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http://www.brokenjoysticks.net/review/god-of-war-ascension-review/

Kratos, the ever affable hero hell-bent on murdering every creature and god from Greek mythology, returns to ascend to new levels of brutality in God of War: Ascension, the second God of War installment on the PlayStation 3, after the 2010 release of God of War III. Serving as a prequel for the entire series, the story in God of War: Ascension predates the events found in the PSP title, God of War: Chains of Olympus.

A brief prologue introduces the Primordials, beings who antecede both the Titans and Mount Olympus; they created the Earth by throwing down, Supreme Being style. The war amongst them also spawned the Furies, guardians who capture and torture those they deem guilty–a lot in life they seemingly much enjoy.

God of War: Ascension (hereafter Ascension) opens with Kratos, previously unconscious and currently in chains, being mocked by Megaera, one of the three Furies. Kratos appears confused, and Megaera questions him, asking if he’s having trouble remembering their time together. Well, yes, he is–I am, too. Ascension begins on an ambiguous note, and throughout not just the opening, but a majority of the single-player campaign, there is a question nagging while Kratos plods ahead: what exactly is he after, and why? I suppose that’s two questions.

The issue of Kratos’ motivations being unclear may have been remedied if Ascension was told in chronological order. As it stands, the narrative jumps between past and present, leading to encounters which lack the emotional heft a more traditional approach would have conjured. I suspect part of the reasoning to have Ascension unfurl as such was to have an opening segment that would rival God of War III’s, but let’s be serious, nothing short of knocking out Jesus was going to top that, and Ascension would have been better off starting slow and building to a burn.

Narrative missteps aside, the locales found in Ascension are fantastic. The Hecatonchires and The Harbor of Kirra may not be as well-known as Chronos or the Depths of Hades, but they’re crafted with utmost care and arguably the most visually stunning in the series.

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The scale of the environments certainly lends to Ascension’s visual panache, with Kratos riding monstrous snakes to the Temple of Delphi, a sequence that would no doubt satisfy Thulsa Doom; there is also the magnitude of the statue of Apollo, Archimedes’ masterwork, that makes the statue of Talos found in Jason in the Argonauts little more than a figurine in comparison. However, it’s the attention to detail that accentuates the graphical splendor, and makes Ascension one of the most gorgeous titles on the PlayStation 3.

Gold trim adorns immaculate emerald halls; snow-laden wind swirls atop painterly mountains; and waterfalls flank an extensive stairway found deep in the jungle. All of this is elevated by a surprising amount of subdued ambiance, as the sounds of rushing water and buzzing insects settle in after Kratos washes blood away with blood.

The creatures found previous God of War games resurface in Ascension, though their appearances have been altered to accommodate elemental changes, such as the wintry chimera, belching frost instead of fire; or the purple hued cerberi, infected with the souls of Hades.

Elephantaur juggernauts are new to the fray, and with them, a new gameplay mechanic. The quick-time events the series is known for are still present; however, certain enemies, such as the juggernauts, the new manticores, and the revamped gorgons, nix the timely button presses for something more engaging. Kratos still has to pummel the enemy until it reaches a weakened state for a brutal kill to be engaged, but instead of following on-screen button prompts, Kratos must hack and slash with reckless abandon, while monitoring the enemy for its attack cues, and dodge the upcoming assault with the right thumbstick. It adds a bit of tension to the execution, and the kills are still elaborate and satisfying.

Changes to the gameplay include a heavy reliance on the Blades of Chaos, a Rage meter, and world weapons. Tethering creatures and certain objects is now a possibility, allowing Kratos to hack at surrounding enemies with his free blade. World weapons, such as swords, clubs, and shields, can be found scattered about the stages or disarmed from enemies, and Kratos can incorporate these weapons and their moves into his Blades of Chaos combos relatively seamlessly. I found myself ignoring them for the most part, even though they can be powerful in situational combat. The reason is the Rage meter, which increases only when attacks connect from the Blades of Chaos. After the meter reaches 100 percent, Kratos has access to the most powerful moves in his arsenal.

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And what an arsenal he has in Ascension. The Blades of Chaos can be infused with the lightning of Zeus, the ice of Poseidon, the fire of Ares, and the souls of Hades. Each element can be upgraded to unlock special moves, magical attacks, and Rage attacks, and even better, Kratos can switch between elements mid-combo. The effects that accompany these skills are brilliant, and there is an urge to upgrade them to see what’s next. There is something galvanizing about hearing the souls of Hades scream as Kratos flails his blades into a crescendo of violence.

