God Of War: Ascension

Blog Post: God of War: Ascension - Short and Sweet Action That Falls Short of Glory

Jack Treese — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:27:00 GMT

God of War, generally-speaking, is a genre-defining series that prides itself upon brutal action sequences, button-tapping minigames, unique puzzles that are easy-yet-perplexing all at once, and soaking the main protagonist Kratos in many, many buckets of his enemy's blood. The series is one continuing story of Kratos' ever-lasting quest for revenge against those who crossed him.

The series came to its ultimate crescendo in 2010's God of War III, which I still consider to be one of the best PS3 titles of all-time. In addition to bringing us a game bursting at the seams with powerhouse graphics and smooth gameplay, its story mode brought fans the conclusion they were waiting for, and that was the bottom line. Its post-credits sequence left many wondering if there would ever be a God of War IV.

While that's still up for debate, Santa Monica Studios made many fans happy when a new God of War title was announced. With a story mode set up as a prequel to the entire series--even before the PSP prequel Chains of Olympus--God of War: Ascension hoped to bring something else into the mix that would attract long-time fans and newcomers alike; an all-new multiplayer mode that pits Spartans all-around the world against each other.

With its single-player mode, Ascension gets it mostly correct with very few missteps. It all begins with Kratos being imprisoned and tortured by these three judge-jury-executioners known as the Furies. Being imprisoned for breaking his blood oath to Ares, Kratos manages to get away which sets him in motion towards this story's ultimate goal--to eliminate the Furies so he can free his bond with Ares completely.

The gameplay itself is the good ol'-fashioned God of War gameplay we're used to; kill your enemies with your blades which can be upgraded through red orbs, battle some bosses, solve some puzzles and keep going. Like the other entries, Ascension has its challenges that will either leave you completely confused, or ready to throw your controller out the window.

However, a few incremental challenges prevent this from being the best entry in the series. Magic abilities are now dictated by what blade element you're using, which is convenient sometimes but most of the time can get annoying. The World Weapons introduced in this entry are cool and all, but ultimately feel pointless after a while of getting used to the upgraded blades. The buttonless mini-games are something wild, but definitely requires getting used to. Especially later on, it's harder to determine when that medusa's gonna hit you with a beam.

One thing I feel needs to be said, is that I personally found the story mode to be way too short. I had the game cleared in a little over nine hours, and other than to clean up the last of the trophies I haven't earned yet I feel little or no reason to get back into it. Not even New Game Plus can make the Furies, as the game's main villains, any more interesting. They feel more like occasional mini-bosses than actual big-bad monsters to be afraid of. Also, I'm assuming because of the multiplayer portion and The Last of Us demo access, there isn't any kind of arena or challenge mode like previous entries, which for me is a real bummer.

Maybe it's time to discuss multiplayer. Upon loading it for the first time, you're asked to choose an allegiance. You can pledge yourself to any of five gods, such as Zeus, Ares and Hades. The alliance you choose determines what kind of abilities your character will have. For example, I chose Hades, and that gives me quicker regenerative powers and makes me more stealthy in combat. Now, I wish I could further discuss my time with my own character, but I can't because I haven't yet been able to connect to a match through PSN, which sorta hurts this game's reputation for me.

Luckily I'm never one to review something without having fully tried it, so of course I was able to check some multiplayer out thanks to a friend who has it. From the three matches or so I played in, I was very impressed by the core mechanics of it. The game has various game modes, such as free-for-all deathmatches and variations of capture-the-flag. I personally find the multiplayer aspect of the game neat, so I look forward to finally playing a match using my own character.

For a solid PS3 action game with a functioning multiplayer component, or for God of War fans in general, God of War Ascension is a must-have. Newcomers should maybe skip ahead until this goes down in price. Ascension is the God of War prequel I wanted, but not the experience I expected.

Maybe once I'm able to connect to a multiplayer match without issues, I'll republish this review with a different take on it. For now though, consider this my definitive review.

Blog Post: Game play only

Warren Crews — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:49:00 GMT

God of war is one of my favorite game franchise. This entry was good but missing a few things. You already know the story but you don't know how it happens. So the misteryis not there. The Game play is great and the graphics are even better then GOW3. The lack of weapons and combos make it a little boring at the end. Its an awesome game and I really enjoyed it.

The multiplayer was really good. I was surprised at the option and game modes it had. The bad thing is getting started. People with better weapons magic and armor will have good advantage. Team work is key.

Blog Post: A Minor Misstep for a Stellar Series which is still Raising the Bar

Sabtos — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:38:00 GMT

This was possibly the shortest God of War game to date, especially if you focus entirely on the plot arc and place it in chronological order. Very few events occurred in very few locations. This was the biggest disappointment for me, as the God of War series has first and foremost been a plot-driven endeavor with great art direction, which just so happened to showcase a cutting edge, supremely fun fighting mechanic. Throughout Ascension, I found myself repeatedly pondering my present location. Am I still on the Hecatonchires, or, even more so, in the Apollo statue? Apollo’s foot was so heavily featured in promotional material that I thought it was going to be one of the early stages. It turns out, that location is half of the game, and, more astounding still, is where the game ends. I couldn't believe it when I realized I was at the final boss fight.

Compared to the stellar past entries of this franchise, this was a very anticlimactic tale. I wouldn't even put Ascension on par with the handheld entries. I actually thoroughly enjoyed their plots—where they seemed more crucial, detailed, and prolonged, Ascension seemed incidental and stunted. This was a very miniscule piece of Kratos’s history. If they hadn't put so much effort and production value into the introductory sequences on the Hecatonchires, this would have easily seemed like an episodic entry deserving of a $10 or less fee for entry. They could have focused on more substantial flashbacks, and expanded this entry into the time long before Kratos was even in servitude to Ares, and then the Ascension storyline where he was breaking his bond from Ares, to make it feel less like it was still in the first chapter of what would be a normal God of War game.

In gameplay, Ascension does impress on more than one front. Additions to Ascension include the stylistic fighting mechanics for four different elements, which have slightly differing fighting styles and effects on your enemies, allowing for greater freedom with the blades of chaos, but lesser freedom in weapon selection. The non-QTE, mini-boss close-up kills are an excellent change of pace, which left me wondering why they even left QTEs in at all, considering how many people are turned off by them. Having a mix of button prompts and free-form boss beat downs actually leads to confusion and missed QTE prompts. The final addition would be something God of War fans have grown accustomed to, which would be four new magic attacks, but this time with slow motion close-ups on Kratos which are mostly impressive, if unoriginal. While these mechanics are the main point of playing a game and having fun, they really can't carry a game all the way. And the ridiculous amount of climbing felt like some kind of misguided attempt to compete with other franchises, especially since it was the cheesiest mechanic in all of God of War history. They changed Kratos’s climbing style entirely from all previous entries, where he almost always used his blades, to a half-assed Nathan Drake / Assassin's Creed style of climbing. Not only was it unusually jerky and unrealistic looking, it wasn't well done and there was way too much of it.

