With the sudden surge in popularity for monster hunting titles due to Capcom’s beloved Monster Hunter franchise, a lot of other companies are taking notice and are itching for that extra piece of the pie. God Eater 3 is that competitor who’s looking to take some of that share since it does provide a similar monster hunting style of gameplay, but with its own unique twists that help to set it apart from its Capcom brethren. If you enjoy taking on tough foes in a dystopian world where evil creatures are out to wreak havoc on humanity, God Eater 3 is definitely the one for you to try out. It’s by no means a groundbreaking title in any way but it will certainly capture your attention with its astounding visuals, fast paced gameplay, and unique mechanics that help to create a unique experience for anyone who decides to play.
What to Expect
While we did use Monster Hunter as a reference point for God Eater 3, we do want to note again that while both focus on hunting monsters, there are unique elements to the God Eater franchise that make it stand out both in a good and not-so-good way. We’ll of course take a look at everything to provide both perspectives to give you a feel for what to expect, but we will definitely say that God Eater 3 is worth the time. Your mission in God Eater 3 is that you’ll need to exterminate monstrous beings known as Aragami, which have left the world you live in bereft of freedom, and in danger. You’re a God Eater, a special type of individual who’s able to wield special weaponry that are strong enough to take down these evil creatures, and with powerful upgrades you’re able to devour them and use their abilities against them. In this new title, God Eater introduces a lot of cool mechanics that never made its way into God Eater 2, such as being able to activate several different Burst Arts and using them in your own unique fashion, along with new weapons such as dual bladed and heavy moon weapons. With all that being said, let’s go into more detail about the game!
Visuals
God Eater 3 looks great, let’s just put that out there for starters. Whether it’s weaving and dodging through the air, or simply fighting against grounded enemies, God Eater 3 maintains a stable framerate that makes everything flow seamlessly on screen. Special effects really give the game a lot of pop and makes every battle all the more satisfying, especially the more tougher Aragami that you fight towards the mid-to-late game. Being able to customize your character is also a visually stimulating ordeal since you really get that feeling like you’re part of the game, and not just using a standard model to run around with.
Level designs, while they do tend to run on the repetitive side, still look very detailed and help to breathe life into the overall gameplay experience. It creates a nice immersion that keeps you coming back for more, even after hours of battling monsters non-stop. UI is clean and non-intrusive, allowing you to pay attention to what’s happening on screen rather than having too much distraction which only takes you out of the game.
Sound, Music
One major selling point that we enjoyed most about God Eater 3 was its music, and that’s mainly because it added that extra element of hype during those very tough and often excruciating boss battles. You truly felt a strong sense of joy and reward after defeating an Aragami because the music was just fitting for the moment, and you walk away from it feeling elated. Voice acting in the game was also spot on, at least for the Japanese side of things. You’re able to change the voicing option via the sound settings but we felt that the Japanese dubs just felt more authentic, and felt like that was the way the game should be played. Every attack that was initiated sounded real and came from a place of true power, especially when your character would swing a massive Claymore at the enemy and you’d hear the clashing of iron with the armor of the Aragami. It’s those subtle yet very impressive attention to detail that really make God Eater 3 an impressive action title that sets itself apart from the competition.
Gameplay
So let’s jump straight to the facts here and help clarify the main differences between God Eater 3 and a game like Monster Hunter. It’s very safe to say that on a fundamental level, both games are similar in that the main premise is to hunt monsters, then collecting material from said monsters you’ve defeated in order to further upgrade your armor and weapons. However, God Eater 3 focuses primarily on the Aragami and nothing more, which means most of your battles will feel very similar in that regard. There aren’t a plethora of creatures flying around but rather just a horde of Aragami that you need to exterminate as swiftly as possible. Another main staple in the God Eater series stems from its unique story. In God Eater 3, you and a group of individuals have been robbed of their freedom due to the catastrophic events that have taken place, which has left much of humanity in ruin. It’s now your mission to overtake the Aragami and regain control over what’s rightfully yours before humanity is wiped out.
Weapons and abilities are similar but also vastly different in terms of how you use them. While you do collect material in order to craft new and stronger equipment, obtain new abilities and so forth, the way you actually use these upgrades is where things feel true to the God Eater franchise. For example, Burst Arts are special abilities that allow a weapon user to transform normal attacks into special attacks, which can deal more damage depending on the elements attached to the weapon. This can only be executed by devouring the enemy, which grants you special power ups that can be used to create incredible power plays with your teammates. Furthermore, Burst Arts are fully customizable as well, meaning that even if two people are using let’s say the Lance, their Burst Arts effects will differ depending on their playstyle. Another cool ability that was introduced in God Eater 3 is the Dive ability, which grants players the option to aggressively pressure the enemy from all angles, using swift attacks and movement to maintain advantage. Engage is another cool ability in which you’re able to create bonds with your teammates and do things like sharing supplies, increasing your defense, etc. Things like this add variety to the gameplay in the moment, and help to create a lucrative experience from start to finish.
All of this creates a unique experience that’s exclusive to the God Eater franchise, which is a nice fast-paced experience that we recommend anyone who’s a fan of hunting monsters a try.
Honey's Gameplay Consensus:
Now with all of that being said, God Eater 3 does have its shortcomings, and that’s mainly in the gameplay department. While the game does give players a fair share of options to choose from in terms of weapons, armor, etc, the overall experience feels limited. What we mean by that is for the most part, all of your battles will be against Aragami and nothing else, which means that once you’ve defeated one Aragami it starts to become a little easier overtime on how to deal with other threats down the road. Of course that may sound obvious to some, but when looking at other similar games with different beasts to slay, all with their own habitat, special abilities and so forth, there’s an actual challenge there that forces you to stay on your toes. That isn’t to rob God Eater 3 of its challenging appeal because certainly there are moments where the Aragami are a pain to deal with, but once you’ve encountered the same enemies over again it lessens that challenge just a bit.
Progression in the game is great as it moves at a nice pace, and of course the multiplayer aspect of the title is what makes battling these Aragami all the more satisfying. Find a group of friends that you like playing with and decimate everything in your path with ease. The single player campaign is long enough that you’ll find long term reward in it, but what we think will keep players coming back for more definitely sits on the multiplayer side of things.
Honey's Pros:
A wonderful and entertaining single player campaign that gives players more details surrounding the Aragami threat.
Colorful cast of characters that help to breathe life into the game through their unique relationships.
Multiplayer is truly where this game shines in the long run!
Great customization system that allows for personalization and adds more fun to the game.
Honey's Cons:
While single player is fun, it start to feel a bit repetitive at times.
Control scheme takes a bit of time to get used to, but nothing too severe.
Honey's Final Verdict:
We hope that you found our review of God Eater 3 to be a satisfying one, and that the information provided was substantial enough to make you consider trying it. There’s a lot to discover in the game so it’s always best to try it for yourself to see if you like it, but for sure we recommend hopping into it with friends since that will give you the overall best gameplay results. Be sure to follow us on social media where you can reach out to us and share your finest moments in gaming, or simply say hi! We’ll make sure to show some love in return!
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Editor/Writer
Author: Rob "NualphaJPN" B.
A passionate fan of gaming, writing, journalism, anime, and philosophy. I've lived in Japan for many years and consider this place to be my permanent home. I love to travel around Japan and learn about the history and culture! Leave a comment if you enjoy my articles and watch me play on twitch.tv/honeysgaming ! Take care!