The elemental powers hinge almost entirely on the Rage meter, requiring it to be full for maximum damage to be unleashed. Kratos’ Rage requires perfect defense to maintain, since any damage taken will decrease the meter. You have to block, parry, and evade successfully to keep the Rage meter at 100 percent.

It’s easier said than done, because Ascension has no issues swarming Kratos with enemies. To compound matters, the most common enemy, satyrs, have hair similar in color to Kratos’ ash colored skin, making it harder than it should be to track Kratos. Enemy weapons will also glint white prior to an attack, which is also difficult to identify. And finally, Sony Santa Monica is obviously proud of the engine driving Ascension, and will pull the camera back to dizzying heights to exemplify their technical prowess; I am normally all for this, since it typically produces a lavish spectacle; I am, however, not all for this during combat, and more than once does Ascension have Kratos fighting multiple enemies while the camera is too far away from the action. It’s frustrating and unnecessary.

The combat may have moments of frustration, but the puzzles are markedly improved over God of War III. Early on in Ascension, they don’t deviate from your standard push this and pull that God of War puzzle, but eventually new aspects are introduced, such as a hallucinogenic mist which alters the terrain, and two items for Kratos to utilize: The Amulet of Uroborus and the Oath Stone of Orkos. The former has the power to warp time, healing or decaying objects; the latter allows Kratos to create a doppelganger, who can hold levers and cranks in place.

Both items can be used in combat, with the amulet providing the ability to slow enemies in time, and the stone to manifest the doppelganger for battle. Ascension has some of the more difficult enemy encounters in the God of War series, and judicious use of these items, which recharge after activating, is essential to completing the game.

Uroborus does bring an unintended consequence with its helpfulness, and that’s some game halting bugs. I’ve had the camera hang on objects after they’ve been decayed or restored, leaving Kratos alone to wander off-screen, requiring a checkpoint restart. Checkpoints are frequent, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for this not being patched.

And while we’re on the subject, Ascension also has some minor audio bugs [note: audio has since been patched], which do not cause checkpoint restarts, but are an annoyance, nonetheless. The expectation is set that when Kratos rips the head off a satyr, its panic stricken bleat should be audible, and when it isn’t, there is a detachment from your actions which takes you out of the game. Sony Santa Monica has acknowledged this bug, and a patch is eminent, but as of publication, the issue remains.
 
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Ascension introduces online multiplayer to the series, and if it weren’t for some lousy matchmaking and a lack of host migration, the modes included–Team Favor of the Gods, Match of Champions, Trial of the Gods, and Capture the Flag–would be far more enjoyable to play. The main draw is Team Favor of the Gods; here, two teams of two to four players attempt to reach the target amount of “favor” to win the patch. Favor can be obtained by capturing points, smashing chests for orbs, or murdering your opponents. Stages will also have secondary objectives, like slaying the cyclops Polyphemus, to obtain bonus favor. Match of Champions is your deathmatch; Trial of the Gods can be played either solo or coop, and it’s a time trial against waves of increasingly hard creatures; and finally, there’s Capture the Flag, which is self-explanatory and doesn’t warrant a fancy name like the other modes.

You’ll swear allegiance to one of the four main deities found in Ascension–Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, or Hades–and in turn gain access to their respective powers. Level up, unlock new items, magic, weapons, armor, and so on, and customize your warrior–it’s typical, but atypical being in a God of War game. It may take a bit to get into the swing of things, and once you’re comfortable with the objectives and stage layouts, you’ll find some fun here. The matchmaking needs to be improved, and host migration definitely needs to be implemented, but this is good stuff for a first effort.

Ascension is a worthwhile entry in the series. The story it tells–Kratos attempting to break free from his oath to Ares–isn’t one I was asking for, and the disjointed narrative doesn’t help matters. There is, however, an excellent sense of gameplay pacing, as enemy encounters, terrain traversal, and puzzles never overstay their welcome. By the time Kratos reaches the Furies to bring them his unique brand of justice, you’re invested enough to see his actions through. Plus, the final sequence is the most visually arresting boss encounter I’ve experienced, and really needs to be seen. The multiplayer may not win any awards, but it doesn’t feel tacked on, and the gameplay found within it is a refreshing change of pace from the usual shoot your friends fare. God of War fans should definitely check out Ascension. If you’re interested in cleaving a gorgon’s face in two, it may also be up your alley.
 
They just need to have a separate event that SHOWS why its worth the price point. Interface, kinects power, how it will change the living room AND have you seen titanfall!? Haha kidding, really though they need to have a face to face with the buyers
 
The ONLY thing I have doubted thus far are some of their PR fails, other than that I LOVE what they are doing.

