The Japanese version of God of War III censored some of the game's more explicit violence and nudity:

• Poseidon's Princess, Aphrodite, and her handmaidens had their breasts covered up.
• The graphic wounds that Kratos gives to Hercules' face were removed during his death scene.
• When Kratos chops off Hermes' legs, his protruding bones were removed during his death scene.
• The scene where Kratos removes Helios' head with his bare hands takes place off-screen.

In David Jaffe's version of God of War III, Stheno, the third Gorgon sister, was planned to appear. Again, Kratos would decapitate her and use her head as weapon. However, after Jaffe left the team before the game was developed, the idea was abandoned and her encounter was replaced with Helios.

Director Stig Asmussen revealed in an interview that it was originally intended that, if the player attempts the sex mini-game with Aphrodite a second time, the camera would pan back to the bed to reveal Aphrodite trying to kill Kratos, leading to a QTE where Kratos kills her. This idea was scrapped.

In Ares' Tomb, it is possible to see the fully intact body of Ares under the ice, Spoiler:despite exploding after being defeated in the original God of War.