God of War: Ascension | |
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Cover art, featuring the protagonist Kratos.
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Developer(s) | SCE Santa Monica Studio |
Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Director(s) | Todd Papy |
Producer(s) | Whitney Wade |
Designer(s) | Mark Simon |
Programmer(s) | Vassily A. Filippov |
Artist(s) | Christopher Sutton |
Writer(s) |
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Composer(s) | Tyler Bates |
Series | God of War |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
Release date(s) | |
Genre(s) | |
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God of War: Ascension (Original Soundtrack) | |
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Soundtrack album by Tyler Bates | |
Released | March 5, 2013 |
Genre | Contemporary classical music |
Length | 1:05:35 |
Label | Sony Computer Entertainment and La-La Land Records |
Aggregate scores | |
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Aggregator | Score |
GameRankings | 79.34% |
Metacritic | 80/100 |
Review scores | |
Publication | Score |
Destructoid | 9/10 |
Edge | 7/10 |
GameSpot | 8.0/10 |
GamesRadar | |
GameTrailers | 8.3/10 |
IGN | 7.8/10 |
Joystiq | |
OPM (UK) | 8/10 |
God of War: Ascension is a third-person action-adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). The game was first released on March 12, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console. It is the seventh installment in the God of War series and prequel to the entire series. Loosely based on Greek mythology, the game is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, the former servant of the God of War Ares, who tricked Kratos into killing his wife and daughter. In response to this tragedy, Kratos renounced Ares, breaking his blood oath to the god. Kratos was therefore imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies, guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment. Helped by the oath keeper Orkos, Kratos escapes his imprisonment and confronts the Furies to be completely free of his bond to Ares.
The gameplay is similar to previous installments, focusing on combo-based combat with the player's main weapon—the Blades of Chaos—and other weapons acquired by the new World Weapons mechanic. It continues the use of quick time events and adds a new, promptless, free-form system. Four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability can be used as alternative combat options, and the game features puzzles and platforming elements. Ascension is the only installment in the series to include online multiplayer features for both competitive and cooperative play. It also features a redesigned combat system, new gameplay mechanics, and downloadable content. From October 2012 to March 2013, a social experience was available online in the form of a graphic novel titled Rise of the Warrior, a prequel story that tied into the game's single-player and multiplayer modes.