Other deviations from series tradition seemed to take a step back as well. The blocking and parrying has become so terrible it is almost entirely unused. Parrying was one of my favorite things to do in past God of Wars—it was very rewarding and required precise timing. The way it stands now, it’s more of a distraction, with a giant half-dome energy field (likely imported over from the multiplayer mechanics) that pops up and freezes Kratos in place for a short period, causing you to get hit more often than parry. This translates into an even more button-mash focused fighting style for Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry diehards to criticize.

It seems Sony Santa Monica took a few more pointers from Ubisoft, again in a bad way. This game is officially glitchtastic, especially with the more than irritating time manipulation ability. I don’t remember any God of War game having glitches, let alone so many fun-killing, game-crippling moments. I don’t know how many times I had to fix the water wheel in Kirra because of poor implementation, or how many times after I manipulated an object the game got stuck in a permanent slow-mo filter with the camera stuck so far back in the level that you can continue running through the level while being completely off screen. There are also issues with sound cutting in and out and too many colors being on screen causing frames to slow or entirely freeze. I don’t understand how they allowed this to happen, considering how polished God of War III was. I get the feeling that this game was rushed to completion when they realized they could begin working on a PS4 title. This is more apparent when locating and solving a teaser, sparking rumors of a sequel to God of War III, on a mural depicting the oracle Aletheia’s prophecy.

All of these criticisms are, as with many single-player turned multiplayer franchises this generation, likely the result of an unfortunately unnecessary addition to the franchise. Sony Santa Monica seemed to spend a large amount of their creative capital on developing an innovative, but largely unsolicited multiplayer offering for a fanbase which expects a stellar single-player experience.

Whether you are looking for a multiplayer experience or not, we have the privilege of being the first gamers to experience the future of competitive fighters. If developers out there fail to recognize this and advance the genre beyond the 2D side-scrolling fighters of Street Fighter & Mortal Kombat, then that would be a great loss for gaming. I find it hard to go back to SF & MK style fighters after this, Ascension’s multiplayer is that entertaining. This form of multiplayer is so well implemented over all, that it seems like it should have been a no-brainer for this style of multiplayer to exist for ages, but, where has it been all these years? On that front, I say excellent job Sony Santa Monica.

That being said, I’m still turned off by the multiplayer after about 30 levels, which, for many players, is a short period of time. It's been fun, but has fried my nerves more than any other multiplayer I've ever played. It's like the kind of rush you get from a hectic multiplayer match in an FPS, condensed into every second of every match, constantly.

As with any competitive multiplayer offering since the early days of DOOM, an obsession with the kill/death ratio plagues the community, and Sony Santa Monica is doing exactly the opposite to remedy the situation, promoting more updates focusing more strongly on that aspect. The thing is, if you have a run of bad luck, you can go an entire match without getting a kill, even though you have essentially been responsible for killing everyone you come across. To put it simply, it is very easy to steal a kill, or, more frustratingly, have your kills stolen from you. The k/d ratio statistic adds an obsessive component that distracts from what should be the main focus on teamplay and fun, unless of course you're in a Deathmatch. The Favor stat was a good start, especially since you can perform certain tasks and open chests to advance your character’s experience, but they should have extended it to rely on amount of damage delivered to opponents, instead of number of kills.

God of War: Ascension is a fun game with innovative new mechanics, brought down by a boring, almost pointless plot better left for a comic entry, a seemingly rushed time manipulation mechanic, an unnecessarily strong focus on multiplayer, and an astounding amount of glitches. As it is now, I hope they don't attempt to continue to explore his past, and just put it to rest. I said this immediately after I completed God of War III, their best entry, and unfortunately I have to say it again after a new unnecessary entry. I want to see what Sony Santa Monica can come up with next. They have great talent, and the art direction in Ascension was still awesome. I just want to see them work that creative muscle a bit more now.

Wiki: God Of War: Ascension Guides

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:23:00 GMT

Guides for God Of War: Ascension

Blog Post: An Imperfect Entry In An Otherwise Flawless Series

cj968655 — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:02:00 GMT

I remember how each new entry in the God of War series used to blow me away with fantastic display of cinematics, gruesome game play, and what I thought to be a surprisingly thought provoking story. God of War: Ascension however,only left me briefly unsettled in my chair, rather than blowing me away.

On the surface, Ascension has everything needed to produce a master piece. The graphics are stunning, the gore is outrageous, and the story is surprisingly heartfelt. What holds this game back, is the small details that make a game truly awe inspiring. The combat in Ascension feels fluid but lacks the polish required to make it as effective as past entries in the series. My biggest complaints focus on the magic system and the rage meter. Magic towards the end of the game feels more natural than past God of Wars, but the problem isn't in the magic system's play ability, its simply how long it takes to be able to use magic effectively.

Magic is tied to the different elements you can apply to the Blades of Chaos, and are as follows: Fire, Ice, Lighting, and the power of Hades. Each element will yield a different magical attack but it takes an annoyingly long time to even unlock these magic attacks as they are at the very end of the skill tree. Also the rage meter has been changed so that, as before it fills up when you do damage to opponents, but it differs from previous titles in that it also drains if you are either dealt damage by an enemy, or if you simply stop attacking. This makes it very difficult in battles where there are an overwhelming amount of enemies to use the rage meter and rage attacks effectively.

One particular point of difficulty in this game also holds it back from perfection. During this point I spent several hours repeating the same battles to try and make it past this point where it is near impossible kill every enemy and survive the experience. This was extremely annoying as I have played past God of Wars on Titan mode or its equivalent and during this play through I was only playing on normal. The repetition of the part also slows the game down, when it should have been speeding towards its climax. In terms of story this game did well, but I would have liked to see more detail. We all know that Kratos killed his family, I would have liked to see more scenes showing how this affects Kratos though. Until the end of the game he is seemingly emotionless, and much of the story is kept in the dark. I was never driven to complete the game like past entries in the series because the story lacks drive. There is no real sense of urgency.It is, however, important to note that the game does look stunning. Many times during my play through I was amazed at the amount of detail laid into this world. Almost every few minutes I was stopping just to simply look at my surroundings.

