Falling like a God
discarded from Olympus. The franchise has once again resorted to repeating
itself, in an effort to regurgitate whatever remained from a once satisfying
meal. That’s what God of War: Ascension is, it’s a warm plate of leftovers vomited
from the mouths of Santa Monica studios.
How is this for
convoluted, the game takes place ten years before the original God of War; in terms of events, we’re given no touchstone that we
might recognize and relate with. To add more confusion, when Ascension begins,
we’re closer to the end rather than the beginning of the prequel story, and
then as you get further in it, the story proceeds to flash back to events three
weeks before and while doing so, frequently leaps back to the prequel present.
Huh?
Also maddeningly,
the game’s protagonists often use illusions to trick Kratos’ mind, forged from
memory, thoughts that seek to induce him into submission and under their
control. What’s odd is the game’s cut scenes don’t try to trick the player; they
only seek to confuse its main character. The problem is we know it’s not real;
we know better that when murdering mythical elephant brutes then walking
through a doorway, it’s somewhat strange to find ourselves magically home with
our wife and daughter, who we know to be dead. It’s frustrating to watch
because you aren’t really sure how you’re supposed to feel. For instance, at
some point each time, Kratos himself realizes and it feels as though we’re
supposed to say “whaaaa?” Instead we tilt our heads and struggle to understand
what the game was trying to show us.
The series has
never been known for having a clear plot but it has been known for telling an
interesting story. Ascension as far as story goes is not interesting, you’re
never quite sure what Kratos is attempting and you never really care, which sums
up the experience kindly.
Just as the series
has never been known for clarity, it has been for addictively brutal combat. It
seems the years have caught up to the franchise, no longer innovative or savvy,
Ascension feels more like God of War 3
DLC than a stand-alone release. It doesn’t help that the genre has mined and
striped God of War of every mechanic
it ever instituted, then played it to death, so that now, doing things like
controlling a large enemy to fight mobs doesn’t feel fresh anymore. True to
series form however, the beginning still has that slow unsatisfying grind that
makes you question whether or not you’re having any fun. Eventually, you find a
groove, and the game inexplicably becomes tolerable.
No other series of
games repeats itself like God of War. As I was playing I decided to list many
of the franchise’s tired staples.
·
Kratos can deftly control the nervous system of
almost any creature with his blade.
·
Every mythical creature must have breasts and
they have to be fully exposed.
·
Kratos’ blades of chaos aren’t subject to any
real world property of size or cutting ability.
·
Every large structure is always a massive living
creature that you must fight.
·
There is always a large puzzle in the background
you are never quite sure you’re solving.
·
The regret Kratos has for spilling innocent
blood is voiced at some point; even though he spends a large portion of the
game watching several innocents get slaughtered.
·
A God defying brutal warrior who has the time
and patience to do this many puzzles.
Like any dead tree
that falls in the woods, you can spot its age, the series has begun to decay, God of War 3 was a boring rehashing of
former greatness. God of War: Ascension
has fallen victim to the same failures, never overly interesting and never particularly
fun, there isn’t an experience to have.
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