God of War: Ascension

 PlayStation 3
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Mar 12, 2013
God of War: Ascension Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 89 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1461 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Ascension is a prequel to the initial God of War. 6 months have elapsed since Kratos stood before the bodies of his wife and child, his hands stained with their blood - duped by Ares into killing the only people he ever loved. Vowing to avenge them, Kratos shattered the blood oath that boundAscension is a prequel to the initial God of War. 6 months have elapsed since Kratos stood before the bodies of his wife and child, his hands stained with their blood - duped by Ares into killing the only people he ever loved. Vowing to avenge them, Kratos shattered the blood oath that bound him to Ares. 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.… Expand
Buy Now
Buy on

Trailer

Play Sound
Please enter your birth date to watch this video:
You are not allowed to view this material at this time.
God of War: Ascension - Zeus Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. Digital Chumps
    Mar 17, 2013
    96
    Ascension is another 'instant classic' entry into the amazing God of War series.
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Mar 7, 2013
    90
    God of War Ascension is one of the most beautiful, brutal and funny action games you can play these days. This prequel definitely lives up to its predecessor, proposing an astounding adventure, and a climax of action and brutality with no equals. On the top of that there is a new multiplayer mode that brings over the character of the series.
  3. XGN
    Jun 16, 2013
    85
    God of War: Ascension does exactly what you would expect from a God of War title.The sheer amount of violence and tension is simply breathtaking, especially when taking place right on top of a giant creature. The entire experience is accompanied by stunning graphics and an impressive soundtrack. While the multiplayer is somewhat disappointing, it is apparent that Kratos is still this generation's most fearsome warrior.
  4. GamesBeat
    Mar 7, 2013
    80
    Ascension isn’t a reinvention of God of War; it’s a refinement. It plays on its strengths – exciting combat, great visuals, and huge levels — even when those strengths might overshadow some of the new things it tries to accomplish (like adding emotional depth to its lead hero).
  5. IGN Italia
    Mar 14, 2013
    80
    Ascension is exactly the God of War you'd expect: colossal in its scale, technically majestic, insanely gruesome and fun to play. A huge production that shows the brute horsepower of the PS3, while denoting the weaknesses of a series that has reached its peak and needs a breathe of fresh air.
  6. Games Master UK
    Apr 10, 2013
    75
    Despite some incredible set-pieces, the single-player is God of War on autopilot. [May 2013, p.72]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Thunderbolt
    Mar 21, 2013
    60
    God of War III introduced the scale and spectacle capable on modern hardware with a massive budget, but without the same wads of cash and sense of purpose Ascension feels like a step back. A safe bet that’s simply going through the motions, padding out the end of the PlayStation 3s lifespan with one last hurrah for its angriest protagonist.

See all 89 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 184 out of 311
  2. Mixed: 94 out of 311
  3. Negative: 33 out of 311
  1. Iamalive1996
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    So i wasn't expecting too much out of this game as it wasn't getting the best "pre-release" feedback, which did have me worried. But afterSo i wasn't expecting too much out of this game as it wasn't getting the best "pre-release" feedback, which did have me worried. But after playing through the story mode, (i got an early copy) i came to realize that the ONLY thing this game does wrong, is that it has to be compared to god of war 3. Thats it. The multiplayer is original (for the most part) and fun to play, and the story mode offers a new side of kratos which i'm very happy to see. This game in my opinion though is the second best in the series, with GOW3 still being the best. Ascension was screwed right from the beginning for being a prequel about the furies... That will, no matter what, ALWAYS be less entertaining than scaling mt. Olympus in order to kill zeus an the other gods, which is the only reason i can't/won't score this game any higher than it's well deserved 9/10. Very well done *clapping*… Expand
  2. ruangamer
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    Uma obra de arte injustiça pela mídia, esse jogobe perfeito em todos os sentidos
  4. Jacksjus
    Mar 12, 2013
    9
    This version noticeably has an arcade like polish to it, sort of like a Japanese style. However epic isn't the word. The first 30 minutes ofThis version noticeably has an arcade like polish to it, sort of like a Japanese style. However epic isn't the word. The first 30 minutes of this smashes GOW3. It's a must for fans and even better for newcomers.… Expand
  5. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 12, 2020
    8
    Its good and all but it fails at combat mechanics. There are no other weapons and theres only other elements applied to the blades and thats very meh.
  6. umut4598
    Jul 25, 2013
    7
    I have finished the whole God of War games. This game doesn't invent anything new. Yes, if ain't broke don't fix it. But the year is 2013 now.I have finished the whole God of War games. This game doesn't invent anything new. Yes, if ain't broke don't fix it. But the year is 2013 now. The multiplayer is fun but it won't keep you busy so much. The story is a bit interested. But don't expect the epic boss fights in God of War 3. Still I think that it will worth a rent or a piece drop.… Expand
  7. Saffa_Kid
    Jun 11, 2013
    7
    God of War Ascension is the prequel to the God of war series, before the very first God of War.

