God of War III

6:59 God of War III is the third main God of War game and the end of Kratos's Greek story: a PlayStation 3 game from Santa Monica Studio, released in North America on Mar 16, 2010 and directed by Stig Asmussen. Picking up immediately after God of War II, Kratos climbs Mount Olympus with the Titans, kills the gods one by one and finally his father, Zeus. It scored 92 on Metacritic from 101 critics, and God of War III Remastered for PS4 (Jul 14, 2015) is still sold, at $19.99 as of Nov 4, 2026.

It is the last chapter before the Norse games: the war on Olympus is what, in GameSpot's words, "would eventually send Kratos into the arms of Faye", the hero of God of War Laufey (PS5, May 20, 2027). Spoilers for God of War III follow.

Quick facts

Sources: PlayStation Blog, Jan 28, 2010; PlayStation Blog, Mar 19, 2010; Metacritic, Nov 4, 2026; Sony, Jun 5, 2012; HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026; PlayStation, Nov 4, 2026.

What is God of War III about?

17:53 The game opens with Kratos riding Gaia and the Titans up the side of Mount Olympus. He fights Poseidon on the way, a killing blow shown from the god's own point of view, but is knocked back down into Hades and has to climb out and up the mountain again. There an apparition sets him a new task, to put out the Flame of Olympus before he faces Zeus, and he finds Pandora, Hephaestus's daughter, the key to it.

21:08 The story is a revenge story to its end. Betrayed by Gaia as well, Kratos turns on the Titans and kills Zeus in the final battle. The ending, and what it meant for the Norse games that came eight years later, is set out on God of War Timeline Explained.

Which gods does Kratos kill in God of War III?

18:46 By GameSpot's count, Kratos kills ten gods and Titans in God of War III: Poseidon (his uncle), Hades, Helios, Hermes, Hercules, Hera, Hephaestus (Pandora's father, who turns on Kratos to protect her), the Titan Cronos (father of Zeus), Gaia and, last, Zeus. Athena, who stood between Kratos and the rest of Olympus, is the one who returns: she reappears in his Norse adventures.

Concept artist Andy Park designed Poseidon's water form for the opening fight. In Santa Monica Studio's 2025 fan vote of 32 bosses, Zeus won with 82.6% of the vote on X, beating Cronos, Thor and Odin in the final four. The whole Greek pantheon, game by game, is on Greek Gods in God of War.

How it plays

2:22 The combat is the series' formula with four weapons that can be switched mid-combo, each with its own magic: the Blades of Exile, the Claws of Hades, the Nemean Cestus gauntlets and a lightning chain weapon. A bow runs on its own meter instead of the magic bar, the Head of Helios serves as a light, and Kratos can grab a foe and use it as a battering ram. The Blade of Olympus became a Rage mode.

Enemies are more aggressive than before, which IGN noted ended the easy abuse of the old Square, Square, Triangle combo. Button prompts for finishers moved to the edges of the screen. Hera's garden holds a puzzle where shifting the camera joins paths that do not connect. There are no prerendered cutscenes except the credits intro; the Challenge of Olympus, an arena mode and over 15 making-of videos unlock after the story.

Who made God of War III?

Cory Barlog had written a script and laid out the game before leaving the studio, and Stig Asmussen, the series' art director, took over as director. Asmussen said Barlog left "a road map" running from Hades at the bottom to the top of Olympus. Eurogamer later wrote of the game's $44 million budget. It won the BAFTA for Artistic Achievement in 2011, collected by Asmussen.

God of War 3 reviews and sales

Every critic Metacritic counts reviewed it positively: 92 from 101 reviews, with users at 9.0 from 4,799 ratings as of Nov 4, 2026. IGN gave it 9.3, "a great end to Kratos' console trilogy", and GameSpot 9.

It was the series' best seller in Sony's 2012 count. Sony's Peter Dille said it sold 1 million units "in just a couple days" (Game Informer read that as North America; other coverage said he did not name a region), NPD put it first in the US in March 2010 with 1.1 million, and Sony's count reached 5,197,632 units shipped by May 30, 2012. See God of War Sales and God of War Reviews.

God of War III Remastered

0:43 Announced for the series' tenth anniversary, God of War III Remastered came to PS4 on Jul 14, 2015 in the US (Jul 15 in Europe, Jul 17 in the UK; IGN's database says Jul 13). Wholesale Algorithms remastered it to target 1080p at 60 frames per second and added a photo mode; IGN measured the PS3 original at 30 to 40 frames per second and the remaster usually near 60. It includes all of the original's downloadable content and launched at $40.

