God of War III is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16 2010 it is the fifth installment in the God of War series the seventh chronologically and the sequel to 2007's God of War II. Loosely based on Greek mythology the game is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos the former God of War after his betrayal at the hands of Zeus King of the Olympian gods whom he learned was his father Reigniting the Great War Kratos ascends Mount Olympus until he is abandoned by the Titan Gaia. Guided by Athena's spirit Kratos battles monsters gods and Titans in a search for Pandora without whom he cannot open Pandora's Box defeat Zeus and end the reign of the Olympian gods to have his revenge.