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God of War: Ascension
Topic Started: Apr 6 2013, 08:53 AM (229 Views)
TheGreg
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In God of War: Ascension, Kratos returns to his roots. This prequel to the trilogy tells the story of how our Spartan hero first rebelled against the Gods of Olympus. Of course, we already know this story, so any longtime fans of the series won't really be surprised by much that goes on here. This is especially true because the game's storytelling is a large step behind the previous entries. In those we rallied behind Kratos in his fight for revenge against those smug Olympians. The villains this time around, the Furies, don't have much of an impact and a more humanized Kratos isn't nearly as fun as the crazed killer he becomes.

I always felt God of War III was a slight disappointment. The second game was such a brilliant blend of combat, puzzles and show-stopping action set pieces. Looking back, III is a bit inconsistent in comparison, but I'll be damned if it didn't deliver some of the most epic moments of this past generation.

And that's where Ascension falls even further behind the great standards of the series. There aren't nearly as many highlights. In a way it feels more like the original game. Ascension puts a heavy emphasis on fighting hordes of enemies as opposed to the great variety of God of War II (Which still stands as the best action game of all-time in my books).

Too many of the enemies in Ascension are identical in design to previous installments.

There are also some baffling design choices. Early on in the game especially, the camera routinely pulls so far back from the action that it's impossible to distinguish Kratos from the enemies he's fighting. I understand it was done to emphasis the grand scale, but it's also annoying as hell. As per usual, platforming is awkward, with said camera angles not helping a bit.

Puzzles are routinely nonsensical. There are a few involving a device that can decay or repair collapsed or broken environments that I'm still not sure how I got through.

There's also an obvious bug with the game's sound design, causing many effects to be out of sync with the visuals. These kind of issues really make me wonder if this game wasn't rushed out of the gates.

All that being said, Ascension does deliver the solid combat system the series pioneered. The controls are fluid and combos natural. The Blades of Chaos also remain one of the best weapons in gaming. I was pleased to see the developers didn't even bother including alternates as they have before. Instead, the blades can be infused with different powers. Works for me. Did anyone actually use those other weapons?

Despite these shortcomings, God of War: Ascension is still a worthy game. And a large part of this is its absolutely outstanding final boss fight. This game may not have as many highs as the ones that came before it, but the finale of Ascension stands toe-to-toe with the best the series has offered. Kratos' fight against a Kraken amid a maelstrom is outrageously excellent and delivers at the level of such masterful past sequences as the fight against Poseidon in III or the Colossus of Rhodes in II. The combination of gorgeous visuals, thrilling QTEs and furious combat create a jaw-dropping showpiece. I had to go back and play it again almost as soon as I finished it.

God of War: Ascension is very much a mixed bag. While its core remains solid, some of the design feel stagnant. It's still recommended for fans of the series, but don't expect to be blown away this time around. At least not until the game's spectacular final moments.
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