God of War: Ascension has come out, featuring Kratos' first foray into co-op mayhem and multiplayer battles. While not quite at the epic levels that the original trilogy of games set, Ascension is a decent enough game.
The big draw is supposed to be the multiplayer components of the game. However, the multiplayer component of the game has a few flaws. Joystiq found that the combat, while fun, will be frustrating to new players.
"... it was clear that balance may be an issue over time. New players must grow their abilities, so when pitted against high level competition, the experience boils down to watching your character being juggled around the arena. There are upgrades and abilities to earn, but many of them are tied to in-game challenges, rather than specific levels. The unlockables, meanwhile, fall under a seemingly random system that you can't really build toward. There are so few available, however, that it seems inconsequential anyway," Joystiq writes.
The multiplayer can be fun, but relies too much on gaining experience and does little to add incentive to new players who want to try out the series. The single player campaign also does little to draw in new fans, as the prequel story does not do the high, bloody drama of the trilogy justice. Kotaku notes that the lukewarm campaign only gets better once the player reaches the second half of the game and Kratos gets his full arsenal of toys to play with.
"...it's only after you get past what amounts to newbie initiation that your move-set has enough new stuff in it (and enemies that compel you to use that stuff) that you get a sense of what Ascension is supposed to feel like. It feels like chaos, controlled"
The actual story is a bit of a letdown as well. As a prequel, Kratos sets his sights not on the gods of greek mythology, but on the Furies. The game is set after Kratos has been tricked into killing his family, but Kratos' attempts to show emotions besides wrath feel tacky, according to Videogamer
"God of War isn't about soul-searching, it's about empowerment: giving you control of a hero who can face enemies the size of the Trafford Centre without flinching, and then rip bits off them in increasingly - and gleefully - disgusting ways. Kratos wants to break his bonds to the god of war, you're told, and minutes later you're pressing square to perform intestinal surgery on a centaur."
In conclusion, God of War: Ascension is not a terrible or even mediocre game. It still delivers the visceral thrills and slick combat that we expect from the series. But at this point, the act is starting to wear thin. As Eurogamer points out:
"This prequel maintains the myth, just, but does little to embellish it. The God of War series is beginning to stray from its source material as each new tale in the series presents us with fresh gods and monsters to batter and revile, but their theme is always unwavering vengeance, and their style is always gore, fortissimo gore. Despite the huge number of ways to rip and rend your opponents, the action is increasingly without meaning or a broader purpose."
Perhaps on next-gen consoles we can see a re-energized Kratos, with something new to bring to the table (or at least a more refined multiplayer). A new setting or sense of purpose is what the series needs, as Ascension ultimately feels like it could be a tipping point down a slippery slope to mediocrity. By no means bad, and by no means a masterpiece, this game is for the fans of the series and not much else.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
