![]() There are also some new abilities that are tied to acquired items that let Kratos pull of some neat tricks. It’s equally fun to take a tethered enemy and swing them around like a fleshy wrecking ball to take down other enemies. I loved being able to hold an enemy, leashed with one chain, while attacking others, and then later pulling that enemy in as a sort of finale. You’re free to incorporate this long-ranged grapple into your move set, allowing for in-air juggles that look and feel fantastic. Stuns, shield grabs, and other neat tricks are also assigned to this button/function. A press of this button when faced toward a beat down enemy sporting a red halo initiates a zoomed in special kill - that’s always fun. The R1 button is now assigned to chain tethering, a supremely useful addition. The game does a great job of placing these weapons in the best situations, so coming across one is always like finding the best toy on the playground. The addition of World Weapons alone makes for combat that feels much more varied than ever before. Shields can be used both defensively and offensively, and spears, while finite in supply, can be thrown to hit enemies from a distance. The sword is fast and chains nicely into Blades of Chaos combos, while the heavy club is slow, though it can be charged up to hit harder. Each weapon has its own feel and purpose. ![]() ![]() Kratos can now take these and use them as his own, with the circle button being dedicated to their use. World Weapons, like swords, clubs, spears, and shields, are found during gameplay, and can even be pulled from various enemies’ hands. This improved fluidity goes nicely with some additional moves to Kratos’ arsenal. Overall, combat feels and looks a bit tighter than before. Fully upgraded, these elemental magic additions allow for some pretty explosive attacks - ones that will prove highly useful in the final chapters of the game. Fire, ice, thunder, and soul magics are acquired at different points in the story, and they can be upgraded alongside the standard blades with red orbs. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but Sony Santa Monica has pulled off one of the greatest bait-and-switch boss introductions ever.Ī lot of the magic behind the God of War franchise is in how minimal work, like simple three-button combos, turns into brutally fantastic results on-screen. The hack-and-slash core mechanics of the series are still intact, though a new progression system adds elemental magic to the Blades of Chaos. ![]() Some of the cinematic story bits tie directly into battles. Story beats are smartly tied into Kratos’ journey, getting us away from the stage-boss-cinematic rotation of previous games. It’s not that he is weak at the beginning - you’ll even witness the acquisition of his Blades of Chaos - it’s just that he ends up being so powerful by the end of the game that you can’t help but feel like a god.ĭeveloper Sony Santa Monica did a wonderful job of weaving its story into gameplay, making Ascension feel more like an adventure than ever before. You’ll see him grow in both strength and rage over the course of the 8+ hour single-player campaign. Kratos is still in full-on badass territory in Ascension, but he’s not quite to the level we’re used to yet, with a slightly trimmer build and less in the way of scars. This manages to spark and grow that head-ripping rage in Kratos we’ve all come to know and love. These Furies capture, confine, and continuously torture Kratos. He’s now out to cut ties with Ares for this terrible act he was tricked into, and Ares has three horrible sisters known as the Furies, Ascension‘s antagonists, out to punish him for trying to break his oath with the god. This prequel story kicks off not long after Kratos killed his family, at a time where he is still dealing with that pain. Thankfully, God of War: Ascension does both. More God of War is never a bad thing, right?īut how about some emotion for a change? How about a backstory? How about some motivation that goes beyond simple anger?Īs I see it, the God of War franchise could have progressed in one of two ways. So even more of that in yet another series game would be … well, it would be fine, really. We all know that God of War‘s protagonist, Kratos, is an angry, super powerful killing machine that takes down even the biggest gods and monsters without even a hint of ever breaking his hardened scowl. How do you top something that was already considered over-the-top? Especially when this particular brand of over-the-top has become pretty familiar since in past eight years?
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