I only had to pick my jaw up off the floor to clench my teeth once. Because of cheap insta-kill spikes (a leftover nightmare from the first GoW), I replayed a brief section in The Labyrinth chapter for 30-ish minutes. The agitation was fleeting, however, because when I eventually completed it, the game brought itself back to the top form to which I’d grown accustomed. God of War III was, otherwise, consistently excellent.

I was a staunch “hater” of God of War until I eventually fell in love with the PlayStation 3 “Collection” re-release. That said, I still despise portions of those games, and the PSP prequel, Chains of Olympus, because of frustrating or tedious bits. God of War III has none of that. I was anxious and excited upon entering new rooms because my fears of arbitrary or annoying roadblocks were abolished early on. Even the backtracking manages to feel fresh – seeing a familiar place reminds you of what you’ve already accomplished, and how you return to areas is more extravagant than walking it out. It helps that each area is a remarkable standout with an outstanding attention to unique artistic detail; that the objectives within them are enjoyable is amazing.

Jumping into God of War III is probably a bad idea for newcomers. The past stories aren’t addressed directly, and there’s a lot of stuff to know going in. This is unfortunate since the game is the best reason to buckle and buy a PlayStation 3 if you haven’t already. It’s a fantastic addition to the franchise, though, even in the face of its wishy-washy ending. The final moments end abruptly, although appropriately, leaving you wondering “what?” for a while after it’s all over. It’s not like there are mysteries left unsolved – the finale itself is awesome – but the fade to black is an awkward moment that just…happens. When everything leading up to this moment is as good as it gets, though, complaining about a solid ending seems silly.

Slicing enemies to bits with Kratos’ Blades of Chaos, or the other wonderful weapons you unlock along the way (boxing gloves shaped like lion heads? Awesome) is a riot because the combat system is better than ever. Little upgrades like using chumps as battering rams, yanking yourself toward enemies and hot-swapping weapons without breaking a combo make all the difference. I missed a few abilities Kratos used to have (boosting straight up with his Icarus Wings), but I quickly got used to, and favored, the replacements. The obscene amount of gore adds an additional layer of brutality to the already intense combat as well. I’ll put it out there, though: This is the only game I’ve ever played where the disturbing violence made me feel a bit queasy. Some of the stuff Kratos does to his foes is revolting, thanks to both the outrageously impressive graphics and deliberately disgusting concepts. Seeing the innards of a centaur spilled out onto the ground in vivid detail is unsettling, but that’s pleasant compared to what else you’ll do.

Really, though, isn’t that the allure of God of War? Kratos’ relentless ferocity is what makes the series so cool, and God of War III refuses to hold back. Sony Santa Monica knows what makes an excellent, enjoyable game, and every ounce of their effort shines. God of War III is one of the best games on its platform, and is easily the best in its genre. This is how you do an action game. This is how you do a sequel. This is how you finish off a franchise.