God Eater 3 – Review

This article was originally published in Italian on StayNerd.it in 2019.

Not content with simply bringing the first two God Eater entries to PlayStation 4 and PC in remastered editions that enhanced their visuals and bundled together content previously split across various portable releases, Bandai Namco returns to its post-apocalyptic universe with a third installment that, while preserving the narrative and gameplay tropes the series is known for, sets out to shake up its very foundations. Many players likely first encountered the franchise on Sony’s handhelds, drawn to it for its similarities to the far more famous Monster Hunter series—Capcom’s behemoth that, despite enjoying explosive success in Japan from the get-go, only recently secured a proper global following with the launch of the excellent Monster Hunter: World on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Structurally, the two franchises do have a lot in common: in both, players hunt monstrous creatures to gather materials and craft better gear. However, God Eater has always set itself apart with a more emotionally charged narrative universe, recurring characters, and an underlying story that gives added gravitas to the avatar’s battles—something sorely lacking in Capcom’s more simulation-driven approach.

In this respect, God Eater 3, now available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, is a fairly traditional entry in the saga. Set several years after the events of the second game, players assume the role of a member of the GEA—a group of humans modified from a young age to stand against the Aragami, monstrous entities that prowl the saga’s desolate world in search of human lives.

Just like their predecessors, these new God Eaters wield superhuman abilities and take to battle armed with God Arcs—massive weapons capable of “devouring” foes and granting their user powerful temporary boosts mid-combat. Unsurprisingly, much of the game’s narrative serves as a pretext to introduce new mechanics the player must master in order to claim victory. Yet, both Marvelous and Bandai Namco clearly strive to immerse players in the plight of this ragtag group of young warriors, who—despite their youth—find themselves up against threats far beyond their means.

From a storytelling perspective, God Eater 3 sticks to a rather short and classic plot structure, populated by likable but undeniably stereotypical characters. Unfortunately, it fails to inject even a spark of originality into its narrative arc. Even though the previous two titles often unfolded their characters’ personal dramas at a sluggish pace, they still managed to compensate for their reliance on shonen manga tropes with a certain underlying charm—thanks in no small part to Kurumi Kobayashi’s striking character designs.

In this third installment, the developers opted for a more streamlined storytelling approach—seemingly a smart choice—that resolves most situations through quick conversations and a handful of hunting missions, racing toward a conclusion that, despite the large cast of secondary characters and morally ambiguous figures, ends up feeling disappointingly shallow. It’s no surprise, then, that Bandai Namco has already promised new missions and side content tied to the characters’ fates in future free updates. Still, given the franchise’s history, it seems inevitable that a “Burst”-style expansion will be needed to fix its rough edges and broaden its narrative scope.

That said, the game remains packed with cinematic cutscenes and essential dialogue that unlock new missions and mechanics, to the point that after each hunting session, it becomes the player’s responsibility to speak with all key NPCs at the base before continuing toward the ending.

With development duties shifting from Shift (also behind Freedom Wars for PS Vita) to Marvelous, one might have expected a radical gameplay overhaul. In reality, however, God Eater 3 doesn’t stray far from its predecessors. What keeps it relevant—especially in the post-Monster Hunter: World era—is its blistering pace and the relative “simplicity” with which its layered systems stack up as the game progresses.

Where Monster Hunter sessions can stretch over several dozen minutes, God Eater 3 often sees players dashing across the map—now aided by a new boost jump mechanic that speeds up combat and eliminates downtime—for fast and frantic missions that rarely exceed 10 to 15 minutes. The lack of armor crafting means players can focus exclusively on weapon customization, which this time around includes several new types of offensive gear that can be upgraded to suit one’s personal taste.

The game also offers a variety of special moves that can be learned, enhanced, and personalized with optional effects (some purely cosmetic—like a skill that manifests feathered wings with each activation), ensuring that players who dive into the online component have access to a sufficiently diverse move set. The single-player campaign can be played with competent AI companions or online with up to four human players in cooperative missions.

God Eater 3 also introduces Assault Missions, where eight-player teams—matched online—take on time-limited battles against Ash Aragami, a new, more formidable variant of the saga’s iconic enemies. These new foes can “devour” players, triggering a second, deadlier transformation with obvious weak points just waiting to be exploited. High risk, high reward.

From a gameplay standpoint, the joint effort by Bandai Namco and Marvelous is an ideal entry point for newcomers. As the hours go by, the game introduces a wealth of customization systems for your arsenal—systems that can largely be ignored, given the campaign’s low difficulty and the effectiveness of the AI. That said, anyone aiming for top ranks in post-game missions, online Assaults, and high-difficulty encounters will need to carefully build a GEA warrior capable of handling even the most dangerous adversaries. Here, the game truly shines, offering robust customization across a wide range of melee and ranged weapons—from massive swords and dual blades to laser guns, scythes, and an array of oddball implements—finally supported by a control scheme with enough buttons to handle it all without punishing your fingers.

That said, it’s important to remember that despite being touted as the first mainline God Eater entry designed specifically for home consoles, God Eater 3 doesn’t quite hide its portable roots. While there’s a noticeable visual leap when compared to the earlier ports on PS4 and Steam, the presentation by Marvelous and Bandai Namco doesn’t stand out much when stacked against other modern titles—Monster Hunter: World chief among them, which now serves as the de facto benchmark for any action-oriented JRPG in this subgenre.

Still, the action—locked at 30fps—holds up well on PS4 Pro, even in 4K mode. Meanwhile, on PC with an unlocked framerate, the game truly comes into its own, delivering high-speed combat sequences at their full potential (no wonder God Eater 2: Rage Burst found particular success in the West on PC). The greater ergonomics and button layout of modern controllers also make the gameplay significantly more comfortable—something I personally welcomed, after years of aiming with a D-pad on Sony’s handhelds.

The audio design is excellent, bolstered by a Go Shiina in top form after his stellar work on Tales of Zestiria. The English voice cast, on the other hand, delivers a less impactful performance. Thankfully, the Japanese voice track is also available—but don’t expect much from the Italian localization, which is often rough and riddled with typos and awkward phrasing that undermine an already underwhelming narrative experience.

Is there still room for an old-school hunting game in a world where Monster Hunter: World exists?
If the answer is God Eater 3, then I’d say yes—a game with such a distinct anime-inspired identity and frantic, breakneck gameplay might be exactly the kind of alternative the genre needs. Yet at the same time, its unpolished presentation raises legitimate doubts about its staying power. God Eater 3 is no longer just a Monster Hunter clone—it’s a full-blown, adrenaline-soaked skirmish simulator where anime-style heroes clash with deadly monstrosities. And despite the genre’s inherent repetitiveness, it still manages to entertain.

If that’s not an achievement, I’ll let you be the judge.