The game is the fifth installment in the God of War series, and the sequel to 2007's God of War II. The action takes place in ancient Greece, the characters - the gods of Olympus and other characters of ancient Greek mythology. The main character is God of War Kratos. We meet him after the betrayal, as a result of which he found himself in the power of his father, the king of the gods of Olympus, Zeus. Kratos seeks Pandora to discover Pandora's Box, defeat Zeus, and end of reign of the Olympian gods. He is opposed by monsters, titans, other gods, but he is led by the spirit of Athena and his mighty powers.

The gameplay is focusing on combo-based combat. The player's main weapon is the Blades of Exile, the other weapon is acquired during the game. Some magical powers are also used. The game includes quick time events, puzzles and platforming elements.
God of War III offers a revamped magic system, more enemies, new camera angles - compared to previous games of the same series.