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Inspect Kratos' HD facelift in God of War Collection
Sure, the upcoming God of War Collection is a lot more resolution-y than the original PS2 games, but does that produce a noticeably better-looking game? Bitmob tested the original God of War games on their backwards-compatible PS3 systems and took comparison shots of both. It's clear that the Blu-ray remastering is better than the PS2 original, even with the PS3 upscaler turned on.It certainly helps that the original source material was so good. Looking back at the first game has us impressed -- we'd forgotten how much muscle the last generation could flex.Source - Graphics Comparison (part one) God of War 1 vs. God of War CompilationSource - Graphics Comparison (part two) God of War 2 vs. God of War Compilation
God of War Collection porting 'lasted 15 weeks'
"At E3, we got a lot of positive buzz for God of War III. We read the blog posts, forums and editorials, and it was clear that fans really wanted to see God of War 1 & 2 on PlayStation 3," Santa Monica Studios director John Hight recently told Game Hunters. We're not entirely sure why this would come as a surprise to anyone at Sony, considering the franchise is arguably the most beloved first-party property for the PlayStation brand. But apparently, it was only after the fan response to God of War's E3 showing that someone at Sony thought, "Hey, that's a really good idea.""Bluepoint used our PlayStation 2 game code and data and their own rendering pipeline," Hight explained of the porting process, which only "lasted 15 weeks" and "went into manufacturing two days ahead of schedule with no issues." With a scheduled November 17 release, that means porting for the God of War Collection started in late July or early August, verifying Hight's claims that the project began only after the conclusion of this year's E3.While the God of War Collection's financial success is pretty much guaranteed, it'll probably take a while before a certain Sony executive realizes, "Hey, we should do more of these." Sure, there are a lot of PS2 games worthy of an HD remix, but it should be very clear what the next collection should be.%Gallery-75756%
God of War III Ultimate Edition to rip apart your wallet
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/God_of_War_III_Ultimate_Edition_to_rip_apart_your_wallet'; You'd think that with a box as obnoxiously large as this, the God of War III "Ultimate Edition" would be overflowing with goodies. However, don't expect an abundance of physical goods in this 8.3" wide x 10.5" long x 5.9" tall "High-End Sculpted Replica of Pandora's Box." With the exception of the God of War III art book, all the bonuses packaged into this collector's edition are downloads: God of War Combat Arena containing an exclusive environment and seven challenges Premium Kratos Skin – Dominus God of War: Unearthing the Legend Franchise Documentary – a full-length movie documentary depicting the history of the God of War franchise God of War Trilogy Soundtrack – God of War, II, and III scores from the game (mp3 digital download). God of War: Blood and Metal EP – a heavy metal homage featuring original music inspired by God of War (mp3 download). So how much will this big box o' digital goodies cost you? $100! Of course, a big-budget game isn't complete without a requisite pre-order bonus. God of War III's pre-order bonus is none too surprising: a downloadable demo of the game you just put a deposit on! With the same demo releasing via the God of War Collection and the District 9 Blu-ray, chances are good you'll end up with more than one access code to the GoW demo before it ships next year -- heck you might even see a code pop up in your e-mail this weekend!