Reviews were warm but lower than the original's: 81 on Metacritic from 67 critics, IGN 8.8 and GameSpot 8. As of Nov 4, 2026 it is $19.99 on PlayStation Store, plays on PS5, and is in the PlayStation Plus Premium Classics Catalog. It is the only way to buy any of the first three games new today; the rest are on God of War Collections and Remasters, and the God of War Trilogy Remake will cover this game too.

Frequently asked questions

When did God of War 3 come out? God of War III came out on PS3 on Mar 16, 2010 in North America and Mar 19, 2010 across PAL territories; God of War III Remastered followed on PS4 on Jul 14, 2015.

Can you play God of War 3 on PS5? Yes. God of War III Remastered, the PS4 version, plays on PS5 and costs $19.99 on PlayStation Store as of Nov 4, 2026, and it is in the PlayStation Plus Premium Classics Catalog.

Who does Kratos kill in God of War 3? In God of War III Kratos kills Poseidon, Hades, Helios, Hermes, Hercules, Hera, Hephaestus, Cronos, Gaia and finally Zeus, by GameSpot's count.

How long is God of War 3? HowLongToBeat put God of War III at about 10 hours for the main story and 18½ hours to complete everything on Nov 4, 2026.

Who directed God of War 3? Stig Asmussen directed God of War III after Cory Barlog, who had planned the game, left Santa Monica Studio.

Is God of War 3 the end of the Greek saga? God of War III ends Kratos's main Greek story; the Norse saga starts with God of War (2018), the game whose opening God of War Laufey begins from.

Sources

• It's Official: God of War III Will Be Attacking Stores on March 16th, PlayStation Blog, Jan 28, 2010
• God of War III Out Now, Media Kit Unveiled, Thach Quach, PlayStation Blog, Mar 19, 2010
• God of War III, Metacritic, Nov 4, 2026
• God of War III Remastered, Metacritic, Nov 4, 2026
• God of War III Review, Chris Roper, IGN, Mar 8, 2010
• God of War III Review, Tom Mc Shea, GameSpot, Mar 8, 2010
• Sony: God Of War III Making A Killing, Tim Turi, Game Informer, Apr 2, 2010
• God of War and Pokemon Conquer March NPDs, Phil Kollar, Game Informer, Apr 15, 2010
• Heavy Rain And God Of War III Celebrated By BAFTA, James Gallagher, PlayStation Blog, Mar 17, 2011
• Award-Winning God of War Franchise Sales Exceed 21 Million Units Worldwide, Sony Computer Entertainment, Jun 5, 2012
• God of War: Ascension review, Simon Parkin, Eurogamer, Mar 12, 2013
• God of War III Remastered Coming to PS4 on July 14th, Cory Barlog, PlayStation Blog, Mar 20, 2015
• God of War III Remastered Out Today on PS4, Bruno Velazquez, PlayStation Blog, Jul 14, 2015
• God of War 3 Remastered Review, Meghan Sullivan, IGN, Jul 14, 2015
• God of War 3 Remastered Review, Kevin VanOrd, GameSpot, Jul 14, 2015
• The making of the original God of War, Leon Hurley, GamesRadar+, Nov 12, 2018
• 20 Years & The Art of God of War, Santa Monica Studio, Dec 19, 2019
• The Blade of Olympus, Reinventing a Classic in God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, Grace Orlady, Santa Monica Studio, Mar 22, 2024
• 20 Years of God of War: Celebrating the Team, the Legacy, and the Community, Liz Barlow, Santa Monica Studio, May 14, 2025
• God Of War Trilogy Remake Release Date Speculation, Trailers, And Everything Else We Know, Blair Marnell, GameSpot, Mar 30, 2026
• All The Murdered Gods That Could Appear In God Of War Laufey, Alessandro Barbosa, GameSpot, Jun 7, 2026
• God of War III Remastered, PlayStation, Nov 4, 2026
• God of War III, HowLongToBeat, Nov 4, 2026
• GOD OF WAR 3 Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 FULL GAME [4K 60FPS PS5] - No Commentary, MKIceAndFire, Nov 17, 2022 (video)
• The Complete GOD OF WAR Timeline Explained!, GameSpot, Sep 26, 2022 (video)
• God of War 3 Remastered Review, IGN, Jul 14, 2015 (video)