God of War: Ascension facts for kids

God of War: Ascension is an exciting action-adventure video game that came out in 2013 for the PlayStation 3. It's a "prequel," which means its story happens before the other games in the God of War series. This game was also the first in the series to let players battle each other online!

What is God of War: Ascension?

God of War: Ascension is a "hack and slash" game. This means you control a powerful hero, Kratos, who uses strong attacks and special moves to defeat many enemies. The game is set in ancient Greece and is inspired by Greek mythology, featuring gods, monsters, and mythical creatures.

How to Play: Gameplay Basics

In God of War: Ascension, you play as Kratos. He uses his main weapons, the Blades of Chaos, to fight. These are two blades attached to chains, allowing Kratos to swing them around and hit enemies from a distance. As you play, Kratos can also gain new abilities and powers. You collect "red orbs" from defeated enemies or smashed objects, which help you upgrade Kratos's weapons and magic.

Combat and Special Moves

The game features fast-paced combat where you can chain together attacks to create powerful combos. Kratos can grab enemies, throw them, and even use them as weapons against other foes. There are also special "Quick Time Events" (QTEs) where you press buttons at the right moment to perform cool finishing moves on large enemies. A new feature in this game is the "tethering" mechanic, which lets Kratos pull enemies towards him or swing them around.

Multiplayer Mode

For the first time in the God of War series, Ascension introduced a multiplayer mode. You can create your own warrior and join teams to fight against other players online. You can choose to side with different Greek gods, like Zeus or Ares, and gain unique powers based on your chosen god. The multiplayer battles often include huge mythical creatures, like the Titan cyclops Polyphemus, who can attack players during the fight.

The Story: Kratos's Journey

The story of God of War: Ascension takes place before Kratos became the "Ghost of Sparta" and before he fought the Olympian gods. In this game, Kratos is trying to break free from a terrible oath he made to the god Ares. He is being hunted by the three Furies, who are ancient beings that punish those who break their vows.

Kratos and the Furies

Kratos is helped by a character named Orkos, who is the "oath keeper." Orkos tries to guide Kratos as he battles the Furies and their monstrous servants. The Furies want to keep Kratos bound to his oath, but Kratos is determined to find a way to escape his past and gain his freedom. The game explores Kratos's early struggles and his journey to become the powerful warrior seen in later games.

Images for kids

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  A portion of the Desert of Lost Souls multiplayer map: players (seen on right) battle each other with the Titan cyclops Polyphemus in the background. If players get close to Polyphemus, he will attack them.

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  Kratos battles the manticore at the Tower of Delphi. The screenshot demonstrates the new tethering mechanic; it is being used in conjunction with the QTE mechanic.

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  Comparison of Kratos as he appears in God of War III (top) and Ascension (bottom). Increasing the UV sets gave Kratos a more realistic appearance in Ascension.