God of War: Ascension

 PlayStation 3
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Mar 12, 2013
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1461 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 980 out of 1461
  2. Mixed: 327 out of 1461
  3. Negative: 154 out of 1461
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  1. patapwn
    Mar 17, 2013
    7
    Ascension doesn't even come close to the epic scale of the other God of War games and misses a lot of its marks. Story wasn't very satisfying to play through, and the combat is beginning to show its age. The puzzles weren't very intuitive, and there was a bit too many platforming bits for my taste. The next game is going to have to pull out all the stops if the series wishes to remainAscension doesn't even come close to the epic scale of the other God of War games and misses a lot of its marks. Story wasn't very satisfying to play through, and the combat is beginning to show its age. The puzzles weren't very intuitive, and there was a bit too many platforming bits for my taste. The next game is going to have to pull out all the stops if the series wishes to remain relevant in the fast-paced video game industry. Still, it's worth playing when it comes down in price, or if you give it a rent.… Expand
  2. alexaxa
    Mar 23, 2014
    7
    I don't understand how they cripple the greatest things that the god of war series had because of the multiplayer: the controls. They were responding instantly on other god of war games but not this one. Also the magic system has been dumbed down by giving you fixed number of casts and the moveset requires you to not get hit to be able to do the best attacks so most of the time, you willI don't understand how they cripple the greatest things that the god of war series had because of the multiplayer: the controls. They were responding instantly on other god of war games but not this one. Also the magic system has been dumbed down by giving you fixed number of casts and the moveset requires you to not get hit to be able to do the best attacks so most of the time, you will be stuck with all the starting attacks (since the controls aren't as responsive, you get hit more easily than on the other games).

    The story was good, the boss fights were awesome as ever but the controls and changes on the skill/magics system are killing it for me.

    I sold back the game while i kept all the others. What a waste... :(    … Expand
  3. The_Icon
    Aug 11, 2013
    5
    Finished God of War: Ascension in Hard difficulty. Not only it is the worst God of War game by far, but also the buggiest game I played from Sony. First of all the not all the patches don't install, preventing me from playing the multiplayer mode. Then the game threw a horrific design choice towards the end which I thought I won't be able to finish, but luckily I did. Then the gameFinished God of War: Ascension in Hard difficulty. Not only it is the worst God of War game by far, but also the buggiest game I played from Sony. First of all the not all the patches don't install, preventing me from playing the multiplayer mode. Then the game threw a horrific design choice towards the end which I thought I won't be able to finish, but luckily I did. Then the game broke...I was so angry. I tried resetting checkpoint but didn't work. Deleted the patch, then it worked... :

    Final boss battle was terribly easy as well. The game tried to make me feel bad for Kratos, it only managed to piss me off to the point I don't wanna play another GOW game ever again. Santa Monica, God of War 3 was the pinnacle of the series, it is time to move on.    … Expand
  4. MiOdd
    Oct 22, 2014
    7
    GoW: Ascension does little to separate itself from the original GoW trilogy, it is an unnecessary addition to the franchise that doesn't develop the story or game play in any interesting ways. Nevertheless, it looks great and is very fun to play.

    The multiplayer is the biggest innovation this time around and while I found the different modes on offer interesting, I simply could not get    GoW: Ascension does little to separate itself from the original GoW trilogy, it is an unnecessary addition to the franchise that doesn't develop the story or game play in any interesting ways. Nevertheless, it looks great and is very fun to play.

    The multiplayer is the biggest innovation this time around and while I found the different modes on offer interesting, I simply could not get into the competition. I'm also very disappointed that there was NO local multiplayer of any kind, not even the simple co-op survival mode.    … Expand
  5. mose14
    Sep 1, 2013
    6
    God of War: Ascension does not move Kratos' story along but tells a prequel story of how Kratos broke his oath with Ares. The story of Ascension is bare bones, it gives you all the details but nothing more. The characters are also uninteresting as no Gods show up in this one. The game play is a whole different story. It seems faster and smoother than any other game in the series. You onlyGod of War: Ascension does not move Kratos' story along but tells a prequel story of how Kratos broke his oath with Ares. The story of Ascension is bare bones, it gives you all the details but nothing more. The characters are also uninteresting as no Gods show up in this one. The game play is a whole different story. It seems faster and smoother than any other game in the series. You only have one weapon in Ascension, the Blades of Chaos, but that does not mean you do not have other options. Each God gives you a different power for your blades that you can upgrade. There are also other trinkets that help you in battles and puzzles. Some of the enemies are new and there death scenes are pretty brutal. The graphics are gorgeous but do not look any different from God of War 3. The multiplayer has a neat premise but in the end it just comes down to a button mash fest. God of Ascension does not break any new ground but refines what the series does best.… Expand
  6. WavesOfPosiedon
    Apr 8, 2013
    7
    This game dosent hold a candle to the other god of wars. There were more riddles and climbing that actual fighting but it was still enjoyable enough to play through the entire campaign. Multiplayer was fun and i still play it but God of War 3 was much more better and intense.
  7. JayQuiroz
    Nov 27, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is barely above average and does slightly more good things than bad, so let me explain why its not only the worst game in the series (Betrayal don't count lol) but the answer to making it amazing was so glaring and frustrating to witness!

    *The graphics

    For a PS3 game the graphics are impressive and even have some jaw dropping reflections BUT the texture issues and undecided art style makes this sometimes jarring to look at and quite forgettable and there really is no visual identity here other than Kratos himself.

    *The combat

    While the fluidity and cool moves are still here and the inclusion of a fun grapple mechanic HOWEVER the rage meter reliance destroys any fun you can have in this game because there is a hit/dont get hit reward system here and that sounds great in theory BUT there is input lag here that is not present in the other games AND Kratos can be hit in the middle of his combos against even the most basic enemies and that takes his rage meter away.. if its a larger enemy I guess thats ok but even the weakling types? Unacceptable and does not feel like GOW at all or make Kratos seem strong at all outside of cutscenes and QTE events

    *The Environments

    The set pieces here are beautiful and well crafted and have been blended nicely with some cool traversal scenes and even an interesting mechanic that can bring back decayed structures or break them BUT the camera here is atrocious in every way and multiple times will pull away from you to show off the various scenery. I can see why this can seem cool HOWEVER its made frustrating and ridiculous when you realize that you are being attacked as it pulls away and you cannot see anything. Why was this done? I will never know the answer.

    *The story

    Oddly enough its the best thing here and yet totally unmemorable and boring. The Furies are more hindrances to Kratos than an actual threat and neither of them are interesting or even have a clear thought of their own other than to serve Ares. I suppose the best thing I can say here is that some of the bosses in the story are done well and ESPECIALLY the final one that makes me wonder how a PS3 game even pulled it off so kudos there, I guess

    So what do we have here? Well we have a game that has all the bones of a masterpiece but was hampered by some baffling and unnecessary decisions by a developer that really seemed to never miss (and man did they remove all doubt with GOW4 and GOWR). I appreciated and understand SSM's approach here and they did for the most part succeed but WOW this game had every right to be better than it was and the need to be original and fresh seems to have been more important than making a game fans would remember and come back to. My final thought? Don't fix what isn't broken, the formula was perfect and would always have had fans coming home.    … Expand
  8. jwp06
    Mar 16, 2013
    6
    Let me just start out by saying that I'm a huge god of war fan. Even waited in line for the midnight relase of this game. So one would imagine my shock when I played this game and realized what a huge dissapointment it was. The biggest issue was the story or should I say lack of. There's no real clear story and the little bit that is is confsuing and uninteresting. The game jumps bck andLet me just start out by saying that I'm a huge god of war fan. Even waited in line for the midnight relase of this game. So one would imagine my shock when I played this game and realized what a huge dissapointment it was. The biggest issue was the story or should I say lack of. There's no real clear story and the little bit that is is confsuing and uninteresting. The game jumps bck and forth between present and past even though present isn't really present). Another problem is that the game is way to short. I've loved these games because of the challenge, story, and length. However I beat this game in 7 hrs which is short for god of war and there were no real challenging parts. I was killed once in the entire game. Even the boss fights are lackluster, especially the final one. I still gave this game a 6 though because it is still god of war and the visual effects are stunning and the actual gameplay itself with the fighting isn't bad. All I'm saying is that there is nothing that this game told me that added to the story at all. Game didn't need to be made and for that this is a huge dissapointment for me.… Expand
  9. Milkdoggy
    Mar 17, 2013
    6
    This is the most disappointed sequel in the whole series of "God of War" that I have played. In short terms, I can list some points to explain why the "God of War: Ascension" can't not reach the level of what a "God of War" series should have.

    1. The bad camera: In some battle scene, you can see the camera is zooming out farther and farther from the position of Kratos; I think the    This is the most disappointed sequel in the whole series of "God of War" that I have played. In short terms, I can list some points to explain why the "God of War: Ascension" can't not reach the level of what a "God of War" series should have.

    1. The bad camera: In some battle scene, you can see the camera is zooming out farther and farther from the position of Kratos; I think the designer want use this zoom-out trick to show how great and magnificent the landscape is, but in a red-hot fighting with lots of powerful monsters who want kill you immediately, who care the landscape? In this situation, our hero Kratos was mixed into lots of monsters, like an ant fight to ants, you always don't know which monster is the murderer who kill you, because all of them looks mixed together (with unrecognized HERO).

    2. Failure checkpoint: After countless trial and errors, you almost complete a serial hard-fighting, at the last wave, an unexpected attack kills you. Congratulations! you must fight from the very first wave of these serial-fighting, WITHOUT the red orbs you got in the last battle!

    3. Block is not immediately active and Invincible time of dodge is too short: Two terrible failures in a action game, there is no need to explain why...

    4. Failure weapon system: there are four elements of weapon can choose Fire, Ice, Lighting and Soul; actually, you can hard to say the difference of these elements, their biggest difference is that the COLOR, not the special effects. The only remarkable advantage is the online multiplayer mode, this is really a Innovative game play that can save the single player mode. According to these reasons, "God of War: Ascension" can get 6 score.    … Expand
  10. BabuYagu
    Jun 16, 2013
    5
    Lost count of how many times I've seen this. A developer makes an amazing game that many people buy and reviewers all agree is great. Then after a few iterations the devs decide that the game needs a multiplayer mode or the core gameplay needs a shakeup. I realise some people like this game but for me it's unplayable. I love God of War 1, 2, 3, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta. Ascension is
  11. GrumpyReviewer
    Mar 20, 2013
    7
    I have to be honest. I was disappointed with this game. I am a huge GoW fan I have played them all (even the obscure PSP ones and both the original and HD revamps of the PS2 classics), so I can honestly say that I know what I am talking about. Does this mean Ascension is bad? No, absolutely no. It is a good game, but nothing more than that. It misses the sparkle, the wow-factor that is aI have to be honest. I was disappointed with this game. I am a huge GoW fan I have played them all (even the obscure PSP ones and both the original and HD revamps of the PS2 classics), so I can honestly say that I know what I am talking about. Does this mean Ascension is bad? No, absolutely no. It is a good game, but nothing more than that. It misses the sparkle, the wow-factor that is a trademark of this franchise. The graphics are amazing, as usual, the sound effects, the gameplay, the agressive hero we all love, all the elements are there, like following a formula. But the game, as a whole, is very mundane, very uninspired. First of all it's very, VERY short (it took me only 6 hours to beat it) and has the weakest plot in the series, to a way that, for the first time, I didn't bother to worry I just wanted to get through with it. The enemies are repetitive and even the scenarios look similar. I don't want to use this word but, I am sorry, there it is: Ascension is [kind of] boring. It looks like a B-project, as if the main team was focusing on something else (GoW 4 for the PS4 anyone?) and left this one a side thing for a smaller developer most certainly using materials that were not originally used in GoW 3. And I am not going to talk about the Multiplayer because, honestly, I couldn't care less. I am not a MP player and GoW does not need to have this option. This is a good game and deserves to be played especially by its fans just don't get your hopes high, though.… Expand
  12. GameInterpreter
    Jun 17, 2013
    7
    First I'd like to say I usually love the God of War series, but this game isn't really in competition with the main three entries in the series. I loved it for the first twenty minutes and I found it to be a beautiful game (with the exception of a few lower quality textures) but the gameplay felt a lot more repetitive than previous games with nearly nothing new to offer, but with thatFirst I'd like to say I usually love the God of War series, but this game isn't really in competition with the main three entries in the series. I loved it for the first twenty minutes and I found it to be a beautiful game (with the exception of a few lower quality textures) but the gameplay felt a lot more repetitive than previous games with nearly nothing new to offer, but with that being said I enjoyed it as a spin-off.

    7 out of 10    … Expand
  13. Jacer200
    Jul 9, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a first time GoW player. This game is fun and has an ok story. This game did a really good job at scaling the really big bosses and environments really good. It gave me slight vertigo during the scenes with huge objects. Now I would have given this game an 8 or 9 but did not realize the severity of the Trials of Achilles. I could not finish the game due to point mis management. Be warned don't max magic out. Max your main sword, artifacts, magic and health or you will not pass the trials.… Expand
  14. HellloSir90
    Mar 20, 2013
    7
    Overall a good game. However it is much of the same, with little new content to be excited about. Graphics are superb, but gameplay is nothing revolutionary. Story is probably the weakest out of the three, failing to live up to the hype surrounding pre-game release. As for the furies, they do not make for the most memorable bosses. To be played if you enjoyed the other GOWs, but rememberOverall a good game. However it is much of the same, with little new content to be excited about. Graphics are superb, but gameplay is nothing revolutionary. Story is probably the weakest out of the three, failing to live up to the hype surrounding pre-game release. As for the furies, they do not make for the most memorable bosses. To be played if you enjoyed the other GOWs, but remember that this game sticks to the same principles, without radically changing anything.… Expand
  15. LattyIce
    Mar 25, 2013
    7
    I was really looking forward to this and feel a little let down. The game is still fun, with great combat and nifty combos. Some of the puzzles seem like they hold your hand and tell you everything while others are very vague in what the solution could be. All in all this is a fun and solid game, we've just seen this all before in previous God of War games.
  16. 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. 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.
  17. HardBreathe
    Aug 12, 2013
    6
    As a big fan of GOW fan, I am totally disappointed. I mean, they did a great job, they added a completely different gameplay but still, single-player is not good enough. It's good, but not THAT good. Storyline is totally trash, enemies are the same and you can only use your main weapon (Blades Of Chaos)(There are 4 elements but they are not effective enough).
    To sum up, Ascension is made    As a big fan of GOW fan, I am totally disappointed. I mean, they did a great job, they added a completely different gameplay but still, single-player is not good enough. It's good, but not THAT good. Storyline is totally trash, enemies are the same and you can only use your main weapon (Blades Of Chaos)(There are 4 elements but they are not effective enough).
    To sum up, Ascension is made for multiplayer.    … Expand
  18. DeusXCom
    Jun 7, 2014
    5
    I love the ancient Greek mythology, so all the elements and the environments inspired by this really wins all the positive points in my rating, but honestly, in it's core, this is basically very average console smasher that might entertain you for a couple hours, but that's it. In places it tries to be something more, by including some puzzles here and there, but they have been moreI love the ancient Greek mythology, so all the elements and the environments inspired by this really wins all the positive points in my rating, but honestly, in it's core, this is basically very average console smasher that might entertain you for a couple hours, but that's it. In places it tries to be something more, by including some puzzles here and there, but they have been more annoying than anything, only slowing the pace down. This was my first God Of War and I heard it's the worst piece in the series, so I might give the other ones a try, but if it's anything like this, I don't know what the fuss is about. 5/10… Expand
  19. AliBader1997
    Jan 2, 2014
    7
    Ascension is a good game, but should a God of War game really just be good? Compared to God of War 3, ascension is nothing! The multiplayer is pretty good but gets boring fast and the story is utter crap aside from the first boss battle. A good game but a very disappointing addition to the series.
  20. boy_number_8
    Mar 3, 2014
    6
    A visual appealing game with some creative boss fights, suffers for a complete lack of gripping story, exploitation and repetitiveness.
    While graphically this game is amazing, i didn't see any purpose to the end goal.
