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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. leadblocker
    Mar 15, 2013
    7
    first ,the story is not clear and strong until I played the first few hours, unlike the god of war games in the other series.
    second, the audio of the game is very flat, some sound effects during the fight like muffled and very flat.
    finally, the combat of the game is much increased, and the graphics really amazing.
  2. kRaTOs101
    Mar 17, 2013
    7
    As many others, I am a huge fan of the GoW series. I have been eagerly waiting for the new God of War: Ascension. The game has great graphics, great effects, really good battles. There are several pluses for this game. But I was utterly disappointed after I started playing the game. This game lacked the story and intensity other GoW games had. I am really surprised that theAs many others, I am a huge fan of the GoW series. I have been eagerly waiting for the new God of War: Ascension. The game has great graphics, great effects, really good battles. There are several pluses for this game. But I was utterly disappointed after I started playing the game. This game lacked the story and intensity other GoW games had. I am really surprised that the developers called it Gow IV! They should have considered this with Ghost of Sparta and Chains of Olympus- of course with better graphics. If I wasn't such a huge fan and a desire to own all the GoW games, I would have certainly sent it back and asked for my money back.… Expand
  3. 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.
  4. BonalsII
    Apr 8, 2013
    7
    This game feels hollow. While visually impressive and tight in combat, everything feels old and dated. The story is pointless and not interesting, it doesn't add depth to Kratos or make his story more interesting, it just feels empty. That being said it is still god of war and slaughtering foes is still fun. If a major improvement isn't made for the inevitable next entry into the seriesThis game feels hollow. While visually impressive and tight in combat, everything feels old and dated. The story is pointless and not interesting, it doesn't add depth to Kratos or make his story more interesting, it just feels empty. That being said it is still god of war and slaughtering foes is still fun. If a major improvement isn't made for the inevitable next entry into the series people may begin to loose interest.… Expand
  5. 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.
  6. Area54
    Apr 11, 2013
    7
    Sony needs to take a break from the God of War series, as it is apparent they have wandered off the path of leading the charge of making the #1 action-adventure game.

    Very strange advancing in story, flow of gameplay is awkward, you cannot backtrack when you want to, but do backtrack in odd ways later on, unable to reach secrets you may have missed. The combat doesn't feel as perfected    Sony needs to take a break from the God of War series, as it is apparent they have wandered off the path of leading the charge of making the #1 action-adventure game.

    Very strange advancing in story, flow of gameplay is awkward, you cannot backtrack when you want to, but do backtrack in odd ways later on, unable to reach secrets you may have missed. The combat doesn't feel as perfected as God of War 3. It's also much harder to avoid getting hit, stunned, and interrupted. Some skills cannot be used in a number of fights due to being interrupted and stunned constantly, that includes most area-of-effect moves. I dislike the weapon "elements" system, I find myself missing alternate weapons which all previous God of War games had. I dislike using weapons you find lying around, as most feel inferior (not the hammer, though, lack of moves still). Puzzles are also a bit "off," in this game compared to the others. The world in some places also feel hollow, such as in the "water wheel" area. And also, strange sudden difficulty spikes.

    I hope future God of War titles don't trend in the same vein as this game. Please return to the God of War 3 feeling. It doesn't have to be as..."epic," but the feeling experienced throughout the GoW 3 is what Sony should aim for, in consistency.    … Expand
  7. VideoGameReview
    Jun 14, 2013
    7
    Yup this game is God of War that is for sure, but this game is not the same caliber as GOW3, this game feels lazy in comparison. The story isn't that great and its just the same old same old. I found this game to be pretty boring. Graphics were good but meh..
  8. 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 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    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
  9. Strike2
    May 1, 2013
    7
    Ascension is a good game no doubt but when I had finished it i was left feeling a bit unsatisfied. The graphics and combat are as good as ever but it misses that mark that God of War 3 reached. It feels just a bit less grander and epic then 3 did which is a bit disappointing but it is still good enough for your time. On the plus side however Kratos shows his more human side which is niceAscension is a good game no doubt but when I had finished it i was left feeling a bit unsatisfied. The graphics and combat are as good as ever but it misses that mark that God of War 3 reached. It feels just a bit less grander and epic then 3 did which is a bit disappointing but it is still good enough for your time. On the plus side however Kratos shows his more human side which is nice and the battle between the furies on the statue of apollo reminded me how awesome Kratos is. A good game but just missing that spark of brilliance 3 had.… Expand
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. TheBrak
    Feb 10, 2014
    7
    While ascension is a fun game and the main mechanics are still satisfying it lacks the punch that god of war 3 had. The story is weak and lacks consequences of any form. The bossfights and new enemies are less memorable. In a desperate attempt to top the last game in the franchise its more violent than ever and at times some finishing moves feel like a snuff film directed by Zack Snyder.
  14. TheRebel
    Aug 20, 2015
    7
    Gameplay:
    God of War Ascension keeps the gameplay intact from previous entries, while adding new elements to the formula. Unfortunately, some of these new elements were unnecessary. New additions such as the rage meter and "world weapons" felt tacked on and useless. The rage meter felt as if it was rewarding you with a move that was in previous games (The triangle, triangle, triangle move    Gameplay:
    God of War Ascension keeps the gameplay intact from previous entries, while adding new elements to the formula. Unfortunately, some of these new elements were unnecessary. New additions such as the rage meter and "world weapons" felt tacked on and useless. The rage meter felt as if it was rewarding you with a move that was in previous games (The triangle, triangle, triangle move in which Kratos leaps in the air on the last attack). The "world weapons" felt like an inconvenience to use and some of the weapons did not flow well with the combat of GOW. The most annoying element was the fact that magic attacks aren't unlocked until the element is fully upgraded. That is another instance in which the player is rewarded for something that was once available in previous installments. These new additions felt as if they were introduced simply to make the series seem "fresh," without regard of their worth during gameplay.

    Story:
    The plot takes place before Chains of Olympus. Kratos has broken his blood oath to Ares and is tortured by the Furies, who punish those who they deem "traitors." This is weakest plot of all the installments. I've played every single God of War, and after beating God of War 3, the Furies seem like such a weak antagonist. It feels as if there was no heart put into the story. Also note that the beginning of the game is similar to GOW3, where you're attacking a very large enemy while also attacking a "main boss."

    Graphics:
    The visuals are easily the most impressive asset this game has to offer. The lighting, character models, and set pieces are better than ever! It looks better than some current 8th generation games! It's amazing to see the graphics Sony Santa Monica can pull off on the PS3 and they should be applauded for their skill.

