So, I resisited the temptation to cancel my pre-order of my God of War: Ascension Collector's Edition at Gamestop that emerged after the less-than spectacular (but still respectable) reviews in the hopes that maybe the "critics" were just, ya know, wrong. (Hint: It happens). I don't know if the lack of universal acclaim made my expectations rather modest (or rather more modest than they have ever been for a proper God of War console release) or what but after the amazing intro which I had seen half of (because of the demo--and was still enthralled) like most God of War games the player is descended into more tamer, traditional hack-n-slash gameplay and WOW! this is when my excitement truly began for the game. This is by far the absolute best gameplay mechanics God of War has ever seen. This is no longer a button masher (I'm playing it on hard and if you think you're getting away with holding L1 plus religiously tapping Square to get you through a level you're engaging in an exercise in futility).
For starters, the graphics and the cinematic QTE's have never looked or played better. Stunning visual fidelity and the fact that they added little "mini-games" into the QTE's really is fun and immersive. Instead of just pressing square to get Kratos to act in QTE you have other tasks as well to avoid death or failing to score a blow like dodging using right stick, you actually have to use regular and heavy attacks (when your QTE is a grapple) while being in the QTE and gives it the game a more immersive cinematic feel than ever before. Before it used to just feel like you were more of a willing participant of fixed tasks in a cinematic sequences now it feels as though your actually controlling the ENTIRE cinematic. Which for me is an incredibly visceral experience. I am a story driven gamer, a film buff (and major), and I thrive off of the cinematic (even Hollywood style of storytelling in video games that really started with Hideo Kojima's PSone classic Metal Gear Solid and built to a crescendo with Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2--which is my favorite game this gen). So immersion isn't just a novelty for me. It's actually required for me to enjoy my gaming experience (which is why I gave up Mario years ago. And not saying Mario isn't enjoyable. Just not for me anymore).
Secondly, and more importantly, actual combat with even the most trivial of enemy AI has actual strategy to it. This game forces you to actually learn to play God of War the way it was intended to be played (and I think that was a conscious decision to actually prepare you for the multiplayer. Because if you don't know what the hell you're doing, you're gonna hate it. Don't think for one second you can button-mash your way to victory in the multiplayer. Not happening lol). Evading, choosing the right weapon of magic power, and knowing when to block, when to grapple, or when to use air attacks actually have a cerebral feel to them where you must think about your next move in the heat of battle. It's chess not checkers anymore in God of War. And as a thinking man, I love that. Is it Demon's Souls in terms of being introverted? Absolutely not, but the subtle tweaks balances made in God of War are plentiful and changes the ACTUAL gameplay experience dramatically. The game is FUN to play and has NEVER gotten repetitive in my playing time. Even God of War III (besides the BEYOND EPIC boss battles) got slightly repetitive in terms of combat with regular enemy AI. And it all just felt sorta random and (button-mashy). It no longer does. The new melee moves are great and the seamless transition into Kratos performing mini-cinemakills is brilliant. It doesn't hinder gameplay and it always seems "right".
The biggest aesthetic improvement for me, however, is the camera. I've secretly always been annoyed by God of War's fixed camera. Thoughout the series I always felt Sony Santa Monica was making me see what they wanted me to see and not giving me the freedom to view there beautiful worlds at my own leisure by letting me control the camera. And while the camera in God of War is still fixed. It is more vibrant and alive. Expansive and free roaming and it always gives you the absolute best view of the action. Naughty Dog's camera in the Uncharted games I always felt was unrivaled. The way ND reveals the beautiful landscapes and vistas in Uncharted have always been brilliant and ahead of it's time. And I've always wanted other games to just flat out take the approach ND has had and use it in there games. To me, if feels as if SSM felt the same way. That their camera was too stifled, too redundant at times. And the fact that they have begun to change that dynamic in God of War: Ascension really brings the immersion of the experience to a whole new level for me.
All in all, I think God of War Ascension is a great game. I'd say it deserved an 86 to a 90 on Metacritic. My only problem thus far (haven't finished the entire game, but I'm 3/4's of the way there) is that the story could have been better developed. I really expected this story to be more emotionally involving than the any other God of War game considering it was going back to a time before Kratos became the God of War obsessed with vengeance because he was set up to kill him own wife and child. I mean you're telling the backstory of your beloved Kratos Sony Santa Monica, this should of been and EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER (and HOMAGE to him). And sadly, it hasn't been too emotionally involving at all actually and in this regard and this regard only Sony Santa Monica has disappointed. The ball was definitely dropped story wise. But in terms of gameplay, longetivity, and appeal? The absolute best God of War yet. Without question. The multiplayer is incredible (ONCE YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! lol) and the gameplay mechanics are finally just as brilliant as their visual presentantion. Trust me if you like God of War, you will LOVE this game. No doubt.
