• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

God of War Ascension |OT| Gods up, Foes down

Oh man, not at all. To each their own, but I could not disagree more on this one. For all the things people are saying, I can at least say: I was never that invested in the main story, so the story is not a big thing to me (but I liked it). I am not a big beat em up guy, so the combat system changes, not a big deal to me. I would however, stand up and appauld the additions they made in this to create some great puzzles. I loved this aspect of the game, and it definitely felt so much stronger than in the rest, and really just more fun imo. I understand you have picked an angle on your critique with the time thing, but this does not gel at all in my opinion.

I can appreciate the climbing thing, but I enjoy Uncharted, and this was basically GoW doing uncharted so I enjoyed. But I can see where someone might not dig that, if they don't like that kind of thing.

I'll put the puzzle comment up there with the "this could of been on Vita" comments though, sorry.

Yeah, the puzzles in GoW III (or lack thereof) were my biggest disappointment with that game. They were so lazy. Ascension has the best puzzles in the series and I really appreciated that.

The complaints about the platforming are hilarious too. When was GoW platforming ever good or challenging? Or even fun? At least with this game they made it faster.
 
Wrote down how I feel in another thread figured id cross post.

God of war 1 did the story better
God of war 2 did the exploration, puzzles and combat better
God of war 3 did the scale and combat better
CoO is equally as bad
GoS i have not played

GoW:A was horrible on virtual all fronts.
I like how "these God of War games did these aspects better" turns into "this game is horrible on virtual all fronts" (whatever that means). Hyperbole much?

Personally, I wouldn't say Ascension is the best game in the series at all but I sure as hell wouldn't say it's horrible. You want to play a horrible God of War game? Play Dante's Inferno.

The length of the game is ridiculous its literally on par with a psp title
The "puzzles" are built for simpletons
Its artificially lengthened because they bumped up enemy HP.
1) Bullshit.
2) Yeah because God of War sure is known for its incredibly complicated puzzles.
3) I don't get it, how is this any different than what they've done in the past?

It seems to me like you've come up with your conclusion and then filled in the actual supporting arguments afterwards.
 

DeVeAn

Member
2 things bug me. One of them being the sound. It is all messed up. Some things too loud others too low and some things have no sound. Also why in the fuck do they always rearrange the controls? So used to L1 for parry and Circle for grab. Other than that so for so good. I am about 2 hours in.
 

TEH-CJ

Banned
Hey guys. For those who are having trouble hearing the music in the campaign. Lower the sound effects to 50 and the music to 100. Sounds a lot better.

Hopefully the patch is released soon.
 
GoW:A was horrible on virtual all fronts.

Combat moves are locked behind a rage meter that takes too long to build making half the effective moves in the game useless not to mention the removal of many of the better moves from the game.

Well, I think you're doing it wrong. I spend most of my time in rage now.

As to your first statement, I don't know... I can see being frustrated with a franchise entry, but I'm not sure how you expect a post to be taken seriously with an opener like that.
 

Dusky

Member
2 things bug me. One of them being the sound. It is all messed up. Some things too loud others too low and some things have no sound. Also why in the fuck do they always rearrange the controls? So used to L1 for parry and Circle for grab. Other than that so for so good. I am about 2 hours in.

Yeah, the sound is extremely un-polished. The audio for me really does affect the sense of "epicness" at times.

Edit: The audio during combat is flawless though.
 
I’m now up to the furnace and the game has definitely gotten better – especially since I’m now getting used to and adjusting to the combat.

I’d say that it’s still at the lower end out of the main God of War’s, but at least its not a complete pile of dog shit like I first thought it was.....
 

Robot Pants

Member
Just beat the game.

About the final boss:
It's a kraken like monster with a lot of QTEs. You stand on a platform hiting its mouth and when the QTEs come you press the buttons. What's so great about it? Seen people saying it's the best boss fight in the GoW saga. Can't see why.

I said the same thing. I just don't get what's so amazing.
 

Endo Punk

Member
I said the same thing. I just don't get what's so amazing.