    Verdict:
    As a huge God of War fan, I can only recommend it if you're a hardcore fan of the series. Sony once claimed that they were going to be "careful" with the franchise after GOW3, but this is exactly the opposite of that statement. This is an entry than can easily be skipped, as there is nothing groundbreaking that would entice you to play it. The plot is uninspired and a let down compared to other installments. It seems as if the studio has lost its creativity. It's a good overall game when compared to what the industry has to offer, but it's a subpar God of War game.    … Expand
  15. Kai82
    May 17, 2020
    7
    The God of War game that is forgotten. While it is a really good game it is also a prequel not many have asked for. Nearly all fans want a continuation of the story after the teaser at the end of God of War 3 not a prequel. A prequel no matter the media has always the same problems. You know who survives and there is no tension because of it. When new characters are introduced it meansThe God of War game that is forgotten. While it is a really good game it is also a prequel not many have asked for. Nearly all fans want a continuation of the story after the teaser at the end of God of War 3 not a prequel. A prequel no matter the media has always the same problems. You know who survives and there is no tension because of it. When new characters are introduced it means they die in this game or are unimportant to the later games story or progress. I may sound too negative because this is an awesome game and a true God of War experience. It has a really good battle system as always, the standard great soundtrack and good graphics. Even the story is great and a good addition for the franchise. It is the first God of War on the timescale (Yes, even before God of War 1). The most noteworthy addition is multiplayer. I am impressed by it but I did not want or need multiplayer in a God of War game. For clarification: Yes that means it is really good and I don't care. The main problem is for me and many others that the game has not the impact of the other games. You feel like you have seen and experienced it all before. It does not help that the triology finished the story of Kratos. You want to see a continuation or something new. God of War 2018 delivered this fully and in the most epic way possible. Overall a really good game that is only plagued by fatigue of the series. Without the fatigue I would have risen my rating probably to 9/10.… Expand
  16. 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
  17. Vzhik
    Jan 23, 2018
    7
    Эпично. Красиво. Мощно. Но почему-то забросил игру более чем на пол года. Кроме того минус за то, что просто невероятная сложность на предпоследней главе.
    В общем хорошо, но не более.
  18. badgerryan19
    Jun 19, 2017
    7
    Kratos is back with a prequel story that maybe never should of been made. Don't get me wrong i love God of War just as much of the next guy. There were some great moments in this game and interesting ideas. But nothing here is really memorable. The worst God Of War yet, which doesn't necessarily make it a bad game.
  19. HTGamer
    Mar 25, 2017
    7
    God of War Ascension is a nice try from Sony Santa Monica (creators of the series) to breathe new life to Kratos by making a prequel game, but they ultimately failed.

    The game isn't bad at all, it's just a bit uninspired and unable to turn the series around, much less returning it to its former glory. There are some epic boss battles, epic stages, great graphics, but Kratos' revenge    God of War Ascension is a nice try from Sony Santa Monica (creators of the series) to breathe new life to Kratos by making a prequel game, but they ultimately failed.

    The game isn't bad at all, it's just a bit uninspired and unable to turn the series around, much less returning it to its former glory. There are some epic boss battles, epic stages, great graphics, but Kratos' revenge story had already become old by God of War 2 or 3's time. The combat system has been revised a little and includes some new features (such as being able to steal the weapons from enemies and bash them with them), but it's not much different from the past games.

    What is surprising in this game is the new approach to Kratos' character and storytelling. This time around Kratos isn't the usual yelling and constantly angry warrior you know, but he is presented as more of a human. Kratos' personal drama that drove him on the path to revenge against the Olympian Gods is better explained from his perspective. Kratos is imprisoned and tormented by the 3 Furies because he broke his blood-oath to Ares after he was tricked by the Greek god to kill his own family. You will witness Kratos' despair, guilt and softness for the first time, because he has yet to reach his full anger. It's no Broadway or Opera, but there is much more depth to Kratos' character. Perhaps that's what inspired Sony Santa Monica to reboot the series with the upcoming God of War PS4 game, where Kratos resembles Joel from The Last of Us, guiding his young son in an adventure, just like Ellie followed Joel.

    The story mode is a bit shorter than past games (I beat the game at around 7-8 hours with just a few retries on normal difficulty, while previous games clocked at 10+ hours), but there is also an online multiplayer mode. I didn't play it so I can't judge its fairness or balance, but as I write this review the online mode may have been shut down forever.

    All in all, God of War: Ascension is a decent and different GoW game. The usual epicness is present, and you may also like the new storytelling.    … Expand
  20. MiguelNeto
    Oct 8, 2016
    7
    God of War Ascension esta longe de ser um jogo ruim, mais que é bem inferior aos outros game da saga God of War isso é fato, eu me decepcionei um pouco, mais eu gostei do jogo, se passa antes de God of War I, tem bons momentos, trilha sonora continua incrivel, o visual é bom, o grafico é bom, mais é inferior ao do God of War III (pelo menos eu achei), o jogo tambem é menos épico, nao temosGod of War Ascension esta longe de ser um jogo ruim, mais que é bem inferior aos outros game da saga God of War isso é fato, eu me decepcionei um pouco, mais eu gostei do jogo, se passa antes de God of War I, tem bons momentos, trilha sonora continua incrivel, o visual é bom, o grafico é bom, mais é inferior ao do God of War III (pelo menos eu achei), o jogo tambem é menos épico, nao temos um vilão nivel dos outros da saga, mais God of War Ascension é um bom jogo, mais que poderia ser melhor, poderia. Nota 7.5… Expand
  21. Alvokun
    Feb 5, 2022
    7
    Apparently it is a great game, as most of God of War games are. However, you soon realize gameplay is not as varied and/or addictive as it is in the other games. The story ends up being a mere pretext for the action, even though cutscenes are still awesome. Some parts are a bit frustrating, mainly because gameplay is not as good as in the rest of God of War games. All the same, I must sayApparently it is a great game, as most of God of War games are. However, you soon realize gameplay is not as varied and/or addictive as it is in the other games. The story ends up being a mere pretext for the action, even though cutscenes are still awesome. Some parts are a bit frustrating, mainly because gameplay is not as good as in the rest of God of War games. All the same, I must say I have played this on PS Now, which may have made the experience a bit worse.… Expand
  22. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Mar 3, 2023
    7
    This prequel, like "Gears of War: Judgment", is the weakest entry in the series. While the game is solid, it also feels somewhat uninspired. Kratos' barely speaks in this installment, there are no standout moments and the story is fairly straightforward. I also didn't like when the camera pans so far out, you can barely tell what's going on. "Ascension" is the first "God of War" to includeThis prequel, like "Gears of War: Judgment", is the weakest entry in the series. While the game is solid, it also feels somewhat uninspired. Kratos' barely speaks in this installment, there are no standout moments and the story is fairly straightforward. I also didn't like when the camera pans so far out, you can barely tell what's going on. "Ascension" is the first "God of War" to include online multiplayer. Unfortunately, it feels rather tacked on. Fans will be disappointed with the lack of epic scale of the campaign. On the plus side, the graphics are terrific and the combat is sturdy. I'd rate this with a 7.8 out of 10.… Expand
  23. Dperks
    Jul 29, 2021
    7
    As with the other God of War games this title has engaging set pieces fun gameplay and pretty good visuals. Really it's just another solid entry in the God of War series although it does come with it's own issues the biggest for me being the story. Which isn't bad but suffers from the Prequel story problem of we all know how this ends because we've already seen where Kratos goes from here.As with the other God of War games this title has engaging set pieces fun gameplay and pretty good visuals. Really it's just another solid entry in the God of War series although it does come with it's own issues the biggest for me being the story. Which isn't bad but suffers from the Prequel story problem of we all know how this ends because we've already seen where Kratos goes from here. And over all the plot didn't really change anything or reveal any significant info. One other issue I found with this game was that I died a lot more in this one then the other games. But not because the game was much harder. But because I found myself falling into pits a lot more either from bad camera angels or my button inputs not being registered during "platforming" sequences. This isn't a deal breaker by any means but a noticeable annoyance I had though out. The game is also a little shorter then the other titles my guess the inclusion of a multiplayer mode was to compensate for this but obviously there's not much of a player base 8 years later. Overall if you enjoy the other God of War games it's defiantly one you try if you get the chance but not one you necessarily need to check out.… Expand
  24. Onask
    Oct 7, 2018
    7
    La entrega más floja de la saga God of War.

    La IP estaba ya muy trillada. Llevábamos nada más y nada menos que 5 juegos con las mismas mecánicas y concepto, y este encima ofrece de los peores bosses de la saga en cuanto a relevancia, una historia que ni fu ni fa y ciertos cambios en el combate que a la mayoría no nos gustaron. Narra un poco los orígenes de Kratos, pero es bastante    La entrega más floja de la saga God of War.

    La IP estaba ya muy trillada. Llevábamos nada más y nada menos que 5 juegos con las mismas mecánicas y concepto, y este encima ofrece de los peores bosses de la saga en cuanto a relevancia, una historia que ni fu ni fa y ciertos cambios en el combate que a la mayoría no nos gustaron.

    Narra un poco los orígenes de Kratos, pero es bastante prescindible y puedes resumir la historia del propio juego en un par de frases. No obstante, no es un mal juego, pero en mi humilde opinión, el peor de la saga, y no por ello estoy diciendo que sea malo ni mucho menos.

    Recomendado.    … Expand
  25. Kvantaliani03
    Nov 20, 2021
    7
    RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe
  26. BeboFett
    Aug 12, 2019
    7
    A visually beautiful title, with probably more polished control of the saga, however, a story, which was not a bad idea plot, did not end up causing me absolutely nothing. There is no emotion or drama as usual. There are quite epic good moments, but the game feels empty, and it ends up bored a lot, even more than Ghost of Sparta. It is undoubtedly the weakest GoW despite its new gameplayA visually beautiful title, with probably more polished control of the saga, however, a story, which was not a bad idea plot, did not end up causing me absolutely nothing. There is no emotion or drama as usual. There are quite epic good moments, but the game feels empty, and it ends up bored a lot, even more than Ghost of Sparta. It is undoubtedly the weakest GoW despite its new gameplay mechanics.… Expand
  27. Triumfatrium
    Apr 29, 2019
    7
    Ну что ж Русскоязычные собратья, игра то совсем не айс, я бы ее сравнил с неудачной игрой выходившей на PSP "Цепи Олимпа", ну разве что за счет графики она чуть интереснее
  28. BernardoUPoud
    Aug 26, 2020
    7
    Excellent game
    Studio have done an incredible job.
    Great Gameplay in god of war.
  29. INU4SH4
    Jul 3, 2020
    7
    God of War: Ascension did not have an easy task to fulfill. God of War III was a fantastic game thanks to its mythological plot and hack-and-slash action-packed gameplay with tons of Gods to kill but Ascension did not fully deliver what was expected of it. GoW: Ascension did some decent efforts to add more depth to the straight-forward gameplay from GoW: III and to some extent, itGod of War: Ascension did not have an easy task to fulfill. God of War III was a fantastic game thanks to its mythological plot and hack-and-slash action-packed gameplay with tons of Gods to kill but Ascension did not fully deliver what was expected of it. GoW: Ascension did some decent efforts to add more depth to the straight-forward gameplay from GoW: III and to some extent, it succeeded but story-wise it wasn't as great.

    The multiplayer was fun but I feel like it tried to take the series in an unnecessary direction. You could see the story suffered from it since it was so short.    … Expand
  30. Dr_Unk
    Jun 25, 2020
    7
    It was a good effort to try and change the combat style to try and make it different than the other titles, but I felt like it didn't work. also couldn't get into the multiplayer as well
  31. matheusfox
    Apr 21, 2023
    7
    Good game, good fights, good puzzles, good graphics. This game is fun, the story is ok. Some places to grab are really hidden, but it's ok. It is not horrible, neither master piece. But it's good.
  32. Soulslayer2323
    Jun 22, 2023
    7
    Here is my honest opinion about this game:

    It has good story, adds much more depth to Kratos' character. But the game itself tries to be something different. Combat was good, but needed more tweaking and more balance, especially some enemies. The visual and lore design of itself looks like shifted from Greek Pantheon to other pantheons with this title. God of War 3 was a better game,    Here is my honest opinion about this game:

    It has good story, adds much more depth to Kratos' character. But the game itself tries to be something different. Combat was good, but needed more tweaking and more balance, especially some enemies. The visual and lore design of itself looks like shifted from Greek Pantheon to other pantheons with this title.

    God of War 3 was a better game, mechanically. For the story part, each has its own takes.    … Expand
  33. Oldman1917
    Sep 25, 2020
    7
    The game is ... normal. A good way to kill time. Convenient controls, relaxed gameplay (will delight casual gamers, but disappoint hardcore players), the graphics are still pleasant. Large monsters are pleasing to the eye. The plot is simple, but very crookedly implemented. It is pleasant to play thoughtlessly, but trying to delve into history can be very disappointed.
  34. dfranke521
    Sep 27, 2020
    7
    I really don't understand the hat for this one. I do think it is the weakest of the series from memory but not a bad game. I think it struggles to be it's own in a series full of amazing games. I really don't think it needed to be made. I think Santa Monica Studios wanted another check and decided to throw this game out there to get some big bucks. The gameplay is very basic but fun. ItI really don't understand the hat for this one. I do think it is the weakest of the series from memory but not a bad game. I think it struggles to be it's own in a series full of amazing games. I really don't think it needed to be made. I think Santa Monica Studios wanted another check and decided to throw this game out there to get some big bucks. The gameplay is very basic but fun. It never tries to do anything that hasn't been done yet. The puzzles were all pretty much super easy with one or two exceptions. I really think they could have tried to make them a little harder at least. Some of the fights were ridiculously hard. Especially the Gauntlet of Archimedes. I almost quit playing the game because of this part. It never gets easier and if I ever went back to play this game for whatever reason, I would struggle just as much. It really made me start to hate this game.

    There isn't really a variety in enemies. You pretty much fight the same three monsters throughout the whole game with a different one here or there. It got kind of boring just fight lamb boy guy things. When there was a big enemy, I think the finishers were fun and cool but overall there wasn't much variety.

