard to find much fault. The game will take players eight to 10 hours to complete, but there are two harder difficulties and the challenge of Olympus for replay value.

Even if the player understand Greek tragedies, they’ll be surprised at the ending. The score, the visuals and the presentation make you believe the myth, bringing its creatures and gods to life.

Bottom Line: “God of War III” takes the epic battles and stunning sights the series is known for and amplifies both their scale and their finesse. The result is a ride gamers cannot afford to miss.

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars