You remember that feeling back in 2010 when you first saw Kratos scaling the back of Gaia? It was mind-blowing. Honestly, nothing on the PlayStation 3 looked like that. But when PlayStation 4 God of War 3 Remastered dropped in 2015, the conversation shifted. People started asking if it was just a lazy cash grab or a necessary upgrade.
Most folks think "Remastered" means a ground-up remake. It doesn't.
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The 60fps Myth and Reality
The biggest thing people get wrong about the PlayStation 4 God of War 3 version is the performance. On the PS3, the game was "unlocked." That sounds fancy, but it basically meant the frame rate lived in a chaotic world between 35 and 45 frames per second. It was jittery. You felt it in the heavy combat.
On the PS4, it’s a locked 60fps. That’s not just a number. It changes how the game feels. When you’re swinging the Blades of Exile into a crowd of skeletons, the response time is crisp. Digital Foundry actually tracked over 20,000 frames and found only 13 drops. That is essentially a perfect lock.
If you’ve only played the original, the PS4 version feels like Kratos finally had his morning espresso. He's faster. The parries are tighter.
Why 1080p Actually Matters Here
We live in an era of 4K and Ray Tracing now, so 1080p sounds like old news. But for PlayStation 4 God of War 3, the jump from 720p was massive. Why? Because of the scale.
Santa Monica Studio built this game with "Titan-sized" set pieces. When the camera pulls back and you’re a tiny speck on a moving mountain, the extra resolution prevents the image from turning into a blurry mess.
- Textures: The assets are mostly the same as the PS3 version, but the higher resolution makes them pop.
- Photo Mode: They added this in the remaster. It was one of the first big games to let you freeze the gore and pan the camera.
- Lighting: There’s a slight bump in bloom and lighting effects, making the fires of the Underworld look just a bit more... hellish.
The Problem With "Modern" God of War Comparisons
It’s easy to look at the 2018 reboot or Ragnarök and think the old games are "primitive." Kratos used to be a screaming blender of rage. He didn't have a son. He didn't have a boat. He just had a list of names and a lot of sharp objects.
Some critics at the time, like those at IGN, pointed out that the story has plot holes you could drive a Titan through. And yeah, they're right. But PlayStation 4 God of War 3 isn't about deep emotional growth. It's about the spectacle of tearing the head off a god because he got in your way.
There’s a purity in that. No crafting. No skill trees that take three hours to read. Just pure, unadulterated action.
Is It Still Worth Playing in 2026?
Surprisingly, yes. Even on a PS5 (via backward compatibility), it holds up. The art direction is so strong that it masks the aging geometry.
Interestingly, the remaster has sold over 4 million copies as of late 2023. People keep coming back to it. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or maybe it’s just that modern games have become a bit too "talky." Sometimes you just want to push a building over.
What to Do if You’re Jumping In
If you're picking up PlayStation 4 God of War 3 today, don't expect a soul-searching journey. Expect a heavy metal album cover come to life.
- Check the Settings: Make sure your TV is in Game Mode. At 60fps, any input lag will ruin the rhythm of the combos.
- Try the Challenges: After you finish the 10-hour story, the Challenges of Olympus are where the real skill is. They're brutal.
- Use Photo Mode: Use it during the Poseidon fight. The water effects were legendary for 2010 and still look great today.
Basically, if you want to see Kratos at his most unhinged, this is the version to get. It’s the smoothest, cleanest way to experience the end of the Greek era. It’s loud, it’s bloody, and it’s still the king of its genre.
Go download it on the PlayStation Store if you haven't. It's often on sale for less than ten bucks, which is a steal for the sheer amount of chaos you get. Focus on mastering the Nemean Cestus—they’re the most satisfying weapons in the game, hands down.