    I can get over all of that stuff. Where this game lacks the most for me is the story. You really never understand what's going on. It never comes out and says this this and this. It just expects you to remember everything and know the new stuff they threw in. I wasn't interested in this story at all. The game was marketed to make it seem you played as a spartan soldier and I was excited for that. I t was something that we haven't done before. Instead it just throws you in, makes you play for eight hours and ends.    … Expand
  35. Dom007
    Mar 28, 2021
    7
    Ascension lacks the fun the other GOW titles have and that's why it's inferior. There are some good things about this game but it's just not fun to play for some reason.
  36. tsschindler
    Feb 11, 2022
    7
    Not a bad game, having all of the GoW stuff, yet not something with a lot of replay value or especially well designed. 7/10
  37. Mosqueta
    Aug 13, 2021
    7
    Although the story is a bit sloppy, the game surprised me, it included some mechanics that we had not seen in the saga and in my opinion is a very good hack and slash but a normal God Of War.
  38. DPlayer4GMS
    Jan 8, 2021
    7
    Como um enorme fã da saga God of War, eu diria que esse jogo é o "menos melhor" de todos eles, o sistema de fúria foi uma adição desnecessária e irritante em certos pontos, se fosse pelo jogo todo em si, eu daria 8, mas a parte do elevador não é difícil, ela é ridícula, e por isso ganha menos um ponto.
  39. JJ2FAS4U
    Dec 28, 2021
    7
    Atmosphere: 7
    Enjoyment: 7
    Gameplay: 7
    Graphics: 9
    Music: 8
    Story: 6
    Total: 7.33
  40. Giero
    Jan 3, 2023
    7
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  41. delfierro006
    Feb 7, 2023
    7
    Big fan of the god of war series and just got done w the new Ragnarok entry and the only one that have not played is Ascension so just got done with that as well. To begin, Ascension had great graphics, bosses, okay story, and ideas but too many push buttons command on this entry. Overall, the game is a good additional to the GOW series but this one in my opinion is the weakest even inBig fan of the god of war series and just got done w the new Ragnarok entry and the only one that have not played is Ascension so just got done with that as well. To begin, Ascension had great graphics, bosses, okay story, and ideas but too many push buttons command on this entry. Overall, the game is a good additional to the GOW series but this one in my opinion is the weakest even in comparable to the vita games.… Expand
  42. Lelo_Oficial
    Aug 25, 2023
    7
    Ele tem a melhor gameplay e os melhores gráficos da saga clássica, mas peca na campanha por ser MT sem sal e pouca história, fora o multiplayer que é desbalanceado, pay to win e uma merda no geral.
  43. majesty_x
    Jul 31, 2023
    7
    Graphics: 7/10; Storyline: 6/10; Gameplay: 8/10; Atmosphere: 7/10; Music: 6/10; Summary rating: 7/10
  44. elrichstev
    Aug 17, 2023
    7
    Como inicio para jugarlo cronológicamente hablando está chévere, pero para ser del 2013 después de juegasos como el GoW 1 y 2 si está medio chimbo pero no es tan malo la plena.
  45. 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
  46. 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
  47. 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
  48. BasicSpace
    May 8, 2013
    6
    Todd Papy is no Stig Asmussen. Gameplay is muddled by an obnoxious overuse of camera movement, excessive special effects. I shouldn't have to keep trying to figure out where Kratos is on the screen. Dodge move feels laggy. Audio seems strangely flat. Some cutscenes are unfinished. Even without the comparison to GOW3, this is the weakest in the GOW series. Disappointed. Graphics are prettyTodd Papy is no Stig Asmussen. Gameplay is muddled by an obnoxious overuse of camera movement, excessive special effects. I shouldn't have to keep trying to figure out where Kratos is on the screen. Dodge move feels laggy. Audio seems strangely flat. Some cutscenes are unfinished. Even without the comparison to GOW3, this is the weakest in the GOW series. Disappointed. Graphics are pretty amazing though.… Expand
  49. 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...
  50. 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
  51. 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
  52. 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
  53. 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
  54. ViniciusBrito
    Mar 8, 2018
    6
    Chronologically this is the first God of War, shows a little about the pact that Kratos have with Ares and how it unfolds.
    The game have a much better graphic in relation to others, both the characters and the scenarios, the combat system has a new mechanism that is when you grab someone with circle, to finish the enemy, different than the others that Kratos would just finish them or do a    Chronologically this is the first God of War, shows a little about the pact that Kratos have with Ares and how it unfolds.
    The game have a much better graphic in relation to others, both the characters and the scenarios, the combat system has a new mechanism that is when you grab someone with circle, to finish the enemy, different than the others that Kratos would just finish them or do a quick time event, in this one you gotta keep hit him and dodging from the enemy attack, pretty good. Combos are crazy, magic now work with a element system, that each one have abillites. The scenarios are all very well made and work very well for the Hack n' Slash style. You can pick some weapons of the enemies and in the ground, there is just a little variety of them, but i liked it. The grab system now work with distance wich is great and make it easier to it. The boss fights are all very fun, nothing new but very cool to play and cinematographically beautiful in the last one. The camera of this game is terrible, sometimes you are fighting with the enemies and the camera goes away with you there, making so hard for you to see where you are, just keep pressing the butons without knowing where you are or what is happening. The counting of bugs in this game is easy to say that is the worst of all GoW games, more than one or two times i had to turn the game off and restarted, in others the cutscenes went all black, making it impossible to see what was going on, and in a peculiar moment i had to uninstall the patchs for then i could keep going, very frustrating.
    The big problem here is that it's the 6th game of the franchise and it's almost the same thing, it is good but soo repetitive, is about time to inovate the saga somehow.
    The multiplayer is fun but definely not a mode that will make you buy it or play for very long.    … Expand
  55. Schism78
    Jul 23, 2018
    6
    From this point you can already see that the franchise is aging, it is an unnecessary prequel and it does not feel the same as the other God of War.
    The great novelty, the multiplayer, is something boring and uninspired. The graphics are pretty good and the gameplay is exactly the same, and maybe that's why it feels old
  56. Jackthegamer
    Sep 15, 2022
    6
    It's ok. This game doesn't in ovate nor ruin the mechanics. It's the same thing again
  57. AbhinavDasiga
    Mar 31, 2020
    6
    Why they wanted to release another one after the third instalment is still a mystery. The antagonists are bland and they completely ran out of ideas for Kratos's weapons and power ups. When the first level is the best of the game, it's only downhill from there.
  58. Visitbr
    Aug 4, 2023
    6
    o combate é muito bom e apresenta mecânicas ótimas, o gráfico é muito bonito pra época, a dublagem é horrorosa, o jogo tem o level design de uma porta de ruim que é, a trilha sonora é perfeita, o jogo ta repleto de puzzles chatos e forçados, no jogo você passa maior parte do tempo resolvendo puzzle do que jogando, a história é uma porcaria
  59. 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
  60. F3T1W
    Aug 20, 2021
    6
    The worst part of God of War, but nevertheless the bar for the quality of the series does not drop too low
  61. PaulaTLD
    Aug 23, 2022
    6
    No es mal juego, pero la historia no es realmente relevante en la saga, los graficos y la jugabilidad son buenas, aunque no esta cerca de los demas, vale la pena jugarlo y darle una oportunidad al mismo
  62. HeitorCampos
    Mar 13, 2023
    6
    Weirdest entry into the series, it´s just decent in just about everything. The multiplayer was awesome though, but it was a bit grindy.
  63. Avey123Avey
    Mar 19, 2023
    6
    Truly epic set pieces with a variation of the typical GOW combat that rewards good execution. It's quite fun and has some really satisfying combat trials and set pieces.
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. 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
  67. 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
  68. Deepercritic
    Mar 20, 2013
    5
    This game is extremely worse than the previous GOW, there aren't weapon variety, the plot is avarage at best and the game feels rushed as hell in some parts, the game is full of tht tedious moments that joins the camera moving from a ppoint to a point to show you what to do, mixed with a few cutscenes and QTE. Sure it has some ideas that could have made the game better, the pltforms feelThis game is extremely worse than the previous GOW, there aren't weapon variety, the plot is avarage at best and the game feels rushed as hell in some parts, the game is full of tht tedious moments that joins the camera moving from a ppoint to a point to show you what to do, mixed with a few cutscenes and QTE. Sure it has some ideas that could have made the game better, the pltforms feel more natural, the auto aim is very good for flying monsters, and the magic bar is better designed than in previous games, but it could have been much MUCH better, is impossible to recommend this game over GOW3 for example, also, the combat in this game is worse too, there is only one weapon, ONE! the rage meter sucks, because the animations in GOW always have made the enemies hard to read, and full meter almost always mean mash R3+L3, the QTE idea of evade and attack is a good base idea but it could have been better designed, so why the game is worse than the past GOWs? Simple, the multiplayer, this game does NOT need mp, is like launch Final Fantasy or Deus Ex with mp, stupid, I have played it and is a stupid mess, with random parrys, random mash, etc, it's is obvious that the sources that went to do the mp could have made the single player better, I hope that the next GOW doesn't add mp and focus on what GOW should be, an amazing single player experience, because this is only a dissapointment, I do NOT recommend its purchase.… Expand
  69. Heimskringla91
    Apr 8, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A needless addition to the god of war series, I beat the game on normal in 7 hours with nothing to interest me into playing it a second time. The story wasn't there and them trying to "humanize" Kratos was something I personally didn't like. The same combat system is fine, it's always a joy to cut open an elephant's skull exposing his brain. The system works just the same as before with different powers (focusing on the chaos blades) tossed into the mixed, there's nothing wrong with more hack n slash bloody goodness. The graphics as always for god of war are gorgeous, it's certainly another pretty game to look at. There were at times some awkward camera angles and for me, Kratos would even fall off the map and I would die. This happened on the mechanical snake part and the final boss battle on the boat. Additionally the Trial of Archimedes, which was supposedly so hard for some people that the developers were releasing a patch to make it easier, was extremely easy. I beat it on my first try, the difference in that part is, you have to spend your mana wisely and maybe actually block a few times. Multi-player is just bleh. It's just kind of there in all it's button mashing glory. It really doesn't add anything to the experience and I wish they just focused more on the single player as GOW should remain a single player focus I think. As I stated above this really did not need to exist. I'm pretty upset I ended up paying $60 for this prequel and got a measly 7 hours out of it, without a really engaging story or memorable moments.… Expand
  70. DemonKnight94
    May 25, 2013
    5
    The story is not as good as claimed, Not as cool boss fights as GOW3. Most enemies can be conclusively grabbed then thrown away and the fighting is over all broken. I give it 5 cuz i like GOW2.
  71. joao1198pedro
    Nov 21, 2013
    5
    this is absolutely the most disapointing game released this year,there is only one good thing in this game wich is the graphics and nothing more,it's almost the same of the others god of war.
  72. 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
  73. kavilash
    Nov 22, 2013
    5
    God of War: Ascension was a disappointment and it didn't live upto my expectation was hoping 3 was perfect the way it ended and it would had been the end of the franchise. i played 1, 2 and 3 and it was the best experience i had. the new combat system was really hard to learn and i died a lot of times which made the gameplay more frustrating and the game that is supposed to be solelyGod of War: Ascension was a disappointment and it didn't live upto my expectation was hoping 3 was perfect the way it ended and it would had been the end of the franchise. i played 1, 2 and 3 and it was the best experience i had. the new combat system was really hard to learn and i died a lot of times which made the gameplay more frustrating and the game that is supposed to be solely single player was made multiplayer. introducing multiplayer is the only for the game play biggest mistake ever and it did induce harm on the God Of series. hope the PS4 version is single player. would had rated 6 but for the combat system and for multiplayer -5 … Expand
  74. tsakiym
    May 15, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything more. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it............................… Expand
  75. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    5
    By far the weakest God of War game. A "nothing" story creates little drive to finish this game. Combat is great as always but there's nothing to go along with it.
  76. Elite_Soldier
    Mar 7, 2021
    5
    I'm just writing at least 150 characters because I wanted to save this review in a more convenient way to look back at scores that I had given stuff as a user
  77. BeeSting1
    Jan 24, 2022
    5
    Good

    - graphics look great. The structures were very impressive. - autosave makes taking breaks easier. - i like the addition of climbing parts. And the sliding parts were done quite well. Bad - badly placed QTEs made enjoying any cutscene unenjoyable since I had to always focus on the corner of my screen to see if a prompt will pop up - the QTE button color was the form    Good

    - graphics look great. The structures were very impressive.

    - autosave makes taking breaks easier.

    - i like the addition of climbing parts. And the sliding parts were done quite well.

    Bad

    - badly placed QTEs made enjoying any cutscene unenjoyable since I had to always focus on the corner of my screen to see if a prompt will pop up

    - the QTE button color was the form of a light colored orange amber, meaning if it overlapped a bright colored area in the fight, it's really hard to see. Quite a few times I was punished because I simply couldn't see the QTE prompt. Example being the bright bird from the Fury.

    - The puzzles had only one solution, and despite finding a very logical solution to the puzzle on your own which should work, didn't. Only the developer's logic was correct. There were many false queues in puzzles which made solving them a frustrating experience.

    - Not enough cutscenes where Kratos speaks. He's also much more passive than other God of War games which is really out of character. I personally really don't like it. I liked Kratos for the rage filled vengence. Not this ****

    - The parry system is terrible. Not only do I now have to press two buttons L1 and X, but also have to press them one after the other. Parrying is supposed to be a fast execution testing the player's reflexes, but making it this hard to input, makes the experience very frustrating. Especially because some of the enemies have very ambiguous attack animations, the hitbox sometimes come out later. Also sometimes parry would just straight up whiff when it clearly should have countered. Sometimes the enemy is too far and the counter after the parry misses, and I end up getting punished instead, which feels very unfair. The inability to reflect projectiles with parry was also crappy.

    - having to press two buttons to grab was also annoying. In all GoWs it was just circle. Now it's R1 and circle, which adds and extra layer of annoyance when I'm already juggling trying to hit two buttons to parry.

    - for a first time play through it's really hard to use much of the rage meter, since without getting accustomed to the fights, rarely could I go on without damage to fully build the meter and use rage, which made it useless.

    - Magic wasn't clearly defined. Until you've leveled your weapon to like level 3, you can't see that the last level up would give it magic. This caused a lot of confusion, as I see I have a magic meter, but seemingly no magic attack. Not until I looked up that I had to upgrade my weapon fully to unlock it, did I know.

    - I also ran into quite a few glitches. One where the giant hammer enemy fell through the elevator, and I couldn't proceed the blocked exit because it required me to kill all enemies.

    - not seeing any of the gods, like Athena, Zeus, or any of the titans really made the game not feel like a God of War game. As those are staple characters. Aside from Kratos himself, you pretty much ONLY see Furies.

    - the camera angle is terrible sometimes. It could be zoomed too far out and I just can't see whats going on. Sometimes it's fixed in a place where if there are big enemies, I can't see Kratos and the smaller enemies attack me. Meaning if I'm trying to parry, I end up whiffing and getting attacked just because the game blocked my view. I simple fix would have been to make the large enemy momentarily transparent when walking in front of the camera.

    - overall, they tried to change what wasn't broken. God of War was supposed to be a straight forward hack and slash game, Adding the extra control schemes made the experience more complex than it needed to be. This isn't Sekiro, it's God of War. Don't fix what wasn't broken.    … Expand
  78. Runatikku
    Feb 1, 2022
    5
    This game is really unnecessary. We wouldn't have lost anything without this game. In fact, with this game, the producers decided to make a serious change in God of War and changed the mythology and gameplay of the series. This is the only good thing about the game. But if we look at it as a game, it is a game that is below the average. Boring gameplay, average-level design, andThis game is really unnecessary. We wouldn't have lost anything without this game. In fact, with this game, the producers decided to make a serious change in God of War and changed the mythology and gameplay of the series. This is the only good thing about the game. But if we look at it as a game, it is a game that is below the average. Boring gameplay, average-level design, and unnecessary and unexciting story. Boss battles are still not bad at least, but the game is a bit overwhelming since there are no other weapons except Blades of Chaos. This is the only non-gun variety game in the God of War series. We really didn't lose anything without this game. ​If you play God of War Ascension you will have played it, if you don't you won't lose much.… Expand
  79. Slizzo
    Mar 13, 2013
    4
    God of war: ascension in one word: Boring! The combat is slow and unresponsive and 4 hours into the game i still had no idea what was going on or what i was supposed to accomplish. The story is weak and poorly paced, by far the worst god of war game imo. I have not tried the multiplayer so that might make me want to play the game again... But i will probably never bother to complete theGod of war: ascension in one word: Boring! The combat is slow and unresponsive and 4 hours into the game i still had no idea what was going on or what i was supposed to accomplish. The story is weak and poorly paced, by far the worst god of war game imo. I have not tried the multiplayer so that might make me want to play the game again... But i will probably never bother to complete the single player part of the game, just not worth it.… Expand
  80. jvfan7
    Mar 12, 2013
    4
    Glitchy,feels rushed, boring! And I'm a huge God of war fan! I'm not sure what happened here. The game looks great but it's not a God of war game. Today is a sad day.
  81. AdamMadman
    Mar 14, 2013
    4
    As a die hard fanboy of this series, it is painful...utterly heart wrenching, to think that a GoW game could be this...bad. Not even average...just bad. Sure the graphics are pretty, and set pieces are still jaw dropping (though nothing like Colossus, Poseidon, or Chronos). But the story line has been completely axed. There is an undertone of story, but Kratos' battle with the FuriesAs a die hard fanboy of this series, it is painful...utterly heart wrenching, to think that a GoW game could be this...bad. Not even average...just bad. Sure the graphics are pretty, and set pieces are still jaw dropping (though nothing like Colossus, Poseidon, or Chronos). But the story line has been completely axed. There is an undertone of story, but Kratos' battle with the Furies happens without context. You are dropped into the middle of the story, hoping you'll assume some of the finer details on your own. Plot hasn't always been a huge driving force for the GoW games, but after Ghost of Sparta, we know that a stellar plot is possible in this universe, so when they miss out on an opportunity, it hurts ever the more. The combat has been broken from previous games. The block/parry system has been completely revamped, and by revamped, I mean to say it is utter garbage. Where a skillful GoW'er would dodge and parry with ease, the requirement of pressing L1+X to parry, and the floaty timing of the maneuuver makes parry cancelling combos basically impossible, and it feels like crap. Hard to believe SSM thought this was a good idea. It isn't, and its awful. The Rage of the Gods meter has been replaced with a straight up Rage meter...and what's that you ask: "So what? Rage modes have always been about last ditch effort, damage bonus boosting anyway!"...Wrong. In GoW:A, if you don't have a full Rage meter, you have exactly 2 combos at your disposal: and ]-Triangle...and occassionally you'll get the ]-Triangle combo, but it is accomplishes nothing more than the other 2. Those looking for those longer 5 6 hit combo strings that could be chained together with a well timed Roll or Parry will be saddened to learn these are only possible when your Rage meter is filled...which is a seldom occurance since the meter itself will empty when Kratos is hit by enemy attacks...which is ALWAYS. Trial Archimedes: you've probably read about it. It is indeed as bad as you've heard, and probably a lot worse. Reviewers seemed to be going easy on this section of the game, but because it presents a knee-jerk change of pace and difficulty, it makes you concentrate more on what degenerative brain disease the developers had while making this game than on the game, plot, and set pieces in the game. It is a text-book example of bad game design. Todd Papy has publically stated that this part of the game was tuned and "balanced" by himself personally, which should plant at least one wish for the future of this series in your subconcious Please don't let Todd Papy anywhere near it.

    The Furies: they're pretty cool, but they aren't given their due diligence when it comes to character development. We are introduced to their species as a concept (the Primordials), but we never explore how the compare to say Gods, or Titans. They clearly aren't mortal, as they can be killed without God or Titan weapons/magic. This is something we should see explored in future games, though a change of scenery, away from ancient Greece would be nice. Kratos: Still cool, still a bad ass, still super. A good character through and through, and probably the only saving grace in what is otherwise a terribly delivered plot. He has boxer briefs now, so there's that. Orkos: A character made up for the game, based on Horkus from Greek mythology. A cool back story, again, one that is not expored enough. The surface is scratched, but that simply creates an itch to learn to more. More that just isn't there. Also, why didn't they just call him Horkus? Also, making Orkos a fury is a good way to remind the audience that this isn't traditional Greek mythology, in case it wasn't already clear from Kratos being the half-brother of Hercules. Also, the whole Apollo Helios contradiction is addressed subtly. Bottom line: A game with a lot of good-in-theory elements that are just poorly executed. The well-paced opening of the game on the Hecatonchires is of a scale previously unseen in the GoW franchise (awesome), but the game does not maintain this level of scope for the remainder of the game, and the once fluid combat system the crux of the GoW gameplay formula has been broken down into a freedomless button masher cheapened by poor responsiveness.

    I would have given every GoW game preceding this a 10/10 for being perfect in each their own way, and treading new water for the series. So it literally breaks my heart, like losing a cherished family member, to see this game turn its nose up, pretending to be of their ilk. It is not. I blame Todd Papy. Oh yeah: multiplayer sucks balls, avoid it. It is obvious from the SP that the resources and manpower usually used to polish the main game has been diverted into the MP, no matter what Mr Papy tells you.    … Expand
  82. OfMonsterz
    Apr 26, 2013
    4
    Over all. NOT impressed.

    I know its bad to judge a game based off of its predecessors but, This is no where near GoW1-3.. Its a step back. WEAK story & Combat never changes.

