Gameday: God of War 3 is stunning, but doesn’t quite live up to the hype.

When a game is hailed as “the most anticipated title of the year” and is the third installment in a franchise that blew away nearly all the competition from the last generation of console gaming, expectations are high, and there is almost certain to be a letdown.

While God of War 3, which hits store shelves Tuesday, is excellent gaming, it fails to live up to the hype.

Kratos -- the buffed, bald, red-and-white-painted hero -- is on a mission of revenge against Zeus and the other gods of Olympus. (The opening battle against Poseidon and his sea horse-crab thing alone is epic and breathtaking.)

While the action is at times a little too button-mashing heavy, the mix of puzzles and exploration is an outstanding addition. Giant mythological beasts attack and spawn massive, bloody battles. This is exactly what those who love the franchise will appreciate -- well-polished, giant, boss battles and lots of gory butt-kicking.

Ah, but those of us who had a problem with the previous entries for PlayStation 2 will find that history repeats itself: There is no way to control the camera. In the games for the last generation of consoles, the makers had only so many pixels to go around. So, by forcing the view of Kratos’ battle, the makers could save a few pixels by not fully defining the wall behind him. Those saved pixels made what was seen that much more amazing. (The makers claimed it was an effort to direct the action the way they wanted the gamers to experience it.)

Problem was, Kratos would sometimes be fighting behind a wall or in an area the player couldn’t see and might run into some bad guys that were on the attack.

Sadly, the same problems exist in GOW3, even though the new PlayStation 3 console packs way more firepower than its predecessor. They have created stunning environments so detailed they put others to shame. But what good is that if we can’t stop and look around?

Still, the intense action and breathtakingly large battles will help send off Kratos in a way that is fitting for a god.

Grade: A- (Would it be so terrible to be able to appreciate all the great visuals?)

Details: PlayStation 3 platform; $59.99; rated: mature (blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content)

Like wandering through a film

If David Fincher, director of “Fight Club” and “Se7en,” ever made a video game, it would be a whole lot like Heavy Rain, a bold new direction for gaming.

This is a cinematic- inspired masterpiece. It’s a gripping film noir/psychological thriller in the form of interactive entertainment. And it’s unlike nearly anything else around.

Instead of wandering through levels shooting or kicking things, the interactions here are more subtle: Move the stick to the right to open the door, to the left and down to sit. By controlling the four characters that are the protagonists in the search for the Origami Killer, gamers are interacting with a movie more than they are playing a game. The graphics are brilliant as well; human-looking characters populate a moody town in the middle of a dreary rainstorm. During the loading screens, close-ups of each character appear in such stunning detail, they seem more lifelike than CGI movies such as “The Polar Express.”

The plot moves a little slowly but manages to stay oddly gripping. It’s bewildering and at the same time amazing.

But the best thing about Heavy Rain is the bold new direction in which this takes gaming. If games like this catch on -- and here’s hoping they do -- a whole new genre of cinematic-infused entertainment is born.

Grade: A+ (a trail-blazing masterpiece)

Details: PlayStation 3 platform; $59.99; rated: mature (blood, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, use of drugs)

An easy KO by reigning champ

It’s impossible to play Battlefield Bad Company 2 and not compare it to the reigning champ, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. So let’s give in, shall we?

Like COD, Bad Company features a single-player campaign and an online multiplayer mode. While its single-player action pales in comparison to COD’s jaw-dropping and well-thought-out story, Bad Company’s multiplayer mode is about equal, except for the ability to drive vehicles through the battlefield. (Nothing like popping off some tank rounds to liven up a multiplayer game.)

Bad Company also gives the player the ability to destroy the environment around him. There is nothing better than leveling a shanty with a grenade launcher and watching the bad guys flee from the wreckage like roaches.

Still, aside from that, there isn’t a whole lot that would make us choose this one over COD.

Grade: B+ (solid yet unspectacular)

Details: PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms; $59.99; rated: mature (blood, strong language, violence)

A serene world under the sea

With more than 340 types of sea creatures to look for, the waters of Endless Ocean: Blue World seem to go on forever.

To say this game is peaceful and serene is like saying Kobe Bryant is a decent hoops player. As your character scuba dives through amazingly rendered underwater environments featuring different sea life and even some shipwrecks, the relaxation level is high. The bubbles, the mellow music, the gentle swimming motion of the fish -- ahhhhhh.

In fact, the blissfulness of the world under the sea nearly makes up for the stiff and poorly animated cut screens and rather dry events that happen on land. Still, games don’t get any less intense than this (except for the occasional shark attack), and that’s a nice change of pace.

Grade: A (blue serenity)

Details: Nintendo Wii platform; $29.99; rated: Everyone 10+ (mild violence, mild suggestive themes)

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