God of War: Ascension is a 2013 action-adventure game created by Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It was launched in March 2013 and is the seventh game in the God of War series, but the second in the order of events. Based on Greek mythology, the game takes place in ancient Greece and focuses on the theme of revenge. The player controls Kratos, a former servant of Ares, the God of War. Ares tricked Kratos into killing his wife and daughter. After this tragedy, Kratos stopped serving Ares and broke his oath to the god. As punishment, Kratos was imprisoned and tortured by the Furies, who are guardians of honor and punish wrongdoing. With the help of Orkos, a guardian of oaths, Kratos escaped and fought the Furies to free himself from his bond to Ares.
The game’s gameplay is similar to earlier titles, with combat centered on combining attacks using the Blades of Chaos and other weapons obtained through the World Weapons system. It includes quick time events and a new system that allows players to act without prompts. Players can use four magical attacks and a power-boosting ability during combat. The game also includes puzzles, platforming challenges, and new combat mechanics not seen before. It was the first God of War game to include multiplayer, which is online-only and offers both competitive and cooperative modes. Between October 2012 and March 2013, an online graphic novel titled Rise of the Warrior was available as a prequel story connected to the game’s single-player and multiplayer modes. Ascension was the last God of War game based on Greek mythology until the 2026 release of Sons of Sparta. The series shifted to Norse mythology with the 2018 game God of War and its 2022 sequel Ragnarök. Christopher Judge replaced Terrence C. Carson as the voice actor for Kratos.
Critics gave God of War: Ascension mostly positive reviews, praising its gameplay and visual style as true to the series. However, the story was considered less engaging than earlier games. The multiplayer mode received mixed feedback: while gameplay translated well, some reviewers found the combat balance and depth lacking. The game sold fewer copies than its predecessor, with over 3 million units sold. It did not win any awards but received several nominations, including "Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing" at the Writers Guild of America Videogame Awards and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences award for "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design."
Gameplay
In both the single-player and multiplayer modes of God of War: Ascension, the game is played from a fixed third-person camera view. Some scenes in the single-player story use a first-person camera. In single-player, the player controls Kratos, who fights enemies using combos, jumps, climbs, and solves puzzles. Enemies include creatures from Greek mythology, such as cyclopes, centaurs, and harpies, as well as new monsters like juggernauts and manticores. These enemies also appear in multiplayer. Platforming tasks involve climbing walls, jumping across gaps, and sliding down surfaces. Puzzles range from simple to complex.
Kratos' main weapon is the Blades of Chaos, two short swords attached to chains. A new feature called the World Weapon system lets Kratos pick up weapons like swords, clubs, or shields from the environment or defeated enemies. Only one World Weapon can be used at a time. If no World Weapon is equipped, Kratos can punch or kick enemies. Another feature allows Kratos to tether enemies, holding one in place while attacking others or throwing them.
Four magical powers are available: Fire of Ares, Ice of Poseidon, Lightning of Zeus, and Soul of Hades. These powers change the Blades of Chaos' abilities, such as creating purple flames or letting Kratos breathe underwater. The Rage ability, which was in earlier games, is activated automatically when Kratos lands enough attacks. It ends if Kratos stops fighting or is hit. Magic affects the type of Rage attacks used, like lightning-based strikes.
Three relics are needed for progress: the Amulet of Uroborus, which lets Kratos repair or break objects; the Oath Stone of Orkos, which creates a shadow copy of Kratos to help solve puzzles; and the Eyes of Truth, which reveal illusions and blind enemies. A new system lets players attack or dodge based on enemy actions, rather than following prompts. When enemies are weakened, players can jump on their backs to make them attack others.
Extra features include ten hidden artifacts that give new abilities in New Game Plus, such as unlimited magic. Players can change Kratos' costume in this mode, but trophies are not available. A new feature called "Chapter Select" lets players replay levels from the main menu. Behind-the-scenes videos are now accessible without finishing the game.
