God of War: Ascension Message Board older than one year ago

In a statement sent to Joystiq, developer Sony Santa Monica has confirmed it will change the name of a controversial God of War: Ascension trophy in a patch that should be available alongside the game on Tuesday. Once the patch is applied, the name of the trophy will be "Bros Before Foes."

Originally named "Bros Before Hos" (as seen above), the trophy pops up after you help God of War's anti-hero, Kratos, brutally pummel a Fury, one of a trio of female antagonists in the game. (Though it's not a spoiler in light of the fact that Kratos beats everyone up, we've omitted the trophy description.) The change comes after early negative reaction from early reviews to the jarring scene on and the attached award, which is perceived as misogynistic.

"We have created and will soon push out a patch for God of War: Ascension that alters the title of one of the game Trophies. The text was offensive to some members of our community and impacted their enjoyment of the game," Sony Santa Monica's statement noted. "We are endlessly committed to ensuring that our community can fully enjoy the experiences the team has created. As such, we've addressed the feedback and amended the Trophy in question."

Players will be instructed to download the update once God of War: Ascension has been inserted into an internet-connected PlayStation 3. Joystiq has contacted Sony to find out what else, if anything, has been altered in the patch.

God of War: Ascension launches exclusively for the PlayStation 3 on March 12, 2013. For more on the game, check out Joystiq's review.

This behind-the-scenes video of God of War: Ascension shows the creation of the game's unique elephant-like creature. The final version of the "elephantaur" can be seen soon, as the game will be available for PS3 on March 12.

#godofwar There have been five God of War games and, in each one, Kratos slaughters his way through significant portions of the Greco-Roman pantheon. Wow, you might say, is there anybody left for the Ghost of Sparta to be mad at? Yeah, there is. More »

With God of War: Ascension’s launch just a few days away now, we sat down with the game’s Lead Combat Designer Jason McDonald and Lead Game Designer Mark Simon to find out how they’ve kept the formula fresh six games into the series, and what challenges the addition of multiplayer presented to the team.

We’ll have more insight from Game Director Todd Papy next week before Santa Monica’s lean, mean new actioner hits the shelves on March 12th. In the meantime, over to Mark and Jason…

PlayStation.Blog: How difficult is it retro-fitting a prequel story onto the existing God of War trilogy?

Mark Simon: It’s kinda nice actually. At the end of God of War 3 Kratos is completely rage-filled. His sole-focus has been figured out. With Ascension, we can go back to a different time period before he was this character. He has a wider range and you can explain things about him that you didn’t know before. You get to find out what turned him into the guy that he is – what makes him snap, and why is it that breaking a bond with a god like Ares does this.

PSB: If I was to plot Kratos’ anger on a graph, I’d say he starts at ‘seriously ticked off’ for God of War 1 and climbs to ‘ball of latent fury’ for God of War 3. But from what I’ve played of Ascension, he starts this prequel with a serious rage on. What gives?

MS: Sure, he does! But that’s due to the way the story is told. It’s like Slumdog Millionaire, or something like that. He’s not at the beginning of the story when you start the game. It’s told in a non-linear fashion. It builds up to why he is in the prison – why he was taken there by The Furies.

PSB: Do you ever worry that you’re going to run out of Greek gods for Kratos to beat up?

“That’s the great thing about our studio – ideas come from everywhere.”

MS: Every game is a challenge, but the Greek mythos is so wide and varied. We could never do every myth that it has for us. We don’t find it limiting; it’s more exciting to explore more areas of it – new gods, new titans, new locales.

Take the Furies. They’re primordial. They’re from before the gods – they’re more powerful than the gods. Some of their abilities are just ridiculous – so powerful. They make really great nemeses for Kratos.

PSB: Do you have an in-house expert who spends all their time going through Homer looking for new myths and characters?

MS: The cool thing about the studio is that some ideas come from the director, and then a lot of it comes from the rest of the team. Someone comes in and says ‘Y’know this would be really cool!’ Suddenly you’re in a brainstorming session, and before you know it you’re building it into the game. That’s the great thing about our studio – ideas come from everywhere.

Jason McDonald: But if you look at the typical desk in the office you’ll see Greek mythology books, random Greek materials – we do often reference that so we have to have those around.

MS: And the movies! Immortals, Jason and the Argonauts – all of them. We can’t get enough!

PSB: There are no office fact-finding outings to Greece then?
JM: No, but you should recommend that!

MS: Santorini, maybe. There’s got to be some myths around that island, right?

PSB: Every God of War game has had a different director. How hard is it to maintain a consistent feel in every game?

JM: Even when the director changes, the core of the team remain the same. There’s a number of people who’ve been there for every title. Each director, when they assume that role, was really skilled to begin with, so it’s not like ‘Oh my god, what do I need to do?’ They know exactly what they need to do. Every director puts their spin on it. Like [Ascension director] Todd Papy was a designer, so with this game he kept a close eye on mechanics.

MS: I think that after a project this size and scope, it’s not unhealthy thing to go ‘You know what? The director is going to move onto another thing if he wants to’. We’re a team full of leads. So if one director decides he doesn’t want to do it on the next project, there are a lot of people who can help out.

PSB: The series is known for its visceral violence and I’ve already seen some brutal kills in Ascension. Was there ever a moment during development where you said ‘Okay, we went too far with that one…’?

MS: It’s got to feel impactful. If you swing a club and hit someone it’s got to feel like you’ve just hit them with a club. If it doesn’t, it feels gamey. We don’t want that gamey feeling – we want it to feel like you’re actually impacting someone’s head. It makes that sound, it feels like that – you kind of cringe thinking about it, but that’s what melee combat should feel like.

PSB: Which of the additions that you’ve made to the God of War formula this time around are you most happy with?

JM: The Rage system turned out really well. Everyone uses it differently and it’s nice to see that come together. The multiplayer though – seeing all that come together and people having fun – that’s an experience that is very unique to this game and I’m very proud we were able to accomplish it.

PSB: How did the decision to add multiplayer come about?

JM: I don’t remember anyone saying ‘it’s multiplayer time, let’s do it!’ It was more that we were curious about it. We hadn’t tried multiplayer before so we were asking ourselves ‘can it be done? Is there fun to be had?’

So we tried out a few tests using Kratos, as he was already built. What we found was that people would sit down with two Kratoses and have a lot of fun. They’d sit there for hours. It was un-tuned and very rough, but when we saw people enjoying it we thought it had merit. After that it was all about putting the God of War spin on it – making sure the scale reaches what we expect, and not just eight players bundled into a room fighting each other. We had to design modes and rules to make sure it wasn’t repetitive.

“We found that players really wanted to keep the action going as long as they could.”

PSB: How difficult was it to keep the combat balanced?

MS: You always start with something very simple – people fighting one another. Then you start adding new things and you watch the balance go out the window. Then you try desperately to get it back again before introducing another new thing. That’s how we iterate. We didn’t start with everything all at once.

PSB: How useful was the beta? Did players’ behavior take you by surprise?

MS: I learned a lot just looking at the data that comes in. I’d be like, ‘Woah, I can’t believe this guy opened 17 chests’ or ‘this guy actually killed three guys at once?!’

And the thing that I was surprised by was some of the stuff that I thought would be cool. Like, I thought it would be cool when the god throws the spear down in the middle of a match – everybody would get the same cinematic and we would have this big spectacle in the middle of a match.

I thought that would be cool. And it was cool… the first time. But it wasn’t cool the second time or the third time. We found that players really wanted to keep the action going as long as they could. And when the match was over they generally wanted to get right back to it again. So we took the camera cut out so as not to stop the action. The beta was really helpful for that kind of feedback.

PSB: Finally, I’ve got ask for your take on the PlayStation 4 announcement last month. What do you make of the new system?

JM: Very excited! We don’t get hardware leaps like this that often, so to have one coming up is very exciting. The social stuff in particular. The power is going to be awesome and we’ll have amazing artists and engineers who will be able to draw so much out of it – but the social stuff is great. It’s something gaming is moving towards so the more features that support people playing together, the better.

You and a buffed-up, half-naked friend can get your ancient WWE on thanks to a newly revealed tag-team mode in God of War: Ascension. As developer Sony Santa Monica spilled on the PlayStation Blog, the brawler includes a co-op mode called 'Trials of the Gods' in which you and a pal have to take down hordes of enemies as quickly as possible, since there's a time limit and all.

Each kill puts more seconds on the clock, while each wave of beasts grants you bonus time based on how quickly you clear it; there are five waves to fend off, with an "epic boss" as numero cinco. Trials of the Gods will be supported by four maps when Ascension launches next week, and Sony Santa Monica says there are more on the way. Also, any XP you earn in the mode goes towards upgrading champions across all multiplayer modes.

If that hasn't satiated your bloodthirst for bloody content, check out new videos for the multiplayer maps and Poseidon champion allegiance after the break.

#godofwar Last month, Sony started trying to convince us that we will need a PlayStation 4. The system is coming out at the end of the year. More »

With less than a week until God of War: Ascension launches, it’s time to drop the curtain on our fourth Multiplayer mode, Trial of the Gods, and our next God allegiance reveal — the Lord of the Sea, Poseidon.

In Trial of the Gods, the first two-player God of War co-op time trial mode, you and a friend will tag-team with your Champions to face five increasingly hard waves of mythological beasts, whilst surviving against the hourglass of Olympus.

Over 15 types of enemies await you, including Satyrs, Cerberuses, Cyclopes, Gorgons, Juggernauts, and more deadly creatures. You will start with a set amount of time on the clock, and win time back with every beast you slay. Decimate a wave and you will be granted a Bonus Time Tiered Award (gold, silver, or bronze) based on how fast you cleared the wave. If you die or run out of time, you’ll have to start over again. If you reach the end of the fifth round, an epic boss awaits.

At launch, Trial of the Gods will be available in the following maps: Desert of Lost Souls, Forum of Hercules, and Rotunda of Olympus, with more arenas planned for later!

With Trial of the Gods, we wanted to help bridge the single player and multiplayer experience, giving players a chance to work on their skill-set and gain valuable experience points with a friend, before jumping into the competitive arena. Playing Trial of the Gods is also a great way to grind some extra experience between competitive games, test newly acquired weapons and abilities, or even try a new allegiance. Any experience gained in Trial of the Gods will go towards upgrading your Champions across the entire multiplayer experience.

What happens if you don’t have a friend to play co-op with, or you don’t want to team up with a stranger? No worries — you can play Trial of the Gods solo too!

God of the Sea and brother to Zeus, Poseidon’s realm is almost as great as the sky itself, and his power is second only to Zeus because of it. Poseidon grants his loyal sentinels unique support capabilities: a large pool of health, the ability to fortify allies, and command over water and ice.

Unleash freezing attacks to obliterate an enemy’s defense and agility or boost your own team’s elemental defense and health. The wise warrior knows how to control a large area of space and can keep multiple enemies at a distance. For more on aligning with Lord Poseidon, check out his strategic profile in our God section at GodofWar.com.

Finally, if you have yet to pre-order God of War: Ascension, this video may put you over the edge. For the first time ever, King Leonidas will be brought to life in God of War: Ascension Multiplayer as depicted by Gerard Butler in “300”. If you pre-order either the standard or Collector’s Edtion, exclusively at Gamestop, you will receive a voucher to access history’s most heroic Spartan.

Whether you pre-order at Gamestop, or any retailer supporting our programs (such as Best Buy or Amazon), you will also receive our Mythological Heroes Pack. You will adorn the armor of four of the most legendary heroes in Greek Mythology – Perseus, Orion, Odysseus, and Achilles.

Click here to check out the Mythological Heroes gameplay trailer, then pre-order in the final hours you have left to ensure you get this content!

This is: a clip of the King Leonidas multiplayer skin for God of War: Ascension. This is: a timely tie-in with the 2007 film 300. This is: what you get when you pre-order from GameStop. This is: a sigh.

Those who pre-order God of War: Ascension will unlock a few famous mythological characters for multiplayer raging: Achilles, Odysseus, Orion and Perseus. They all come with their own unique weapons, though we half expected Orion to keep his around his waist.

Whether you’re a long-time God of War fan since the game-changing PlayStation 2 original, or have yet to join the legion of Kratos devotees around the world, the long-awaited God of War: Ascension is going to be an unforgettable experience for loyalists and newcomers alike. And for the true God of War fan, the God of War: Ascension Collector’s Edition is destined to be the crown jewel in your game collection come March 12th.

At only $79.99, the Collector’s Edition offers a ton of content at a great price. A beautifully crafted 6” statue of Kratos—a one-of-a-kind collectible that won’t be sold anywhere else—accompanies a premium Steelbook case with the iconic God of War Omega design. Also included is a wealth of digital content: an exclusive PS3 dynamic theme, a PSN Avatar pack, a 48-hour multiplayer mode XP boost, and a Season Pass for all future DLC released for the game. Also included is a voucher to download the official game soundtrack featuring Tyler Bates’ thrilling score to the game, recorded with a full orchestra and choir at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

The Collector’s Edition is nearly sold-out, so be sure to pre-order yours before it’s too late (and to claim your bonus DLC as well).

I’m also excited to share the final “Behind the Scenes” video from our captivating live-action “From Ashes” trailer and TV commercial. This latest installment of our Unchained BTS series offers insight into the full-scale Hollywood production behind bringing Kratos to life, featuring interviews with the minds behind both the game and the trailer.

If you missed the first two BTS videos, be sure to check out the work that went into bringing Kratos and his Spartan army to life.

If you can’t wait until March 12th to get your hands on Kratos’ latest adventure, head to the PlayStation Store right now to download the single-player demo and experience the intense opening of the game. The demo also features bonus video content from the game and more.

"Izzy concepts some of the best boobs in the industry." And that's certainly a prominent feature of the Empusa, one of Kratos' speed-bumps to vengeance in God of War: Ascension. Now, please pardon us while we scrub the sex minigame portion of this video from our minds.

The first God of War (in its HD format) is available now to PlayStation Plus members in Europe for free. The special will last two weeks, concluding on the ides minus two of March. After downloading, the game will remain accessible as long as the console stays a PS Plus member.

The freebie is to promote God of War: Ascension, the "immediate prequel" to the first game. Ascension will launch on the actual ides of March in Europe.

The single-player demo for God of War: Ascension is available now for all users on the PlayStation Network. There's also a launch trailer out for the game, as seen above. Turns out the pre-divine Kratos is just as popular with the ladies as the fully-powered one was. Oh, and he's plenty angry, too.

Champions! We wait to Ascend.

The studio floor is empty and silent. The team that once buzzed with the energy and fervor is now quiet. Full. Satisfied. The countless souls that once labored deep into the night have been dramatically refreshed with sleep… lots and lots of sleep. You see, the Gods have demanded our creation and now there is little we can do but wait. We must abide together until it is unleashed upon the world on March 12.

But waiting is so hard.

What would you give for a glimpse into the future? For a taste of Satyr blood? To unchain Kratos before the world is ready? Would you swear a blood oath to Olympus? Forge a bond with the Gods?

It is a tempting offer…no? Behold the spoils in return for your bond!

We’re thrilled to unleash our God of War: Ascension single-player demo to ALL PlayStation Network users later today. Become Kratos and escape the epic Prison of the Damned. God of War: Ascension’s demo will allow players to explore and master the legendary Spartan’s new advanced combat.

Make your stand against a Titanic beast and its infected legions.
Unleash your Rage in fiery explosions that burn your enemies to ash.
Impale enemies on your chained blades and use them in combat as living wrecking balls.
Wield the weapons of your enemies in countless new combos.
Climb and slide your way through the chaos as the world turns upside down around you.

Want a closer, behind the scenes look at the enhancements and additions you can expect from Ascension’s gameplay? Check out this new entry in our “Unchained” series of videos:

After you’ve played through our demo, or in-between multiple plays, be sure to check out our exclusive section for History’s upcoming scripted original series, Vikings. We’ve packed in some custom video content and an inside look at this exciting new show, which premieres Sunday, March 3 at 10/9c on History.

I also wanted to remind you to check out a legendary Multiplayer DLC weapon we created in partnership with History, inspired by the series Vikings. The legendary “Mjolnir,” or Hammer of Thor, will be included exclusively with all copies of God of War: Ascension purchased at Best Buy. Forged in the fires of Asgard and tempered in glacial ice, Mjolnir will obliterate your enemies with its thunderous might.

The Multiplayer DLC weapon “Mjolnir” Hammer of Thor is a special limited-time offer available only at Best Buy when you purchase God of War: Ascension. Every copy will include a voucher to download the DLC weapon “Mjolnir,” as well as unlock our Mythological Heroes Pack which includes unique armor sets of ancient Greece’s greatest mythological heroes: Achilles, Perseus, Orion and Odysseus.

While we knew a single player demo for God of War: Ascension was coming in late February, we didn't know that February 26 would be the exact date of its arrival. What's more, those that participate in the Rise of the Warrior "social challenge" have the opportunity to gain early access to that demo on February 20.

The social challenge has players picking sides between the Spartans and Trojans, teaming up to net 10 million points first as a team when perusing through an online graphic novel that details the events leading up to the game's story. By completing the riddles contained in the challenge, players also unlock weapon and armor DLC for the game. God of War: Ascension will launch March 12 on PS3.

Those who pre-order God of War: Ascension through Best Buy will be able to wield the mythical hammer, Mjölnir, during multiplayer matches. On top of the hammer, Best Buy pre-orders also net the Mythological Heroes multiplayer DLC pack, a series of characters available for use in multiplayer.

Last month Sony announced a 500GB special edition console bundle with God of War: Ascension, available for $349 on March 12 alongside the launch of Ascension. The bundle also includes every other God of War game ever (minus the mobile game) and a 30-day subscription to Sony's premium PlayStation Plus service.

I have exciting news for God of War fans revolving around a new show coming to HISTORY very soon. God of War is steeped in the rich world of ancient Greek mythology, and soon you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the epic world of the Vikings and Norse mythology with HISTORY’s new original scripted series Vikings.

In a special limited time offer, if you purchase God of War: Ascension at Best Buy, you can bring Vikings into the realm of Kratos with an exclusive multiplayer weapon inspired by the series. While supplies last, every game copy will come with a voucher for the DLC weapon “Mjölnir,” or Hammer of Thor, for use in Ascension’s multiplayer mode. The voucher code will also unlock the Mythological Heroes Multiplayer Pack, which includes four unique armor sets for four of ancient Greece’s greatest mythological heroes: Achilles, Perseus, Orion and Odysseus.

The show follows the story of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), the rumored direct descendant of the Norse god, Odin. Check out the trailer here, and watch the series Sunday nights at 10/9c starting March 3rd. To catch a sneak peek of Vikings, be sure to download the God of War: Ascension demo when it hits the PlayStation Store for exclusive bonus content from the show and from God of War: Ascension.

Hello, fellow Spartans! My name is Ariel Lawrence, and I’m a Producer on God of War: Ascension.

No one can argue that Kratos is angry. With everything that’s happened to him over the years, he has every right to be. He’s killed — either accidentally or intentionally — everyone he’s ever cared about. He’s been lied to, chained up, run through, tortured, and cast into the depths of Hades several times. If I was him, I’d be angry too. Our aim in this installment of Kratos’ story is to try and show a bit more of his humanity. To do this, we incorporated voice over motion capture, or “vo-mocap”, into our cinematic pipeline.

The really exciting part of “vo-mocap” is that it gives our voice actors an opportunity to work together in a scene. Delivery, timing, and efforts all come more naturally because the actors are able to play off of each other. They see how far apart they are from each other physically. They can watch emotions play out on each other’s faces and respond appropriately. They can whisper. The technology we have now is awesome. On the first God of War, we might have been able to show the actors concept art, and possibly a playblast of animation that was in progress. Now we can load up the game environment and the character’s model and rig, and show a rough solve of the actor’s own performance in real time between takes.

Storytelling is what makes us human. It’s how we pass on our history, learn lessons, and process primal feelings like love, anger and sorrow. Storytelling, and its interactive evolution in games, is as necessary to life as breathing. Kratos’ story is filled with rage, but it is also filled with a deep love and painful sorrow. It truly is a privilege and a joy to work with such a talented group of people that make up the God of War family and bring that story to life. I hope you enjoyed this look behind the scenes of God of War: Ascension’s cinematic process!

This video shows the folks at Quantum Creation FX creating Kratos for the God of War: Ascension live-action Super Bowl commercial. If you're sick of eating buffalo wings after watching the finished ad, kick back, grab a burrito and watch this trailer and the other making-of video.

Back by popular demand: The PlayStation Campus Tour is hitting the road again for the Spring semester and we’re going bigger and better than ever. Starting next Monday, we will be crashing college campuses across the country for 11 weeks, bringing you new and unreleased games, daily tournaments, tons of giveaways, exclusive discounts on PlayStation products and a whole lot more! If that doesn’t have you salivating yet, take a look at some of the titles we will be featuring throughout the tour:

On top of that, you can get hands-on with some awesome PSN titles like Guacamelee, Ibb and Obb, and Runner 2! And that’s just a taste of what’s to come. We will be adding more of this year’s biggest and most anticipated PS3 and PS Vita games to the lineup over the course of the tour.