    Climbing high buildings, running away from crumbing floors and fighting waves of enemy's is fun at first but quickly becomes repetitive and feels like a chore. The camera    A visual appealing game with some creative boss fights, suffers for a complete lack of gripping story, exploitation and repetitiveness.
    While graphically this game is amazing, i didn't see any purpose to the end goal.
    Climbing high buildings, running away from crumbing floors and fighting waves of enemy's is fun at first but quickly becomes repetitive and feels like a chore.
    The camera angles are also something left to be desired, with your character sometimes getting lost mid fight in all the action.    … Expand
  21. SpyNanner
    Mar 12, 2013
    7
    God Of War: Ascension is for the most part the good old GOW we've come to know and love which in this case is the most disappointing part. It's GOW 3 with that extra bit of gloss and minor game mechanic tweaks. The single player campaign is short but sweet, however with lesser boss fights. The most redeeming part of the whole package is the multiplayer, fast paced and fun. Overall i foundGod Of War: Ascension is for the most part the good old GOW we've come to know and love which in this case is the most disappointing part. It's GOW 3 with that extra bit of gloss and minor game mechanic tweaks. The single player campaign is short but sweet, however with lesser boss fights. The most redeeming part of the whole package is the multiplayer, fast paced and fun. Overall i found GOW: Ascension a minor disappointment.… Expand
  22. PhazonJuke
    Mar 13, 2013
    7
    Disappointed. I went in with low expectations knowing that as this was a prequel, there was no way it could live up to the precedent set by the trilogy that came before it. And even then i managed to walk away from the story mode disappointed. The problem with the story is that there is none. You go through like 75% of the game before finding out exactly what purpose the furies serve. YouDisappointed. I went in with low expectations knowing that as this was a prequel, there was no way it could live up to the precedent set by the trilogy that came before it. And even then i managed to walk away from the story mode disappointed. The problem with the story is that there is none. You go through like 75% of the game before finding out exactly what purpose the furies serve. You dont even get a good reason for why Kratos wants to kill them. There's no story buildup and because of this, i just couldnt care for the villains. I didn't root for Kratos to topple the furies as i did against Ares in the first game or Zeus in the 3rd one. Not to mention after seeing what happens in 3, the furies just didn't seem like a threat. They felt like a much less intimidating sisters of fate. Outside of the lacking story, some changes were made to the actual gameplay. While some are welcome additions (the item usage) others are not. The new rage bar is annoying. Basically, your more powerful combos and more exciting moves that were always accessible in previous GoW (provided you input the correct buttons) are now only accessible by basically button maching your way to fill up your rage bar. Rage bar isn't full? No combos for you my friend. I hope the rage bar is something they do away with, or at least fix it. In its current state, its broken and turns the game into a button mash fest. The game is absolutely gorgeous. Its amazing how impressive a game can look on 7 year old hardware. And for a game to look this good with non existant load times is even better. Seriously, this is probably the best looking game of this gen. The music is also great. It's your typical god of war goodness. The soundtrack isnt as varied as past games, but its still enjoyable and tends to fit the mood. And lastly, the most important thing... The boss fights. My biggest issue with the game is actually the boss fights. While all fun, they lack that god of war feel. I guess it's not fair to compare it to the boss fights in GoW 3, but seriously, they dont even compare to early GoWs. Not a single boss in the game feels threatening, and thats because there is 0 development with any of these villains. If the game would have actually developed the plot instead of taking us from set piece to set piece some of these fights could have been truly memorable. At least the first fight against the furies is cool. Probably the best fight in the game due to the fact that you are fighting 3 things at once. Multiplayer is fun. It's a lot better than you'd expect from a game that never had multiplayer prior. The combat system works and the god allegiance thing is cool. FFA is the best mode by far though. Even with all the missteps, i still found the game to be fun. It definitely is God of War, but it's not what many of us were hoping for. Hopefully the good people at Santa Monica can give us a truly remarkable experience with the next game. If you liked previous entries in the series, you'll like this game but likely will be a bit disappointed as i was. If you've never played a god of war game before, i'm sure you'll find this game to be above and beyond what you expected.… Expand