My thoughts exactly. It's a spectacle sure but by now that is getting stale. I much prefer the final boss gameplay in GOWIII, there was actually good gameplay to be had there with the 2D style and inside Gaia. SSM went overkill wih the QTE here, I suppose because the circle didn't appear over the heads they thought they would convince gamers it's not QTE.
 

bumpkin

Member
Got through more of the game last night,
at the segments where you're climbing around the Apollo statue. Called it a night when I got into the Furnace where you're greeted by a Cyclops climbing up. The dual-boss fight against the two furies was pretty gnarly, little bit frustrating on and off when I got greedy with my attacks and ended up sandwiched between the two of them attacking me. Holy crap at the up close and personal kill sequence though!
 
That trial was a PITA. Good thing it only took me 2 hrs to beat compared to how long it took a few others. Wave 1 and 2 are the hardest, once you can get past those its pretty much is smooth sailing from there. I just made sure to have my energy at about 50-75% after the first wave. Then just used a lot of blocking techniques for the second wave.

Overall, I have mixed reactions with GOWA. In many ways I think it is one of the better GOW games visually and gameplay having been refined. Then there are other aspects with the spike in difficulty overall that just gets annoying throughout.

I did enjoy the puzzles, not too hard and not too easy.

The sound bug was annoying and I really noticed it the most during rage mode. It would just go out and no sound for a few seconds. Not sure how that got past their testers.

The story to me could of been so much better. I think the first half I felt like I was just going from set piece to set piece not really remembering what happened earlier. Things start to come together the second half, but it felt like a little too late since I can see some gamers just not caring by that point. Did we really need another prequel, especially to Chains of Olympus? Probably not. I just wish that SSM did a better job making the first half much more intriguing from a story stand point and I felt like a lot of the story was non existent in the first half.

Being of Greek descent, I like their take on Greek Mythology......but if and when we get a new GOW, either a reboot needs to be in order or lets take Kratos into a new mythological setting. I would be ok with them using Kratos again. I think in the next game, he some how ends up in the world of Norse or Celtic mythologies once he makes the dive from the cliff in GOW3 as punishment for trying to kill himself.

Some people were complaining about franchise fatigue. I don't feel that way since we only had one other game on the PS3. But then I can see the argument from those about 2 collections being released. This is one area where I think Sony has done a great job, exposing people to some of their older games in a franchise to help expand the stories, etc.
 

Sorral

Member
Just beat the trials on hard. It wasn't as bad as people made it out to be especially after the first part. It did take me like 9-10 tries, but most of the deaths were from stupid stuff like gorgens getting a freeze in.

Annoyed that I am like 2.3k from my last upgrade. Maybe there will be red orbs before the end I guess. I will finish the game when I get back from my test.
 

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
Wow, I'm terrible at the combat. It's not that I'm losing fights, it's just that I never feel like I'm doing well or kicking ass like in the other God of War games. The parry is nearly impossible to time (I still can't even pull it off properly because my instinct is to press L1+x at the same time) and the horrible camera angles and blending colors make it tough to tell when an enemy is going to attack. Sometimes, I don't even realize that I am being attacked.

I felt exactly the same, but my second time through the game I was a lot better. Despite the belief that GOW is a shallow and easy game, there's a learning curve to this one, and recognizing enemy movements is really important (as it always has been) but this time it takes longer to learn because it's harder to read their wind-ups instantly.

Unfortunately, I still felt like Kratos was weak and there was no way to really efficiently destroy everyone.
 

dEvAnGeL

Gold Member
i just finished the game and this is what i think about it

graphics

this part is weird for me, when it comes to graphics, sometimes the game looks completely amazing, like CG level but other times it looks bad, GOW3 had this same problem of inconsistency about the graphics which is a shame because when this game looks good, it really does look amazing


gameplay

best part of the game IMO, the subtle changes made to the combat system make the gameplay feel amazing, super smooth, its a step in the right direction


difficulty

i'd say this is the easiest of the GOW games right until that
fucking trial of archimedes
the spike on difficulty is out of place and can make you feel like trowing the controller at your tv, lol


game

i believe is a good game, with a great combat system but the story is totally out of place for a character like kratos, some people might like it but to me that's the weakest part of the game, now, some people were saying the opening of GOWA was much better than GOW3, IMO that's a crazy statement, the opening of GOW3 is so amazing that no way the ascension one is better BUT the final boss of the ascension is the best boss fight i have ever played on any GOW game, simply the best, it tops the GOW3 opening easily, on this im glad, because i believe the best part of the game should be the final moments, over all its a good game, i enjoyed it quite a bit, specially the final boss battle!
 