    GoW: Ascension gets a 4 simply cause of Multiplayer. Multiplayer is very satisfying and fun for me. & the only reason Im actually happy I bought GoW: Ascension.
  83. RODIMUS
    Jul 20, 2013
    4
    Hello everyone. I play value per hard difficulty as to the single-player campaign. This is the first sound stutters often and even non-existent. Secondly, the combat system is terrible, the opponents are attacking chaotic. Attacks can be blocked only in part, the opponents can easily kratosowi stop almost any attack, and Kratos can only stop these attacks simply an enemy and only if thereHello everyone. I play value per hard difficulty as to the single-player campaign. This is the first sound stutters often and even non-existent. Secondly, the combat system is terrible, the opponents are attacking chaotic. Attacks can be blocked only in part, the opponents can easily kratosowi stop almost any attack, and Kratos can only stop these attacks simply an enemy and only if there are six or less. Cutscenes feature crazy character models disappear from the screen. Overall, the game is a piece of junk. Gow 3 when the game is a masterpiece! Do not buy God of War: Ascension.… Expand
  84. nono5551212
    Aug 17, 2013
    4
    I love GOW... But this one let me down... The camera was so far pulled back at times you couldn't even see Kratos... GOW 3 was so awesome and than this came out made me wanna cry.
  85. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    4
    A tiresome and repetitive effort that feels unoriginal. Same game-play, same quick time events, same everything. Just another God of War game.
  86. frederik1478
    Jan 18, 2020
    4
    I have played every god of war game in the series and this is the one that feels the most tired of them all. even chains of Olympus feels like it has some spirit . that combat doesn't feel as good as the other games in the series, and sadly the story feels like an afterthought and is just so painfully feels like nothing at all. so yes I have played all the games now in the series and thisI have played every god of war game in the series and this is the one that feels the most tired of them all. even chains of Olympus feels like it has some spirit . that combat doesn't feel as good as the other games in the series, and sadly the story feels like an afterthought and is just so painfully feels like nothing at all. so yes I have played all the games now in the series and this is the worst… Expand
  87. Valgeth
    Oct 9, 2020
    4
    Its a dull second glace at God of War 1 with a story that's convoluted and not even worth following, the game is rescued only by over the top cinematic battles, then there's the repetitive combat and difficulty spikes that make it unplayable after an hour. Clearly a game with no soul, an obvious cash grab, but if I'm to be completely fair, the scenery is gorgeous and the level designs areIts a dull second glace at God of War 1 with a story that's convoluted and not even worth following, the game is rescued only by over the top cinematic battles, then there's the repetitive combat and difficulty spikes that make it unplayable after an hour. Clearly a game with no soul, an obvious cash grab, but if I'm to be completely fair, the scenery is gorgeous and the level designs are great, the statue of Apollo is by far one of the best set of levels in gaming I've ever seen.… Expand
  88. powL
    Mar 15, 2013
    3
    bought it for the mp. never played anything so unbalanced, chaotic and frustrating like this game... hope they will bring up some patches. actually, its just nice for a few rounds/evenings, but at some point you recognize its less depending on skill than it looks. it depends mostly on your weapons "L1+square" & "L1+triangle" skills, and a little bit of luck (at some point enemys are donebought it for the mp. never played anything so unbalanced, chaotic and frustrating like this game... hope they will bring up some patches. actually, its just nice for a few rounds/evenings, but at some point you recognize its less depending on skill than it looks. it depends mostly on your weapons "L1+square" & "L1+triangle" skills, and a little bit of luck (at some point enemys are done with less than 2 combos)...you will get kicked out, one-shoted, seeing others getting your kill, getting no kill cos of animationbugs, or getting a kill without doing anything, or things like unblockable light attacks, etc pp. resumee: unless some patching mp is nothing serious… Expand
  89. Otkon
    Mar 12, 2013
    3
    For starters. The game seems just unfinished. The audio is quite flat for 5.1 surround. I honestly had to keep checking my sound system display to make sure it was outputting to all the channels. The graphics are, of course, over-the-top for vistas and cutscenes, but for the platforming and combat there is something just off about everything. Kratos moves in such a wooden manner thatFor starters. The game seems just unfinished. The audio is quite flat for 5.1 surround. I honestly had to keep checking my sound system display to make sure it was outputting to all the channels. The graphics are, of course, over-the-top for vistas and cutscenes, but for the platforming and combat there is something just off about everything. Kratos moves in such a wooden manner that [evade] is pointless. Likewise, [double jump] is completely broken. Don't expect much reliability, accuracy or timing with that one in a boss battle. Don't expect precision from either if you are being swarmed.

    And that leads me to my main issue with the game: the difficulty settings are astronomically skewed. If you initially select Hard, be prepared to do a lot of the same stuff repeatedly until you just happen to luck your way past a fight. Why? Because of the above issues meet an egregiously reprehensible respawn implementation in the game. Apparently, the developers are so in love with their sweeping set pieces that they want us to experience them over and over and over and over ad nauseam et infinitum. Their idea of scaled difficulty is to overwhelm Kratos in a small area with defective defenses against a multitude of leveled-up enemies who cannot be avoided vertically And laterally. Death is quick and often. Restart is also brilliantly without full health and often before a long intro (to an even minor battle) that is not skippable! And some of these "cutscenes" you have to actively trudge through for no reason just to get back to the point of inevitable reset.

    I am all for a challenging experience but it has to be well-designed. And it cannot impede progress in the narrative. Easy Level typically means an all-offense approach will get you through. Normal Level requires some avoidance and some defensive tactics. Hard more defense, combos, wise upgrades. Insane hard plus precise timing, stealth, wait-and-see strategy. And all of those are fine if the gameplay mechanics of the release function and do so with balance to the enemy AI. Seriously, Santa Monica should have spent the wasted time of a multiplayer into polishing the interactive campaign portions which actually feel like a bad stiff multiplayer. One of the worst sins of game-making is undue repetitious gameplay in story mode; in multiplayer it is expected. But in this campaign, it causes a player to walk away from the console.

    Plus, even if it were working, it is just the same old familiar GOW you've done five games before. And in this latest one, you'll be repeating enough as it is.    … Expand
  90. ASH316
    Mar 14, 2013
    3
    Was looking forward to this so much,I'm completely disappointed in this,the others were so much better!!I'm a huge God of War fan,but this game just seems rushed,the worst of the series!!
  91. milesk182
    Aug 14, 2013
    3
    After playing all the other God Of Wars (except the portable versions) this game was horrible.
    It felt like a cash in of Call Of Duty where nothing changes. Granted not a lot of the God Of Wars change much but the story was so boring. Countless times playingthe game i started dozzing off in my chair and had to turn off the game. The eemies took 30sec to 1 min. each to kill on normal    After playing all the other God Of Wars (except the portable versions) this game was horrible.
    It felt like a cash in of Call Of Duty where nothing changes. Granted not a lot of the God Of Wars change much but the story was so boring. Countless times playingthe game i started dozzing off in my chair and had to turn off the game. The eemies took 30sec to 1 min. each to kill on normal difficulty and there was nothing engaging about the story or character to continue through like the other games. I got 5 hours in and took the game back to gamestop. I felt so horrible doing this but i felt like i was forcing myself to complete this game instead of enjoying the experience. This is the worst God Of War in my opinion.
    Nice graphics boring gamplay horrid story    … Expand
  92. Mako5
    Mar 19, 2013
    3
    The plot was not as compelling as previous titles, despite the fact that an obvious attempt to humanize Kratos was clearly made. The graphics are excellent. The standard gruesome, visceral gameplay returns as the driving force behind this story's campaign. However, with an emphasis on abilities trumping that of new or secondary weapons, the game very easily devolves into button-mashingThe plot was not as compelling as previous titles, despite the fact that an obvious attempt to humanize Kratos was clearly made. The graphics are excellent. The standard gruesome, visceral gameplay returns as the driving force behind this story's campaign. However, with an emphasis on abilities trumping that of new or secondary weapons, the game very easily devolves into button-mashing through the campaign with only one weapon, creating a very uniform and lackluster experience. The sheer epic scale of previous God of War titles has been scaled back, and the in-game camera can be unreliable and often times oddly placed, leaving the player helpless and at the mercy of this poor gaming design. The Trial of Archimedes, before the patch, that launched with the game was clearly frustrating and was completely out of tune with the rest of the game's difficulty, format, and style. It broke the flow of the story, and only served as an impediment to reaching the game's conclusion rather than as a challenge to overcome. The multiplayer is a nice addition, but nothing that really stands out. It definitely won't keep large crowds playing the game in the long run. Overall, God of War Ascension was a decent game with a few flaws and a multiplayer addition that doesn't offer anything new to the table because it's a button-mashing and repetitive experience with little to no strategy involved.… Expand
  93. pourya-ahmadian
    Mar 18, 2013
    3
    another rush-for-money game.
    sony is going to be another "EA".
    i like sony at past but at this generations they are "all copy-followers".
    "gow 1-2" were great in "story and gamplay",they showed us the strength of "ps2".
    "gow3" was good and cool,but this,,,,this "illegal son of "gow"" is aweful and poor.
    i am sorry for money i paid for this.
  94. NitroNeo
    Mar 12, 2013
    3
    I was excited to see what new was there in the new GOW, sadly the game felt the same as the old one it was nothing but mash this, kill that, after all these years i expected the combat to change but it was the same more or less.

