CVG : God of War: Ascension Review

That menu screen twang of scraping metal; the grandiose shifting battle-grounds and improbable ancient architecture; the lift-based combat scenes; the QTE's, the blood, the boobs - this is definitely a God of War game. And, for better or worse, God of War: Ascension knows it.

[BXbomber]

DON'T CARE WHAT SCORE ITS GETTING I'M GETTING THIS BABY DAY 1!!!!!!

[Shikoro]

Who wants to bet that people will label the game as "average" and "mediocre" because of scores like this? From what I've played, the game is just as good as the other GoW games, but people seem to have gotten tired of the franchise so the score seems "appropriate".

I hope it sells well. :)

[Jobesy]

Tbh, I'm a HUGE GOW fan, but there was no need for another GOW game, prequel or not. They should have let the series end with GOW 3 and move on to another mythological setting. That being said, I can't wait to play Ascension, but please SSM, let Kratos rest.

[LessThan2Tflops]

Maybe it is average and mediocre. I haven't played it so I don't know. But it is getting average reviews

[blackstrr411]

Next up. Gears of war. A game just like God of war. People have gotten used to how awesome it is and the devs can't figure out how to take the series forward that's why I think 7 for both is fair

[BigStef71]

So if that is the case then the same thing should happen to the next Gears game. If they are this nitpicky for Ascension I expect the same for Judgment. If not then these reviewers are a bunch of hypocrites. You can't criticize one franchise for playing it safe while giving another franchise a pass. That's just not right

[AsimLeonheart]

I dont know why the media is out to get GOW when numerous sequels, prequels and reboots get released each month. Nobody complains about Forzas, Halos, Gears of Wars, Marios, Zeldas and Assasins Creeds. This is only the second GOW title this gen and media is going crazy over it.

[miyamoto]

Its a PS3 exclusive.

This is the perfect time to gain more internet traffic for all the gaming sites.

It happens all the time. This crazy frenzy every time a big PS3 exclusive releases.

Look at the sites that give it 8 to 9.5 no one hardly goes there. So 7.5 below or a perfect 10 will guarantee clicks.

Remember God of War III?
It was bashed left and right but it did not prevent the game from selling 9.19 million copies.

And GOW: Ascension technically tops GOW III in every aspect with MP as a bonus.

Don't take them reviews seriously.
Play the demo. Its free.
Real world gamers vote with their wallets not reviews.

Let the true gamer in you be the judge.

[InactiveUser]

"Remember God of War III?
It was bashed left and right"

??? Where do you come up with this? You had to make that up as a preface for your 'ignore the reviews on PS3 exclusives' argument?

GOWIII ~ 92meta - 101 reviews, none under a 8/10:
http://www.metacritic.com/g...

Even the 8s say things like:
* "stuff of legend.. indeed"
* "certainly the best of the series, with the sense of scale and superb presentation"
* "relentlessly exciting" "Truly epic"
* "stunning visuals" "most refined entry in the series"

92.63%GR - only 2 of 79 reviews under 8/10 (one 70 and one 75)
http://www.gamerankings.com...

Who bashed GOWIII left and right?

And where are you getting 9.19 million sold? God of War games sell ~4-5mil.
http://www.siliconera.com/2...
(or vgchartz, or any other source I've seen)

Ascension is averaging just over an 8/10 and getting it's share of 7/10. Chances are it's still a good game, but not great. Still probably worth buying for anyone interested (like myself), possibly after a price drop, but you don't have to make up BS and tell people to ignore reviews.

Same goes for BX.. ignoring reviews, going to throw your full retail dollars at games day 1 even if they're a 4/10. 7/10s should at least get you thinking about waiting a bit vs SCREAMING about not making the smartest decisions with your money !!EXCLAMATION!!POINTS!!

And it's God of War.. it will sell. I'd assume around 3mil since it's not GOW IV and with it being a bit less than top of the line.

[InactiveUser]

As far as this and other Ascension reviews go..

A lot are saying the beginning is great, the middle is kinda meh, and the ending is pretty good. It's lost 'points' for a less than epic middle apparently.

In this video review:
From 1:58.. then the question at 2:20. Why would Kratos not have the weapons from GOWIII? Because this is a prequel? It's the first game in the timeline. That's why he apparently only or mostly just has the Blades of Athena or whatever they're calling them in this GOW.

[SonyPS360]

I've not played anything like the demo, so regardless of this I'm getting the game.

[showtimefolks]

can't wait to pick up my collectors edition

god of war series is my favorite gaming series so no doubt about buying this.

i wish one day david jaffe directs another GOW game for ps4

[007Bond]

Have fun tapping the same buttons over and over again just like the last 3 crappy games :)

[xXBlondieVanHarlowXx]

Have fun tapping the reply button with 0 bubbles left just like the last 3 trolls did :)

Also, anyone who's actually played the demo would know alot has changed. Feels completely different. So before you spew crap next time get your facts right, otherwise you just look like an idiot.

