God of War 3

This is the final part of a trilogy that has long rejoiced in putting the sick into classical mythology. That’s not intended as a criticism, but a warning to the unwary – it’s a great game but, like its predecessors, it wallows in carnage. You are strongly advised to don an apron and goggles before picking up the joypad.

Ex-Spartan warrior Kratos is in a right old miff because he’s been betrayed by some gods. It’s the kind of temper tantrum that doesn’t go away once you’ve counted to 10 and had a nice cup of tea. Instead it requires double-chained blades and a great deal of decapitation. In his quest, Kratos, and therefore you, must travel to the top of Mount Olympus and to the depths of Hell, fighting mythology’s most minging beasts and solving puzzles as you go.

It looks gorgeous, with the resolution much improved from previous iterations, and if you can take your eyes away from the gore there’s an interesting lesson in Greek mythology buried in there. The best bits are the level environments that are actually living breathing Titans, an imaginative decision that goes a long way to explaining why the team behind the God of War series can now sit back and consider the trilogy a job well done.