God of War Ascension God of War: Ascension is a third person action-adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). The game was first released on March 12, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console. It is the seventh installment in the God of War series and prequel to the entire series. Loosely based on Greek mythology, the game is set in Ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, the former servant of the God of War, Ares, who tricked Kratos into killing his wife and child. Kratos renounced Ares, breaking his blood oath to the god. For this act, Kratos was imprisoned by the three Furies, the guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment. Helped by the oath keeper Orkos, and finding out that Ares and the Furies plan to overthrow Mount Olympus, Kratos escapes his imprisonment, kills the Furies, and reluctantly Orkos, finally freeing himself from Ares' bond, but beginning the nightmares of his horrible deed. The gameplay is similar to that of its predecessors. It focuses on combo-based combat, achieved through the player's main weapon—the Blades of Chaos—and other weapons acquired by the new World Weapons mechanic. The game features a revamped quick time events system to defeat stronger enemies and bosses, which includes the previous system that requires the player to complete various game controller actions in a timed sequence, as well as a new promptless free-form system. It also features puzzles and platforming elements. In addition to its similar gameplay, it is the first installment to feature online multiplayer for both competitive and cooperative play. It also features a revamped combat system, new gameplay mechanics, and downloadable content. God of War: Ascension has received generally favorable reception from critics, who praised its fundamental gameplay and spectacle true to the series. Some reviewers felt the story was not as compelling as previous installments, with IGN stating that in comparison to Zeus and Ares, "the Furies don't quite cut it".[5] The multiplayer received a mixed response. Although praise was given to the gameplay, which reviewers said translated well into the multiplayer, they were critical towards the balance and depth of combat. Edge magazine, however, approved highly of the multiplayer, stating it is an "evolutionary step" with "some fine ideas ... that will form part of this genre's future template."[6]