In both of
God of War: Ascensions
single-player and
multiplayer elements, it is primarily a
third-person video game viewed from a
fixed camera perspective. Some scenes in the single-player campaign feature a
first-person camera view. In single-player mode, the player controls the character
Kratos in
combo-based combat,
platforming, and
puzzle games. The enemies are an assortment of creatures, most of whom are drawn from
Greek mythology, including
cyclopes,
cerberuses,
empusas,
Sirens,
Gorgons,
satyrs,
harpies, and
centaurs. Other monsters were created specifically for the game, such as the juggernauts, wraiths, and
manticores. Many of the monsters also appear in the multiplayer mode. Platforming elements require the player to climb walls and ladders, jump across chasms, and slide down walls to proceed through sections of the game. The game features a variety of puzzles, ranging from simple to complex.
Combat Kratos' main weapons are the Blades of Chaos, a pair of short swords attached to chains that are wrapped around his wrists and forearms. In gameplay, the blades can be swung offensively in various maneuvers. Introduced in
Ascension is a weapons
mechanic called the World Weapon system and it allows Kratos to pick up weapons scattered throughout game locations or to take them from defeated foes, and to use these for a limited time. There are five World Weapons (sword, club, javelin, sling, shield) that can be collected randomly, although Kratos may possess only one at any time. When a World Weapon is not equipped, Kratos may punch or kick foes as part of the reworked combat system. The Rage
ability called Rage of the Gods that was featured in previous games is included, but in this game, its meter is filled by landing attacks on enemies and the ability is automatically activated once the meter has reached maximum capacity. It remains activated until Kratos is attacked or stops attacking for an extended period of time, after which, the meter must be refilled. The Rage ability is also affected by the magic equipped, allowing Kratos to use different Rage attacks, such as the lightning-based Rage of Zeus. Three relics, the Amulet of Uroborus (Life Cycle mechanic), the Oath Stone of Orkos, and the Eyes of Truth, are acquired and needed for game progression. The Amulet of Uroborus allows Kratos to manipulate time by decaying or healing an object; examples include reconstructing broken pathways and using it during puzzle-solving. Construction can be paused or reversed if needed. The amulet can also be used against enemies to briefly slow their movements. The Oath Stone of Orkos gives Kratos the ability to create a "shadow" duplicate of himself that can depress plates, hold levers, or attack enemies. The Eyes of Truth remove illusions created by the Furies and cast a blinding light on enemies. As well as the
quick time event (QTE) mechanic featured in the previous games,
Ascension added a promptless free-form system that allows players to choose when to attack or dodge based on the enemy's actions. When certain foes, such as a cyclops or a juggernaut, have been sufficiently weakened, the player may jump on their back and briefly force them to attack other foes. Other extra features include ten artifacts hidden in the game world that provide more abilities during
New Game Plus, such as unlimited magic. This mode also allows players to change Kratos' costume, but
trophies are disabled. A feature absent from previous installments but added in
Ascension is "Chapter Select", which allows players to select and replay previously completed levels. Unlike previous installments, in which behind-the-scenes videos are unlocked after completing the game, these videos are already available from the main menu.
Multiplayer cyclops Polyphemus in the background. If players get close to Polyphemus, he will attack them.
God of War: Ascension is the first installment in the series to offer a multiplayer feature, which is
online-only, and up to eight players can take part. Before entering multiplayer battles, each player is introduced to a warrior, who, like Kratos, is an oath-breaker and is imprisoned in the Prison of the Damned—the warrior's backstory is explored in
Rise of the Warrior. The player takes control of the warrior and aligns with one of the four deities: Ares, The main objective for players is to take control of a map to earn rewards from the gods. Each god offers a unique combat play-style and in-battle abilities. The attack style of the god with whom the player aligns is critical to their warrior's path. Players may also complete "Labors", which are challenges from the gods that rewards armor and weapons. Throughout multiplayer matches, players receive
buffs and debuffs, and there is a color-coding system, called flashes, where a player's character will flash a certain color indicating a special property, such as vulnerability or invulnerability. A prestige feature called "Ascension", added in the June 10, 2013
update, allows players to reset their allegiance progression when they reach Level 40, and receive in-game currency for "Godly" armor and weapons—the "most valuable and powerful items in the game". There are five multiplayer modes: Team Favor of the Gods, Match of Champions, Trial of the Gods,
Capture the Flag, and Bout of Honor. Team matches randomly assign players to compete on either the
Spartan or
Trojan team. The "signature" multiplayer mode is Team Favor of the Gods, in which two teams of two-to-four players try to win by accumulating a target quantity of points. Points, known as Favor, are earned by killing and other methods. When players are not on the offensive, they may help their team earn points by capturing altars, collecting red orbs from chests, and setting traps for opposing players. The non-team version, Match of Champions, is a four-to-eight-player
deathmatch with a similar goal to Team Favor of the Gods. Trial of the Gods is a two-player, cooperative (co-op),
time-trial mode in which the duo faces five waves of mythological monsters concluding with a boss fight. A single-player version is also available. In Capture the Flag, two teams of four players battle to capture the opposing team's flag and return it to their base until a target number of flags have been obtained. In Bout of Honor, added in the July 11, 2013 update, players test their skills in a best-of-seven-rounds one-on-one fight. All but two of the fifteen multiplayer maps are based on locations explored throughout the
God of War series, with eight of those based on locations explored in
Ascension; for example, Desert of Lost Souls is from the original
God of War, Bog of the Forgotten is from
God of War II, and Labyrinth of Daedalus, Forum of Hercules, and Chamber of the Flame are from
God of War III. The two original maps are the Coliseum of
Persia and the Walls of
Troy (which features the
Trojan Horse). Every map features special power-ups awarded by the gods for earning points, such as the Boots of Hermes for acceleration and running attacks. Maps also have environmental obstacles or objectives to complete for more points. For example, on the Desert of Lost Souls map, the cyclops Polyphemus may attack nearby players and killing him with the Spear of
Olympus will grant bonus points for that team. ==Synopsis==