[I]God of War III[/I] hits stores next month and I can't help but feel a little saddened by the thought that the adventures of Kratos, God of War, will soon be over. It has been [URL=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/15/sony-god-of-war-3-will-be-last-installment/]reported[/URL] that [I]God of War III[/I] will be the final installment. If this is indeed the very last time we'll see Kratos, what game if any, could replace the gaping hole that will undoubtedly be left behind?

A franchise as strong as [I]God of War[/I] is certainly going to be missed. And as close as some games may come to emulating Kratos' hack-and-slash mayhem and furious blood-letting, I doubt any game could replace it.

[I]Dante's Inferno[/I] gathered a little momentum as another "God of War clone" and as much as I liked [I]Dante's Inferno[/I], Dante is no Kratos. So fans will be left with rumours of a [URL=http://kotaku.com/5313033/god-of-war-movie-sticks-to-game-plot-like-loincloth-to-kratos]movie[/URL] in the works and [URL=http://au.comics.ign.com/articles/100/1003469p1.html]comic books[/URL] released by DC on WildStorm's imprint. But it's just not the same... not by a long shot.

So today I pay homage to a fantastic game and to one of the coolest, kick-a** game characters of all time. Kratos, you will be missed.

Image via [URL=http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/god-of-war-3.jpg]Gaming Bolt[/URL]

[url=http://www.gameculture.com/2010/02/25/kratos-you-will-be-missed]More...[/url]