God of War: Ascension is the first game in the series with multiplayer, which is online-only and supports up to eight players. Each player controls a warrior, like Kratos, who is imprisoned in the Prison of the Damned. Warriors choose to side with one of four gods: Ares, Hades, Zeus, or Poseidon. Each god gives different combat styles: Ares focuses on close combat, Zeus on magic, Poseidon on teamwork, and Hades on stealth and lifesteal. Players can create four warriors, one for each god.
Players earn experience points (XP) to level up their warrior, unlocking new abilities, armor, and weapons. Completing "Labors" (challenges from gods) rewards items. During matches, players gain buffs or debuffs, and their character flashes colors to show special effects. A feature called "Ascension" lets players reset their progress at Level 40 and earn powerful items.
There are five multiplayer modes: Team Favor of the Gods (teams earn points by killing enemies or capturing objects), Match of Champions (a deathmatch for up to eight players), Trial of the Gods (a co-op mode with waves of enemies), Capture the Flag (teams steal flags), and Bout of Honor (a one-on-one fight). Most multiplayer maps are based on locations from previous God of War games.
Synopsis
God of War: Ascension takes place in a different version of ancient Greece, where Olympian gods, Titans, and other figures from Greek mythology live. The story happens between the games Sons of Sparta (2026) and Chains of Olympus (2008), six months after Kratos killed his family and 10 years before the original God of War (2005). The game’s story spans four weeks, switching between the present (the fourth week) and the past (the first three weeks), with the player controlling Kratos during both time periods. Locations explored include the Prison of the Damned, the village Kirra, the city Delphi, and the island Delos.
The Prison of the Damned is a large prison built by the Furies to hold oath-breakers. Kirra is a deserted village that lost its water supply after its water wheel and aqueduct were destroyed. Only monsters and a Harbor Master, who guides ships in and out of the port, remain in the village. Delphi is a snowy mountain area north of Kirra, featuring the Tower of Delphi. After activating three large mechanical pythons, the Tower leads to the Temple of Delphi, home to the Oracle. Delos has a giant statue of Apollo, built by the inventor Archimedes to honor the god.
The game’s main character is Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson), a Spartan warrior who broke his blood oath to Ares after being tricked into killing his family by his former master. The main antagonists are the three Furies: Megaera (Nika Futterman), Tisiphone (Debi Mae West), and Alecto (Jennifer Hale). The Furies are guardians of honor and punish traitors. They were created during a long war between the Primordials, the beings who created Earth. Other characters include Orkos (Troy Baker), the oath keeper and son of Ares and Alecto, who was disowned by Ares; Aletheia (Adrienne Barbeau), the Oracle of Delphi with prophetic sight; the corrupted Prophet Castor (David W. Collins) and his twin Pollux (Brad Grusnick), who took control of the Oracle; and the Scribe of Hecatonchires (Robin Atkin Downes), a mortal imprisoned by the Furies who keeps records to stay sane. Kratos’ wife, Lysandra (Jennifer Hale), and his daughter, Calliope, appear in an illusion created by Alecto. The King of Sparta (Crispin Freeman) and the Village Oracle (Susan Blakeslee) appear in an illusion created by Tisiphone with the help of her familiar, Daemon.
In the multiplayer mode, Zeus (Corey Burton), Ares (Steven Blum), Poseidon (Gideon Emery), and Hades (Fred Tatasciore) appear as statues at the Rotunda of Olympus. Players choose one god to align with, and the chosen god communicates with the player during gameplay. Castor and Pollux, the demigod Hercules, the Titan cyclops Polyphemus, the Gorgon Stheno, and the giant scorpion Skorpius also appear in the multiplayer mode as bosses or obstacles.