Multiplayer is fun, but does not make or break this game. Players will enjoy it for a limited amount of time, mostly due to lack of interesting game modes and repetitive outcomes. It is not as impressive as other multiplayer mediums such as Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, or Super Smash Bros. There is no doubt people will enjoy it, but I doubt it will be widely revered five years from now. Ultimately when compared to past God of War games, this game has much to be desired, but even in that respect it is still ahead of the competition, if only slightly.

Blog Post: Much the Same

boxcar182 — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:39:00 GMT

God of War is known for its epic battles, from punching in Zeus face to huge scale titan battles. Each entry was better then the last, which is what we all would expect in a sequel. However after playing through Ascension i was left disappointed, This is a typical God of War game and has everything you would love from the series but that is just it, it was much the same.

Each God of War game has opened up with a bang, right when you start its an epic battle with jaw dropping action. Ascension took a different approach, yes you fight a big boss but that does not happen until a little ways in the opening part. It starts off more of a chase, and i think that is where i got let down, i was almost bored because i was expecting to be in awe within the first 5 mins, i wasnt. I honestly believe that first opening moment was a huge aspect of the game and unfortunately it fell flat.

The game looks beautiful as you would come to expect from this series, the environments look stunning and sometimes found myself stopping to just admire the scale of some areas. The enemies are detailed as well from your typical Medusa enemies to your little goat grunts, there is no enemy that looks rushed or thrown in. Kratos looks much like how he did in part 3, he gets bloody in combat and shows detailed facial expression while jabbing his blades into an enemies head. The game is bloody (duh!) kratos will finish off enemies by either ripping there bodies in half or repeatedly stabbing a dude heads to expose their brain, its brutal and bloody.

If you've played all the other God of War games then you will know what to expect out of this game, its fun smooth combat and bloody visuals are nice and all but this game really is much the same as previous titles.

PROS
+Looks beautiful
+fluid & brutal combat

CONS
-same ole God of War
-The Story isnt the best
-Hit or Miss Introduction

Blog Post: A Gruesome Godless Adventure

Razlo Jenkins — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:04:00 GMT

Following in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed God of War III, Sony Santa Monica’s God of War: Ascension takes us back to the time before Kratos became the god-slayer everyone is familiar with. The main question lies in how bold a step the prequel turns out to be and whether the multiplayer detracts from the core experience fans are familiar with. Is another trip into Ancient Greece worth sticking your blades into?

***WARNING: Spoilers for the God of War series included***

A Hero in the Making

The origin of Kratos is a tragedy similar to any other great tragic hero from Greek Mythology and Ascension aims to fill in some gaps and see how Kratos prepared to take down every god in Olympus. Back in 2005, PlayStation 2 gamers were introduced to Kratos by witnessing him leap to his death off a cliff. They soon find out his suicide was due to the oath he made with Ares, the God of War, which resulted in Kratos mistakenly murdering his wife and daughter.

Beginning in the original game, Kratos set out on a path to eradicate Olympus of all its gods and titans. By the end of the third entry, not a single noteworthy deity was left and a few subtle clues insinuated that Kratos finally reached that cliff from the first game and ended it all… which left the possibility of a sequel in a bind – hence the reasoning for a prequel.

Players find themselves imprisoned inside the titan-sized monster, Aegaeon the Hecatonchires, who has been transformed into a large labyrinthine prison for the living damned by the game’s main antagonists, The Furies.

The story bounces between two time frames, first is Kratos’ battle through the prison to escape and take down the three ladies keeping him imprisoned for breaking his oath to Ares. The other time frame is about three weeks prior when Kratos decides to break his oath and travels to several temples to break the bond, which caused him to slay hundreds of innocent civilians (He is unaware that he is the one who murdered his family).

Kratos is determined to rid himself of this bond and must travel to acquire the Lantern of Delos to see past the consistent illusions being thrown at him by the Furies. The only interesting characters Kratos encounters are the barrage of enemies being thrown at him, which would be a serious downfall if it wasn’t for the enjoyable gameplay and gorgeous environments. It’s easy to look past the shortcomings since the story is simply the catalyst for Kratos to be in such awe-inspiring situations. The story jumps back and forth, which can be confusing at times but the main draw to this series is not in its storytelling, it’s in the gameplay.

Fresh Out of Bubblegum

The real joy in God of War comes from controlling the angriest man in video games. Since this story is after his bond to Ares, Kratos has his infamous Blades of Chaos and unlike previous games, he never puts them down in Ascension. Instead, his blades are infused with one of four magic abilities bestowed upon him by the gods. You can switch on the fly with a press of the d-pad between fire, ice, lightning and the souls of Hades.

Certain enemies will cause players to switch between types of magic since each has their own benefits such as ice attacks breaking blocks and the souls of Hades helping to attack distant and multiple enemies. Combat feels just as good as ever and pulling in a Cyclops to disembowel them is rewarding time after time after a grueling battle.

On that note, younger players should be aware that there is a large amount of explicit content including blood and gore, intense violence, nudity and sexual content, which leads to an obvious Mature rating. So, if this is a turn off for you, then steer clear.

But, if you’re a fan of beheadings and tearing brains out of large elephant warriors, GOW: Ascension is right up your alley. Unfortunately, there are no repeats of the Poseidon beating or fighting game style boss battles like encountered at the end of GOW III, but there is plenty of gruesome killing to go around despite the lack of gods.

Uncharted Platforming

With all the hack-n-slashing Kratos is known for, it’s easy to forget that God of War has always had platforming elements to change up the pace. Ascension is no different. The game keeps things fresh by including platforming segments amidst grandiose environmental backgrounds, which is easily compared to another Sony-exclusive Uncharted.

While climbing, Kratos is rarely at risk of making a misstep, but there are several areas that feature Kratos sliding down steep surfaces that will require timed jumps to use his chains to grapple or swing to other areas. While enjoyable, it can be frustrating at times when a hard to see grapple point is the cause of your death.

Other than combat, environmental puzzles are the main obstacle. Kratos uses items found throughout his adventure to manipulate time to deconstruct or reconstruct a part of the environment and also help him be in two places at once. The puzzles range from simple to clever, but rarely ever get too complicated. Trial and error will work most of the time.

An Epic Design

Nobody does epic adventures like God of War and while GOW III was Sony’s Iliad and Odyssey, Ascension keeps up the scale. From riding “snakecoasters”, to battling titan-sized prisons and a ferocious kraken-like sea creature, Kratos is dwarfed in size over and over. While impressive in level design, it can be hard to see what Kratos is doing when the camera pans back, which can be frustrating in the heat of battle.

