Kratos is a monster. Honestly, by the time you're halfway through a God of War 3 walkthrough PS4 session, you start to realize that the "hero" of this story is basically a force of nature with zero moral compass left. It’s glorious. When Sony released the Remastered version on the PlayStation 4, a lot of people thought the bump to 60 frames per second was just a cosmetic choice. It wasn't. That smoother frame rate actually changes the timing for parries and certain platforming sections, making the climb up Mount Olympus feel entirely different than it did back on the PS3 in 2010.
If you're jumping back in, you probably remember the scale. It's huge. But the game is also surprisingly technical. Most players button-mash their way through the early levels, only to get absolutely bodied by the Centaur Generals or the Shielded Skeletons later on. You can't just swing the Blades of Exile and hope for the best. You need a plan.
The Opening Gambit: Poseidon and the Watery Grave
The game starts with a literal bang. You're on the back of Gaia, and everything is screaming. The first major hurdle in any God of War 3 walkthrough PS4 run is the Poseidon boss fight. It’s a three-phase nightmare that serves as a massive gear check.
Most people fail here because they get greedy. In the first phase, Poseidon’s watery claws grab the edges of Gaia’s shell. Don't just rush in. You have to watch for the lightning discharge on the floor. It glows blue. Move. If you're playing on Chaos difficulty, two hits from that lightning and you're restarting from the checkpoint.
Once you knock him back, the cinematic kills are where the Remastered graphics really shine. It’s brutal. You’re literally pressing the thumbsticks to gouge out a god’s eyes. It sets the tone for the rest of the game: Kratos isn't here to talk. He's here to dismantle the Greek pantheon piece by piece. After Poseidon falls, the world floods. This is a recurring theme—every god you kill has a catastrophic effect on the environment. It makes the world feel like it’s actually breaking as you play.
Hades and the Soul Mechanics
After the fall into the Underworld, you lose most of your power. Standard trope, right? But the Underworld section is where the game introduces the Claws of Hades. A lot of players ignore these because the Blades of Exile are just so iconic. That’s a mistake. The Claws allow you to summon souls, and on harder difficulties, summoning a Centaur or a Chimera can buy you the three seconds of breathing room you need to not die.
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The fight with Hades himself is a lesson in spacing. He’s got these massive hooks that cover nearly the entire arena. You have to jump. Not roll, jump. His low sweeps will catch you every single time if you try to dodge through them. When he starts ripping pieces of his own flesh off to attack you, focus on the small bits first. It sounds gross because it is.
One thing people often miss in the Underworld is the hidden chests behind the "shadow" walls. You need the Head of Helios to reveal them, but since you don't have that yet during your first pass, you have to backtrack or wait. Most casual players just skip them. Don't be that person. Those Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers are the difference between surviving a boss combo and staring at a loading screen.
Navigating the Labyrinth and Pandora’s Box
The Labyrinth is where the level design gets weird. It’s a series of shifting cubes designed by Daedalus. This is usually the part of a God of War 3 walkthrough PS4 where players get frustrated and look for a guide. The traps are instant kills. Spikes, fire, shifting floors—it’s a lot.
The trick here is looking at the floor patterns. The game actually broadcasts where the spikes are going to pop up about a half-second before it happens. If you’re playing on a high-refresh-rate monitor, this is way easier to see than it was on an old tube TV.
Pandora herself is a bit of an escort mission, which usually sucks in video games. Thankfully, she’s not too stupid. She stays out of the way for the most part. The real challenge is the room with the water and the rising floor. You have to be fast. Use the Nemean Cestus (those big lion gauntlets you stole from Hercules) to break the shields of the enemies quickly. If you waste time using the Blades, the water will drown Pandora and it’s game over.
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Why the Nemean Cestus is Actually Your Best Friend
Let’s talk about the Cestus. You get them after a very emotional, very violent confrontation with Hercules. They are easily the best secondary weapon in the game. Why? Because they break armor.
