PS3 God of War: Ascension

br>The plot is thin on the ground, and it's essentially a one-off story. The game is extremely short, and I finished it the same day I purchased it. However, despite its flaws, it is an enjoyable game. br>I was mostly annoyed by the "kratos on ice"sliding sections due to the cheap deaths. Overall, it's a good game for fans of the game of Gow. Ok, I forgot something. br>First and foremost, I don't have a fancy 50-foot television with a 20-kilowatt television that makes toast or anything like that. That said, the image was EXTREMELY off center, to the point where I had to go into options and recenter it right away. I couldn't see what my cursor was pointing to, and the text was cut off because it was so far to the left. I didn't like the control changes at first, but once I got used to holding square instead of block and square, I wasn't having any problems.

Mack FINCH

| Apr 05, 2021

Just a quick aside: I've played every God of War game since God of War 1 on the PS2 until Ascension. God of War 1, 2, Ghosts of Sparta, and GOW3 were, to be honest, my favorite God of War games. (though I didn't care for God of War 3 as much as previous installments)br>br>Anyway, here's my take: br>br>Graphics br>br>Graphic Design br>br>Graphic Design br God of War Ascension is a mixed bag in terms of graphics. The game's first level looks amazing when you first play it. It also adds a strange layer of motion blur to give it a more cinematic feel, and it's great to see a full-sized Kratos with scars from being chained or previous battles. br>The backgrounds are also well-done, even if they don't quite measure up to previous God of War games (remember the first time you played God of War 2 or 3?). Even with a fixed camera angle, the scale of the games is impressive), and while there were some levels I didn't care for, there were others, like the furnace, that looked fantastic. (especially with the fire effects)br>I was also not a fan of the enemies. The issue is that they're mostly the same enemies in waves, which boils down to Goat-style gameplay. Men, a Harpy or two, a giant spartan-looking guy with a big hammer, and a larger goat-like creature Men, dogs, and snake women are the only enemies you'll encounter throughout the game, and they're not particularly detailed or attractive. br>However, Ascension occasionally throws in Huge Elephants, Cyclops, Snake women (Medusa), and ghost-like purplish creatures that revert to solid form once grabbed. br>One of the things I liked about Ascension's graphics is that after killing mini bosses like a Cyclops or an Elephant Man, their intestines spill out and a pool of blood oozes out their cut-scene. There are also the small touches that I thought were cool, such as slashing a Boss' giant hand and the cut still remaining intact after ripping it apart, or seeing an Elephant man's Brain and spinal column after ripping its face apart. br>While the execution in this game appears to be brutal, it pales in comparison to God of War 3 and God of War 1. (Do you recall how you defeated the Sea Serpent by slamming its heads against sharp wooden pikes? Or when you had to take out eyeballs in GOW3? )br>While most of the cutscenes are in real time, there are a few that are dull and generic, consisting mostly of dialogue and stills. br>br>My final quibble with this game is the motion blur, which I previously credited. While Motion Blur looks nice in this game and does add a little something, it can also look very strange at times, especially up close when Kratos performs a roll and the odd blur follows him slower than usual. This is a classic case of motion blur gone too far. What was the matter with GOW3's appearance? br>br>Score: br>Score: br>Score: br>Score: br>br>Sound- 5/10br>br> br>br>I don't have anything negative to say about the sound, aside from the music being a forgettable aspect of Ascension. As usual, the voice acting is excellent, and the sound effects are unique. As Kratos swings the Blades of Chaos, you can really hear his chain, and the enemies sound great. br>br>Score: br>Score: br>Score: br>Score: br>br>Gameplay- a tenth of a tenth of a tenth of a tenth br>br>Something about Ascension prevents me from giving it a higher rating than 3/5, and if I had the option, I'd give it a 3. For the reasons listed below, I give it a five-star rating. br>br>While Ascension has good puzzles and plenty of platforming at times, I didn't care for the QTE chain grappling or some of the QTE's, especially since some of those QTE events will be the reason you die in the game. Even when playing on the most difficult difficulty setting. br>Permit me to expand on this topic further. Ascension is not a difficult game in the least. In combat scenarios, you will always win, but there are QTE events that you can fail during certain boss battles. Unfortunately, failing these QTE events does not have a significant impact on your overall score. The difficulty settings only change the amount of time it takes to master the QTEs and the amount of damage Kratos takes. br>Boss battles are also more about timing or insanely mashing the attack button, with no room for mistakes. The first boss, for example, is ridiculously simple and follows a "1, 2, 3, 4," timing scheme. br>br>In my opinion, the boss fights are also forgettable. br>There's also the combat system, which completely removes all of Kratos' cool moves that he normally has available in other games by upgrading, and instead gives you these moves if you use Rage (which is done by pressing in both analog sticks). I wasn't particularly fond of this change, especially considering the game uses a Devil May Cry combat system in which you must constantly land hits on an opponent to fill the rage meter, which can be difficult considering some of the game's enemies are Take, for example, fighting Juggernauts in this game who cannot be hit for an extended period of time and have no clear indication of when to hit them. After they take 8-points, you'll simply land a hit on them. For at least 10 seconds, someone is attacking you or attempting to squash you from above. br>br>I won't go into detail about the plot because I don't want to give anything away to anyone who hasn't yet played the game, but in a nutshell, the plot revolves around Kratos seeking vengeance on The Furies. br>br>Elemental attacks such as Lightning, Fire, Ice, and Hades are also included in the combat system. The upgrade system is also surprisingly simple, and you'll discover a few items that weren't available during your first playthrough, which is a nice bonus. There's also multiplayer, which I believe I've tried once and didn't enjoy. br>br>Score: br>Score: br>Score: br>Score: br>br>Overall- a score of 7/10br>br> br>br>If you can find this game for a reasonable price, buy it; however, I must say that after finishing it, I was underwhelmed. The puzzles were great, the platforming was good, and the graphics were fantastic, but the boss battles and story fell flat for me. Santa Monica will, hopefully, get it right in the next game. Overall score: br>br> 5/10.

Wren Rich

| Mar 06, 2021

I'll explain why the title of this review is what it is. As you may or may not be aware, God of War Ascension has been the target of some criticism. Take a look at all of the three-star reviews on Amazon! In light of the negative press and three-star reviews, I was apprehensive when I heard that multiplayer would be included in the game. Multiplayer, in my opinion, usually detracts from the single player experience. With all of those red flags, how could I not be surprised that this game ended up being a five-star experience? br>br>Combat br>br> Combat, oh my! When compared to previous God of War games, I'll admit that the combat feels a little different. That, however, does not have to be a bad thing, does it? I'm not sure what it is that makes it feel different, but it does. Some people have now claimed that the parry attack has changed dramatically. One of two things could be going on here: A) The change is so minor that I didn't notice it; B) I'm far too stupid to notice anything has changed. (The latter is most likely correct, but that's a discussion for another day. ) I had a blast whenever I encountered enemies because the combos were simple to execute. I use one criterion to evaluate combat: Whether I liked it or not, I was looking forward to fighting my foes. There have been games where I would cry every time I had to fight because the combat was so bad (I apologize for the cough, I haven't dusted around my computer in a few days). God of War Ascension's combat is excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed every fight, right up to the final battle. Oh, I almost forgot to mention something. If you're tired of hacking and slashing, you can use magic attacks as part of your combat strategy. I'm not going to go into great depth about magical attacks. If you've read any of my reviews, you'll know that I despise magical attacks in games. Attacks from the realm of magic blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Weaponry (br>br>Weaponry) (br>br>Weaponry) (br>br>Weaponry I liked the weapons a lot, and I like the big change that was made. Kratos will, of course, wield his standard blades. You'll be able to pick up weapons from enemies and stray weapons lying around, in addition to his blades! Because I don't recall all of the weapons, I'll do my best to name the ones that come to mind. Swords, shields, javelins, and, of course, the mace, are among the weapons available. I'm sure I left some out, but I think you get the idea. It's interesting that you can keep these weapons for as long as you want. I kept the mace for the rest of the game once I got my hands on it: ) I mentioned earlier that Kratos has his trusty blades. The blades are like four weapons in one in God of War Ascension. You'll unlock four'special' abilities as you progress through the game. Ares' fire, Zeus' lightning, Hades' soul-snatching power (I'm not sure how to express that), and Poseidon's ice! Each of these abilities has a distinct effect on the blades, making them four distinct weapons in one, in my opinion. Nothing will be forced upon you; you will be able to use each of these at your leisure. br>br>Enemies are those who oppose you. I became increasingly concerned as I progressed through the game. I had the impression that I was constantly encountering the same small group of foes. Because the combat was so enjoyable, I figured I'd be able to overlook it if it continued. Fortunately, as I progressed through the game, I began to encounter new foes, which was a huge relief. There's nothing quite like a one-on-one battle with a Chimera, believe me! I wish there were more one-on-one battles (as opposed to boss battles), but that isn't a major complaint. In general, I found the enemies to be difficult to defeat. I don't recall participating in many boss fights, but the ones I did participate in were a lot of fun. Many reviewers have claimed that the difficulty of the enemies increased at times. Because my butt kicks were proportioned and consistent, I didn't notice any difficulty spikes. Just thought I'd mention it. When I think of difficulty spikes, I imagine some enemies being simple, then another group being more difficult, then another group being simpler, and so on. EVERY enemy tossed me around like a rag doll, so I'm not sure if I misunderstood the meaning of'spikes in difficulty,' or if I'm just a jerk. You make the final decision. br>br>Miscellaneous - br>br> Wow! Wow! I'm speechless when it comes to the puzzles. These are among the most difficult puzzles I've ever encountered. Don't judge me if I estimate I 'cheated' on about ehhh 95% of them. There's nothing new in the collectibles department; it's the same old Gorgon eyes and Fairy feathers or whatever they're called. The game seemed to be a little shorter than God of War 3. I finished this in about 17 hours. If you're reading one of my reviews and want to know how long it'll take you to finish a game, subtract 10 hours from any time estimate I give. br>br>I try to point out at least one flaw in every game I review. Multiplayer, in my opinion, is a flaw. I haven't played it much, but I am adamant about single-player games incorporating multiplayer. Although the single-player campaign was fantastic, do you think it would have been even better if more time had been spent on it and less on multiplayer? No? Ignore my multiplayer rant; I'm just not a fan of change and had to find something to complain about in the game. Tomb Raider is up next, and it's a fantastic game for both newcomers and veterans of the God of War franchise. So, what exactly is it? Is there multiplayer in this game as well? Sighs.

Sylas Hendrix

| Jan 16, 2021