God Of War 3 - (2010)

God of War III (2010), the epic conclusion of the original God of War trilogy, sees Kratos continuing his relentless quest for revenge against the Olympian gods, especially Zeus. This game picks up immediately where God of War II left off, with Kratos leading the Titans in a full-scale assault on Mount Olympus. Here’s the complete story of God of War III :

1. The Assault on Olympus :

The game opens with Kratos riding on the back of Gaia, one of the Titans, as they climb Mount Olympus to attack the gods. The Olympians, led by Zeus, rally to defend their home. The first major battle is between Kratos and **Poseidon**, the god of the sea, who attacks the Titans with his immense water powers.

After an intense battle, Kratos manages to kill Poseidon by brutally beating and gouging his eyes out. With Poseidon’s death, the seas flood the world, causing massive destruction to humanity. Kratos shows no concern for the devastation caused by his actions, as his only focus is revenge.

As Gaia and Kratos reach the peak of Mount Olympus, they are confronted by Zeus, who launches a powerful attack, causing both Gaia and Kratos to fall from the mountain. Gaia, revealing her true nature, tells Kratos that he was just a pawn in the Titans' war against the gods. She refuses to save him, letting him fall to his death.

2. Kratos in the Underworld :

Kratos survives the fall but ends up in the Underworld once again. Here, he encounters the spirit of Athena, who had sacrificed herself to save Zeus in the previous game. Athena has now transcended into a higher form of existence and offers to help Kratos. She gives him a new weapon, the Blades of Exile, and tells him that to kill Zeus, he must extinguish the Flame of Olympus, a mysterious power that protects Zeus.

Kratos embarks on a journey through the Underworld, battling its ruler, Hades, and ultimately killing him by ripping out his soul. With Hades’ death, the souls of the dead are unleashed, and chaos spreads across the world.

3. The Flame of Olympus and Pandora :

As Kratos returns to the surface, he learns that the Flame of Olympus is linked to Pandora’s Box, the same artifact he used to kill Ares in the first game. However, the box is now protected by the Flame, which is said to be impossible to extinguish. The key to controlling the Flame is Pandora, a young girl created by Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths.

Kratos meets Hephaestus, who tells him that Pandora is trapped in a labyrinth and that Kratos must save her to unlock Pandora’s Box. Hephaestus, initially helpful, later betrays Kratos in a desperate attempt to protect Pandora, his creation, but Kratos kills Hephaestus after a battle.

4. Retrieving Pandora and Facing the Gods :

Kratos fights his way through various gods and monsters, including Helios, the sun god, and Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Helios is decapitated by Kratos, causing the sun to disappear and plunge the world into darkness. Hermes, known for his speed, is also killed by Kratos, releasing a plague upon humanity.

Kratos eventually reaches the Labyrinth, a massive structure built to house Pandora. After solving numerous puzzles and defeating countless enemies, he finds Pandora, who reminds him of his daughter, Calliope. The two form a bond, and Pandora reveals that she must sacrifice herself to extinguish the Flame and open Pandora’s Box. Despite his initial refusal to let her die, Kratos ultimately allows Pandora to make the sacrifice.

5. Confronting Zeus :

With Pandora’s sacrifice, Kratos opens Pandora’s Box, but he finds it empty. Enraged, he confronts Zeus at the peak of Mount Olympus. The two engage in an epic battle that takes them across the mountain and into Gaia, who has returned to take her revenge on both Kratos and Zeus.

In a climactic battle inside Gaia’s heart, Kratos kills both Gaia and Zeus by impaling them with the Blade of Olympus. However, Zeus' spirit remains and attacks Kratos psychologically, forcing him to confront his own guilt, rage, and past sins. Kratos relives the death of his family and the many lives he has taken in his quest for vengeance.

6. Kratos’ Redemption :

At his lowest point, Kratos is visited once again by Athena’s spirit. She encourages him to find the power he needs within himself. Kratos delves deep into his psyche, confronting his guilt and forgiving himself for his past. In this moment of clarity, Kratos regains his strength and defeats Zeus' spirit, finally killing him.

However, Athena reappears and demands that Kratos return the power of hope, which was hidden inside Pandora’s Box. Athena reveals that when Kratos first opened the box in God of War I, the Evils of the world (Fear, Greed, etc.) were unleashed upon the gods, corrupting them. However, the power of hope was also released, and it had been lying dormant inside Kratos all along.

7. Kratos’ Final Act :

Athena expects Kratos to give her the power of hope so she can control humanity, but Kratos refuses. Realizing that the gods have always sought to control and manipulate him, Kratos instead chooses to give the power of hope to humanity. In an act of defiance, Kratos impales himself with the Blade of Olympus, releasing the power of hope to the world.

As Kratos collapses, Athena, shocked and angered by Kratos’ decision, disappears, leaving him to die. The world is in ruins—Olympus has fallen, and humanity is left to rebuild on its own, free from the gods’ control.

8. The End... and the Beginning :

In the game's final moments, as the credits roll, there is a post-credits scene. The camera pans to where Kratos fell, and we see a blood trail leading away from the spot where his body should be. This implies that Kratos has survived and leaves the door open for his future return.

Themes and Conclusion :

God of War III is a story of vengeance, destruction, and, ultimately, redemption. Kratos’ journey, which began with the murder of his family and his quest to kill Ares, comes full circle as he faces and kills Zeus, his own father. Throughout the trilogy, Kratos’ actions have catastrophic consequences for the world—by killing the gods, he brings about the collapse of nature and humanity’s suffering.

However, in the end, Kratos finds a sense of redemption by giving the power of hope to humanity and breaking free from the manipulations of the gods. His sacrifice marks a shift in his character—from a man consumed by revenge to someone who makes a selfless decision to empower others.

This game marks the conclusion of Kratos’ saga in ancient Greece, though his story would continue in God of War (2018), where he faces a new set of challenges in the world of Norse mythology.