Sony: God of War Series Ending with God of War 3; Sequel Quadruples Texture Resolution

The forthcoming PlayStation 3 release of God of War III will be "the last installment of the multi-million unit franchise," Sony claimed in a press release today.

According to the company, developer SCE Santa Monica has "made significant strides in giving players the realistic feel of actually being on the battlegrounds." The game is powered by a new engine said to quadruple texture resolution over God of War II (PS2).

"I guarantee that God of War will give fans what they have been eagerly waiting for, and much more," boasted game director Stig Asmussen. "We have large shoes to fill following the success of the previously released God of War titles."

Though titled God of War III, it's actually the fourth game in the series, as a Ready at Dawn-produced PSP prequel, God of War: Chains of Olympus, hit earlier this year.

The deity-slaying action series debuted on PlayStation 2, with franchise creator David Jaffe directing the first game and Cory Barlog leading the second. Both have since left their positions at SCE Santa Monica to pursue other ventures in the field.

A release date for God of War III has not yet been provided. A movie based off the series is in production, lead by X3: The Last Stand director Brett Ratner. The screenplay was penned by Road to Perdition screenplay and new RoboCop writer David Self.