Success is always dependent on expectations.

The expectations for “God of War III” could not have been higher. This was the most anticipated game of the year. The game was meant to bring the story of Kratos, a Spartan warrior during the time of the Greek Gods and one of the signature Playstation games, to its conclusion.

Those expectations are why “God of War III” left me disappointed.

It is like a second-place trophy. Yes, it is an incredible accomplishment and something to be proud of. At the same time, there will always be a hint of disappointment.

This game does almost everything well.

From the depths of Hades’ Underworld to the summit of Mount Olympus, the graphics are absolutely stunning. Classic Greek architecture is all around.

Even more impressive is the sense of scale. “God of War III” does an incredible job of showing just how small Kratos is. The game uses wide shots in both cutaways and gameplay to juxtapose Kratos against the Titans or the Greek Gods themselves.

The game also delivers its trademark style of mixing button-mashing fights with puzzle solving. The fighting system is smoother than in the past, allowing the freedom to change weapons while also being able to attack.

“God of War III” even showed that it had a sense of humor. While exploring the underworld, Kratos would constantly come upon notes from souls that had resided there before.

Each note featured a tortured soul that previously had come into contact with the “Ghost of Sparta.” They all expressed their desire to see the man who sent them to Hades to suffer.

While the game was fun, exciting and memorable, I was left bitterly disappointed by one thing: the story.

Games like this play out like a series of novels as you play them. Gamers who appreciate a good story, like myself, are drawn to the narrative arc and the development of characters.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Kratos’ life is bent on revenge after being forced to kill his wife and child. Their ashes are burned into his skin (giving him his bright white skin) and he is cursed to see their murder over and over in his dreams.

Naturally, he kills Ares for forcing him to kill his family, hoping the gods will remove the visions.

After becoming the new God of War and still having visions, he refuses to listen to Zeus and constantly defies him. Zeus tricks him and kills him.

The Titans save Kratos so he can help them return to power and destroy Mount Olympus.

“God of War III” picks up as the Titans are scaling Mount Olympus with Kratos for a final battle. However, the story jumps around and lacks the fluidity that become a hallmark of the previous games in the series.

This is excusable, because after all, if you fight Zeus immediately, the game would last about 10 minutes. However, the ending of the game was not forgivable.

Kratos developed into a character so strong willed that, even though killing the gods will bring chaos, he is going to do it anyway.

His original search was one of redemption, as he tried to escape the dark visions of his family’s slaughter. It morphed into a search for vengeance because no one can cleanse him of his memories.

The ending was a cop-out and went against so much of what Kratos had grown into. It is slap in the face for anyone who played all three games and loved watching Kratos grow, hoping he would eventually find some form of peace.

In a true twist of irony, Athena summed up my feelings in the very last line of the entire series.

“You disappoint me, Spartan,” she said.