Just wanted to show some love for SSM and this game. I really enjoy the tweaks they have made to the combat, which really just does take some getting used to and in my opionion, really rewards those who keep their eyes on the enemey and plan ahead. In the old games I could just spam square square square triangle ftw.

Graphics don't need to be even talked about, they are amazing. The sound design is a bit dissapointing, but it has not really taken away much from the expericence. It has been 3 years since 3 and I was itching for a new GOW and this really satisifies me until gow ps4.

I am even having fun with the multiplayer which I didn't think I would before diving in. I feel empowered when I play and again, If you play smart, you by yourself can do a lot of damage and disrupt the opposing teams flow with some smart play. The only annoying part is when I'm only level 10 and there are 23's just kicking my ass purley because of the level difference. Oh well, can't stop other people from playing right?

Overall, this was just what I was expecting when I first saw it. A great GOW game that dosen't completly reinvite the formula, but savored my appetitie until we get that truley mindblowing gow ps4 game. And I can't wait for more.
 

jackb2424

Banned
I finished the game last night and I stand by my statement that for me this is the best GOW I have played..

Those last 20 minutes were a sight to behold. From the moment I booted up the game I knew that I would like it. The slick intro introducing the story and the opening scene just solidified that yes this is GOW and yes it will be awesome. I didn't expect or need this game to top GOW3. Or any GOW for that matter. All of the GOW games are some of the best games this medium has to offer Doesn't matter if u hate the games or not, there is no denying that they are great games.. Just take me on that rollecoaster ride of GOW awesomeness and that will do for me

This time it felt like GOW2. It felt like it was an adventure. The different locales throughout the game were gorgeous and a nice change from the darkness that was GOW3. The graphics are the best I've seen this gen. Kratos' character model up close astounds me every time.

The combat was the real winner here. I absolutely loved it. It just felt better. At first I didn't understand how the rage meter worked but once I figured that out with the grapple and parry, I was a killing machine. Switching elements and using magic was the best. Seeing the close up of Kratos about to demolish everything on screen makes me smile every time. The Trials are waaaaayyyyyy overblown. 2 tries and it was over. Im sitting there going "thats it?"

I love Kratos. He is unlike any other video game character out there. I understand his rage and his pain and that feeling to be want to be free from it all. And for this reason he connects with me. I've played all previous entries and this story along with the others made me love this guy even more. His whole life is so tragic yet he still carries on the fight. GOW4...PS4...SSM....Make it happen. Kratos must live on!!!
 
Just beat the game.

About the final boss:
It's a kraken like monster with a lot of QTEs. You stand on a platform hiting its mouth and when the QTEs come you press the buttons. What's so great about it? Seen people saying it's the best boss fight in the GoW saga. Can't see why.

I wouldn't say it's the best. Maybe top 10 at most. But it is one the most stunning boss battles. Even if it is on auto pilot half the time.

My top 5 would be
1. Poseidon
2. Colossus of Rhodes
3. Ares
4. Zeus
5. Cronos
 

Vire

Member
I wouldn't say it's the best. Maybe top 10 at most. But it is one the most stunning boss battles. Even if it is on auto pilot half the time.

My top 5 would be
1. Poseidon
2. Colossus of Rhodes
3. Ares
4. Zeus
5. Cronos

How is Hades or Sisters of Fate not on your list?

Way better than Cronos or Zeus...
 

BadAss2961

Member
How does Ascension peak higher than GoW 3?
Most will probably disagree with me here, but I think the intro surpasses the Poseidon battle from both a graphics and mechanics standpoint. Gameplay mechanics especially.

Ascension has no answer for Hades, but The Prophet Castor battle was impressive. Ever get a closeup shot of when he engulfs both himself and Kratos in slo-mo? Looks like CG.

The effects on display during certain spots when healing with the amulet are amazing. Some of the slide sections are also jaw dropping.

The furnace, dat fire.