    The game was slightly better than DmC but overall felt like a beat em up than hack & slash the chain blade weapon is slow this time around giving the illusion    I was excited to see what new was there in the new GOW, sadly the game felt the same as the old one it was nothing but mash this, kill that, after all these years i expected the combat to change but it was the same more or less.

    The game was slightly better than DmC but overall felt like a beat em up than hack & slash the chain blade weapon is slow this time around giving the illusion AI being challenging a bit, the sound effects are good,but i overall didn't like the too dramatic scripted boss battles, the world feels empty & hollow at times & i couldn't wait for the demo to end, sorry this is the truth, IMO after so many years of GOW sony could have improved the game

    If you weren't into god of war before then you wont be now, with the Online MP said to be underwhelming, i don't find anything appealing about the game

    In the end it's just another button masher & gore game for fans of such thing, which is a shame really since santa monica have developed quite the repute, mainstream gamers & GOW cult gamers will love it, not sure about people like me who want challenging grunt enemies, fun combat with loads of weapons, live surrounding which lets you soak the atmosphere & less brainless button mashing    … Expand
  95. TheRued
    Mar 12, 2013
    3
    I am one hell of a GoW fan, and so it hurts me deeply to see such a disappointing, utterly unnecessary... thing.

    The game is poorly paced, thanks to a complete lack of any motivation getting you through pretty setpiece to underwhelming boss fight, with extra annoying monsters to pad the gaps. The bestiary is lacking (think Silent Hill: Downpour), and its limited assets keep swapping    I am one hell of a GoW fan, and so it hurts me deeply to see such a disappointing, utterly unnecessary... thing.

    The game is poorly paced, thanks to a complete lack of any motivation getting you through pretty setpiece to underwhelming boss fight, with extra annoying monsters to pad the gaps. The bestiary is lacking (think Silent Hill: Downpour), and its limited assets keep swapping elements and/or color. The Blizzard School of Enemy Design, I see...

    Music is good, though easily forgettable, and the sound, my God! the sound keeps getting cut during cutscenes, resulting in a audiovisual experience. Or the game bugs. That's a nice touch.

    I don't know about multiplayer, because I certainly wouldn't touch the thing, but let me tell you that if it shows the same lack of polish the solo campaign does, well...

    All in all, it should be noted that Ascension brings absolutely NOTHING new to the table. Everuthing it does, it was done better by previous GoW titles... Even by previous rip-offs. It is a cut and paste job straight from the GoW 3 Scrapyard, complete with a boring story and too few interesting sights to behold. I never thought I would see the day Chains of Olympus was going to be out-sucked. Todd Pappy should retire. That is all!    … Expand
  96. fpex
    Mar 15, 2013
    3
    This is my first foray in this franchise and it is a big disappointment. Coming from games where there is plenty of fight, eye candy and free of movement, this came feels like a brawler on rails with bugs, frame rate issues, and boring action. The game is just about mashing the controller. Few fights are fun, many are just mashing without having a clue of what is going on.
    The script and    This is my first foray in this franchise and it is a big disappointment. Coming from games where there is plenty of fight, eye candy and free of movement, this came feels like a brawler on rails with bugs, frame rate issues, and boring action. The game is just about mashing the controller. Few fights are fun, many are just mashing without having a clue of what is going on.
    The script and story fight and fight. A game i might never finish out of boredom.    … Expand
  97. Acrenor
    May 11, 2013
    3
    And here we are again
    god of war Ascension
    this game is good but gets boring quickly
    no-one can relate to the main character by any stretch of the imagination
    the newest game in the GOW series is just another mindless hack and slash game
    i would rate this game much lower if the innovative online mode wasn't here
  98. MethodicCircle
    Mar 26, 2013
    2
    Frustrating would be the word to best describe GoWA. Kratos should have remained in infamy by walking off into the black at the end of GoW3. Some things need to die just for the sake of dying. Others have said it much better (and far kinder) than I could even try. The only thing I will retain as I walk away from this game is carpal tunnel syndrome from the stupid and relentlessFrustrating would be the word to best describe GoWA. Kratos should have remained in infamy by walking off into the black at the end of GoW3. Some things need to die just for the sake of dying. Others have said it much better (and far kinder) than I could even try. The only thing I will retain as I walk away from this game is carpal tunnel syndrome from the stupid and relentless button mashing required to kill something.

    I don't envision finishing the game.    … Expand
  99. djini76
    Mar 28, 2013
    2
    The new block parry move is totally and that is all I can really say about this game. the PSP games were better than this. Its just so fricking boring.
  100. White_Worm
    Mar 23, 2018
    2
    Ascension is by far the worst God of War game.

    The overall feeling you may have when playing GoW:A is "why is my character so weak?" or "who thought that was a good idea?" or "why am I still playing this?" None of those are things you want to think when playing a video game, much less God of War. There are a few highlights, however: The game looks very good and the locations are    Ascension is by far the worst God of War game.

    The overall feeling you may have when playing GoW:A is "why is my character so weak?" or "who thought that was a good idea?" or "why am I still playing this?" None of those are things you want to think when playing a video game, much less God of War.

    There are a few highlights, however: The game looks very good and the locations are imaginative, epic, and beautiful. The new minigame that is played out while finishing some enemies is a real step forward and is something I hope to see again in the future.

    But then there are the flaws. The biggest one is that this game does not feel like a power fantasy. Quite the opposite, in fact. Previous games in the series let you take on large groups of enemies with relative ease. It never felt like you were in over your head. Swing your big weapon around and watch the baddies go flying. Dodge out of the way of their attacks and continue your assault. That's no longer the case. Now, every enemy has more health than you. Your weapon (yes, there's only one) feels ineffective and weak. It can take upwards of 50 hits to defeat common enemies. And your defense? Forget about it. The parry system is central to the combat, but it rarely works the way you want.

    There are many situations where you will be attacked by several enemies at once. If one of them gets a hit on you, you go flying against a wall, slump onto your face, and continue to get hit. You might as well put the controller down in these situations. The game takes away all the fun, all the power, all the options of previous GoW games. Overall, it is an insult to the series.

    I would say the multiplayer is not too bad, but I think it's inclusion is the reason for most of the single-player game's shortcomings. Especially the terrible block/parry system.

    Perhaps the game lives up to it's title; there's no where to go after this one but up.    … Expand
Page:

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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »