God of War III

Game review by Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media
God of War III Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 18+

Fantasy brawler features extreme, visceral violence and sex.

PlayStation 3 2010
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 27 reviews

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 41 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that God of War III is a breath-takingly violent and gory action game. In fact, it's one of the most violent videogames we have ever reviewed. Where some parents allow teens to play M-rated games, this is one that we do not recommend at all in any way for teens. As with its predecessors, you play as Kratos who uses all kinds of weapons to destroy creatures big and small in a number of creatively violent ways, such as pulling out eyes and slicing open bellies to spill innards across the ground. Kratos can use his chained, wrist-mounted blades to chop his enemies, as well as a bow, magic, or fists to snap the necks of creatures. Blood sprays out of enemies' wounds, limbs and heads can be torn off, and creatures cry in pain. Mythological beasts make up most of Kratos' victims, but he also kills humans (on purpose or by accident) as well as gods in human form. The game also has a sex-based mini-game, scores of bare-breasted women and female creatures, and some strong profanity.

Community Reviews

Shitposteviewer69
Shitposteviewer69 Adult
June 2, 2021
age 10+

Hadez the cuckshoer

Great game till you get to hades all this boss battle is, is evading and attempting to slice your way to victory just so you can get countlessly stomped on until you have to fucking restart the fight again because there are no checkpoints in each progression of the battle.
CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
September 24, 2020
age 18+

Kids stay away

I liked the game it's the most manly thing I have ever played this game had my entire body filled with testosterone the next day I did really well at boxing training I imagined I was Kratos the protagonist smashing people's skull in with the gauntlets I got from killing hercules. Now if you don't want your kids to behave like this I recomend not getting the game for them. Even for older teens. This is not just some action game it takes a human being and only leaves bad quality of the human it strips the Human Kratos of his humanity. Let me make a small list of what Kratos does during the game: 1 A giant punches a sea creature which the sea god Poseidon was hiding in with Kratos on her knuckles, Kratos get's launched foreward and goes thro the creature like a hot knife through butter. He grabs Poseidon while he penetrates and exits the creature throwing him against a rock. He then proceeds to smash the God's head with his fist, legs, own head and smash his head against stone before finally putting his two thumbs in his eyes and breaking his neck. To make it worse you see this all from the point of View of Poseidon while you're pressing the buttons to kill him. 2: You kill the god of the underlworld hades by cracking his skull like an egg and using his own soul reaping weapons to take his soul so you can swin thro a river 3: You kill the sun God helios and rip his head of his body with your bear hands to use him as a torch 4: You slash off Hermes the messenger God's legs while he's begging you to spare him so you can run fast for 2 seconds 5: You kill Hercules your own half brother by smashing his head in with his own gauntlets 6:You kill the smithgod Hephestus because he was trying to protect his daughter Pandora from you 7 You sacrifice pabdora a teen girl so you get the power to kill your own father the king of God's Zeus which you do by beaiting him to death with your bear fists.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much violence
Too much sex
See all 27 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Sony's biggest and baddest action game series is back with GOD OF WAR III, set once again in the realm of brutal Greek mythology and starring ex-Spartan warrior Kratos. Armed with his wrist-mounted chain blades, daredevil acrobatics, and for the first time in the trilogy, magic, this fallen god must avenge those who have betrayed him in a 3D world four times larger than the last game. This single-player epic also retains some of the platforming elements found in its predecessor, which includes jumping over chasms, climbing up mountains and shimmying across ledges. Plus, gamers can now mount huge, ride-able creatures to bypass obstacles, solve puzzles, or inflict damage on swarms of enemies (we're talking roughly 50 creatures on the screen at once, thanks to the processing power of the PS3).

Is It Any Good?

Yes, absolutely -- but only for those 17 years of age or older, as the over-the-top gratuitous violence, sexual themes and strong language means this game is most definitely not for kids. However, for those who crave visceral action, God of War III delivers the goods, and the controls are just as tight and responsive as the previous God of War games for the PS2 and PSP.

Kratos also has access to new weapons, such as a bow and fiery arrows. Plus, he can pick up enemies and decide whether to throw them or put them on his shoulder like a linebacker and run into walls to bash their heads, use them as meaty shields, or drop them into crowds and set off a bomb to blow all the baddies into the air. PS3 gamers anxiously awaiting this mature sequel won't be disappointed with the experience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why a game like this is so popular. Is it because it lets them live in a fantastic world populated by enormous creatures? Does it deliver a virtual, visceral thrill for mature players, perhaps making them feel like immortal warriors? Is the experience so far removed from our daily (and often mundane) lives that it feels like pure fantasy?

  • Families can also discuss the game's depiction of the female form. Did you find the countless bare breasts on display distrurbing, or does the game's setting give them artistic purpose?

Game Details

  • Platform: PlayStation 3
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
  • Release date: March 16, 2010
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
  • Last updated: August 31, 2016

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