There's something about God of War 3's opening that continues to leave an impression over time.
The game throws you into absolute chaos, delivering one of the most insane, unforgettable intros in gaming.
The PlayStation 3 era was often criticized for its excessive use of brown and grey filters, and GOW 3 indeed fell into that trend in some parts.
But the opening is a visual feast of colors, motion, and raw intensity. The scale is unlike anything that came before it. It's as if you're part of an interactive film where gods and Titans clash like natural forces.
The game constantly makes Kratos feel like an ant compared to the world around him. Every enemy, every Titan, and every instant feels grander than anything else. This also marks the peak of Kratos' transformation from a betrayed Spartan warrior to an unstoppable force of vengeance.
The games before led to his relentless thirst for revenge, and now, standing with the Titans, he has reached the gates of Olympus to take it. But unlike the straightforward revenge tale it appears to be, the intro also foreshadows the cost of Kratos' rage.
Zeus delivers a speech calling for the gods to unite against Kratos, which sharply contrasts with the man who once knelt before Ares, begging for power. He now stands against the divine order, a former god testing the very forces he once sought to enter.
The intro sets up the game's core theme: the destruction of everything, not just Olympus, but Kratos himself. Despite her earlier appearance as an ally, Gaia now treats Kratos as just a pawn.
The moment she lets him fall to his supposed death shows that even the Titans, who once opposed the gods, are no different. They too manipulate and discard.
This betrayal is the catalyst that drives Kratos to move past revenge. It plants the seed for his realization that this cycle of power, war, and destruction may never end.
One reason GOW 3's intro works so well is that it wastes no time letting you unleash hell. Compared to the intros of the Norse saga, GOW 3 felt like the last breath of the classic era of gaming before the whole industry went for slower, movie-like storytelling.
God of War (2018) starts with an emotional moment between Kratos and Atreus, followed by a controlled fight with Baldur. The opening was subtle, focusing more on character evolution than grand displays. Both approaches worked for their respective games, but GOW 3 was the top choice with its nonstop action.
You won't have to slog through long-winded exposition, slow tutorials, or extra filler. You hit the ground running, slashing through enemies with the Blades of Exile, wiping out soldiers, shredding creatures, and climbing Titans like they're nothing for Kratos. The combat in this game is fluid, responsive, and satisfying. Every attack feels heavy, parries are rewarding, and the quick-time events (love them or hate them) fit right in.
The enemies are also designed to stand out so you can really feel them coming. Chimeras, Cyclopes, and Centaurs are spectacles in their own right. And Kratos takes them down in the most brutal, visceral ways possible. The later Norse saga shifted Kratos into a more introspective, regretful warrior, while GOW 3 showcased Kratos at his most ruthless. This is established right from the start.
Even after fifteen years, no game has come close to matching the intensity of GOW 3's intro. Plenty have given it a shot, and a few almost made it, but the way this game thrusts you into the thick of it makes it unforgettable.
Honestly, this game was also the high point of the franchise. Even now, when people talk about gaming's greatest openings, GOW 3 is never left out. And rightfully so.
From the considerable scale to the intense combat, it's a perfect example of what made this era of gaming so unforgettable, which is pure, no-holds-barred action.
That's something that will always stick with us.