The enemies are designed with such intricate detail as well, pulling from Greek Mythology, each enemy is either directly from the lore, such as centaurs, chimera and gorgons and there are some new original additions such as the elephantaur who sports a club made of elephant tusks. Even the fodder sport armor than can be broken down over time.

Ultimately, this is a full-fledged single player entry that has not suffered from the addition of multiplayer. In fact, the addition of multiplayer only adds to the replay value of the overall experience.

Become Your Own Weapon of the Gods

The newest addition to the series is the inclusion of online multiplayer. While hesitant at first, I didn’t expect much from it as I rarely sink into online multiplayer modes. But, after trying all the various modes, it can be very entertaining and worthwhile to invest time into. Players choose an allegiance to either Ares (fire), Zeus (lightning), Hades (souls) or Poseidon (ice), which decides which magic and upgrades can be accessed.

The typical modes are included, Champion of the Gods (deathmatch and team deathmatch), Capture the Flag and also a Cooperative horde mode (that can also be played solo). A ton of unlockables are available for players and the learning curve is simple.

The replay value of single player games are reliant on New Game Plus. With four difficulties to try out with your suped up Kratos and a collection of items that provide post game perks, there is a lot of replay value on top of the multiplayer modes that offer enjoyable side content.

8 out of 10

Being a fan of the series helps make this game a must-play as its more of what makes the series so enjoyable. The entertaining combat provides variety and the platforming and puzzles change things up to keep this adventure rolling along. The lack of entertaining and noteworthy antagonists does detract from the overall enjoyment but it is hard to follow up on the masterpiece that was GOW III. For all the good and bad, this is more God of War. If you've had your fill of Kratos, this is not a game you need, but if you can't get enough of the angry, pasty god-slayer, pick this up. Another important note is the vast incline of difficulty during the final hour of the game when Kratos encounters the Trials of Archimedes. After a fairly gradual increase throughout the game, players are suddenly forced to exhibit supreme knowledge of all the mechanics and different abilities acquired in order to defeat a three-tiered combat scenario without a checkpoint. While it is incredibly hard (and soon to be patched), it is beatable but can be too frustrating for the average action enthusiast.

Wiki Page: God of War: Ascension AIO (All in one) Guide

jenifferhomes — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:01:00 GMT

God of War: Ascension is a Hack N’ Slash Action game and PlayStation 3 exclusive that serves as a prequel to the popular God of War video game series. The game is the seventh release in the series, and reveals the details of Kratos’ initial betrayal by Ares while human, and the source of his rage

God of War Ascensions features some very fun and addictive multiplayer which is as brutally good as the single player. I have made this little guide for multiplayer for reference and I have covered as much as I think I can cover but if you would like to add anything yourself just post away below.

God of War Ascension Walkthrough

Before He Was a God, He Was a Man:

God of War Ascension walkthrough will guide you through the beginning to ending moments of gameplay with strategy tips for this hack and slash Exclusive Action-Adventure PS3 Game.Vengeance is born in the fires of betrayal in this prequel to the best-selling God of War franchise.

Six months have passed since Kratos stood over the bodies of his wife and child, his hands stained with their blood – tricked by Ares into murdering the only people he ever loved. Swearing to avenge them, Kratos broke the blood oath that bound him to Ares, but oaths to Olympus are not so easily broken…

Sentenced to an eternity chained within a prison for the living damned, Kratos battles insanity at the hands of the Furies. He will be tested as he seeks freedom, redemption for his sins, and the clarity to avenge his family.

Updated Single-Player Combat & Franchise First Multiplayer:

God of War: Ascension features a variety of new gameplay mechanics. In the single-player campaign these include a new prompt-free button input system, the ability to pickup and switch weapons, time manipulation, and new enemies to battle.

In addition, God of War: Ascension features franchise first multiplayer, supporting up to 8 players in online play in which players have access to different weapons, armor, powers and control mythological characters in certain scenarios.

Kratos can now steal weapons from his enemies, acquiring powerful secondary attacks, allowing for unimaginable vicious combo attacks and new strategies. Combine the Blades of Chaos with your enemies’ weapons for the most lethal attacks. You will also be provided with tips on using the combat system. A revamped and intense combat action experience, you will feel every impact as Kratos destroys his enemies

The basic story is that Kratos, ever a beacon of sensitivity and consideration, beats the everloving crap out of a woman (a beatdown suffering from no shortage of upskirt camera angles) before impaling her on a spike. In fairness, the woman is evil, laughs off most of the violence, and appears unharmed afterward, but the real issue is the fact that, after the battle and a brief exchange with a male ally, players get a Trophy called "Bros Before Hos."

God of War Ascension Multiplayer Guide

Upon entering the multiplayer mode you will need to pledge an allegiance to one of the mighty Gods of Olympus.

Ares:

Warrior: dominant physical powers

Fire magic: Damage over time and disable enemy defences

Ares Items: Enhance melee combat

Hades

Assassin: Stealth

Should Magic: Drains vitality from opponents

Hades Items: Reduce cool-downs and increase mobility

Zeus

Battle mage: Impressive elemental powers

Electric Magic: Stun opponents and disable enemy magic

Zeus Items: Improve defence and escape

Poseidon

Support: Resilient to damage

Water Magic: Decrease mobility and freeze opponents

Poseidon Items: Increase defence and increase team ability

As you can see each God provides different attributes which will affect your warrior combat. If you choose an allegiance here and later on decide you don’t want to have an allegiance with that God you can simply press triangle in the multiplayer menu and pledge another allegiance.

After pledging an allegiance you can play a tutorial to learn the combat, there are two tutorials, a basic and an advanced, these tutorials are re-playable and available in the multiplayer menu

God of War Ascension Trophies brief guide

After spending a great deal of time in God of War: Ascension over the last 24 hours, it’s apparent that much of this game can be completed without a guide, considering it’s very, very linear. However, there are some tricks and tips that can help make a little bit easier

Most of the trophies can be obtained by simply playing through the game, so I won’t waste your valuable game-playing time with those. Instead, I’ll cover the tricky ones that can benefit from a little know-how.

Champion of the Gods -Platinum
-Unlock all trophies

You know the drill. Earn all other trophies to get the Platinum trophy for this game.

Blood Oath -Bronze
-Complete the MP Training in Olympus

Complete the tutorial when first playing the game’s multiplayer modes. You must complete the tutorial before starting multiplayer, so it cannot be missed.

Prison Break -Bronze
-Free Kratos from his imprisonment

Story Related. Finish the first QTE event at the start of the game.