  23. FlavaFlave
    Mar 18, 2013
    6
    Here's yet another game for this generation that seems to have been made only as a cash-grab. The game is still God of War, and by now you know whether or not you like the series and if this is your type of game. I've been a fan of the 3 proper installments of the franchise (GoW 1,2 and 3), but never cared much for the side story/prequel games that were the PSP titles. Ascension to meHere's yet another game for this generation that seems to have been made only as a cash-grab. The game is still God of War, and by now you know whether or not you like the series and if this is your type of game. I've been a fan of the 3 proper installments of the franchise (GoW 1,2 and 3), but never cared much for the side story/prequel games that were the PSP titles. Ascension to me feels exactly like the PSP titles, stripped of all the bells and whistles of it's console brethren, only on a big system instead of a portable. Which is a shame, because the game looks great, and plays great, but the story is extremely weak (in fact, I never really knew what I was doing other than just out to kill stuff), the game has a major weapon and equipment setback (only the Blades of Fury, and now you no longer have Pegasus Wings or the Golden Fleece, or anything cool for that matter), and the biggest problem is the game just lacks that "epic" feel of the previous games. There are no Greek Gods to kill this time around, which is a letdown, and the bosses are all pretty hum-drum. Multiplayer is pretty ho-hum a well, and probably won't really keep you entertained for more than an hour before it will have run it's course. It's clearly an experiment, and lets just hope it stays on the cutting room floor for God of War 4. Save your money and either rent this game, or wait for a nice price drop!… Expand
  24. suthnara
    Mar 13, 2013
    5
    I love GOW. I bought my PS3 way back when just because I knew GOW 3 would be coming out on that platform even though it was released 4 years later. Every GOW game that i have played felt like a GOW game. It felt bad ass. The amazing set pieces, beautiful scenery's and I loved i when boss emerged, it was epic!! Playing GOW Ascension though brought back none of these feelings. At parts theI love GOW. I bought my PS3 way back when just because I knew GOW 3 would be coming out on that platform even though it was released 4 years later. Every GOW game that i have played felt like a GOW game. It felt bad ass. The amazing set pieces, beautiful scenery's and I loved i when boss emerged, it was epic!! Playing GOW Ascension though brought back none of these feelings. At parts the game felt as though i was playing Heavenly sword. It's something to do with the set pieces, the way the camera shifts while facing a boss. It just doesn't feel like a GOW game. As for the combat mechanics all I have to say is why fix something that wasn't broken. If anything the combat system of GOW defines the game. Changing it changes the whole feel of the game and as this is basically the sixth instalment of the game, if you count the PSP versions, the change in the way you have to play this game does not come naturally. Come on if you've been playing a game a certain way for so many years how should you feel when somebody comes along and decides to change it. Personally I am not Happy. I Like change but any change that is implemented on an already well established franchise should feel natural when executed. The culprit to blame? Multiplayer! Sure all of the combat changes made do make the multiplayer work but this is GOW, I DON'T CARE ABOUT MULTIPLAYER!!. Honestly GOW multiplayer is not good enough to last the initial curiosity. I hate that feeling I get that after playing a game...that I have wasted my money.… Expand
  25. sumguitardude
    Mar 14, 2013
    5
    This is God of war 3.5 It`s obvious they never should have made a multiplayer because i noticed through the whole game how many shortcuts and copy paste job they did in this game.
    The story is really not that interesting and the weapons you get are just the blades of chaos with different elements to them. Combat is frustrating when there is to much happening on the screen.
    But its not a    This is God of war 3.5 It`s obvious they never should have made a multiplayer because i noticed through the whole game how many shortcuts and copy paste job they did in this game.
