Preview: God of War Ascension
As developer Sony Santa Monica continued to peel back the layers of the God of War series' first foray into multiplayer, the anticipation for any morsel of single-player information only grew. The wait is over and from what the studio demoed during the first glimpse of Kratos' next epic journey in the upcoming PS3 exclusive God of War Ascension, this is shaping up to be the most jaw-dropping entry in the series.
The series' signature elements -- over-the-top boss battles, fluid gameplay, spectacular visuals and visceral brutality -- were all on display. From the start of the demo, the graphic fidelity was front and center. An extreme close-up of Kratos reveals creases in his forehead and deep scars from his bloody battles. Bruno Velazquez, lead animator for God of War Ascension and the developer who walked me through the demo, said this startling up-close footage of Kratos is the same that's used in the in-game character, as opposed to a pre-rendered cutscence.
The lighting effects also have been upgraded since God of War 3. When Kratos unleashed the Blades of Choas -- Kratos' signature weapon throughout the God of War series -- they created a more in-depth blur effect that previous titles lacked. A burst effect was also added whenever the blades made contact with adversaries, adding another level of eye candy to an already gorgeous production.
The scale and scope of the level demoed eclipsed the series' reputation of awe-inspiring set pieces. The immense level showcased Hecatonchires, a mammoth creature that could manipulate the battlefield. In one instance, the 100-armed behemoth held a structure that housed Kratos and a hand full of enemies. As Kratos annihilated these foes, the camera panned back to reveal just how small Kratos is compared to this larger creature. This sequence left me speechless even though I have completed all the previous games in the series.
But it wasn't just the scope that was impossible to ignore. The combat was as fast and visceral as ever. Kratos wields the blades with as much sheer brutality as in the previous titles. But the developers have added some new moves to Kratos' arsenal. He now has the ability to hold a foe with one of his blades while using the other blade to defeat other incoming enemies. Kratos can also whip the captured adversary into other foes as another form of crowd control. If the blades aren't cutting it for you, Kratos can now pick up weapons from fallen foes. I had Kratos pick up a sword and was able to effortlessly alternate between the sword and the blades because the additional weapon is mapped to the circle button while the blades are used by tapping the square and triangle buttons.
The developers also showed a brief live-action trailer before our hands-on time. It depicts a young girl who runs from her mother and navigates through a large throng of Spartan soldiers. As she makes her way through the crowd, she sees Kratos on top of a hill and runs toward him. Kratos bends down to pick up his daughter and reveals a smile, something he has never done throughout the series. As he holds his daughter, she begins to turn to ash, which begins to cover Kratos' skin as a punishment from the gods. This is the start of Kratos' blood-thirsty journey and the reason he is fueled only by vengeance. But seeing a more human side of Kratos is very intriguing and something I hope the developers delve into in God of War Ascension.
This single-player reveal has quelled my fears about God of War Ascension. With so much emphasis placed on the multiplayer, I worried that a majority of the development time was used to craft a new experience into a series that is known for its campaign. I left the demo fully convinced that the developers have put a tremendous effort into the single player. The upgrades to the visuals, combat and scope have catapulted this title into my list of most-anticipated games in 2013. God of War Ascension is scheduled to be released March 12 on PlayStation 3.