Late-game enemies like the Talos (the giant bronze statues) and the armored Cyclops literally ignore the Blades of Exile. You can hit them all day and they won't flinch. The Cestus, however, causes "hit-stun." It interrupts their attacks. If you’re struggling with the combat flow, switch to the gauntlets. They have a shorter range, sure, but the raw damage output is significantly higher.
Plus, the L3+R3 "Rage of Sparta" mode works with whatever weapon you have equipped, but it feels especially devastating when you're punching a God into the dirt.
Hermes and the Art of the Chase
The Hermes fight is less of a fight and more of a platforming puzzle. He’s annoying. He talks a lot of trash. You have to chase him around the city of Olympia. This section highlights the PS4’s improved draw distance. You can see the entire battlefield below you, and it looks incredible.
To catch him, you need to use the catapults and the environment. Don't try to run after him; you're Kratos, not the Flash. You have to intercept him. Once you corner him, the reward is the Boots of Hermes. These are essential for the rest of the God of War 3 walkthrough PS4 experience because they allow you to dash and run up certain walls. It opens up the map in a way that feels very "Metroidvania," even if the game is mostly linear.
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The Final Climb and the Zeus Confrontation
Everything leads to Zeus. The final fight is divided into several stages, moving from a standard 2D-style fighter perspective to a massive brawl inside the heart of Gaia.
- Stage One: On the pavilion. Zeus uses lightning bolts that you can parry. Use the Golden Fleece. If you don't have the parry timing down by now, Zeus will destroy you.
- Stage Two: Inside Gaia. You’re fighting Zeus while Gaia’s heart is right there. You can actually attack the heart to get health orbs. It’s a bit of a cheese tactic, but hey, a win is a win.
- Stage Three: The Darkness. This is the experimental part of the game. It’s a first-person sequence where you wander through Kratos' psyche. It’s weird, it’s trippy, and it’s surprisingly deep for a game about a guy who hits things with chains.
The very end of the game involves a first-person beatdown. You keep hitting the circle button. The screen gets covered in blood. It doesn't stop until you stop pressing the button. It’s a meta-commentary on the player's own thirst for violence. Most people keep hitting it for way longer than they need to. It’s a heavy moment.
Essential Tips for Chaos Difficulty
If you’re trying to platinum this game on the PS4, you have to beat it on Titan (Hard) or Chaos (Very Hard). Here’s the reality: you will die. A lot.
Maximize your health first. Don't worry about magic or items until your health bar is at least 75% of its max. The enemies on Chaos hit so hard that a single mistake can end a run. Use the environment. If there's a cliff, knock enemies off it. Use the "grapple and throw" mechanic to create distance.
Also, learn the Gorgon freeze. If you can parry a Gorgon’s stare, it turns every other enemy on the screen to stone. You can then shatter them with the Cestus for an instant kill. This is the only way to survive the final "Mizzenmast" fight before the Labyrinth.
Final Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
To get the most out of your run, stop treating it like a modern open-world game. This is a tight, directed experience.
- Focus on the Golden Fleece: Mastering the parry (L1 right before impact) is the single most important skill. It negates damage and reflects projectiles.
- The Olympus Sentry Trick: When you’re low on health, look for the smaller, weaker soldiers. Don't kill them outright. Use the 'O' grab to use them as a battering ram. It gives you a few seconds of invincibility while you're moving.
- Save Your Red Orbs: Don't upgrade everything. Focus on the Blades of Exile and the Nemean Cestus. The Nemesis Whip is cool, but it’s mostly for style. You need raw power for the bosses.
- Check the Corners: The Remastered version tucked a few extra chests in the camera’s blind spots. Always walk toward the screen before moving forward into a new area.
If you follow this logic, the God of War 3 walkthrough PS4 process becomes less about frustration and more about the power fantasy it was meant to be. Just remember: when in doubt, keep swinging. The gods aren't going to kill themselves. Oh wait, in this game, they actually kind of do. Enjoy the carnage.