God of War: Ascension is an upcoming third person action-adventure video game being developed by Santa Monica Studio and to be published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). The game is scheduled to be released on March 12, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console and will be the seventh installment in the God of War series and a prequel to the entire series. Loosely based on Greek mythology, the game will be set in Ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player will control the protagonist Kratos, the former servant of the God of War, Ares. Kratos attempts to sever ties with Ares—who tricked Kratos into killing his wife and child—by defeating the three Furies.
The gameplay of God of War: Ascension will be similar to that of its predecessors. The game will focus on combo-based combat, achieved through the player's main weapon—the Blades of Chaos—and secondary weapons acquired later. The game will feature revamped quick time events that require the player to complete various game controller actions in a timed sequence to defeat stronger enemies and bosses. The game will also feature puzzles and platforming elements. In addition to its similar gameplay, the game will be the first installment to feature multiplayer and be developed with stereoscopic 3D. The game will also feature a revamped combat and weapon system, new gameplay mechanics, and downloadable content. A multiplayer beta was held from December 12, 2012 to January 21, 2013.´
Synopsis
The story behind God of War: Ascension tells the journey of Kratos' redemption from his past sins and the rise of his rage to break free from Ares' bond. The game is set six months after Kratos murdered his wife and child; about ten years before the original God of War. Joystiq confirms "players will be introduced to a more human Kratos than ever before" with director Todd Papy stating that the game will be "giving people a look at Kratos' human side so fans can relate to him better and understand some of the stuff he went through when he was younger." Papy also confirmed that Kratos will have the "Blades of Chaos" and that the story takes place after Kratos sold his soul to Ares. At PAX 2012, Santa Monica announced that the three Furies—who Kratos must defeat to break his bonds with Ares—are the main antagonists of the game. Megaera, one of the Furies, was featured in a new trailer.
Preview
On February 1, 2013, Santa Monica previewed the first 30 minutes of God of War: Ascension's single-player to the press, which is the same demo released on February 26. The game opens with a cinematic narrated by Linda Hunt and tells that before the time of the Titans and the rule of the Olympian Gods, there was a great battle between the Primordials, the beings who forged the Earth, that lasted for an eternity. From the war, the Furies were born, the guardians of honor and the enforcers of punishment. Zeus did not fear the Furies as they only sought retribution from those who they deemed guilty. The first of these traitors was Aegaeon, the Hecatonchires. Aegaeon had pledged a blood oath to Zeus, but betrayed the King of the Gods. The Furies captured and tortured the creature. Instead of killing Aegaeon, the Furies turned him to stone—making him a giant prison of the damned—becoming a symbol to all who may think of breaking a blood oath to a god.
The game begins with Kratos chained in imprisonment for breaking his blood oath to the God of War, Ares. Megaera, one of the three Furies, comes to give Kratos his daily punishment. As Megaera is torturing Kratos, she accidentally breaks one of the chains binding him. With his upper body free, Kratos capitalizes on an attack and breaks the Blades of Chaos free, which its chains were being used to bound his arms into place. Kratos then chases after Megaera, fighting several enemies in the process. Eventually catching up to her, Megaera begins to awaken the Hecatonchires. The prison which Kratos has been running through is revealed to be Aegaeon, as the creature's many arms begin to come alive and attack Kratos.