![]() ![]() As ever, the relentless action takes places across various levels with, meticulously created, gorgeous landscapes, broken up by occasional platforming and puzzles, and routinely book-ended with epic boss battles that feature changing environments and a healthy dose of Quick Time Events. Just like God of War III, Ascension features gory and over the top, hack and slash action as its primary concern. SCE Santa Monica Studio takes the ‘don’t fix if it isn’t broken’ approach with God of War: Ascension. If you were looking for an overhaul of the game’s system or a ground-breaking addition to the God of War gameplay, I am afraid you might be left a tad bit disappointed. What significantly new experience does this next iteration in GOW franchise has to offer in its single player campaign? God of War III brought the epic scale of the graphics, sounds and boss fights of the franchise to an unparalleled next-gen level. God of War II offered everything the first one did only bigger and better. The first God of War introduced players to engaging hack and slash gameplay with amazing visuals, orchestral sound, epic boss battles and polished presentation. In this respect, God of War: Ascension is no different from its predecessors. While the narrative has always played a role in the God of War franchise, what has always superseded it in each game is the gameplay. In my opinion, if the events of God of War: Ascension were to be removed, the events of the past and the events of God of War Trilogy still align without need for any further exposition. Seeing as the main story has concluded, does the prequel tell a tale of such import that warrants development of next iteration on the console?Īlthough the story of Ascension does a commendable job of showing the state of mind Kratos was in prior to events of Chains of Olympus and the first game, I feel, that it does not offer much that is of great and lasting consequence to the main God of War saga. While the portable sequels of the past have provided a glimpse into Kratos’ past, the core trilogy followed a story of tragedy, betrayal and vengeance that culminated in its third installment and finished most of the major plot threads. The novel approach in the tale’s execution, however, does not make up for the importance of the content of this narrative. Whereas the first God of War was entirely a flashback, and the other games followed Kratos in the present, God of War: Ascension takes a non-linear approach to storytelling where players are taken from present to past and back and forth, to find how Kratos got to where he is and what he does next. This change is not only present in the start but follows across the length of the game in how the game presents its tale. While the previous games threw players right into the mix of epic battles with Hydra, Colossus of Rhodes and god of the seas Poseidon, God of War: Ascension starts off with Kratos bound and chained. The difference even comes across in how the narrative is presented to the player. Instead of focusing favors and revenge, the tale focuses on Kratos’ quest to find the truth and stay one step ahead of his pursuers. Having broken a blood oath with a god, he is being pursued by the Furies, to answer for his transgression. The story of God of War: Ascension acts as a prequel to the prior God of War games and follows Kratos 6 months after his family was slayed and he forsook Ares. Though the game returns to the series’ tradition of Greek Tragedy setting, it does so with a narrative that is much less epic in scale and much more personal in scope. God of War: Ascension brings back the staples of the franchise in full force and in doing so, adds a bit its unique personality into the mix. If you are afraid that the latter might turn out to be true you can lay your fears to rest. Does the latest iteration to the series hold up to the lofty standards of its predecessors, or is God of War: Ascension a disappointment to its heritage? The God of War Franchise has had three console and two portable games under its belt each garnering critical acclaim as well as retail success. Since its debut on the PlayStation 2, God of War has been Sony’s premier franchise and has been one of the most polished and consistently outperforming brands in the hack and slash genre.
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