Yup, seems like MS is firing on all cylinders in regards to the One, with the exception of their PR campaign. As much as I thought I'd never think it, I'm pretty happy with XBone split between gaming and other entertainment features. Ive always been a gamer first and foremost, however, after having a couple of children in the past few days and years the non gaming aspects of the 360 have been great. I have little doubt that the XBone will be a great gaming console and the non gaming aspects look great too.
 
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Sounds fun, never played and of the PS3 GOW offerings, however it was one of my favorites on the PS2
 
e="TAVIS206, post: 1143, member: 25"]They just need to have a separate event that SHOWS why its worth the price point. Interface, kinects power, how it will change the living room AND have you seen titanfall!? Haha kidding, really though they need to have a face to face with the buyers[/quote]
They've been doing that for better part of three months now.
 
Honestly, I would have paid 200+ for a 360 with the enhanced media capabilities and Kinect 2 alone, so this all works out perfectly.
 
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While the Xbox One will have Twitch.TV streaming as part of its default feature set, Let’s Play creators will be happy to hear that the Xbox One will not be using HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) on games.

After a near-constant stream of bad news at the beginning of the Xbox One’s hype train, things have been looking up lately with the removal of DRM, the addition of indie games, the announcement of a headset-compatibility solution and yesterday’s confirmation that, like the Xbox 360, the Xbox One won’t use HDCP.

HDCP is a digital copy protection standard that ensures a secure stream from a media device such as the Xbox One to a display device like a TV or monitor. This ensures that users aren’t, say, streaming a movie studio’s brand new movie out to a PC to record it off the screen illegally. The Xbox One’s protection will, according to a tweet from Microsoft’s Social Marketing Manager Graeme Boyd via Xbox Live Operations Manager Eric Neustadter, work just like it does on the Xbox 360. This should ensure that games can be captured using devices like Elgato’s GameCapture HD, while movies and streaming video services will enable HDCP to protect video content.

Gamers, Let’s Players, and journalists alike will continue to be able to record video on Microsoft’s next system as they have with the last.


http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/08/05/xbox-one-will-not-use-hdcp-for-gaming/
 
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A morsel of Master Chiefy intrigue to end the day on. 343's community manager Jessica Shea has revealed that the Halo studio has more on the boil than the already-announced Halo for Xbox One and Halo TV series (the latter is being produced in collaboration with Steven Spielberg). What could those other projects be? Another Spartan Assault-style spin-off? Or something a bit meatier?

"Game development is a curious thing," Shea wrote in the latest Halo Bulletin, which also details the latest tweaks to Halo 4's multiplayer. "You start with an idea, frolic in a dream pasture where anything is possible, adjust accordingly until you're back in reality, and then work your ass off building, developing and polishing what you hope will eventually become an enjoyable experience.

"Seeing Halo 4 transform from a small stake in the ground, into what we shipped, and into what it is now has been a fascinating and valuable learning experience, both for me personally, and the studio as a whole.

"What is looming on the horizon for the studio is both exciting and daunting," she continued. "We're working on projects that you know about (the TV show and Halo Xbox One) and others that you don't (insert absolutely zero clues here). Our team has blossomed from a few dozen to a few hundred, and it continues to grow at a healthy pace as new people are hired to make sure every team has more than enough resources to do their job, and do it well.

"As a small part of our team shifts solely into sustain mode, we, as a studio, are looking steadfastly toward the future. We're extremely excited about the Xbox One, and the wheels of the next instalment in the franchise are spinning at a lightning fast speed."

The first Halo game for Xbox One may not be titled Halo 5, though it definitely features Master Chief, who's looking a bit scruffy and down-at-heel after his brush with the Didact. A bunch of Halo Xbox One plot details recently appeared on the Microsoft Store, seemingly by accident.
/QUOTE]

http://www.oxm.co.uk/62232/halo-xbox-one-developer-343-teases-unannounced-projects/
 
So this is good news then? Don't know much about HDCP tbh. I assume the PS4 isn't using HDCP as well?
It is, just read something on it. People are not happy about it because it prevents recording via the HDMI output.

I'm actually more surprised that MS doesn't use, though they must have some aspect of it for BR/DVD otherwise you would be able to make your own movie recordings.
 
I'm honestly hoping for something NOT Halo related actually. Not to take anything away from the Chief as he still remains my man and $100,000.00. But I'd like to see 343 break the mold and bring the X1 something equally delicious and ground breaking.
 
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