God of War: Ascension is a 2013 action-adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 console. It is the sixth installment in the God of War series and serves as a narrative prequel to the events of the original God of War (2005), depicting an earlier period in the life of the series' protagonist, Kratos.
Development and Release
- Developer: Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Director: Todd Papy
- Producer: Dan Ayoub
- Composer: Tyler Bates (original score); Gerard Marino (additional music)
- Engine: Custom PlayStation 3 engine building on technology from previous series entries
- Announcement: First revealed at the PlayStation Meeting in September 2012.
- Release Date: March 12, 2013 (North America), March 13, 2013 (Europe and Australia).
Gameplay
God of War: Ascension retains the series' core third‑person hack‑and‑slash mechanics, featuring:
- Combat: Players control Kratos, utilizing the Blades of Chaos, the Blades of Athena, and a new weapon, the Blade of Olympus. A revamped "Rage of the Gods" ability allows a temporary boost in damage and defense.
- Puzzles and Platforming: As in prior titles, progression involves solving environmental puzzles and navigating platforming sections.
- Multiplayer: The game introduces the franchise’s first cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, supporting up to eight players online across three distinct modes—Trials of the Gods, Arena, and War. Players select from eight different mythologically inspired characters, each with unique abilities and customizable upgrades earned through experience points.
Narrative
The storyline is set six months after Kratos' betrayal of Ares and before the events of the original God of War. It explores Kratos' attempt to break his bond with Ares after being haunted by nightmares and the appearance of a new group of deities known as the Furies, who enforce oaths made to the gods. The plot details Kratos' struggle for redemption and his quest to end his servitude to Ares, culminating in a confrontation that foreshadows his later actions in the series.
Reception
- Critical Response: The game received generally positive reviews. Aggregators such as Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version a score of 80/100, citing the refined combat system and the introduction of multiplayer as notable improvements, while criticism centered on the relatively short single‑player campaign and the limited depth of the multiplayer component.
- Awards: God of War: Ascension received nominations for categories such as “Best Action Game” at the 2013 Spike Video Game Awards and “Best Multiplayer Game” at the 2013 Game Critics Awards.
- Sales: According to Sony’s financial reports, the title sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide within its first year of release.
Legacy
God of War: Ascension is the final God of War entry released for the PlayStation 3 platform. Its multiplayer features were not continued in subsequent series installments, which returned focus to single‑player narrative experiences, notably with the re‑imagining of the franchise on PlayStation 4 in 2018. The game’s prequel setting has been referenced in later titles and related media, contributing to the overall chronology of the series’ mythology.
References
- Sony Computer Entertainment press releases (2012‑2014)
- Interviews with Santa Monica Studio staff (Game Informer, 2013)
- Metacritic aggregate scores (accessed 2024‑06)