    The story is really not that interesting and the weapons you get are just the blades of chaos with different elements to them. Combat is frustrating when there is to much happening on the screen.
    But its not a bad game really even with all the faults it has, you will still enjoy playing it and it is a must for any god of war fan. It`s just shame they made multiplayer for this as it would be fine without and its obvious the singe player was affected by it.
    I haven't tried multiplayer yet and im not sure if im even going to bother playing it.
    Great game but as a God of war game it`s disappointing..    … Expand
  26. DEFY
    Mar 13, 2013
    6
    4 hours in and I got to say this is the saddest excuse for a GoW game...I'm not even going to finish the SP let alone give the MP mode a chance...If you've played ANY other GoW game (I've played all of them) you'd understand just how disappointing Ascension is...maybe (and hopefully) Santa Monica gets it right the next time around...
  27. THE_COCONUT_MAN
    Mar 23, 2013
    6
    Although this may seem abstract, God of War Ascension seems more like a 3rd part expansion pack than a full retail game. There are countless character re-skins of recycled enemies, situations and events leaving you with a sense of deja vu. The new throw mechanic would be a fresh installment if it wasnt so under-defined and so long as you are throwing an enemy you are invincible. TheAlthough this may seem abstract, God of War Ascension seems more like a 3rd part expansion pack than a full retail game. There are countless character re-skins of recycled enemies, situations and events leaving you with a sense of deja vu. The new throw mechanic would be a fresh installment if it wasnt so under-defined and so long as you are throwing an enemy you are invincible. The gameplay itself is there! its just lacking compared to previous installments. To clarify in my honest opinion, God of War 1-3 are Half Life and God of War Ascension is Blue Shift.… Expand
  28. SiAScORCH
    Nov 4, 2014
    7
    I'd honestly give the game a 6.5, but it all depends what I'm basing it from. The game gets rather repetitive and can be quite boring once you get about half way through. The graphics are amazing which is why I went with a 7 overall. I feel the game could of been longer as well as different stuff instead of the same stuff just slightly changed. The controls are easy enough and they haveI'd honestly give the game a 6.5, but it all depends what I'm basing it from. The game gets rather repetitive and can be quite boring once you get about half way through. The graphics are amazing which is why I went with a 7 overall. I feel the game could of been longer as well as different stuff instead of the same stuff just slightly changed. The controls are easy enough and they have added some great stuff, but honestly once you beat the game it's something you're likely to not play again unless you're extremely bored with nothing else to do.… Expand
  29. Kadeemluvmusic
    Mar 31, 2013
    7
    Still a good God of War entry, but I felt that Ascension will never be Game of the Year. The commercial was alright, not that much with no gameplay on it. The reason why I'm almost disappointed at the game is that I'd wished it was God of War IV, but the prequel is sorta like a storytelling reboot of the original God of War where Kratos starts to raise hell and kick the living crap out ofStill a good God of War entry, but I felt that Ascension will never be Game of the Year. The commercial was alright, not that much with no gameplay on it. The reason why I'm almost disappointed at the game is that I'd wished it was God of War IV, but the prequel is sorta like a storytelling reboot of the original God of War where Kratos starts to raise hell and kick the living crap out of Zeus. But the rest of the story just not gonna cut it in Ascension. God of War fans doesn't need multiplayer. If it weren't for the game itself, they should've announced it for the Playstation 4 this holiday season. I like it in single--player campaigns because I've already beaten Chains of Olympus and Ghosts of Sparta. I'm almost beat God of War III with a whole stack of trophies that I've collected (I'm now on the Hard difficulty, as usual). I wonder if the new God of War still has some new sex scenes. I would love to see them in action (hot damn, I love naked lesbians). I'd say Ascension is a bit average, not the best in the series. But it's a good game and I think I'll rent it on Redbox.… Expand
  30. Hypericum
    Apr 7, 2013
    7
    When judged as a game on it's own, i'd give this game a 9, but since this comes after more than 3 other GOW games it really falls short.