[Game0N]

xbox fanboys are gonna have a field day with this one.

[Donnieboi]

Well at least we got new games/exclusives. Microsoft doesn't even try anymore.

[GusBricker]

360 is getting Gears in a couple weeks. Try harder next time.

[TheFirstClassic]

@GusBricker that's one exclusive, compare that to ps3s list, gow, sly cooper, last of us, ni no kuni, and more. Can't deny that MS should be putting out more exclusives.

[Eyeco]

I didn't no there were still Xbox fanboys left until these GOW reviews, they seemed to have disappeared into obscurity, must have been the lack of games

[GusBricker]

Look at what he said, cpayne93. My comment was to that.

[Derekvinyard13]

Doubt it, it's not a bad score

[VINNIEPAZ]

No they are not. Unlike the insecure PS3 fanboys that plague this site they dont sit in hiding making fun of everything at every waking moment. Cant wait to pick up most special editon with that sweet statue!!!!!!!

[neoMAXMLC]

That's ironic considering just a few comments down a troll had already posted stupidities that had nothing to do with the game only to bash the PS3.

[kenshiro100]

Then why do I see 007Bond in this article?

No...wait.

[DOMination-]

Its funny because up until your post there is nothing of the sort. And in fact only one comment in total that fits your description. Lets fast forward to Judgement reviews and see how bad it is the other way around shall we? You guys claim the ps3 gets a hard time on N4G but its so obviously the other way around its untrue. And the lack of trolling here proves it.

On topic, i think the metacritic will be about accurate for this game.. And Judgement. Probably around 8.5. The game is great Im sure, but people are getting tired of this whole generation. And now with ps4 revealed the scrutiny on the remaining games this gen will be magnified.

[SonyPS360]

Well done, you just started a fantard war.

[Karpetburnz]

A lot of Xbox fanboys have already been let out of their cages because of this.

The day Xbox 360 gets games is the day the fanboys can start bashing PS3 exclusives.

[RIP_Weazel]

It's like a pick and mix with the reviews at the moment with several directly contradicting each other. Ho hum...game journalism as usual then.

[Dante112]

Yeah, I thought that too. On the IGN pre review that's up right now, the guy reviewing it said that the story was 12-14 hours long if you play on normal without speeding through. But according to CVG and CC, the campaign is supposedly really short.

I'll get the link, third comment in the comment section.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles...

[guitar_nerd_23]

That's about the same conclusion I came to from playing the demo.

Classic God of War, but kind of feels like you've played it already.

I'll pick it up when it comes down in price a bit.

[Game0N]

If anyone is put off by these lukewarm reviews, here are some things to make your purchase a little less risky.

1. pre-order off amazon, get $10 back
2.Remember you get access to the last of us demo

Oh and it's another GOW game so it's gonna be awesome.

[Cupid_Viper_3]

double post, sorry boys.

[StreetsofRage]

Nice angry reply. He throws you a bone and you fetch it like a dog. Nice!

Anyways, regardles of the reviews, I'm buying this game day 1. Nobody tells me what to enjoy and what not to.

[Mr-Dude]

Spoken like a true gamer!

[Veneno]

Well you sure seem to enjoy telling everyone else what to like and what not to all the time.

[DigitalRaptor]

Okay ladies and gents. I predict that God of War IV on PS4 will average scores of 5/10 because it's more of the same and overly familiar, despite its intrinsic quality . See where I'm going with this?

Kratos was criticized because of his anger issues, even though the story and his actions backed it up. Now that this is a prequel and naturally Kratos does not have as much built up aggression, he's not interesting anymore. That makes sense you hypocrites.

So when you know that what is one of the best action games and one of the best in its series gets scores like this, something is up. F*** these reviewers, when Call of Duty gets a free pass and sells up the ass?

[Williamson]

I agree 100% with everything you said.

[smashcrashbash]

You are so right. People moaned on and on about Kratos is angry why is he always angry, Kratos has only one emotion, anger , I am tired of Kratos being angry all the time.And they said okay here is a less violent calmer Kratos.Nope, he isn't interesting anymore.Sorry. And Sony Santa Monica says WTF?

[Jek_Porkins]

Good score.

[TheKayle]

lol

[Wingsfan24]

Games shouldn't be marked down if it's more of the same. Honestly, if the quality of the game is up there, and it's fun it should recieve a good score. 7.5/8 is what I expected for this game, but being more of the same as a negative shouldn't be a reason to down play a game.

[TuxedoMoon]

It happens though. When a game like GOW does more of the same, it's boring. But when COD or Madden rehashes their game...it still gets very high scores. Double standards...

[Wingsfan24]

Yea that's the problem. As a reviewer, I don't look at the game and review it based on my opinion. I don't care if it's more of the same, if it's a quality game, it's a quality game. Goes for CoD, AC, whatever. Some of my own opinion is intermixed in the review, but it's just in the writing of a gamer, my final score is never based on whether I'm sick of playing this game or not. If you're tired of the damn franchise, give it to someone who can review it with out that hanging on their shoulders.

