God of War Ascension

God of War: Ascension  is an  action-adventure   hack and slash   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 a  prequel  to the entire series. Loosely based on  Greek mythology , it 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 daughter. In response to this tragedy, Kratos renounced Ares, breaking his blood oath to the god. Kratos was, therefore, imprisoned and tortured by the three  Furies , guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment. Helped by the oath keeper,  Orkos , Kratos escapes his imprisonment and confronts the Furies, aiming to free himself of his bond to Ares. The gameplay is similar to previous installments, focusing on  combo-based  combat with the player's main weapon, the Blades of Chaos, and other weapons acquired by the game's World Weapons  mechanic . It continues the use of  quick time events  from previous entries but also utilizes a promptless free-form system. Four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability can be used as alternative combat options, and the game features  puzzles  and  platforming  elements. The game also features a redesigned combat system, gameplay mechanics not available in previous installments, and  downloadable content . Notably,  Ascension  is the only installment in the series to include  multiplayer , which is  online-only  and features modes for both  competitive  and  cooperative  play. From October 2012 to March 2013, a  social experience  was available online in the form of a  graphic novel  titled  Rise of the Warrior , a prequel story that tied into the game's single-player and multiplayer modes.  Ascension  was the last game in the series to be based on Greek mythology and also the last one to feature  Terrence C. Carson  as the voice of Kratos as the franchise shifted to  Norse mythology  with 2018's  God of War  and  Christopher Judge  took over the role of Kratos. God of War: Ascension  received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised its fundamental gameplay and spectacle as true to the series, although the story was deemed to be less compelling than in previous installments. The game's multiplayer element received mixed responses: although reviewers found that the gameplay translated well into the multiplayer setting, they criticized the balance and depth of combat.  Ascension  sold less well than its predecessors and received no awards, but it did receive several nominations, including "Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing" at the  Writers Guild of America  Videogame Awards and the  Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences  award for "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design".