After breaking his oath to Ares, Kratos is haunted by visions of his past. In the village of Kirra, he meets Orkos, who tells him the visions are tricks from the Furies and instructs him to find the Oracle of Delphi. At the Temple of Delphi, Kratos defeats Castor and Pollux, who tried to kill the Oracle. Before dying, the Oracle tells Kratos to retrieve the Eyes of Truth from Delos. Kratos takes the Amulet of Uroborus from the dead Castor and Pollux and travels to Kirra’s harbor, where Orkos reveals that Ares wanted a perfect warrior to help overthrow Zeus. Orkos became the oath keeper but did not question the Furies until Ares tricked Kratos into killing his family. Kratos then takes a ship to Delos.
A week later, Kratos arrives at Delos and explores the ruined statue of Apollo. He is attacked by the Furies and captured. Orkos frees Kratos and gives him an Oath Stone, explaining that he and Aletheia tried to warn Zeus about Ares and the Furies’ plan. In retaliation, the Furies took the Oracle’s eyes, which Kratos seeks. Kratos restores the statue using the Amulet of Uroborus and retrieves the eyes. After completing the Trials of Archimedes, Kratos is captured by the Furies, who take all his items.
Kratos is imprisoned and tortured for three weeks. He escapes and discovers the prison is Aegaeon the Hecatonchires, the first traitor of the Furies, who was turned into the prison as punishment. Kratos defeats Megaera, one of the Furies, and retrieves the Amulet of Uroborus. Tisiphone and her familiar, Daemon, create another illusion, which Kratos overcomes to retrieve Orkos’ Oath Stone. The Scribe of Hecatonchires reveals the Furies were originally fair but became ruthless because of Ares. Kratos reaches Alecto’s Chamber but is lured into an illusion of his wife and daughter. Alecto tries to convince Kratos to join Ares, but he refuses. After a battle, Kratos breaks the Furies’ illusions and kills them, destroying the prison.
Kratos returns to Sparta, where Orkos praises his victory but reveals Kratos must kill him to break Ares’ bond. Orkos begs for an honorable death, which would free them both. Kratos initially refuses but eventually kills Orkos. Afterward, Kratos experiences nightmares and begins his path to redemption through service to Olympus. He burns his house with Orkos’ body inside and leaves, starting his journey to become a champion of the gods.
Development
In January 2010, John Hight, the studio director from Santa Monica, told a video-gaming blog called Joystiq that "while God of War III will end the trilogy, it won't end the franchise" and said, "We will be very careful about what we do next." From April 2011 to April 2012, several sources claimed that a fourth main game in the series would be released in 2012 and would include an online component. On April 12, 2012, Sony shared a teaser image on its official PlayStation Facebook page. The game was officially announced on April 19, but Amazon shared details about the announcement the day before. The trailer introduced Todd Papy, who had worked on previous God of War games, as the new game director. David Jaffe confirmed that Stig Asmussen, the director of God of War III, was not returning for this game because he was working on another project. The trailer was narrated by Linda Hunt and mentioned a time before Kratos became the Ghost of Sparta. The game was officially named God of War: Ascension. Papy explained that the title was not God of War IV because the game is a prequel, not a sequel, to the trilogy. The name was chosen to match the story and the new multiplayer mode, where players "ascend" from an unknown hero to a god.
The game uses an updated version of the God of War III engine, allowing online multiplayer battles for up to eight players. Papy said Kratos and other gods were not included as playable characters in multiplayer to avoid confusion and to balance the game. He also explained that no female characters were in the multiplayer mode because all characters were based on Kratos' animation model. The first multiplayer demonstration showed a mode called "Team Favor of the Gods" on a map called the Desert of Lost Souls, featuring the Titan Polyphemus. Multiplayer was discussed for earlier games but never added because past directors believed God of War was meant for single-player only. For Ascension, the team decided to include multiplayer after testing a simple version with two Kratoses, which was fun for testers.
