'God of War: Ascension' review (PS3): Another epic adventure

 

©  SONYRelease Date: March 12 (North America), March 15 (Europe)
Platforms available on: PS3
Developer: Sony Santa Monica
Publisher: Sony
Genre: Action/Adventure 

 God of War: Ascension is the latest Sony blockbuster to star surly anti-hero Kratos, a warrior who was tricked into killing his wife and child after making a pact with the original God of War, Ares.Featuring a typically epic single-player campaign made up of hyper-violent enemy encounters, huge boss battles and intricate puzzles, Ascension initially appears to be nothing more than a by-the-numbers instalment.However, a surprisingly enjoyable multiplayer mode and a slightly more sympathetic portrayal of the Spartan himself means that there's a little more to love about the latest God of War.Set before the events of the core trilogy, God of War: Ascension sees Kratos attempt to break free from his bond with Ares, a task made more difficult by the three Furies, whose role as ancient Greek oath-enforcers is to keep Kratos in line by whatever means necessary.Imprisoned and suffering both physical and mental torture, Kratos soon breaks free and attempts to eliminate the three Furies in his quest to get revenge. 

 It takes a little while to get going, but the story does just about enough to hook players to the very end, with the questionable motives of some of the supporting cast providing the required level of intrigue.The storytelling is very similar to that of previous God of War games, with Linda Hunt's narration doing a fantastic job of setting the tone and introducing the mythical characters.Well-acted cutscenes are able to fill in the gaps, and show a little more of Kratos's past, which ultimately makes him more endearing, despite his insistence on shouting all of his lines.It takes a little while to get going, but the story does just about enough to hook players to the very end, with the questionable motives of some of the supporting cast providing the required level of intrigue.We also really enjoyed the way the game switches between the past and present, a technique that ensures a wide variety of locations are introduced and that players are drip-fed enough of the story to keep them motivated.The music is also superb, complementing the epic quest with a suitably powerful score.In terms of combat, the developers have gone with an "if it ain't broke" approach, resulting in lots of enjoyable, albeit overly-familiar enemy encounters and boss battles. Once again equipped with the Blades of Chaos, players will have enormous amounts of fun button-bashing their way through the game's challenging number of enemies.

©  SONY

 Whether fighting agile Empusas or clunking great Elephantaurs, the enemy encounters are varied and provide a decent challenge, despite the game's slightly over-generous checkpoint system (except during the Trials of Archimedes).It makes the insanely violent finishing moves all the more satisfying when you finally get the signal to kickstart the quick-time kills. 

 

It's a little more shallow than some of its rival hack-and-slash games, and slightly predictable, even with the introduction of switchable elemental attributes for your weapons. While these elemental variations offer unique specials, Kratos's core combos remain the same.
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Thankfully, however, there are plenty of unlockable moves and secondary weapons to equip.The boss battles, meanwhile, are a particular highlight, capturing the sense of scale that has won the series many fans. While some aren't as imposing as previous encounters (who could forget God of War 3's titanic battles?), they feature multiple stages and appear regularly enough to keep things interesting.
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 Surprisingly, despite the game's focus on action, God of War: Ascension also features a bucketload of puzzles - typically involving blocks and levers - which are used effectively to break up the many combat sequences.Ultimately, while there are a few real head-scratchers - particularly in the Oracle's temple - the puzzles sum up the single-player campaign to a tee. They're well-designed, occasionally challenging and introduced at a steady pace, but offer very few surprises.Even less surprising are the camera issues, which plague the majority of third-person action games.In Ascension's case it's entirely avoidable, panning out to ridiculous lengths to show the scale of the levels, making it impossible to see the group of enemies standing in the way of Kratos. Fortunately, it doesn't happen too often.

 The platforming elements, meanwhile, are a little less weighty than they should be, feeling dated and underdeveloped when compared to recent efforts such as Tomb Raider and Assassin's Creed.Despite these relatively minor flaws, however, God of War: Ascension's single-player experience is a thing of beauty. It's not particularly innovative, but feels like a worthy send-off for a franchise likely to appear on the recently-announced PlayStation 4.After eight years of making God of War games, Sony Santa Monica knows how to craft an epic and enjoyable single-player experience unmatched in scale.
 

 Beyond the game's single-player campaign, which lasts a sizeable ten hours in length, Santa Monica Studio has introduced an extensive and surprisingly enjoyable multiplayer mode made up of four different game types.The best fit and most immediately rewarding of the multiplayer games is Trial of the Gods, a two-person co-operative survival mode pitting warriors against increasingly difficult waves of enemies, not to mention the clock. It only really offers short-term thrills, but is very addictive when you do give it a try. 

 The other game modes are a little more unique considering the genre, resembling something you'd find in a shooter. Our favourite and easily the most interesting is the eight-player Favour of the Gods mode, which sees two teams attempt to earn points by battling each other, collecting items and destroying targets.Each stage is littered with traps and weapons, resulting in a unique combination of out-and-out combat and strategy.More worryingly, despite Sony's best efforts to balance the gameplay and provide lots of different ways to earn points, there is a slight concern that rookies will find it hard to hang with experienced players. If you do fight on a level playing field, however, multiplayer is a lot of fun.While it remains to be seen whether or not Ascension's multiplayer mode will receive the backing of a sizeable community, we can safely say that after eight years of making God of War games, Santa Monica Studio still knows how to craft an epic and enjoyable single-player experience unmatched in scale.