Gotta Hand It To You -Bronze
-Defeat the infected hand of Aegeon

Story Related. Complete the first boss encounter of the game. The hand will appear many times throughout the first area.

Unleashed -Bronze
-Disarm a grappled enemy

This is an easy one. Use R1 to grapple and press circle to disarm an enemy.

Big Spender -Bronze
-Upgrade any Magic to the next level

Upgrade any of the four magics in the game using red orbs from the pause menu (Fire of Ares, Ice of Poseidon, Lighting of Zeus, or Soul of Hades).

Round and Round -Bronze
-Solve the Rolling Crusher Puzzle

Pending completion

Open Minded -Bronze
-Win the buttonless MiniGame against a Juggernaut

Once the red notification appears above a Juggernaut’s head, grapple using R1 to initiate the mini-game. To win, hit square or triangle for light or heavy attacks respectively, and dodge to the left or right when attacked. Keep attacking and Kratos will eventually slice open the Juggernaut’s skull, netting you the trophy

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop. BadBoy! -Bronze
-Perform a 1000 Hit Combo

In the stage called The Furnace there is a section of gameplay where Kratos is trapped between two canisters pouring flames. Kratos is attacked by a number of Satyr enemies. Due to the close quarters, this is the perfect time to earn this 1000-hit combo. It’s even easier if you are alternating between spamming a fully upgraded Lightning spell and increasing its hit streak by alternating L1 and R1 repeatedly, followed by holding square to do Kratos’ spinning attack.

Swinger -Bronze
-Ring out an enemy with the club

The club is a World Weapon. Simply use it to defeat an enemy in full and you will get this trophy.

Snakes on a Train -Bronze
-Ride the snake back to the Tower of Delphi

Story Related. Cannot be missed.

Bros Before Hos -Silver
-Escape the Fury Ambush

Story Related. Cannot be missed.

Fireproof -Silver
-Complete the Screw of Archimedes without getting hit by the Fire Traps

During the Screw of Archimedes you will need to avoid all of the fire traps. This may take a couple of tries. If you do get hit, simply die and try again.

Light As A Feather -Silver
-Collect all of the Phoenix Feathers

Collect all of the Phoenix Feathers by finding the glowing white hidden chests. Use our treasure guide (coming soon).

The Eyes Have It -Silver
-Collect all of the Gorgon Eyes

Collect all of the Gorgon Eyes by finding the glowing white hidden chests. Use our treasure guide (coming soon).

Fully Loaded -Silver
-Completely Upgrade Kratos

Fully upgrade the following items using red orbs from the pause menu.

Blades of Chaos

Fire of Ares

Ice of Poseidon

Lighting of Zeus

Soul of Hades

Amulet of Uroborus

Oath Stone of Orkos

Eyes of Truth

Lubed Up – Silver
-Complete the slide in the Statue of Apollo without dying

Carefully slide down the slope, making perfect turns and watch for gaps. Be prepared to tap the X button to jump across them.

Blind Justice -Silver
-Use the Eyes of Truth successfully

Hold L2 and press circle to use the Eyes of Truth. You will acquire them inside the Lantern of Delphi.

No Drake. You Can’t Have These -Gold
-Collect all Artifacts in the game

Collect all artifacts in the game. Full list is still a work in progress. Check back for updates.

Next Time Use The Stairs -Gold
-Complete the Gauntlet of Archimedes

This is probably the most difficult challenge in the game, but it cannot be missed if you finish the story. During the Gauntlet, be sure to use the Eyes of Truth to stun enemies and unleash all of your magic against the Gorgons, which replenish magic when killed. In the next round, kill the blue Avatar-looking enemies first, as they release green orbs to replenish health. Beyond that, just stay alive and try not to die! Good luck!

If It Ain’t Broke -Gold
-Reconstruct all of the Decayed Chests

Use the Amulet of Uroborus to “heal” all decayed chests. Reconstructing them turns them into red orb chests.

Bond Broken -Gold
-Complete the Game

Beat the game on any difficulty to grab this trophy.

Legendary Warrior -Gold
-Complete the game on Hard Difficulty

Finish the game on hard difficulty. You cannot use New Game+ for this

God of War: Ascension World Weapons Locations Guide

In the new God of Wars: Ascension Collectors Edition, you don’t get to play with all those fancy toys that Kratos was busy collecting in the previous two games. Instead, you’re given your conventional good ol’ Blades of Chaos, and then an option to collect a set of hunk-a-junk average weapons, to be used as your secondary arsenal.

These weapons are called ‘World Weapons’, simply because they are used by the ‘normal’ fellows in the world. As Kratos progresses in his brutal journey of flesh and blood, he can disarm enemies to use these weapons, or collect them from here and there if he likes.

Of course, these just serve as temporary weapons, and can be discarded any time. By doing so, Kratos throws the weapon at an enemy to stun them. Sweet!

There are five types of World Weapons in total, and each one has a slightly different purpose:

Sword
Spear
Club
Shield
Sling

Blog Post: God of War Ascension Bigger, Badder, and Awesome

Amaihana — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:12:00 GMT

God of War Ascension

Gameplay: Pretty awesome, though it's hard to dodge knowing it position on the R3 you most likely have to stop attacking the enemy in order to dodge. But once you know the pattern of your enemy knowing when to dodge and attack will be better the second time. The rage is helpful if you don't get hit by the enemy when their behind your butt 24/7 lol, but I gotta say it's the L1+ square helps a lot especially using Hades element. And Santa Monica studios sure brought the omg really more enemies factor I felt like crying every moment when I thought it was over BAM face that Gorgon Cobra which I find my worst nightmare been a fan of Medusa ever since but fighting them is the worst lol side note the Graphics were amazing I wish I can watch the background instead of being attacked by my idiot ruin the moment enemies xD.

Multiplayer: Dressing your character is awesome, it's fun playing with friends and finally choosing who would you fight for: Ares? Hades? Zeus? or Poseidon? I chose Zeus of course electricity is very shocking ; D bad thing is no female warrior? like a after all the tough women on God of War no Female Warrior that's kinda sad but's it alright not gonna complain just funny to think guys playing with another guy knowing a girl knows how to kick butt as well on God of War.

Storyline: Ok, confusing but I got it maybe not everyone's favorite but it's an passable story line. Furies and Ares wanted to over throw Olympus control it themselves got it. Kratos wanted to break his bond with Ares that's where the Furies sisters come in as they here to punish anyone who disobey oath's to gods or just Ares. Short summary Furies are loyal to Ares mainly and just doesn't want Kratos to stand in the way plus knowing their secret plan to over throw Olympus and control it which brings us to God of War 1 etc. etc. Not the worst storyline but does cause one to do more research from beginning to the end.