Adding multiplayer to an established single-player game was a challenge. Santa Monica wanted to avoid criticism for poor multiplayer, so they hired new staff with expertise in multiplayer design and engineering. However, the team underestimated the work required, leading to delays. Changes to the game's code for online play caused further delays. Local co-op was considered but not used. The team finalized the multiplayer mode shortly before their first public demonstration. Development time was split between single-player and multiplayer, with single-player receiving less attention during early multiplayer testing.
David Jaffe, the creator of the original God of War, spoke with NowGamer before the game's announcement. He said he would have included different myths, a co-star, and ideas inspired by another game series if he had worked on Ascension. He also suggested a cooperative mode where Kratos teams up with a sidekick who later meets a tragic fate. In May 2012, Jaffe told IGN that the multiplayer mode looked promising and that the team had the skills to make it work.
At Sony's 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the North American release date was set for March 12, 2013. A single-player demo showed new combat mechanics and a fight with the sea monster Charybdis, which was later removed. Charybdis was later used as a creature in the final battle. Papy confirmed a collector's edition would be released, but stereoscopic 3D was cut from the game. At Gamescom 2012, new multiplayer footage and a beta test were announced.
At the 2012 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), Todd Papy and other developers discussed Ascension and the evolution of Kratos. The Fury Megaera was revealed, and new combat systems were described. Papy mentioned that Artemis, a goddess, was considered as a playable character but was cut. Artemis would have been half-human and half-feline.
During development, engineers noted that the God of War III engine limited creativity, so they improved it by increasing the number of UV sets for characters like Kratos. This allowed more detailed textures and environments. While Ascension did not have dramatic graphical improvements over its predecessor, it focused on refining visuals and adding dynamic lighting. Particle effects were also improved to give artists more control.
Actors Terrence C. Carson, Linda Hunt, Corey Burton, Gideon Emery, Steven Blum, and Kevin Sorbo returned to voice characters in the game.
Soundtrack
The original soundtrack for God of War: Ascension was composed by Tyler Bates. It was released on iTunes on March 5, 2013, by SCE and La-La Land Records. The soundtrack was included as downloadable content (DLC) in the God of War: Ascension – Collector's Edition and Special Edition. On October 15, the soundtrack was made available for free on PlayStation Network (PSN) for a limited time. A unique feature of the Ascension soundtrack was that it was created by only one composer, unlike previous God of War games, which had multiple composers. Tyler Bates previously worked on the film 300 and the game Rise of the Argonauts. Bates explained that his goal was to create music that reflected the dark, ancient setting of God of War while exploring new ideas within the "sword and sandals" genre. Even though the game’s story follows a single path, Bates treated the project like scoring a novel rather than a movie. He did not play any earlier God of War games to avoid being influenced by their music. The soundtrack was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and includes solo vocal performances by Rafe Pearlman and Ciscandra Nostalghia.
Emily McMillan of Game Music Online reviewed the album and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. She noted that Bates used techniques such as combining a sudden increase in volume (crescendo) with a sliding musical effect (glissando) to heighten the drama of the game. All themes in the soundtrack are based on a specific type of musical scale called the harmonic minor scale. On the track "Warriors’ Truth," Bates reused a main theme from God of War but changed it to fit the prequel’s setting by reversing the scale’s direction and adding harsh choir and brass sounds. The track "Visions of Ruin" includes the cimbalom, an instrument rarely used in video game music. McMillan described the music as powerful and rich but noted that listening to the entire album might feel repetitive at times.
Release
At E3 2012, a demo of the single-player mode was shown. It included new gameplay features and combat systems. The demo introduced a redesigned quick time event mini-game. This version replaced some button prompts with a new, free-form system that did not use prompts. It also showed the World Weapons mechanic. Kratos was shown swinging opponents through the air while attacking. Other new features included the Fire of Ares magic and the "Life Cycle" mechanic. New enemies, such as the juggernaut and the sea beast Charybdis, were shown. However, Charybdis was not in the final game. The E3 2012 demo was included with early copies of the "Director's Cut" Blu-ray edition and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack versions of the film Total Recall, which were released on December 18, 2012. On February 26, 2013, a new single-player demo titled Prison of the Damned was released on the PlayStation Store. Participants in the Rise of the Warrior social challenge who were on the Spartan team received access to the demo on February 20. The demo includes the first 30 minutes of the single-player mode.