God of War Collection coming in November, with two Platinum trophies
Did you know that the God of War Collection features two God of War games: God of War and God of War II? Oh, you could tell from the box art? Well, did you know that the God of War Collection puts both God of War and God of War II on a single Blu-ray disc, remastered in 720p HD for PS3? Oh, so you've been following this game, huh? While everything about the aptly titled re-release has been unsurprising thus far, we were caught off-guard by this tidbit revealed by the PlayStation.blog. The Kratos Kompilation has not one but two Platinum Trophies, one for each title. Trophy hunters need not worry about the difficulty of nabbing both Platinums: neither will require playing the game on the hardest difficulty. In fact, "Getting My Ass Kicked" encourages dying enough times to unlock Easy Mode. The God of War Collection will ship to retailers on November 17th. Well, unless you live in Europe ... %Gallery-75756%
Trivium to rock God of War III with exclusive tune
We can all admit the God of War series is pretty metal -- it's about a dude killing gods and tearing apart most of the Greek mythos' bestiary with his bare hands! And even though all of the orchestral tunes playing Kratos along his rampages have certainly been nice so far, Sony has seen fit to spice it up a bit and tap metal band Trivium for an exclusive track for God of War III. The news was revealed by Trivium guitarist/vocalist, Matt Heafy, during an interview with Baltimore rock station 98Rock's Kid Christoff. It's definitely an "original song," Heafy said -- don't expect a tune lifted from one of the band's previous albums. If you're looking for a sneak preview, we suggest you crank this and watch this. [Via G4]
This is what the God of War Collection will look like on your PS3
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest games this holiday for PS3 users will be the enhanced HD ports of the original God of War and God of War II. Considering these two games were among the finest looking titles of the last generation, it should come as no surprise that the visuals have held up quite nicely. The added resolution is appreciated -- but even better than that is the smooth quality of the anti-aliasing. Included with the Blu-ray disc will be a voucher for a PSN download of the E3 God of War III demo, y'know the one we called "God of War in HD." We suppose that assessment is kind of ironic now, right? DOWNLOAD 1080P VIDEO from BigDownload %Gallery-75756%
Europeans won't get God of War III demo before 2010
While Americans who purchase the God of War Blu-ray Collection and the Japanese gamers who pick up Infamous will be spending the harsh winter of 2009 behind the helm of a demo for God of War III, our European pals won't be so lucky. Sony recently confirmed to Eurogamer that the sneak preview of the Grecian action title wouldn't appear in the region until 2010. Yes, unless you check out God of War III at the Eurogamer Expo in late October (or import one of the two games listed above), you'll have to do without this holiday season. Don't worry, you should be able to live vicariously through our highly exuberant tweets.
God of War III pitched as FPS; struck down
Okay, picture this: Ripping off Helios' head ... but from Kratos' perspective. Pretty gripping, right? "Genius" even! At least, that's how art director Ken Feldman described his failed pitch for God of War III as an FPS to game director Stig Asmussen. "I tried unsuccessfully to convince Stig to make God of War III a first-person shooter," recounted Feldman in an interview with CGSociety. "Unfortunately, he didn't see the genius in the idea."You know Ken, we're not really seeing it either. But then, true genius is often only recognized in hindsight by us casual thinkers. Now ... if next year's sequel had been "God of War Resort" -- bundled with the Motion Controller? ... Brilliant![Via MCV]
God of War Collection to include God of War III demo
As if having the first two God of War games remastered in HD for PS3 wasn't reason enough to pick up the God of War Collection, Sony has announced via the PlayStation blog that the title -- due to hit in November -- will include a download voucher for the E3 demo of God of War III. This isn't a promotion limited to specific retailers: all copies of the game will contain the code, and the demo will be available via the PlayStation Store on the day the collection is released.Now, before you say, "Hey, isn't an E3 demo kind of old?," you should know that the slice of the game we played at the show was pretty robust, lasting nearly 20 minutes and showcasing a good variety of locations and many of the new moves at Kratos' disposal. So there's that ... and the fact that you'll get to play God of War III before 2010.
God of War Collection not hitting Europe this year
Hey, Europe. You're looking lovely today, has anyone told you that? Okay, quick like a band-aid: The PS3 God of War Collection won't make it to Europe this year. The collection includes the first two PS2 games in the series, updated with Trophies and 720p support.Sony Europe's form response to VG24/7: "We are currently looking into options to bring God of War I and II to SCEE consumers on PS3; however it will not be possible to release the games this calendar year. We will provide further information in due course."Here's a tip, though: The collection is unlikely to be region locked, so those in Europe who can't wait to experience Kratos' rage with all that extra "p" should probably check in with their favorite importers, or call up a Yank friend across the pond to sail a copy over.
Blu-ray God of War changes are minimal, doubles up on trophies
Here's today's enormous, shocking revelation: The recently announced Blu-ray God of War collection is going to be a whole heck of a lot like its PS2-based counterparts. Aside from a 720p visual boost and perhaps the addition of an HD-friendly HUD and font, the rest of the re-released games will "be the pure experience, what people would have played when they played God of War originally," according to a recent IGN interview with Sony Santa Monica's director of product development, John Hight.If you're put off by the lack of new features, perhaps your raging Trophy addiction will be cause enough to purchase the Blu-ray collection. Hight confirmed that the two games both contain their own unique sets of trophies, adding that there would "probably" be two prestigious Platinum trophies available for hardcore completionists. We shudder to imagine the amount of dismemberment required to obtain these merits. This is us shuddering.
God of War Collection coming to PS3 this holiday
It's like this, but more definition-ier. Backwards compatibility is back ... sort of! SCEA has announced that the PlayStation 2 God of War games will be coming to PlayStation 3 on a single, HD-enhanced Blu-ray disc. Previously hinted at in a consumer survey, the God of War Collection will feature "reworked" versions of both games, running at 60 frames per second and 720p resolution. The port is being handled by Bluepoint Games, the team behind the PSN-exclusive shooter, Blast Factor. Hopefully, the games will be more than simply upscaled, giving original PS3 owners a reason to partake in the double dip. Update: And yes, it will have Trophies.The Blu-ray collection will be available this "holiday season," and will cost $39.99 -- the same price as buying both of the games on PS2. This HD remix should give fans some time to practice Kratos' moves before God of War III completes the "triology" (oh, press release typos!) in March.[Thanks, Rob H.!]
It's not concept art: New God of War III pics are that pretty
click for bigger pretty God of War creator David Jaffe once said that the third game in the series looks "like a painting come to life." After seeing the new screens of the game Sony delivered at Gamescom, we're more inclined than ever to agree. The image above may look like a conceptual painting, but one click and you'll see a larger version that you can just tell is in-game. The rest of the batch show off a new helmet-wearing miniboss that Kratos will battle in his war against the gods. Seems a shame to destroy something so fantastic looking, doesn't it?%Gallery-70388%
Sideshow Collectibles releasing 'premium format' Kratos figure, God of War dioramas
The show may be over, but more video game related news continues to emerge from this year's San Diego Comic-Con. This time it's word that Sideshow Collectibles has secured the rights to produce one of its trademark premium format figures based on God of War's Kratos. For those not familiar with them, Sideshow'sPremium Figures -- like these Star Wars ones -- are prized by collectors, stand more than 15" tall in most cases and usually sell in the $300-400 range. If the same holds true for Sony's property, that's a lot of money -- but also a whole lot of Kratos. Sideshow is also working on God of War dioramas -- sculpted multi-character scenes, such as this upcoming offering based on The Clone Wars. They're typically priced in line with the Premium Figures. Specific details on these have not been announced, nor has a time frame within which to expect any of Sideshow's God of War items. Given that God of War III hits next March, we can only imagine that Sideshow would want to ride the massive anticipation for the title and time its lineup accordingly. [Via Shogun Gamer]
Dante's Inferno 'King Minos' bossfight looks more familiar than ever
We've seen a decent amount of Dante's Inferno gameplay over the last nine months we've known of the game's existence -- and heard a lot of comparisons to God of War in the process -- but we didn't realize how spot on that was until we saw the video of Dante battling King Minos (found after the break). Judging souls in the second circle of Hell can be a tough job (don't we know it!), so Dante has apparently stopped by to relieve Minos of his duties. Rather than thanking him though, the grumpy old curmudgeon attacks Dante and all hell breaks loose! (Get it! 'Cause they're in Hell!)All joking aside, the game looks to be more than competently cloning that other game where you spend time in The Netherworld, albeit with a multiplatform release. Now when's this thing coming out, EA? Hmmm?%Gallery-45836%
God of War III playable at Comic-Con, replica Blades of Chaos available to pre-order
Kratos will be out in full force at Comic-Con this week. Not only will attendees be able to get hands on with God of War III, but they'll also be able to grab a signed poster featuring artwork from the upcoming God of War III comic book series. Check out the PlayStation Blog to find out when and where the signings will be taking place.In other non-Comic-Con-but-still-God-Of-War news, that blade you see above is a real piece of merchandising. It's a replica Blade of Chaos -- as if you didn't already know -- and it's being manufactured by United Cutlery. The blade section alone is longer than a 30cm ruler and you can pre-order one at BUDK. It's pretty reasonably priced (you know, for a sword) at $124, and it even comes with the snazzy display stand. Only problem is it's pretty useless without a second Blade of Chaos to make a pair. That's how they getcha.
