This is particularly brutal on the player, and may even put more casual fans off.
#GOD OF WAR ASCENSION RATING TRIAL#
Checkpoints are liberally sprinkled about so dying (and you will, a lot, this is also probably the most difficult game in the series to date) isn’t as frustrating… until you get to the much talked about Trial of Archimedes. I like the fact that you don’t have to actively save. If you enjoy wanton carnage then you’re most likely pumping your fist when a gorgon gets cut in half the long way or a gigantic elephant enforcer is lobotomized. This is naturally helped by the high level of graphical fidelity, but it’s still difficult not to wince when the Blades of Chaos do their work… unless your sick in the head like me. We get that you are going for a sense of scale, but that can be accomplished with swooping camera angles (another series staple) then zooming in on the action, not the other way around.īelieve it or not, this is probably the most brutal God of War to date. But when the action is so far away you can’t tell who Kratos is in the muddle of bad guys and whirling blades, it takes away from the very thing you are trying to get us to notice. How can you go too big in God of War? We’ve battled on the backs of titans scaling Olympus for heaven’s sake. But while the graphics are still some of the best out there, in too many cases the scale is simply too big. The lighting in particular is stunning, as are the texture effects. Graphically, God of War: Ascension maintains the high level we have come to expect. As always, it’s wise to save your magic for those moments when you really need it. Long time fans know that collecting enough red orbs to power everything is virtually impossible in one playthrough, but I didn’t even see two of the magic attacks. The problem is that the actual area-of-effect magic attacks are only available at the top of each skill tree.
There are different moves, combos, and magic to unlock. Rather than a slew of underused secondary weapons, Santa Monica Studios tied each elemental attack (fire for Ares, lightning for Zeus and so on) to the Blades of Chaos. The new magic system is cool, if inherently flawed. I remember at one point I got past a particularly difficult section (mostly by luck) on the first try only to die shortly thereafter… then I was stuck back on the first bit for entirely too long!
This isn’t limited to quick time events either, but rather platforming elements that come at you so fast that you need to learn the correct path by trial and error rather than skill. Previous entries have been hindered by similar issues, but Ascension borders on genuine frustration. It also seems like in too many areas you are doomed to die until you learn the pattern. Proactive use of your built-up rage is critical in keeping an upper hand in corralling the multitude of foes that are thrown at you at any one time. The problem is that, for the first time in the series, these tend to feel repeated rather than organic and fluid. This is important because Ascension eschews some of the bigger boss fights we’ve come to know and love in favor of more arena style combat against swarms of enemies. It’s harder to fill up your rage meter and, more annoyingly, it doesn’t last nearly as long as it should. However, there have been a few minor tweaks worth mentioning. It’s a tried and true formula that has worked so far but again, we’ve been doing this for six games running.
Long time fans will feel immediately at home spinning the Blades of Chaos, building up Kratos’ rage to unleash different combos, using area clearing magic when things get too intense, and then finishing them off with a savage quick time event. Unfortunately, it hasn’t evolved much either. No game makes you feel more badass than God of War. The combat is as satisfying and brutal as we have come to expect. We know what has to happen for the rest of the series to make sense that is the inherent difficulty with prequels. I think everyone was hoping for more of a catharsis style understanding of our anti-hero. Sadly, Kratos’ character isn’t really developed any further either.
Unfortunately, they simply don’t hold the same panache as Zeus or Poseidon. The Furies, immortal sisters neither god nor titan but punishers of oath breakers, are now the enemy. Another issue is with the story, which is close to non-existent.
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