PS3: God of War III Release Date is Most Likely Christmas 2009

God of War and its sequel for the Playstation 2 console remain part of one of the best franchises created. The games received numerous awards for their incredible gameplay and epic story-telling of the great anti-hero Kratos and his quest for vengeance and mercy.

Even greater news was the announcement of God of War III for Playstation 3 (PS3) at E3 2008 . Details have been scarce about gameplay and little information has been released about when it will come out in stores. However, there has been recent news of the large scope of the game. Let's examine all the facts and released details told to us from the developers and see if this game could be IGN's next Game of the Year.

David Jaffe, the creator of the God of War storyline, has said that God of War explains, or ultimately will explain, why there are no more Greek myths.

IGN.com confirmed what the rest of the world was feeling; that the story was epic in proportion. Kratos defied the gods of Olympus, rallied the Titans, and led a final charge upon the very mountain of the heavens itself. Latest facts of the game reveal that there is enough voice acting in the game so far to fill 120 pages, the equivalent of an entire Hollywood production.

Impressive.

Even more interesting is that the story will be divided three distinct acts and rumors of additional major playable characters were brought up.

In terms of story direction, this means there will be epic battles between the Titans and Zeus, possibly featuring never before seen Gods and Titans. The developers have stated that the title will answer why there "are no more Greek myths" and will urge Kratos and the world whether man needs the Gods. With a concept like that and the powerful technology that comes with Playstation 3, the story is already one that can reach the high ranks, perhaps even rivaling epic stories of games like Final Fantasy X or the Metal Gear series.

What can this mean about what enemies Kratos will face and what will be in the game?

-New powerful bosses, each with their own storylines and usual tendencies to want to murder Kratos. This includes both Titan and Gods.

-What if Kratos had allies? IGN wrote about possible Greek mythical characters showing up for the epic battle for Olympus, such as Hercules. A face off between Kratos and Hercules sounds more possible than a partnership. Kratos is a man who works best alone.

-We can use brand new abilities and explore the mythology even more. More story means more magic, fantasy, and ways Kratos can kill his enemies.

-Significant social commentary of the world. Great titles like this aren't just there for the hack and slash. And what's been released on this game is already enough to prove that big questions of mankind, religion, vengeance, and pride are going to be unveiled. The players may even be given choices to redeem Kratos or allow him to stay ruthless and continue showing no mercy.

In the previous titles of the God of War series, Kratos' voracity in combat and the way he showed no remorse for virtually anyone apart from his family made him an iconic character. In fact, he is a great symbol for an anti-hero. Can gamers expect the brutal finishing kills and the smooth cinematic combos from the series in the Playstation 3 as well?

Of course, and now there are upgrades. Sony is now able to feature online gameplay so thousands of players all over the world can play simultaneously.

God of War III with online multiplayer brings these possibilities to mind.

-Players can duel each other in combat. This can lead to free for all with multiple players and game modes such as King of the Hill and Capture the Flag. However, these are mainstream ideas and it's obvious God of War III will come up with unique gameplay.

-If co-op is available, players can work together to take down very difficult bosses. The single player campaign can be done on higher difficulty settings like online gameplay enables in Halo 3 Live. The story mode of God of War III can be done with two players working together, and perhaps there will even be exclusive content only present in co-op gameplay. To take it further, allow them to do exclusive moves in combat as well. Gamers who played the Dynasty Warriors series remember how two players can perform the double 'mosou' special ability for maximum carnage. Perhaps something similar can be done.

The Release Date

The key word was 'Coming Soon' in all the conferences that took place and even in the trailer that was shown. Those two words were also in the God of War II CD case's manual, written on the back. The same is written on the back of the Chains of Olympus manual; it is the PSP addition to the franchise.

God of War III is going to be a game of record selling history and Kratos' journey must continue. No release date has been confirmed yet but it is most likely to be released in 2009. GameStop entered the release date of the game set for March 2, 2009 in the past, with the pre-order price $59.99. Retailers are known to put in estimated dates for more consumer activity. Actual release dates of high profile game titles are usually close to retailers' estimated release dates.

GameStop has now changed the pre-order shipping date to October 1, 2009. This almost confirms that God of War III is most likely to hit the shelves during the holiday season. Kratos will be making a return and this time bigger and badder on the Playstation 3. Even more interesting is that plans to have God of War adapated into a feature-length motion picture in Hollywood were made. While Uwe Boll was considered first, there are currently no directors who have picked up the franchise because the status is unknown of where the story will go for Kratos. However, the latest news was in May 2008, with Brett Ratner having stated to possibly work on the film. Rumors indicate that Hollywood star Djimon Hounsou may take the role of Kratos, which can be done well with visual effects. The ash can make him look like Kratos easily and Hounsou is a very talented actor in Hollywood.

There is no confirmation on the release date until Sony has made it official. We can only wait for the final chapter.

The last words we heard Kratos say was when he faced Zeus with the army of Titans behind him,

"And in the end, there will only be chaos."

Then let there be chaos.