    The graphics and environments are magnificent as always, perhaps better than any other GOW game, and fortunately there is little backtracking. The Story line jumps around quite a bit, with little explanation for the first few hours. Once it is    When judged as a game on it's own, i'd give this game a 9, but since this comes after more than 3 other GOW games it really falls short.

    The graphics and environments are magnificent as always, perhaps better than any other GOW game, and fortunately there is little backtracking.

    The Story line jumps around quite a bit, with little explanation for the first few hours. Once it is explained it all falls into place and gives the game more meaning and enjoyment.

    If you are a GOW veteran, you will immediately notice that this game feels different. Firstly I noticed how quiet the game is, with hardly any background music in combat except for boss battles. Combat is very 'samey' as opposed to other GOW games, as your only weapons are the blades of chaos which do get elemental upgrades, but these hardly change combat. The rage system is fatally flawed, with you slowly gaining rage during combat, but if you get hit once or twice it resets almost to zero which makes fights painfully long, as does the fact that most enemies seem to have an extremely massive amount of health.

    The upgrades are not at all exciting, with each element adding almost the same combos to your blades, just with a different color. The elements don't do much at all, except when your rage bar is full, or when you use magic, in which the spell is determined by the element currently equipped.

    There are quite a few extremely annoying sections wherein Kratos is in the back of the scene, so small you can hardly see but still in battle, and quick-time sections that are extremely unforgiving which takes much trial and error to see the tiny quick-time indicators that flicker away in less than a second. For example all of the sliding sections could be removed completely as these were extremely frustrating.

    Most of the puzzles are well executed, with only a few moments of confusion which actually made the puzzles more enjoyable. There was only one puzzle that made little sense and after half an hour of trial and error I resulted in looking up an online guide.

    Enemy variety was a bit lacking, with enemy types seeming to be random in most locations. Most other GOW games, the enemies fit the area, but here in many places it seemed like any enemy would be randomly thrown into battle. Many battles were painfully long, with wave after wave of enemies joining the fight before the previous wave had been defeated.

    After finishing the single player, and playing the multi-player tutorial, it became clear why the combat in single player is so limited (and boring). Multi-player includes various weapons that are sadly lacking from single player, which add much needed variety and complexity to combat.

    If the multiplayer weapons were added to the single-player campaign, more music was added throughout, and less godlike enemies with more more enemy variety, this game would be 10/10.    … Expand
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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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. 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.
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  2. CD-Action
    May 7, 2013
    85
    You can point out that Ascension failed to make a real step forward. You can argue that the multiplayer mode is a foreign body, a strained attempt to find innovation in the wrong place. That’s true, but in my eyes the foundation built by the previous God of War games proved to be strong enough to sustain what I hope is just the calm before the storm that Kratos will unleash on PS4. And damn, Ascension looks unbelievable! [CD-Action 05/2013, p.64]
  3. Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux
    Apr 22, 2013
    87
    Ascension shows a warrior who is miles away from being the ultimate and flawless killing machine we all know and love. He is more like an unguided projectile here, trying to cope with all the injustice delivered unto him. [April 2013, p.62]
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