God of War: Ascension was released in North America on March 12, 2013. It was released in mainland Europe and PAL regions on March 13, in Australia and New Zealand on March 14, and in the UK and Ireland on March 15. On October 15, 2013, the game was released as a digital download on the PlayStation Store in North America. The digital version was released in Europe and Australia on October 23, and in Japan and Asia on October 31. On September 24, 2014, the game became available to play on Sony's PlayStation Now streaming service.
The marketing campaign for God of War: Ascension initially focused on its multiplayer feature. Between October 22, 2012, and the game's release, four multiplayer trailers were released. Each trailer showed one of the gods players could align with and highlighted abilities from those gods. On December 12, 2012, a multiplayer trailer titled "Evil Ways" was released, featuring Polyphemus. The first single-player trailer since April 2012 came on January 19, 2013. A live action trailer titled "From Ashes" featuring a remix of "Hanging On" by Ellie Goulding was shown during Super Bowl XLVII. This was followed by the last single-player trailer on February 26.
On June 4, 2012, Santa Monica Studio announced the release of God of War: Ascension – Collector's Edition, available for a limited time in North America. The package included a 6-inch statue of Kratos, a premium SteelBook game case, and exclusive downloadable content (DLC) available via the PlayStation Network (PSN). The DLC included the official game soundtrack, a PS3 dynamic XrossMediaBar (XMB) theme, a PSN avatar pack, 48 hours of double XP for multiplayer, and a Season Pass to unlock all future DLC weapons and armor at no extra cost. On August 30, 2012, the Collector's Edition was released in Europe. A Special Edition was also released in Europe at the same price as the standard edition. It included the SteelBook case and DLC from the Collector's Edition, but not the Season Pass. A Legacy Bundle included Ascension, the God of War Saga, a one-month PlayStation Plus subscription, and a 500 GB garnet red PS3. In the UK, an exclusive PS3 bundle was released, featuring a white 500 GB PS3, the Special Edition of Ascension, and a special DualShock 3 controller.
Pre-orders for the Collector's Edition began on June 4, 2012, in North America. Retailers offered the "Mythological Heroes Multiplayer DLC Pack" as a bonus for pre-ordering the standard or Collector's Edition. The DLC pack included armors for Achilles, Odysseus, Orion, and Perseus. GameStop also offered an exclusive pre-order bonus: the armor and spear of King Leonidas, as seen in the 2007 film 300, for use in multiplayer mode, and a double-sided poster. Best Buy included the multiplayer weapon Mjölnir (the Hammer of Thor), inspired by the TV series Vikings, as DLC with all copies of the game. Walmart offered the Blade of Judgment multiplayer weapon as an exclusive pre-order bonus. All copies of God of War: Ascension included early access to a demo of The Last of Us. In North America, all copies included a voucher to download characters Zeus and Isaac Clarke for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
Rise of the Warrior was a graphic novel by Marianne Krawczyk with art by Christopher Shy. It was only available on GodofWar.com and served as a prequel to Ascension’s single-player and multiplayer modes. The story had 20 chapters released from October 2012 to March 2013. It also included a social experience during that time. Players were aligned with either the Spartans or the Trojans and competed in challenges to earn points, such as answering questions and solving riddles. The first challenge gave the winning team a week of exclusive access to the multiplayer beta test, which started on December 12. The
Reception
God of War: Ascension received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. Critics praised the core gameplay and visual effects but criticized the lack of new ideas and had mixed opinions about the additional multiplayer mode. Alex Simmons of IGN said the redesigned combat system adds depth: "Learning how to use each power effectively … provides a strategic lifeline when there's no energy re-gen chest nearby." Although he found the World Weapons useful at first, he felt they became unnecessary after upgrading the Blades of Chaos. Simmons described the magic system as a "positive step" because players cannot rely on magic as much as in previous games, which encourages them "to think wisely about where to allocate experience points rather than being the ultimate badass from the outset."
