"God of War 3" is finished. Done. Gone gold, as they in say in the common parlance of our industry. Sony invited the press to come and try out the introductory level of Kratos' grand finale last week, letting folks play through the game's opening credits and through its first confrontation with a screen-filling enemy.

As is customary for "God of War" games, this sequel opens in grand form. If there was ever any doubt that Stig Asmussen's "God of War" would lack the grandeur and shocking scale of David Jaffe or Cory Barlog's, you can lay them to rest now. "God of War 3" has spectacle to spare.

Previously on "God of War"...

"God of War 3" opens seconds after the ending of "God of War 2." Kratos stands on the sprawling forest that is the titan Gaia's back as she and the other titans scale Mount Olympus in a final confrontation with Zeus and the other gods of the Greek pantheon. These first few minutes are largely unplayable but they set the mood perfectly. Zeus growls out a classically brooding monologue and players are pulled nicely back into the story.

The very opening scene also allows Santa Monica studio the first of many opportunities to show off just what they can pull off in real-time on the Playstation 3, with the camera following a giant bird as it flies about the marauding titans all the way up to Olympus's peak with the gods watch and counter attack. When Poseidon leaps from the precipice and dives head first into the chest of a titan, "God of War 3" stakes its claim as a purveyor of ridiculous action.

Same As It Ever Was

Given that it's the very beginning of the game, it's not too surprising that there aren't many exciting new combat options. You can hardly fault Kratos for not picking up a gaggle of new weapons and spells in the minuscule time span that's past between the last game and this one.

As a result, this brief sampling of "God of War 3" gives much the same gameplay impression as previous demos: It's "God of War." Square, triangle, and circle do what they've always done when Kratos is wrenching apart enemies. The enemies you come up against have been seen elsewhere as well, with scrub skeleton warriors and the guts-spilling centaurs popping up as your first adversaries.

Nice Variety

That said, there's a lot of really nice variety in the environments even in this small chunk of game. You go from the trees and dirt roads of Gaia's back, to the snowy cliffs of Olympus, to the gnarly wooden interior of Gaia, each section offering up some slick platforming and even some light puzzle solving with movable platforms.

While speaking with "God of War 3" design director Todd Papy just before playing through the beginning, he emphasized how the team is most proud of how they paced the game, dishing out the perfect flow of environments and combat. If the rest of the game shows the same level of convincing diversity that the first twenty minutes do, that pride will be well earned.

Big With A Capital B

Saying the scale of a "God of War" game impresses is a bit of a moot point after five years with the franchise, but it's hard not to reiterate after fighting against the game's first boss. The giant horse-headed crab monster made of water is seen briefly in the most recent trailer Sony released. It's a sort of parasite Poseidon's used to attack Gaia, and you fight against it in multiple stages as it assaults the titan's body.

The fight highlights how having a constantly moving environment like the titan's body can shake up play; as the monster writhes, Gaia moves, forcing you fight upside down on one occasion. It's all scripted, obviously, but it is very dramatic and affecting. You could also argue that it's disappointing that the game's first boss isn't as recognizable a mythological figure as the Hydra or the Colossus of Rhodes, but it's hard to care when it looks as fantastic as the horse-crab monster does.

Kratos Gets His

Now, all that's left is to see what the rest of the game has to offer. Sony was stopping people from playing when they reached a confrontation with Poseidon himself in the opening level, which leaves you wondering if the first boss fight isn't just a bubble popping on the surface of a volcano that's just about to erupt. The gameplay so far isn't offering up any grand variations on the tried and true formula, but it's early yet.

The "God of War" success story is due to a rock solid set of game rules. It cannot be overstated, however, how good looking this game is. It's the crowning graphical achievement of Sony's console to date, besting even "Uncharted 2." David Jaffe really wasn't exaggerating when he said it looked like a painting come to life. In quiet moments when the camera rests up close to Kratos, it really is that stunning.

Look for our review of "God of War 3" next Monday at 12:00pm EST, when the embargo lifts.