    As a big God of War fan, the first    God of War Ascension is the prequel to the God of war series, before the very first God of War.

    As a big God of War fan, the first significant difference I noticed in Ascension is the game play and the improved graphics. There are a lot of improvements in the graphics as mention before, when you brutally slice and dice a cyclops stomach open, you can see the guts and other insides spewing right out. Kratos now get covered in blood when fighting enemies. LIKE!

    Gameplay, however was changed significantly. Instead of possessing different kinds of big weapons taken from various Boss enemies, Kratos is limited to his "blades of Chaos', his default weapons. However, he can carry one additional weapon found in the world, or fallen enemies such as swords, javelins or even clubs and use it towards his advantage. The traditional "God powers" gained in the game are "elemental" powers from corresponding Gods. For example, one power is gained from Zeus which allows you to coat your blades of chaos with lightning, and unlocking more special combos. Because of these powers, it makes combat feel very repetitive as you constantly using the same weapon with a different element attached to it.

    Initially in combat, Kratos cannot use all his combos and powers. Kratos now has a 'rage' meter, displayed at the bottom right of the screen whenever he engages in combat. In order to use his fighting combos more effectively, the meter has to be filled out completely, and sometimes if unlocked, you have the ability to perform a 'special' move depending on which corresponding power you have equipped. It is a massive chore to fill the meter up, because if you get hit, the meter decreases, and it delays you to use the good powers.

    Another good thing is the fact that there are numerous amounts of new enemies to be battled! Each new enemy now has a unique fighting style, significantly more different than from the previous God of War games. You will almost never fight the same enemy constantly in this game, as there are new ones coming in constantly, which require you to come up with new tactics in order to defeat them.

    A annoyance i discovered in the game is the difficulty system affecting gameplay. Instead of enemies killing you easier as you increase the difficulty, the enemies become harder to kill, which can be such a chore as it will sometimes take forever just to kill your basic enemy.

    The story does not explain too much, but it fills in a few gaps about Kratos past and what happened before his pursue on Ares.

    The game is still bloody good though, above average quality.

    Summary:

    Like:
    -Brand new enemies to be fought
    -Improved graphics
    -Fun gameplay

    Dislike:
    -Gameplay can be quite repetitive at times.
    -No more badass powers that made God of War, God of War.
    -Difficulty setting makes enemies harder to kill, making combat a chore sometimes.    … Expand
  8. guccigang87
    Jul 15, 2021
    0
    The game is subpar compared to previous gow titles, weird camera angles ( sometimes you cant even distinguish the kratos from that far awayThe game is subpar compared to previous gow titles, weird camera angles ( sometimes you cant even distinguish the kratos from that far away and stuff goes in the way during the fights ) It is laggy, troubled with bugs. Art style is boring and most of the fights are also just button mash rather than fun with stupid fighting mechanics.

    Whoever given this game a score of higher than 6
    a- biased by being a fan etc.
    b- havent played the previous GoW games.
    c- just plain stupid like most of the people out there.

    Dont get me wrong, i am a huge fan of GoW games, having played all of them i could easily say that this game is just hot stinking garbage compared to them.
    GoW 1,2,3,4, chains of olympus and ghost of sparta... All of them was much much better than this crap.
    Being a GoW fan i had to play this game to and see the story etc but what a **** torture it was...

    To sum up, this game is just a shame to GoW series and Santa Monica studio.
    Dont get fooled to the comments and points given by the majority over here.
    Play it if you are only a GoW fan like me and want to know the whole story of Kratos.
    Peace out.    … Expand

See all 311 User Reviews

Trailers

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best PS3 Game of 2013
7
#7 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2013
6
#6 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2013