Final Thoughts: Trial of Archimedes whatever mode is on is annoying yes I was on Easy and it hurted my hands. But since I died once and didn't want a repeat again I upgraded all my weapons and still got red orbs left over why? Because I upgraded my weapons each time an orb reached 3 million or 3 thousand I highly recommend upgrading all your weapons before the trials and know your enemy pattern and use magic I won with Zeus weapon then at the end with the horseman Hades weapon that was my second try and won it all : D And honestly the game isn't that hard I didn't died by an enemy at all except for the trials I get killed by the background lol irony. And why Kratos is so not "Kratos"? guys read back of your game disc box "Before he was a God he was a Man" of course he's gonna act more human hello reason why it's in the past not God of War 4 what did you expect honestly? I saw it pretty clear. Anywho, I think this game even surpass God of War 3 and hopefully Santa Monica Studios will make God of War 4 I wanna know what happen to Kratos as well what's going to happen next until next time my fellow Warriors.

Here's a video from Tobuscus who made an awesome and funny version of Ascension trailer please watch and enjoy xD

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyPvPPNPLJA]

Blog Post: Exclusive main Thief Screenshots to be Review

stuartclock — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:18:00 GMT

Our recently announced Thief cover story is loaded with details and imagery, but there are two screens you haven't seen anywhere else. Be sure to click on the images to see them blown up in full detail.

The screen above shows Garrett doing what he does best. This ornate bottle is one of the many valuable items players will scout out and steal throughout the game.

This shot provides a wide view of the House of Blossoms, the lavish brothel that Garrett infiltrates during the demo that we saw for the cover story. Notice all of the dark corners to hide in and tempting valuables to grab.

If you missed it, check out our Thief cover reveal, and be sure to return to the Thief hub for new stories and videos all month long.

Blog Post: God of War Ascension Review

ynoT0312Taz — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:47:00 GMT

This year, Santa Monica Studios released their seventh addition to the God of War series. God of War Ascension takes place ten years before God of War Chains of Olympus, and six months after murdering his family. Unlike its predecessors, where the objective was getting revenge, Kratos' main purpose is to break a bond with Ares, the god of war. However, the furies, the antagonists, are attempting stop him from doing so.

After playing God of War Ascension, I found some things that I liked ad some things that I didn't. Truth be told, I was also disappointed after playing the game. I felt that it didn't live live up to its potentials as its predecessors did. It was fun but I still think God of War 3 was the best.

For this installment, Santa Monica, challenged themselves by attempting to create a less angry, and a more human like Kratos. Even though sort of contradicted with all of the killing, decapitating, and stabbing, this gives us an opportunity to show Kratos his sensitive side when he's with his child and wife. Unfortunately, we were only able to see for a short amount of time. Due to his lack of rage, his character during the cutscenes seem a bit bland.

Story

When I try to think about any game, I try to think what the story is about in the most simplest way. For example god of war 1, he wants revenge. God of War 2, he wants revenge. God of War 3, he wants revenge. On God of War Ascension, break bond. From the beginning to the end of the story, it was just one confusing journey. One of the main reasons for that was after kill one of the furies, we go back 3 weeks prior to when he was chained up in the beginning of the game (Speaking of the beginning, again it didn't live up to it's potential as it's predecessors. There were some epic moments, but certainly something that we have already seen before). While you're playing in the level that takes place 3 weeks ago, you spend so much time there, that you would forget what you did "3 weeks later". You would go through most of the story through kratos flash back and spend little time on the present time. I think if the game's storyline went through chronologically, it may have been a little more simpler to understand.

Gameplay

I have always enjoyed their gameplay. In Ascension, They finally perfected the combat by using the rage meter. The rage meter not only ties in with the combat but it also ties in with HIS rage. I think what Santa Monica was trying to do was emphasize his rage more for the god of war games. After Ascension, kratos no longer needs the rage meter because it will forever be full. Well that's what I came up with, and it kind of makes sense. Also, they certainly focused more on the chain blades, and barely paid attention to the secondary attacks. With the chain blades, you can use up to four powers from the gods of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Ares. You can have some fun with using the powers against your enemies. The secondary weapons, however, are boring, bland, and barely motivated me to use them. At least not for the multiplayer. The enemies in Ascension are a lot tougher than it's predecessors. Most of them block, takes too long to kill, and they barely react to the impact. The one level that many gamers have been complaining about was the trials of Archimedes. Even gamers that are a fan of the series say that it was frustrating and unfair. I know god of war games are meant to be tough, there are times when it actually does feels unfair, because occasionally there’s literally nothing you can do to avoid death.

Multiplayer

I was a little worried about the multiplayer not doing so well. Santa Monica knew the second they decided to add multiplayer to this installment, it was going to be a challenge for them. I never imagined that a hack n slash game like god of war could ever do multiplayer. Well once again, Santa Monica has surprised me yet again. The multiplayer is breath of fresh air. In the beginning you choose an alliance, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Ares. Each god has a special ability. After you choose, you find armor, and weapons that will suit your need before battle. From gods to weapons to armor, you will be able to create the perfect warrior. GO POSEIDON!! There are many ways to play in the multiplayer from capture the flag, to trials of the gods, to free for all. Though they may not be original, the trial of the gods is a lot of fun, especially with a friend. The multiplayer will surely increase the longevity of playing this game.

Graphics

What can I say about the graphics except WOW!! Santa Monica has yet again successfully made the most detailed, crisp, and realistic looking graphics in a game I have ever seen. From the environments, to the creatures, to the characters, including Kratos, they are all so visually detailed, that sometimes you would forget what you were doing to admire the beautiful and immaculate graphics. All that it need it now was a good jaw dropping moment. Sadly, you rarely any of that in Ascension. As insanely creative and beautifully detailed as the bosses are, unfortunately they don't give us that "wow" factor we were expecting. Than again, God of War 3 really did set the bar high, like, higher than mount olympus. There's no possible way that Ascension could even come close to that bar. However there was one moment in the game that got me excited and that I will remember. And that's the ending of the game when Kratos is fighting the giant kraken. And it's a sure good thing that the ending didn't suck.