If you’re the competitive type, you can test your skills in our daily God of War: Ascension speed run challenge, PlayStation All-Stars tournament, or represent your school in the MLB 13 Move Home Run Derby. And you don’t have to compete to win. There will be plenty of ways to take home some genuine PlayStation goodness – like the God of War: Ascension Legacy Bundle with the Garnet Red PS3, the Classic White PS3 Instant Game Collection Bundle or the PlayStation Vita Instant Game Collection Bundle. To make a long story short, if you play something on the PlayStation Campus Tour, you’ll have the chance to win it. That red PS3 would look awfully good in your dorm room, wouldn’t it?

Finally, everybody who RSVPs on Facebook and shows up will receive a one-month PlayStation Plus trial and their choice of an exclusive, unique discount code that can be redeemed for some serious savings on various PlayStation products.

When we announced the last PlayStation On Campus Tour, many of you voiced that you wanted to see more love for West coast schools – well, ask and you shall receive! This time around we made sure to include some great schools along the Golden Coast in the schedule. Here is a list of the first 11 out of over 40 stops on our tour:

Date School Facebook Page February 11 – 12 University of Arkansas – Fayetteville RSVP Here February 14 – 15 University of Nevada – Las Vegas RSVP Here February 14 – 15 Oklahoma State University RSVP Here February 18 – 19 University of Oklahoma RSVP Here February 20 – 21 Cameron University RSVP Here Feb. 28 – March 1 Eastern New Mexico University RSVP Here March 4 – 5 University of California – Berkeley RSVP Here March 4 – 5 University of New Mexico RSVP Here March 13 – 15 Portland State University RSVP Here March 18 – 19 Oregon State University RSVP Here March 20 – 21 California State University – San Marcos RSVP Here March 25 – 26 San Diego State University RSVP Here March 25 – 26 Weber State University RSVP Here

Don’t forget to RSVP to your school on Facebook for detailed info and free PlayStation prizes. If you don’t see your school on the list yet, be sure to check the PlayStation Campus Tour page for updates regularly because we will be adding colleges to the tour frequently. We will also be announcing new stops through @HeyPlayStation on Twitter as they get added.

Tell us which games you’re most excited to play in the comments below, or give us suggestions on what additional schools you think we should go to. Who knows, maybe we’ll drop by! We look forward to seeing all of your game faces on the road.

By now, I’m sure you’ve caught the God of War: Ascension “From Ashes” live action trailer we debuted last Friday, and if you haven’t, you need to go watch it right now! You may have even caught the 60-second version air during the online live stream of the Super Bowl this past Sunday.

This trailer has been a labor of love for all of us here, and based on the comments and feedback on YouTube and elsewhere, all of the effort was well worth it. I’m very excited to share with you a couple of behind-the-scenes videos that show a glimpse of what went into bringing the world of Kratos to life.

Kratos is not an easy man to replicate in the flesh. This first video shows how we transformed our talented, and extremely buff, actor Brandon White, into the legendary Spartan General. A lot of work went into making sure his tattoo, armor, costume and ash make-up looked just right. Add this to an amazing performance, and the Ghost of Sparta is no longer just an angry, rage filled monster, but a full embodiment of the humanity of Kratos.

This second video shows how we transformed 10 men into the massive army you see in the trailer — special attention went into making sure their armor was as realistic and accurate as possible.

I hope you enjoy this inside look. We have another deeper look at the making of the “From Ashes” trailer, including interviews with Game Director Todd Papy and more, coming later this month, so watch this space for more.

Stay tuned here on PS.Blog, and on the God of War Facebook page to stay up to date with the latest news, updates and trailers coming for God of War: Ascension as we get closer to March 12th, when you’ll finally get to take home the latest installment of God of War. I hope you have your standard or Collector’s Edition pre-ordered already, because this game is going to be epic.

Set before the events of the original God of War, God of War: Ascension is set up as a sort of origin story for the perennially tortured Spartan general Kratos. A sequence early in the game even depicts how Kratos first earned those iconic Blades of Chaos. Watching that scene, I couldn’t help but flash back to the genesis of Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk, two other social misfits who transcended a personal tragedy to become living legends.

But God of War: Ascension isn’t some dry history lesson. The game begins in the Prison of the Damned, a sprawling structure honeycombed around the body of a vast creature called Hecatonchires, who possesses nearly as many arms as his name has syllables. Sentenced to eternal damnation for turning his back on Ares, Kratos manages to escape his shackles. The newly freed Kratos wastes no time in pursuing his captors, a group of sadistic bounty hunters called the Furies, with predictably antisocial results.