The final battle is hands down the most beautiful thing i've ever seen in a game. I'm pretty sure it won't be topped for the remainder of this gen.
 

see5harp

Member
I do think it's a great looking game but you are same dude who earlier said it's better looking than any other console or PC game. Ridiculous.
 

AAK

Member
There are these 3 hidden phantom trophies I have no idea how to get or what they are. When I look at them on the trophy list one of them is the trophy right before "Swinger" and after "Open Minded". The second is after "Handyman and before "That's gonna Leave a Mark" and the last one is before "Tell Me How You Really Feel" and after "Hello Friend". I think one of them is the 1000 hit combo one. But the the other 2 I'm not sure what or how to get them. Anybody here know?
 

BadAss2961

Member
I do think it's a great looking game but you are same dude who earlier said it's better looking than any other console or PC game. Ridiculous.
PC games are always going to be capable of pushing more settings and tech. But when you look at it artistically as well as technically, it does look better than anything on PC as well imo.

SSM's art style combined with their tech for this engine has the game looking like CG on several occasions where you get closeups of the action. At the very least, there's nothing out there that can compare to the look of GoW3/GoW:A. Ascension takes GoW3 and pushes it further.
There are these 3 hidden phantom trophies I have no idea how to get or what they are. When I look at them on the trophy list one of them is the trophy right before "Swinger" and after "Open Minded". The second is after "Handyman and before "That's gonna Leave a Mark" and the last one is before "Tell Me How You Really Feel" and after "Hello Friend". I think one of them is the 1000 hit combo one. But the the other 2 I'm not sure what or how to get them. Anybody here know?

This is my go-to site for trophy lists.
 

sunnz

Member
The lighting, TEXTURES ( likes on the beasts, animals) and the scale of the game is just phenomenal.

This is just from the demo.

One thing GOW always gets right, scale( many other things too). So small in comparison.
 

Sid

Member
Most will probably disagree with me here, but I think the intro surpasses the Poseidon battle from both a graphics and mechanics standpoint. Gameplay mechanics especially.

Ascension has no answer for Hades, but The Prophet Castor battle was impressive. Ever get a closeup shot of when he engulfs both himself and Kratos in slo-mo? Looks like CG.

The effects on display during certain spots when healing with the amulet are amazing. Some of the slide sections are also jaw dropping.

The furnace, dat fire.

The final battle is hands down the most beautiful thing i've ever seen in a game. I'm pretty sure it won't be topped for the remainder of this gen.
Yeah the graphics.....they're better than GoW 3,while from a gameplay standpoint the Hecatonchires offers more it lacks the intensity of the Poseidon battle primarily because of the premise and also because it is is just fighting isolated parts of it and not some large scale creature who is alive like Cronos. The final boss battle is mostly QTEs and even reuses a section from GoS' intro.
 

AAK

Member
SSM's art style combined with their tech for this engine has the game looking like CG on several occasions where you get closeups of the action. At the very least, there's nothing out there that can compare to the look of GoW3/GoW:A. Ascension takes GoW3 and pushes it further.

This is my go-to site for trophy lists.

Yeah I checked this website before making the post. I don't see those 2 bronze trophies I'm missing on this website, if anyone platinumed it can they tell me which trophies those are that I mentioned a few posts above?
 

BadAss2961

Member
Yeah the graphics.....they're better than GoW 3,while from a gameplay standpoint the Hecatonchires offers more it lacks the intensity of the Poseidon battle primarily because of the premise and also because it is is just fighting isolated parts of it and not some large scale creature who is alive like Cronos. The final boss battle is mostly QTEs and even reuses a section from GoS' intro.
Well yeah... When you first asked me about Ascension peaking higher than GoW3, I was responding to a comment about graphics.
 

bumpkin

Member
difficulty

i'd say this is the easiest of the GOW games right until that
fucking trial of archimedes
the spike on difficulty is out of place and can make you feel like trowing the controller at your tv, lol
If I'm not misunderstanding your comments, damn. I was hoping *that* part was hiding in some secondary mode, not the main SP campaign. Maybe I'll luck out and SSM will patch it before I get there (though I doubt it).
 
Just beat the trials on hard. Satisfying.

