God of War: Ascension

Overview

God of War: Ascension is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Released in March 2013, it is the seventh installment in the God of War series and the second chronologically. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist, Kratos, the former servant of the God of War Ares, who tricked Kratos into killing his own wife and daughter. In response to this tragedy, Kratos renounced Ares, breaking his blood oath to the god. Kratos was, therefore, imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies, guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment. Helped by the oath keeper, Orkos, Kratos escapes his imprisonment and confronts the Furies, aiming to free himself of his bond to Ares.

The gameplay is similar to previous installments, focusing on combo-based combat with the player's main weapon, the Blades of Chaos, and other weapons acquired by the game's World Weapons mechanic. It continues the use of quick time events from previous entries but also utilizes a promptless free-form system. Four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability can be used as alternative combat options, and the game features puzzles and platforming elements. The game also features a redesigned combat system, gameplay mechanics not available in previous installments, and downloadable content. Notably, Ascension was the first installment in the series to include multiplayer, which is online-only and features modes for both competitive and cooperative play. From October 2012 to March 2013, a social experience was available online in the form of a graphic novel titled Rise of the Warrior, a prequel story that tied into the game's single-player and multiplayer modes. Ascension was the last game in the series to be based on Greek mythology until the 2026 title, Sons of Sparta; the franchise shifted to Norse mythology with 2018's God of War and its 2022 sequel Ragnarök, with Christopher Judge replacing Terrence C. Carson as the voice of Kratos.

God of War: Ascension received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its fundamental gameplay and spectacle as true to the series, although the story was deemed to be less compelling than in previous installments. The game's multiplayer element received mixed responses: although reviewers found that the gameplay translated well into the multiplayer setting, they criticized the balance and depth of combat. Ascension sold less than its predecessor, with over 3 million units shipped and received no awards, but it did, however, receive several nominations, including "Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing" at the Writers Guild of America Videogame Awards and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences award for "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design".

Official trailer

Zeus God Trailer. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

God of War: Ascension Gameplay Demo - Sony E3 2012 Press Conference, IGN. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure

Developer

SCE Santa Monica Studio

Publisher

Sony Computer Entertainment

Series

God of War

Platforms

PlayStation 3

Age rating

ESRB M

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

Yes

Co op

No

Age ratings

PEGI

18

ESRB

M

ACB

R 18+

CERO

Z

GRAC

19+

USK

18

CLASS IND

18

Release dates

Editions

Buy this game

Subscription history

Trophies

Trophies36

Platinum possibleYes

Platinum

1

Gold

5

Silver

10

Bronze

20

Total

36

Points

1350

Platinum time

15 hours

Difficulty

4 out of 10

Online trophies

1

Online note

PSTHC counts 1 online trophy in the 36. PlayStation LifeStyle ties Blood Oath to the tutorial played when first entering multiplayer.

Chapter select fixes a miss

Yes

Missable trophies

• Collectibles: 10 Artifacts, 7 Decayed Chests, Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers

Grind

• Can't Stop, Won't Stop. BadBoy!: 1000 hits, about 6 minutes to farm per PowerPyx

• Champion of the Gods
• Blood Oath
• Prison Break
• Gotta Hand It To You
• Unleashed
• Big Spender Upgrade any Magic to the next level
• Round and Round
• Open Minded
• Can't Stop, Won't Stop. BadBoy!
• Swinger Ring out an enemy with the Club
• Snakes on a Train
• Tools of the Trade Use All 5 World Weapons in Combat
• Hot Lunch
• Gateway Gas
• Handyman Reconstruct the Water Wheel of Kirra
• Hold Still Please
• That's Gonna Leave a Mark Spill 500 buckets of blood on Kratos
• You Bastards! Treat the Martyr of Hecatonchires poorly
• Hello, Friend
• Tag Teamed
• Tell Me How You Really Feel Kill 25 Enemies using the Rage of the Gods
• Biting the Hand that Feeds You
• Maybe you should call a Doctor?
• Quaid!!!
• Bros before Foes
• Fireproof
• Light as a Feather
• The Eyes have It
• Fully Loaded
• Lubed up
• Blind Justice
• No Drake. You can't have these.
• Next time use the stairs
• If it ain't broke...
• Bond Broken
• Legendary Warrior

Space and patches

Space neededAbout 34.8 GB

Playable today

Credits

Publisher

Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer

SCE Santa Monica Studio

Released

2013-03-12

Age rating

ESRB M

Region

US

Time to beat

about 8.7 hours