“Grapple an enemy and Kratos will snare him like a fish on a hook”

Based on my hands-on time with the game’s first minutes, one of Ascension’s biggest accomplishments is the way it thoughtfully refines and rethinks the series’ time-tested combat foundation. Case in point: In prior God of War games, pressing R1 made Kratos reach out to throw a nearby enemy, a sluggish and risky move with limited application. Ascension wisely replaces this with a more versatile long-range grapple, and the results are just splendid. Grapple an enemy and Kratos will snare him like a fish on a hook, leaving you free to hack away with your remaining blade, hurl him at an enemy, or bound forward to deliver a head-splitting shoulder ram. You can use the grapple on the ground, in mid air, or as part of a juggle combo — it’s always a delight. God of War veterans will surely find ways to integrate the grapple into bewildering new combos, but you don’t need to be an expert to see that it grants a faster, more fluid feel to every battle.

God of War: Ascension surprises in other ways too — especially its more dynamic approach to pacing. One thrilling sequence sees Kratos sliding at breakneck speed down the side of a collapsing fortress while dodging ramparts and rubble; in another, Kratos takes a slow, tense stroll through a gloomy prison block. Certain series mainstays have also been rethought or re-envisioned in the name of accessibility. For example, the series’ trademark QTE button-tapping minigames have been de-emphasized in favor of more fluid, responsive close-combat mechanic. And the final game will see Kratos imbue his Blades of Chaos with different elemental properties, from fire and ice to black magic and more, rather than swapping between different weapons. It’s all in the name of smoother, more integrated combat.

“Hecatonchires lifts, rotates, and smashes the very rooms you’re fighting in.”

Then there are the smaller visual flourishes, like the way Kratos angles his slashes towards the face of a towering Cyclops rather than hacking at its knees as in past games. Or the way the camerawork effortlessly frames the action from the most dramatic and intimate perspective possible.

Ascension’s boss battles are also shaping up to be predictably jaw-dropping set pieces. The first big tussle with the many-armed Hecatonchires is a technological stunner that pits you against swarms of glistening parasites in addition to the big man himself. The environment here is as much of a character as your foe, as Hecatonchires lifts, rotates, and smashes the very rooms you’re fighting in. It’s a feast for the senses and a powerful affirmation of PS3′s continued technical prowess.

Have any questions regarding my hands-on experiences with God of War: Ascension? Leave them in the comments below!

#preview By now, we've all heard how God of War: Ascension will finally allow fans to free friends of their entrails via an online multi-player mode. What we haven't heard, however, is how Kratos will retain his reputation as gaming's most pissed-off protagonist in the title's single-player story mode. This was remedied at a recent Sony media event, where I learned the Ghost of Sparta's also got some new tricks tucked into his loin cloth. More »

If you’re an ardent PlayStation fan, you’ve no doubt seen the teasers. Today, I’m extremely excited to share the final, full-length version of our “From Ashes” live action trailer for God of War: Ascension, featuring a special arrangement of Ellie Goulding’s “Hanging On.” This is just about the biggest production we’ve ever undertaken for a God of War commercial or trailer — or for any PS3 game for that matter. We are very proud of how it turned out, and we hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Everyone knows Kratos has anger management issues; he will stop at nothing to get revenge on Ares and all of the gods that have betrayed him. In God of War 1-3, **SPOILER ALERT** we got to experience Kratos’ quest for vengeance as he took down Ares, and literally climbed his way to the top of Olympus to defeat Zeus himself. God of War: Ascension, however, is set before the first God of War game. Through the course of the story, we get to see a more human side of Kratos as he deals with the pain and loss of having just lost everything he has ever loved. We worked closely with Imaginary Forces, the creative minds behind some of the gorgeous cutscenes in Ascension and some of the past God of War games, and Santa Monica Studio to bring Kratos and his family to life, paying careful attention to each minute detail.

If you are like most other red-blooded Americans, you’re probably going to be watching the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. If you happen to watch the game streaming online—an increasingly popular way to enjoy the big game—or have it streaming as your second-screen info source for the game, you’ll be able to catch a unique one-minute version of the trailer airing during the Super Bowl live stream.

If the recent single-player gameplay video left you hungry for more news about the epic single campaign waiting for you in the game, you are in luck. That was just the tip of the iceberg. We hosted a media event last night with a bunch of the top gaming media in the country to show off the first half hour or so of the game. Watch for their in-depth impressions to start popping up online today.

In the meantime, here are a couple of brand-new screenshots from the single player campaign. Look for more screens of your favorite Spartan warrior in the online preview coverage, along with playthrough videos of the spectacular opening of the game showing some brand new attacks, areas, enemies and more.

If that wasn’t enough reason to go out and pre-order, don’t forget that you’ll be able to sample the next PS3-exclusive from Naughty Dog, creators of the amazing Uncharted series, before anyone else. If you hadn’t heard yet, there will be an exclusive-access demo of The Last of Us that will only be accessible via God of War: Ascension’s main menu prior to the launch of TLOU.

#ps3 A red version of the new slimline PS3, first revealed in Japan earlier this month, will be coming to the US as part of a God of War: Ascension bundle. More »

The Garnet Red version of the new super slim PS3, recently announced for Japan and Europe, is heading to North America as well, as the centerpiece of a God of War: Ascension bundle.

Along with the red 500GB PS3 (chosen as a nod to Kratos' tattoo, though "monster blood" could also be evoked), the $349 bundle comes with a copy of Ascension, as well as the God of War Saga collection, which includes every other God of War game. 30 days of PlayStation Plus are also thrown in.

The package comes out March 12, concurrent with Ascension. It seems like a great deal if you don't have a PS3 and have been eager to try devote your life to God of War.

We have some exciting news, fellow Spartans! In celebration of God of War: Ascension hitting stores March 12th and to commemorate one of our most popular and epic franchises, we’re releasing a limited edition God of War: Ascension Legacy Bundle for our die-hard fans!

This bundle comes complete with a 500GB Garnet Red PlayStation 3 system, the entire God of War storyline including God of War: Ascension and God of War Saga (which includes all five of the previous games from the franchise) and a 30-day PlayStation Plus trial membership. You can get your hands on this collector’s bundle when it hits stores on March 12th.

The Limited Edition God of War: Ascension Legacy Bundle is a must-have for series fans. You can experience Kratos’ epic story with a stunning Garnet Red PS3 system, whose color is inspired by Kratos’ signature tattoo. The 500GB of storage is perfect for all of your games, movies, music, photos and more.

The complete God of War game collection allows fans to relive their favorite series moments with the God of War Saga, which includes God of War, God of War II, God of War III, and God of War: Origins Collection, comprised of God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

The collection also includes God of War: Ascension, the newest addition to the franchise and a prequel story that introduces fans to a Kratos they’ve never known before. Ascension boasts a host of enhancements to the single-player experience, with new gameplay mechanics and combat systems, and also offers the franchise’s very first multiplayer experience.

Let us know what you think of this bundle in the comments below. Will you be picking it up?

In just a few short months, The Last of Us will launch and put the fate of Joel and Ellie into your hands, as they embark on a brutal journey across a post-pandemic United States.

May 7th, 2013 might seem like a long way away, so to help assuage the excruciating wait we’re announcing today that players who pick up God of War: Ascension will be able to get their hands on a demo of The Last of Us when it becomes available at a later date.

We teamed up with the development crew at Santa Monica Studio to include access to a chapter of The Last of Us in every copy of God of War: Ascension, so you won’t have to wait too long to get your hands on two of the biggest games of the year. Just load the God of War: Ascension disc into your PS3 and find The Last of Us listing on the main menu. There, you’ll find details on how you can obtain The Last of Us demo for free as soon as it becomes available.

We hope you’re as excited about this news as we are, and we know what’s likely on your mind now — what will you be able to play? We’ll have more news about what’s in store for you after God of War: Ascension launches in March. We hope your wait just got a little easier!

#godofwar Wait, God of War: Ascension is having an open multiplayer beta? Holy smokes, no one told me until now. But it's for real, it's open to all PlayStation Network users (Plus and otherwise) in North and South America, and will last through tomorrow (3 a.m. Tuesday EST, as the beta closes midnight PST.) More »

A "full-fledged" single-player demo for God of War: Ascension is coming in late February, according to a recent PlayStation blog. With the multiplayer beta scheduled to end next week, fans only have the above 30-second teaser trailer to watch for the next month in preparation for the game's March 12 release date.

Unless you bought the Total Recall remake film on Blu-ray of course, which came with the E3 single-player demo that is exclusive through 3/8/13. While we'd assume those are two different demos by virtue of February and March being two different months, we've contacted Sony to be sure.

Update: God of War: Ascension's closed multiplayer beta testing initiative is officially open to all PSN users for the duration of the holiday weekend, Sony has informed us. Get in on that action by clicking here.