Kratos
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Kratos joins the Hot Shots Golf lineup
Yeah, you read that right. Kratos will be a bonus downloadable character for Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds on PS3. Available on the PS Store tomorrow, he'll be purchasable for $2. It's good to see Kratos venting out his anger in a slightly less than M rated manner.%Gallery-30102%
Sony announces God of War III
Kratos is going to kick some Ancient Greek ass on the PS3. Sony just showed a CGI trailer confirming that its popular action series is coming to the monolithic console. God of War 3 will be released sometime "after this holiday season," so don't expect it until at least next year.
Kratos will not be in Soulcalibur IV
48:40. That's amount of time into yesterday's 1UP Yours podcast that reveals Kratos will not be in Soulcalibur IV. They have been playing the game on both Xbox 360 and PS3 (though Yoda is mentioned immediately after the Kratos comment, they do speak of Darth Vader later) and they do not see Kratos in it. Unless there is some last minute change, which is unlikely, Kratos will not be in the main game. Sorry kids! Let's all hope for something in the form of DLC then, shall we?[Via N4G]
Rumor: Kratos may be in Soulcalibur IV
If 1UP's mysterious Quartermann is to be believed, the PS3 version of Soulcalibur IV may be a rather dark, broody, angst-ridden fighter. Not only will the PS3 version exclusively feature Star Wars' Darth Vader, it may also feature God of War's always-angry Kratos. The character would make an excellent and logical addition to the Namco Bandai fighter, thanks to his over-the-top weapons-based moves. If he's not included in the upcoming fighter, we can only blame one thing: his chest is clearly not large enough.Soulcalibur IV is coming out next month, so all will be revealed in due time.[Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Kratos in PS3 version of Soul Calibur IV
The God of War may be making a guest appearance in Soul Calibur IV if EGM's Quartermann is to be believed. 1Up reveals that its sister-publication's resident rumormonger anticipates Kratos will be in the PlayStation 3 version of the game. Kratos, meet Darth Vader. Quartermann apparently doesn't go into whether Microsoft will have its own mascot to keep Yoda and the "Dark Apprentice" company on the Xbox 360's SC IV guest roster. Considering the game is due out next month, this rumor should reveal its veracity shortly.
Rumor: God of War III to be shown at E3
EuroGamer.pt (translation) reports that God of War III will be shown at E3 next month. The site was apparently informed of this by a Sony representative at the Interactive & Digital Entertainment Festival, currently being held in Paris.Don't get too excited -- even if the rumor is true, it doesn't mean GoW III will unleash bloody vengeance against the Titans this year. Although a release date is pure speculation at this point, some rumors report the launch to be next Christmas, while certain retailers have given it a placeholder release of next March.
Amazon and Gamestop offering God of War III pre-orders, claim March 2 release
We know that a vast majority of the gaming media consumers out there have a fairly negative outlook when it comes to pre-orders for popular titles (did anyone really have a hard time finding Halo 3 last September?), but that's not why we're writing about the recent pre-order listings on Amazon and Gamestop for the next (Barlog-less) installment in the well-received God of War franchise. What we find intriguing is the March 2 release date listed on both websites -- three quarters earlier than the last rumored launch window for the title. Is this wishful thinking from these two gaming retailers, or could the further adventures of everyone's favorite ashy Spartan hit shelves much sooner than expected?
NSFW - The ladies still love Kratos
If you ever bothered playing the first two God of War titles, you'd know Kratos' skills with the ladies. And despite Kratos getting anatomically miniaturized in God of War: Chains of Olympus, this video proves he still has certain needs no matter how small he is. There's not much more to say other than: "Rock on, Kratos. Rock on."
God of War: Chains of Olympus goes gold
We typically don't do posts when games go gold, but Ready at Dawn's declaration that God of War: Chains of Olympus is ready to print on UMDs has two things going for it. First, GoW: Chains of Olympus is arguably the most high-profile PSP release outside Japan EVAR. Second, well, there are just some awesomely fun photos of the team's celebration after the game was finally done.Ready at Dawn's jamboree also means that Chains of Olympus should most definitely make its March 4 release date. Don't have a PSP and still need to get your Kratos on? If the rumor mill holds true the game will see its day on the PS2 at some point in the future. Congrats to the team at Ready at Dawn, may your hangovers be kind and gentle.[Via PSP Fanboy]%Gallery-3184%
Rumor: PSP God of War being ported to PS2
Although EGM's Quarterman rumor column in the March issue whispers sweet nothings about Dead Rising 2 and a PS2 Wiimote, the most credible rumor is that God of War: Chains of Olympus may be heading to PS2. EGM's resident man of mystery writes that Chains of Olympus may head to the PS2 later down the line, sometime after its release on PSP. It's worth wondering how much of this is rumor reporting, as opposed to "common expectation" at this point.Many high-profile PSP games have made the jump to PS2 in recent years, and GoW: Chains of Olympus could certainly fit that category. Just recently, Silent Hill Origins and Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters made the leap from portable to big screen. We'll be sure to welcome Kratos from a safe distance if he ever decides to make the jump.
Rumor: God of War III waits until Christmas 2009
After flexing his muscle in last year's God of War 2, Kratos may need to take a little break. Games Radar is claiming (via Games World UK) that inside sources tell them God of War 3 won't be released until at the earliest Christmas 2009. That date seems to fall under common sense, given that two years passed between the first two God of War titles and the next iteration is taking a leap to the more technically-proficient PlayStation 3. An earlier rumor from EGM suggested the game would come out this Christmas alongside an also-rumored release of Gears of War 2. The third God of War, sans outgoing lead developer Cory Barlog, is expected to feature ultra-fancy graphics, motion controls and rumble.
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2007: God of War II
QTE. Quick Time Events. It stands proud as one of the most annoying video game design clichés in use today. You might remember them from games like Resident Evil 4 and the original God of War, described by game developers as a device that makes you feel like you're playing a cutscene, as opposed to watching it. It was so cool when we first saw it -- but when every single game ever decided to add QTE, it became less ... welcome.So, how did God of War II trick us into having so much fun with its QTE-riddled cinematics? Probably because the game remembered exactly what made these sequences fun. There was the all-important feeling of empowerment from these moment, where every button pressed felt like it had consequence. When we cracked Theseus' head open by slamming it into a door over and over again, we felt the same blood thirst that Kratos must have undeniably felt. We weren't pressing buttons simply because the game told us to. Rather, we pressed buttons because it intrinsically made so much sense. We were one with Kratos. RARGH! Some may argue that God of War II doesn't innovate enough to warrant any GOTY accolades. Hey, it's not like the first one really broke new ground either. (And that didn't stop the original from winning GOTY.) Instead, God of War II so finely executes what has already been done before. Giant boss battles are nothing new to video games, but those found here are exceptionally well placed (and paced!) throughout the game. Even the first level's backdrop is a giant animated statue that you ultimately go sword-to-face with. Each battle is filled with a ferocity, a viciousness that reminds you that these are very powerful gods and demons you're fighting.God of War II shows that the PS2 is still capable of producing wonderful gaming experiences. It highlights the true value of excellent design over pure technology, and offers so much of that all-important commodity we seek from games: fun. %Gallery-1588% Extreme fever! ->
Ready at Dawn drawn to current-gen consoles
With work on God of War: Chains of Olympus coming to an end in March, developer Ready at Dawn is already planning an excursion beyond the PSP's portable realm. In a lengthy interview with 1UP, the studio discusses how easily the Greek-on-the-go got the green light thanks to the hard work put into the well-received Daxter. "The first meeting just went like 'we should make a God of War PSP game' and they were like 'yeah you should.' And that was pretty much it," quipped the game's director, Ru Weerasuriya.Once Kratos is out of the way, Ready at Dawn hopes to put on a similarly impressive show on that system you currently have chained to your television. "This team is ready to move onto something pretty big, and we've [been] planning it for quite a while, and this team needs to show what they're capable of doing on next-gen or current-gen." Expect to hear more about Something Pretty Big as soon as the team gives Okami its deserved second chance on the Wii. [Via PSP Fanboy]
Greenpeace is out of their mind
Following the initial report from Greenpeace regarding Nintendo's apparent lack of care toward the environment in their business practices, some took the time to actually comb through the report, citing that a lot of the negative marks were due to Greenpeace just handing them out at their discretion. Now, after a few weeks of silence, Greenpeace has come up with some compelling evidence regarding Nintendo's affect on the environment: a parody cartoon.Greenpeace must have some great writers at the company, because the comedy in this cartoon is the kind of stuff that should be extracted and worn as jewelry. It's pure gold, we tell you! But, as hilarious as it is (for all of the wrong reasons, mind you), it's completely ridiculous. From Mario farting out a small brown mushroom (for serious, he does) to the Kratos saying he's the "friggin' God of War," this whole thing will make you cringe. Odd how they only focus on consoles and not handhelds, however. We guess the PSP and DS don't cause any kind of pollution or whatever else they claim is bad to the environment when they're being manufactured.See also: Nintendo (finally) responds to initial report[Thanks to Shaun for the GT link; via Joystiq]
GoW: Chains of Olympus delayed until Q1 2008 [Update]
Fresh from Leipzig, Sony has announced a delay for their highly anticipated title, God of War: Chains of Olympus. Originally expected to ship before Christmas as part of the holiday rush, the title has been pushed back until early 2008. Annoyingly, this comes less than three weeks after Ready at Dawn confirmed that God of War was on track for a holiday release.No reason was given for the delay, but if they need more time to polish up Kratos' newest adventure -- it's worth waiting a couple more months. Plus we get a demo in September to keep us happy anyway, so it won't be an entirely Spartan-free Christmas.[Update: Ready at Dawn responds: "I'm not really sure where this is coming from since we have not announced a date for God of War: Chains of Olympus for the North American marketplace yet. So I would say this falls into the rumor and speculation category."]
Joystiq hands-on: God of War: Chains of Olympus
When Sony said they were unleashing the full power of the PSP for God of War, they weren't kidding. God of War: Chains of Olympus plays and looks gorgeous beautiful amazing gorgeutifulzing. The fact that its a hand-held game on a small screen should not turn people off to this title, it's like a normal PS2 game in a little package and there is no denying it gives the full God of War experience. So much so, that before finishing the demo level in the game, we had to hand it off to somebody else or we'd have ripped the PSP out of the station and walked away to play the demo version until the game released this holiday season -- on the bright side, the demo releases this September.Developer Ready at Dawn has done a great job at capturing the controls of God of War. Thankfully you hardly used the second analog stick (only used for dodging) in the PS2 version, so the PSP's one nubbin along with planned button mashing brings it all together. The animation is smooth -- so very, very smooth. Smooth to the point where we'd almost believe the PS2 GoW titles could hopefully one day come to PSP. All you really need to know about GoW on PSP is that everything you've come to expect from a PS2 version is here. This Kratos ain't watered down and he might even help sell some PSPs. This is a true God of War experience in a hand-held package that no fan can miss.%Gallery-3184%
Sony hiring for God of War team
In what is sure to be a moment filled with shock and awe, it looks like Sony is gearing up to make another God of War game. Well, yes, we're stretching a bit there. Officially it's just to "join the God of War team," which could mean the GoW team is busy working on something other than the multi-million copy selling franchise. But, come on, 1080p true HD Kratos would be the hotness. You could count the pores on his shiny bald head and probably see the little wisps of rage wafting off his body.The two job openings are for a senior technical artist and a senior designer for "combat." So, even if the team isn't going to be working on the entirely expected God of War 3, at least it'll have combat -- and that team knows how to do combat. Worry not Kratos lovers, the God of War 3 announcement can't be that far away.[Thanks Kspraydad]
PSP Fan Art Fridays: God of War
Do you want to share your PSP-related fan art? Send us an e-mail. A new piece of fan art will be shared every Friday. This week the fan art is a quite different than what we've featured previously. This unique God of War fan art was done by someone who actually does art for a living. Peet Cooper drew this excellent and stylized image above and he also works for n-Space (creators of Geist). I really like the constrained proportions of Peet's version of Kratos, it gives him a unique look. Oddly, despite his small stature, he actually looks more menacing than the regular rendition of Kratos. If this fan art scares or excites you, visit Peet Cooper's deviantART page or personal website. It's certainly an interesting visit since Peet is a professional artist. Either that, or let Peet know what you think of the art in our comments section. %Gallery-3450%
Impressive God of War: Chains of Olympus gameplay videos
We've already showed off screenshots of the upcoming PSP God of War, but what about it in motion? Does it live up to the PS2 series in looks and gameplay? You can judge for yourself, by watching the video above. Personally, watching it has made me somehow more excited for the game. It makes me think that God of War: Chains of Olympus, may cement Ready At Dawn as the PSP's premier developer. If the cliffhanger ending of the above video depresses you, than keep reading to see how the boss battle plays out. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a certain game I have to go pre-order.Boss video after the jump ...
God of War: Chains of Olympus revealed, free UMD demo offered
Someone over at IslandOfRhodes.org finally got around to tacking the "r" and "us" onto "God of Wa: Chains of Olymp," setting in motion a cataclysmic series of events that has unearthed this trailer and unleashed a mail-order UMD demo (Sony, you know the PSP can like totally do that WiFi thing and download stuff, right?). So, did we mention the demo is only available while supplies last? That means the dude who read this a second ago is already clicking away. What are you waiting for ... a bigger price cut?[Via PSP Fanboy]