[DigitalRaptor]

Agree completely. As a journalist, you present the facts. You review something on its stand alone quality.

I've said this before, but what if someone has never played the God of War series before? They play Ascension and are going to be bored of it or fatigued by it, or question themselves about whether they feel like they've played it before already when they know they haven't? That's ridiculous.

So I'll re-iterate my first point that reviews should be more factual than they are opinionated because they should be aimed at presenting it to an audience rather than introspectively complaining about why a game is providing more of the same, that makes a franchise what it is.

[Good_Guy_Jamal]

Yeah, I mean CVG gave Black Ops 2 the very high score of 7.8!! 0.3 whole points more than Ascension!
The double standards are just disgusting. /s
Settle down there playstation fan, it's just an opinion.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

@DigitalRaptor

I hope you're not a reviewer because you sure as hell do not do that. If a game is released that is the exact same as the previous one, but with a different paint scheme, you bring that up as a negative point. Why? Because it's a negative point! It's why many of us criticize Call of Duty. And you definitely DO NOT review something just on stand alone quality. What's the point in doing that? If it shares the title of something else, or if it's in a similar genre, you COMPARE it. How can it do better compared to something else, is it better, is it worse or not. From reading what you've written, I don't think I'd put much trust in any reviews you write.

[Wingsfan24]

If your going to review a game based on your opinion, then your writing a personal blog. If you're reviewing based on the quality of a game for the consumer standpoint, then your writing on a site like CVG.

You compare the quality of the games, not whether you liked this one or not.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

@PockyKing

Except everything I stated is based upon quality of the product and not opinion. I already told you, if something say Uncharted 4 is an exact copy of Uncharted 3 then that is a product which is inferior and has not differentiated from the past iteration, which it's supposed to do.

[younghavok]

But if its the same game with a slightly new coat of paint and just different stages and they are charging full price for it? Isnt that reason to fault it? I mean it sounds more like a collection of DLC as opposed to a brand new game. If its your first forray into the genre than ok its new to you. But if youve followed since its inception than are you really going to be blown away by it? When I first played thru a CoD game I was amazed by the big set peices. But after playing thru a bunch of CoD games those set peices impressed me alot less and lost impact.

[Wingsfan24]

@Good_Guy_Janal

Yea, I'm certainly a Playstation fan, so what? I'm a fan of the Xbox and PC Gaming too, so am I troll for liking all three? Next time, try bringing something worthwhile to the conversation.

[SDF Repellent]

Another very detailed review. I will get this game eventually because I am a fan of the series, scores is subjective. But with Tomb Raider and Bioshock and Gears also releasing this month, just have to wait a bit.

[neoMAXMLC]

And with all these bills preventing me from having any money at all, I probably won't be enjoying any of these games for a while. ;_;

[Crystallis]

Tomb Raider can wait and I dont have a 360 to get Gears, but im getting GOW:A and Bioshock both day 1.

[fsfsxii]

An even worse than Gamespot's review lol

[faysal]

these guys are complete trash. they voted it down because, kratos was less angry. and it didnt have meny big titan gameplay seriously? these wannabe reviewers are just nit picking now.

[Raoh]

Just cancelled my gamefly account. N4G and review magazines/sites are next...

Reviews are too unreliable.. You have to try it yourself.

You either like a series or like a new IP's offering or don't...

[Hingle_Mcringleberry]

Playstation babies at it again. Love CVG during Journey and Ni No Kuni reviews, call them biased when they don't hand out perfect scores. Then there's that dude claiming God of War 3 sold 9 million. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[younghavok]

I remember that guy/ I lol'd

[YodaCracker]

I have a feeling both GOW games releasing this month will be getting similar scores. Both have subtitles instead of a number.

[younghavok]

So anything under a 9 is average? wtf? 6 is average, 7.5 and 8 is deinitely above that. People need to stop caring so much about the damn number

[DarthJay]

7.5 Is not a bad score. Most games can only hope for a 7.5. I understand that people want to see 9's and 10's, but it is what it is. If I give a game a 7.5, I probably liked it A LOT, just felt there were a few things missing. I consider 7.5 to be above average, which again, is great.

[XIIIWARRIOR41]

The guys at IGN & Gamespot are simply nitpicking, seriously! The one at Gamespot simply said he didn't feel it because it's a calmer Kratos. Are you freakin kidding me?!?!? His wife & child didn't even get killed yet and he's ripping limbs, screwing hot chicks, tearing into flesh like no other games and he's calmer?! These guys don't know Kratos and what he's all about. There full of shit IMO!

[badkolo]

so thats it, the game sucks, saved 60 bucks lol, the crazy thing is the videos look amazing and the gameplay and gfx were stunning to me, so not sure why the low scores, maybe its repetive but im getting it anyway.

[leahcim]

worst rated GOW of the saga sadly