Combat and new gameplay mechanics were well-received. Dale North of Destructoid said, "God of War has never looked or played better than this," and Xav de Matos of Joystiq noted that the combat is simpler than in God of War III and rarely required adjustments. Opinions on difficulty varied. Simmons felt most gameplay was balanced and that Ascension "is probably the easiest" in the series, but both he and Hollander Cooper of GamesRadar said some areas, like the Trials of Archimedes, were too difficult. Simmons felt that in some sections, the many enemies made dying feel "cheap and frustrating," and Cooper said some points in the game "[test] your patience, rather than your skills—including one [the Trials] that's easily the most difficult section in any God of War game to date, for all the wrong reasons."
Both Simmons and Matos criticized the story. Simmons said the narrative is "meticulously delivered" but "felt a bit incidental," and compared the Furies to Zeus and Ares, saying they "don't quite cut it." Matos criticized the plot framing and narrative structure as "too chaotic," arguing that "the narrative fabric woven throughout the franchise has begun to split" and that Ascension "does little to enhance its characters in any meaningful way." He praised the game for providing the "distinct God of War flair" known to the series.
Cooper praised the enhanced graphics engine as "not only the best the franchise has seen, but some of the most impressive on the PlayStation 3," and was impressed by Kratos' foes. North agreed, saying "there's a shine and polish that runs throughout the game that makes it a perfect send-off for the PS3," noting improved textures, animations, and lighting. The review from Edge magazine also positively reviewed the graphics but had some frustrations with the visual approach, such as some camera angles.
Matos was broadly critical of the multiplayer mode but noted some elements, like the maps, were well-designed. He disliked the connection to the single-player mode, calling it "a weird narrative tie-in," and said the multiplayer experience "may be too chaotic to enrapture a large audience … it doesn't feel deep enough to command much more than a furiously dedicated fan following." Simmons was more positive, saying the multiplayer mode is "a genuinely fresh addition … that successfully carries over many of the hallmarks of the much-loved single-player [game]." He favored Team Favor of the Gods as his favorite mode but said the combat lacked enough depth to make multiplayer "a truly engaging experience," calling it "a curiosity that provides a few hours of enjoyment rather than being an essential addition." The review from Edge magazine described the multiplayer mode as "chaotic at first," with overwhelming options, but said it becomes easier as players learn the levels. The Edge review identified the fixed camera system as an asset because "you can always see exactly what's going on and fight your opponents instead of the viewpoint," and also praised the color-coding system, which "effectively lets you know when you have an opening and when to run."
Some reviewers disliked the title of one of the game's trophies, "Bros before Hos," which is received after graphically face-stomping a female villain. In response to accusations of misogyny, Santa Monica released a patch changing the name of the trophy to "Bros before Foes."
In the United States, God of War: Ascension sold 570,000 units in its first month of release, excluding bundled sales, making it the fourth best-selling game of March 2013. The game's sales were significantly lower than God of War III's first month sales, which were 1.1 million units. Ultimately, the game shipped over 3 million units worldwide and grossed over US$100 million in revenue.
Unlike previous installments, God of War: Ascension won no awards but was nominated in several Best of E3 2012 categories by various media outlets. These nominations included "Best Action/Adventure" and "Best Multiplayer" from Game Rant, "Best PS3 Game" and "Best Action/Adventure Game" from G4, "Best PlayStation 3 Game" from Destructoid, and "Best PS3 Game" and "Best Action Game" from IGN. The game was a nominee for "Best Visual Design" at the 2013 Golden Joystick Awards. At the 2014 Writers Guild of America Videogame Awards, it was a nominee for "Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing." During the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, God of War: Ascension received a nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.