About the final boss:
It's a kraken like monster with a lot of QTEs. You stand on a platform hiting its mouth and when the QTEs come you press the buttons. What's so great about it? Seen people saying it's the best boss fight in the GoW saga. Can't see why.

I actually enjoyed it mostly cuz it's
a big, long, massive reference to the first boss in GOW1.
The series comes full circle.
 

Sorral

Member
Holy shit man. This is getting to me... Trying to farm 1989 red orbs on
the ending boat from the spartan soldiers by freezing them.
That's all I need to max my upgrades and the closest I have gotten is 181 short and died right after.

It is taking longer than the trials. -_-

Edit: FINALLY. Did it with like 5% of my HP left. Trying to fill the rage meter over and over and then freezing mobs with L3+R3 is bullshit. Not worth the effort and not 100% reliable even.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
Most will probably disagree with me here, but I think the intro surpasses the Poseidon battle from both a graphics and mechanics standpoint. Gameplay mechanics especially.

Ascension has no answer for Hades, but The Prophet Castor battle was impressive. Ever get a closeup shot of when he engulfs both himself and Kratos in slo-mo? Looks like CG.

The effects on display during certain spots when healing with the amulet are amazing. Some of the slide sections are also jaw dropping.

The furnace, dat fire.

The final battle is hands down the most beautiful thing i've ever seen in a game. I'm pretty sure it won't be topped for the remainder of this gen.

I think the sequence right before the bros before foes trophy surpassed Hades and Hercules from 3. Probably my favorite boss in the series.
 

Neokash

Neo Member
So many mixed reactions to this game. Glad I am not a over critical person. So far I am enjoying the game,the graphics are awsome, the new combat gameplay is also great.
 

see5harp

Member
It's definitely not as polished as previous games. Music and sound cuts out randomly and you can see doors close and not hear a sound effect. This is on the same 5.1 surround setup I run everything. Yesterday I fell through the map and had to force quit.
 
Just finished the game on normal. Last boss fight wasn't that great gameplay wise but goddamn did they finish on a high note in terms of epic scale. Overall the game I thought was better paced than GOWIII(still my favorite) because it doesn't have as many lulls, but also not as many highs. While I think they can do a lot with the elemental system in the future and found parts of it interesting, I still prefer some aspects of the GOWIII system and found myself using the fire blades most of the time anyway. I will say the combat feels tighter though, so that's certainly good.

Other thoughts, the story was fine but I thought they missed a chance to do something more. Also, the trials was a weird spike in difficulty but not bad after I figured out the strategy for each wave.

All in all a very satisfying game and really impressive technically. Sometimes it felt like I was looking at a piece of concept art or close to CG levels of quality. The character model is even better looking than in III.
 
Sorry about the code begging in this thread, i know we have a separate one for that, but since the implementation of the free PS All-Stars DLC for GOW:A buyers is a bit different in the EU (no extra code packed in with GOW:A, instead the PSASBR character DLC is tied to the GOW:A online pass), it's doubtful that anyone not interested in PSASBR in the first place would even know about the whole deal and therefore couldn't go to that thread to give it away.

To any EU (preferably UK) GOW:A buyers, if you're not interested in the MP at all and don't plan on reselling the game, would you mind giving me the code for your online pass, so i could download the PSASBR DLC for free?

I plan on getting GOW:A down the line, but the free PSASBR DLC expires in a good month, so it might not be valid anymore by the time i get the game.
 

angels.phillipe

Neo Member
The matchmaking in this game is a joke, i just spent 30 min in the lobby being dropped out of games. This kind of thing is unacceptable in 2013, get you shit together ffs.
 

DeVeAn

Member
Yeah, the sound is extremely un-polished. The audio for me really does affect the sense of "epicness" at times.

Edit: The audio during combat is flawless though.
Well I had dudes throwing arrows at me and I couldn't hear the effect. The blades slam the ground really loud but everything else is really low. Including other sound effects.
 
There are these 3 hidden phantom trophies I have no idea how to get or what they are. When I look at them on the trophy list one of them is the trophy right before "Swinger" and after "Open Minded". The second is after "Handyman and before "That's gonna Leave a Mark" and the last one is before "Tell Me How You Really Feel" and after "Hello Friend". I think one of them is the 1000 hit combo one. But the the other 2 I'm not sure what or how to get them. Anybody here know?