thatgamecompany's third Sony project is 'something you've never experienced before'
thatgamecompany, aside from giving us a chance to start this paragraph off with a lowercase letter for once, is currently hard at work on its third contractual Sony project. At the Develop Conference in the UK this morning, tgc's Jenova Chen had a handful of artfully abstract information to drop on conference attendees regarding the upcoming game. He said the project "feels like a natural progression" from the company's other titles and will be "something you've never experienced before." So, Flowest confirmed? Not quite."In the future there's a lot of feelings that video games haven't explored that are open for us to find," Chen said -- he specifically cited God of War as "a really good game about hatred." As Eurogamer points out in its coverage of the conference, Chen repeatedly cited the iteration time necessary for a game concept to go into full production -- he says that the concept for Flower took about two years -- and as such, may very well not have any solid information to talk about regarding his company's next game. Have you considered the fourth dimension, Mr. Chen? Hmm? [Image]
DC Comics to offer God of War mini-series this October
IGN is reporting that DC/Wildstorm Comics and Sony are teaming up to chronicle the events of Kratos in a God of War comic series. Spanning six issues, this new comic will hit stands this October and is being written by Marv Wolfman who, among being a notable dude in the comics biz, is also a big fan of the games. The series, which will run up until the release of God of War III, focuses on the sordid tales of Kratos' past, detailing his enrollment in the Spartan army at the age of seven, as well as events that occur between the first two games. What we're wondering is how the comic will include the QTE sex scene. You can't have God of War without that!
Del Ray announces first God of War novel for March 2010
Sure, Kratos isn't exactly the most eloquent of game characters, but, much like the Greek heroes on which he's based, his exploits will soon be chronicled using the written word. Del Ray has announced more video game novels, this time based on the God of War games. With a film -- whose story is rumored to be uncannily similar to that of the first game -- in the works, it makes sense for Sony to attempt to suck more money out of the franchise with a few books.Matthew Stover will pen the first 320-page novel, which will be available on March 23, 2010 for $15, according to the pre-order website. That's just in time for the release of the third game. What impeccable timing! We're always happy to be taken deeper into our favorite gaming universes through new media, so we're hoping it's only a matter of time before an Uncharted novel is announced (to be released alongside the movie, of course).
Rumor: God of War movie script leaked
CC2K claims to have read an advance script of the God of War movie, written by David Self. We can't really judge the validity of the claim. The plot is an adaptation of the first game, and it's pretty easy to come across plot details from the game, by, you know, playing the game.The good news (well, good news if you like God of War's story), then, is that if this purported script is real (and it doesn't get rewritten to pieces, which it most certainly will, because it doesn't have any car chases or wisecracking sidekicks in it), it sticks to the game's material closely. One notable exception: the ending is different. We don't want to spoil the (possibly fake) ending of this movie that doesn't actually exist yet, so we'll leave it to you to see how Self left an opening for a sequel with a different story than what the game's sequel had.[Thanks, Graeme Heron]