Here are the pros and cons of the game

Pros:

Amazing Visuals

Fun Multiplayer

Well Adjusted Combat

Great Finale

Cons:

Confusing Storyline

Bland Kratos

Trials of Archimedes

Not enough "wow" factor

I never thought that I would be giving a God of War game such an average rating, especially since I'm a huge fan of the series. But after beating the game, I finally understood what the critics were saying. One of these day, the series was going to have that game that couldn't make it to the top like the others, and I think ascension is that one game.

Blog Post: I dig it

ImmaculateDefect — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:01:00 GMT

After spending a few hours with Kratos after work. I feel that all the running around I did to get my hands on the collectors edition day of...was worth it. The action figure is so handsome. The steel case is grand. I always favor those over plastic cheapies of course. I am still banging my head on the desk for not picking up Pandoras box when it came out. Oh how envious I am of my buddies who got it! They are now going for a million dollars on Ebay. I still want it...that's why : ) My review may not mean anything to some of you......since I'm one of those people who can play sny of the GOW games over and over and over and be content with nothing new lol . They don't need to change a thing to impress me. I was BALLS deep in it ... and loved it...and tonight I will be back with my sweet kratos buwahahaha

Blog Post: Olympus is Trembling... But Only A Little

M. Mansour — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:08:00 GMT

What does a video game developer do when tasked with succeeding one of the greatest action adventures titles in the history of video games? Well a smart one would probably quit before they started. I'm not saying that the God of War franchise shouldn't continue but at this point, the line between "reinvigorating the franchise" and "producing the weakest title in the series" is far too thin when you have a reputation as unparalleled as Mr. Kratos'. Unfortunately, God of War: Ascension falls into the latter category. Before I begin my list of flaws about this game that I could have totally done better myself than the developers-- despite my lack of design, programming, and art training, and to be honest, my little grasp on most of the English language-- I must mention that although this is arguably the weakest God of War to date, it is still a God of War game. Which basically means it is still incredibly fun and I will no doubt be spending a lot of time with it.

Now first and foremost I must mention one complaint that I have not once encountered within the several reviews of this game that I've read (this includes you, GI). That is the absolute lack of sound in this game. This is not only the quietest God of War title, it's one of the quietest games I've ever played. Of course that's not including all the games that I play with the TV muted (now I'm looking at you, every fighting game I've ever played). What I mean by this is that when you're traversing the jaw-droppingly gorgeous environments in Ascension and you're not engaged in battle, there is little to no music whatsoever. The most you will hear is the sound of Kratos' grunts when jumping or climbing. There's no ambiance or atmosphere. This seemingly simple exclusion leaves the entire game feeling empty, lonely and at times anti-climactic. This is a major detail that is only looked at as a minor one. When I'm battling a gigantic, 100-armed monstrosity, it shouldn't feel like an abandoned theme park when I'm running and climbing my way to my next epic encounter. This is incredibly unfortunate also because the music that actually is included is among the best in the series. It's by far the most "Greek Mythology" sounding. I swear that last line sounded a lot better in my head.

But who cares about music and sound!? The gameplay is what we all really care about! Ascension has made a few minor tweaks to the stellar SQUARE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE button-mashing goodness of previous installments. Most notably is the change in grabbing. All grabbing is now done with R1 instead of CIRCLE and is revolved around a tether system that is actually quite satisfying. There's something undeniably natural about hooking one enemy with one blade while slashing the rest of them with the other, then finishing it off by smashing your hooked enemy into all of the others like some sort of twisted game of whack-a-mole. It is this, plus the addition of a melee button that really expand upon what was already a great combat system.

That isn't to say that the combat hasn't taken a huge leap backwards in this game, which it totally has. The new parry system is the most notable drawback. Now this is a perfect example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The original block/parry system worked well for this type of game. It has since been changed to a block+X combination that ultimately throws a huge gap in the overall flow of combat. I found myself dodging and evading every attack rather than risking another failed parry throughout the entire story mode. In addition to this is the revamped rage meter which now acts as more of a combo meter than a saving grace powerup as in previous titles. Your attacks become stronger when it's filled but it ends as soon as you're hit. Which makes it completely useless for the latter half of the game.

Which brings me to my next point: The Trial of Archimedes. If you've read ANY other review of this game you've no doubt heard of the unfairly crushing difficulty of this segment. I, by chance, happened to beat this part on my first attempt but because of its difficulty it is being considered the most challenging segment of any God of War. I think that includes those Godless blades of Hades from God of War 1 too. God of War: Ascension as a whole is not a hard game, which makes this insane spike in difficulty all the more jarring. Like many aspects of the story it feels poorly designed and rushed. A definite first for the series.

I'm sure I'm not the only person that finds a certain joy in stealing the weapon of the boss you've just mutilated. This is something that God of War 3 offered by the bucket load (if that bucket contained only three alternate and sub-weapons, respectively ). There are no more side weapons. I'm sure the developers assumed everyone focused mainly on the blades and decided to base most of the combat around them. Which is mostly true (who else here loved the Nemean Cestus?). So in their place are now a handful of disposable sub-weapons taken from defeated enemies (swords, shields, hammers, a useless sling) and elemental coating for the Blades of Chaos (fire, lightning, etc.). Neither of which offer any moments of awe in the vein of the Army of Sparta magic attack from God of War 3. Speaking of which, the magic in God of War: Ascension is by far the most half-assed in the entire series. I'll just leave it at that.

As unfortunate as it sounds, this really feels like a multiplayer game with a tacked-on story mode. Under the God of War moniker that line should be considered blasphemy but the truth remains, the online multiplayer is where the action is at. Story-wise it is far too inconsistent and forgettable. This time around Kratos is fighting for his freedom from the bonds of Ares rather than his go-to revenge schtick. With this I had really hoped there would have been a narrative showcasing the transition from man to beast. Not only does Ascension not deliver in that respect but it manages to make Kratos' most emotional and human characteristics feel less than genuine. Not to mention a confusing and illogical chronology in the sequence of events. Was that last line redundant? Ahem, moving on. It was playing the multiplayer immediately after completing the story mode that brought all of its combat errors into the light. The multiplayer feels like the main game. There are four different classes that each have their own distinct feel. In terms of game modes there is nothing here that we all haven't seen before. Teams of 4v4 or 2v2, free-for-alls and capture the flags are all here. Plus the inclusion of a co-op mode (because not enough games nowadays are including co-op) which can also be played single player. But most importantly, all of the gameplay mechanics that didn't feel quite right with Kratos fit right at home with your customizable hero.