It seems you didn't get an answer for this.

The three hidden trophies you're missing are:

Perform a 1000 Hit Combo

Slow 100 Enemies with the Amulet of Uroborus

Hit 100 Enemies with the Oath Stone of Orkos

Hope it helps :)
 

Sorral

Member
Camera problems aside; I enjoyed that a loooot especially the ending. The game does pick up after about half way through and the story was pretty clear to me. I don't get how people said it made no sense. There was a clear path for Kratos to follow which he did.
The only thing that doesn't line up now is what happened to Kratos's powers and how he ended up on a ship in GoW1 at the start of the game. I guess he was still servicing the gods and was there to
help Poseidon get rid of the hydra?

Also, this was kinda surprising because it was my first free-for-all 8 people match, but I guess my ares setup is working so far.
dsc2p.jpg


The matchmaking in this game is a joke, i just spent 30 min in the lobby being dropped out of games. This kind of thing is unacceptable in 2013, get you shit together ffs.
I have no issues with mine. I pick the mode and don't use Quick Play. No idea if the cause is QP as I have never even used that yet.
 

TEH-CJ

Banned
The matchmaking in this game is a joke, i just spent 30 min in the lobby being dropped out of games. This kind of thing is unacceptable in 2013, get you shit together ffs.

Lmfao so true

I left my ps3 on whilst I was at the gym. did dead lifts, 30 min cardo, came back home and was still searching for a match lol.
 
well this back'n forth is the beauty of gaming isn't it...

Personally, haven't not played the game yet, but being utterly bored to death at the end of GOW:3, I think I'm gonna put this one up there with the top games. The combat seems to be something that isn't familiar, but you really have to study to come to grips with. It also seems to be a little deeper than MGR which I had extremely high expectations for but the camera and Zandatsu kinda ruined it for me.

Me, I get excited about little things like Ken being able to kara-throw and kara-fireball, and learning his bnb combos. Or playing gravity rush and the controls finally "clicking". Even a game like Everyday Shooter, figuring out "oh, there's a pattern" to a particular level and beasting it! If GOW:A has any little nuance like that, it'll likely be a personal favorite. Love experimental gameplay that you have to discover.
 

bumpkin

Member
Um, got to the
trial... What a fucking bitch of a sequence. Had very little problem with the gorgons alone. When the sirens came out, I got raped. Such bullshit. I'm not impressed. I haven't given up yet, but this has potential to ruin the game for me. Such a shame.

But riddle me this, how do I even parry attacks? I could have sworn I just pressed L1 at the right time in prior games. Did I miss something? Is it hidden under a specific weapon with a certain upgrade?

Ugh... So pissed. Waking away for now and trying it again later when I'm not about to smash the controller. lol
 

DeVeAn

Member
Um, got to the
trial... What a fucking bitch of a sequence. Had very little problem with the gorgons alone. When the sirens came out, I got raped. Such bullshit. I'm not impressed. I haven't given up yet, but this has potential to ruin the game for me. Such a shame.

But riddle me this, how do I even parry attacks? I could have sworn I just pressed L1 at the right time in prior games. Did I miss something? Is it hidden under a specific weapon with a certain upgrade?

Ugh... So pissed. Waking away for now and trying it again later when I'm not about to smash the controller. lol
It's now L1+X which fucken blows. It doesn't even activate half the time I just block.
 
Finally had time to start this beast and just got to The Cistern. I think the game is fantastic so far. The intro was excellent and suitably epic and the combat has been sublime for me. I am parrying and grappling like a bad ass and already got a combo limit passed 100 3 times. Man I missed GOW sooo bad. Unless the game takes a seriously bad turn soon I don't know what the hate is about but its still relatively early for me.

Only thing that was a real "What were they thinking" moment was in the first big fight
against Hecatonchires where your on the platform with his jaw it zoomed so far out I couldn't see one thing I was doing.
I sat about 2 feet from my tv and still couldn't tell what was going on. I hope there isn't more garbage like that. I died like 8 times on that section.
 
Top Bottom