In conclusion: God of War: Ascension had far too big a shoes to fill in front of it and although I now realize how negative this review has been, it is still a very enjoyable game on its own. We're just so used to perfection that anything short of sheer excellence is immediately deemed a failure. I'll never forget the first time I played God of War. It changed the way I looked at video games. And not just because I was a 12 year old boy looking at beautifully animated boobs in a video game for the first time. There was a feeling, a sense a power it gave players.In God of War: Ascension there are no doubt moments of greatness that are among the best in the series, but it has strayed too far from what made it the best action adventure game on the market. Here's to our fallen God of War.

Blog Post: Its exactly what you expect, a great game.

Corkwon — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:13:00 GMT

Joe Juba, and I'm calling you out by name, stop making tag lines so people will read your s*it, it ridiculous and pathetic, that was a clear IGN move. The game is exactly what you expect, its GOW with a really intriguing multiplayer. Even tail end Kratos is better than alot of studios A games.

Blog Post: GREAT GAME!!!

soruyo — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:49:00 GMT

Sorry Kratos isnt a God and less angry in the game,It is a prequel.The combat is fun ad more skillful then the previous GoW games, yes theres less huge bosses but it doesnt take away from the experience at all. Its worth the buy :)

Blog Post: GOD AWESOME GAME

gamewatcher41 — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:30:00 GMT

Despite the game not being as bad a@# as GOW3,ascension still hold's it own in the GOW universe.It's a prequel so something's should take a step back cause it's before the other games in the serie's but still an awesome game none the less and should be added to every GOW fan's collection and any action adventure fan.

Blog Post: Not So Godly Anymore

Joe Juba — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:00:00 GMT

When I reviewed the original God of War back in 2005, I remember feeling sorry for other action games. Kratos outpaced his peers by such a wide margin that measuring up to his bloody rampage seemed impossible. Other games took cues from God of War, but each new installment raised the bar even higher, putting more distance between Kratos and his rivals. After years of dominance, God of War: Ascension is the series’ stumble that could allow the competition to close the gap. [Excerpt]

Pinpointing where Ascension goes wrong is difficult, because it has all of the components a God of War title should. Whirling blades? Check. Jaw-dropping boss fights? Check. Story about Kratos’ tragic past? Check. The list goes on, but even though Sony’s Santa Monica Studio included the key elements, it doesn’t mean they are executed up to the series’ high standards. In areas where fans expect a new entry to move forward – like narrative and combat – Ascension either stalls or steps backward.

Set 10 years before the first entry, Kratos is on a quest to free himself from the bond of Ares. This puts him at odds with the Furies, creatures charged with enforcing oaths. Series fans know how the story ends: Kratos wins, breaks his bond, and eventually kills Ares. In a prequel, the challenge is to craft a tale that enriches the events that players have already seen – something Ready at Dawn’s handheld God of War titles did exceptionally well. Kratos pushing his daughter away in Elysium and battling his brother Deimos helped players see a different side of the character. Ascension offers no such insight. Its main contribution is emphasizing that Kratos misses his family and is sorry that he killed them, which is well-worn material at this point. The result is a story that has players chasing artifacts and fighting bad guys with no investment in the outcome.

Though Kratos lacks the compelling purpose that drove him forward in other entries, he’s still full of epic exploits. In terms of spectacle, Ascension holds the same note from God of War III. Towering creatures, massive structures, and brutal deaths punctuate the adventure from beginning to end. They all look great, too, thanks to stellar production values. From Kratos’ ashy complexion to enormous mechanical snakes slithering though snowy mountains, I stopped and marveled at the visuals several times. Cinematic camerawork highlights the action well in most situations. It occasionally zooms out so far that you can’t make out what’s happening or who’s attacking, but you usually have a front-row seat for the carnage.

The essence of battle remains intact, with Kratos dishing out stylish combos and executing mythological terrors through elaborate (and entertaining) timed button-press sequences. If you just watch the action, you would think it’s more of the same, but the combat system has undergone some tweaks that change how you play. The removal of superfluous alternate weapons forces you to focus on your blades, which everyone does anyway. Players still have other things to spend red orbs on; blade attacks can be infused with upgradable elemental properties that grant unique abilities. Unfortunately, their most useful elemental powers (the area-clearing magic) are buried at the final upgrade level. The standard attacks look different, but they don’t feel distinct in practice, leaving combat feeling less varied than previous entries.

[View:1689548991001]

Other combat changes converge to make Ascension fall behind. The revamped rage meter unlocks more powerful moves and allows your elemental augments to generate different orbs, but keeping it charged is too challenging when facing hordes of enemies – which is when you need it the most. The decision to make the parry move (which used to activate automatically with a well-timed block) into a separate input breaks up the natural combo flow. The addition of boring secondary weapons lying on the ground is also disappointing, since they are never as cool or useful as Kratos’ standard arsenal. I understand the need to innovate and alter the formula for a new game, but Ascension is different in all of the wrong ways.

Nowhere in the game are the problems more apparent than during the final hour, when Kratos encounters the Trial of Archimedes. This section is punishingly difficult, thanks more to the shortcomings in combat design than the specific arrangement of enemies you face. I’ve beaten previous God of War games on the highest difficulty level, but it took me about an hour of constant dying on the normal setting before I could finish the trial. Just when the adventure should be reaching its crescendo, this section tragically poisons the final chapters and replaces any lingering enthusiasm with frustration.

Maybe multiplayer is to blame for the tweaks to the combat. Perhaps Sony was more concerned with crafting a battle system optimized for multiplayer rather than single-player. If so, that goal was achieved. Ascension’s multiplayer is a well-tuned experience, and the things that feel clunky in the solo campaign (like the parry and secondary weapons) are natural when you’re squaring off against real opponents. Multiplayer also doesn’t feel haphazardly shoehorned in; combat is competent, and the leveling system and various weapon and armor unlocks are noble attempts to add longevity. However, the best way to keep people playing would have been interesting modes. Standard deathmatch, capture the flag, and co-op horde options are how you test your skills. All of the modes function fine and provide some thrills, but they don’t capture what makes God of War entertaining or remarkable.

Despite its faults, God of War: Ascension is a good game. The action is fun, the graphics are astounding, and players are pulled from one high-adrenaline moment to the next. But it’s also disappointing. Fans are accustomed the rising stakes and escalating scale that make Kratos attain deific heights, but Ascension proves that he is mortal after all.

To see God of War: Ascension in action (and to hear our commentary), watch the Test Chamber highlighting the game.

File: God of War: Ascension

Joe Juba — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:09:00 GMT

God of War: Ascension

File: God of War: Ascension

Joe Juba — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:09:00 GMT

God of War: Ascension

File: God of War: Ascension

Joe Juba — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:09:00 GMT

God of War: Ascension