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God of War: Ascension [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 07:51
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Overall Feeling: 

Once again technically impressive, the ever amazing visuals can’t save God of War: Ascension from being a rather tepid and disappointing game.  Lacking a true sense of soul and direction, Ascension seems to be all over the place with pacing that never finds its footing, combat that is riddled with small issues that prevent it from feeling refined or evolved, and a story that literally does nothing to advance or deepen the existing God of War mythos.  Aside from a surprisingly deep and fun multiplayer mode, this latest entry in the God of War series sadly shows major franchise fatigue that will likely have the biggest fans of Kratos disappointed with what has been delivered to them.

The Pros: 

+ Beautifully rendered worlds with varied art design.
+ Set-piece moments are impressive for their sheer size and scope.
+ Voice acting is solid as always, even in the case of Kratos being scaled back.
+ Multiplayer mode is implemented well and is rather addicting.

The Cons: 

- Pacing feels uneven and in some cases comes across as padded to lengthen the experience.
- Story is disappointing as it fails to expand the lore and further build up Kratos as a character.
- Combat feels uneven due to weak sub-systems and frustrating enemy habits.
- A lot of the puzzles and even the boss battles feel like they’re on autopilot since there’s no spirit to them.
- Sound design is horrendous and the soundtrack is lackluster compared to the works of Gerard K. Marino.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

The ever fierce warrior that is Kratos has returned for battle once again, yet this time the adventure he embarks on isn’t as memorable as his past efforts. As gamers I think we always have a lingering fear in the back of our minds that one of our favorite franchises may grow tiring, even if it maintains a level of quality that puts other titles to shame.  Rarely do we see top-tier games fall into a rut of things seeming complacent, but with God of War: Ascension such a thing is apparent in a game that despite the stunning visuals feels a bit stale and simply tired.

First Footage of Kratos Unleashing His Fury and Rage in Mortal Kombat

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 03/23/2011 - 07:15
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When it was revealed back in December that Kratos would be joining the combatants in the newest Mortal Kombat game, I think some gamers didn’t know what to expect.  We’ve already seen Kratos pop up in a fighting game before (Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny) but that appearance wasn’t really the best and the thinking amongst some gamers was that Sony may have finally been whoring our favorite war god a bit too much.

God of War Kratos statue from Sideshow Collectibles [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 02/01/2011 - 11:20
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Overall Feeling: 

The barrier for entry may be high to the point where folks could buy a used PS3 and a copy of God of War 3 for a far more reasonable price, but the God of War Kratos statue from Sideshow Collectibles is one superb piece of art and video game memorabilia. Kratos has never looked better and the statue is something that is a must have if you’re a hardcore GOW fan or are a collector of video game related products. Aside from wanting to see Kratos in a more action oriented pose, there’s essentially nothing wrong with the statue aside from the $250-260 price point, which is normal based on the quality that’s being provided.

The Pros: 

The sculpting and attention to detail on the statue is incredible and accurately portrays the look and feel of Kratos. Standing tall at 17” inches, the statue is very imposing in a good way. It may be heavy, but the base and statue itself feels very sturdy and is of the highest quality at the given price point.

The Cons: 

While he’s in an imposing pose, it would’ve been cool if there were a few extra hands like one holding a gorgon head or something equally brutal.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
10

Over the years as we’ve seen videos games gain popularity amongst the mainstream we’ve bared witness to the ever growing business model that encompasses major video game franchises.  Sure, the video game is the base of the foundation for a company, but often a series of additional levels are built on top which includes products more accessible to gamers and consumers like t-shirts or in some cases themed beverages.  Some of the video game tie-in products we’ve seen over the last few years have ranged from questionable kitschy fair like PlayStation mints to stuff one would expect l

God of War: Ghost of Sparta [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 11/22/2010 - 11:22
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Overall Feeling: 

Once again we have a God of War game for the PSP that packs an incredible punch in nearly every category. Developer Ready At Dawn once again crafted a GOW experience that is one of the most visually impressive games to appear on the handheld along with providing action and a story that stays true to the God of War we all love. Aside from a few issues concerning the camera and some lackluster weapons, Ghost of Sparta is a key highlight for the PSP and from a narrative standpoint since it features the best story to appear in a God of War game since GOW1. To put it simply, if you love God of War you need to play Ghost of Sparta as it offers an unforgettable experience.

The Pros: 

The visual fidelity the game offers is simply unreal at times. Even though the battles are epic and long, the pacing is almost perfect. While not heavily improved or modified, the combat and boss battles are still enjoyable and visceral. Music and voice acting is top notch as always.

The Cons: 

During a few occasions the camera can obscure enemies or certain parts of the environment. The difficulty in the game seems to be a bit toned down. Puzzle wise the game doesn’t feature anything too amazing, even by God of War standards.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

Looking back at the God of War franchise I feel somewhat old.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta release date and pre-order bonus announced

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 08/02/2010 - 10:17
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Earlier this year PS3 owners were able to experience the pure epicness that was God of War 3 and now PSP owners can soon experience the rage of Kratos, albeit on a smaller scale.  God of War’s second PSP game, Ghost of Sparta, is now set for a November 2nd release. That’s per the PlayStation Blog so it’s safe to assume that’s a locked release date.

God of War statue from Sideshow Collectibles gets a price and release date

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 07/13/2010 - 11:15
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After waiting for almost a year the Kratos statue from Sideshow Collectibles has finally been given a price and a release date. Those looking to own the impressive Kratos statue which measures in at 17” inches tall and weighs a hefty 10 pounds can purchase it for only $249.99 and it’ll be yours once it ships in Q4 2010.

Teaser trailer for the God of War statue from Sideshow Collectibles

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 03:16
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Earlier this week I once again began to wonder what happened to the Sideshow Collectibles God of War statue. Announced last year, the statue has been MIA with not even a development blog for it on the Sideshow site.  One would’ve thought the statue would be released to coincide with God of War 3 but sadly we weren’t given an epic statue to go along with an epic game.

God of War teaser site updated

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 04/29/2010 - 09:16
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God of War 3 may have ended on a pretty resounding note but the franchise is far from over. Soon after GOW3 was released, by soon I mean mere days later, a mysterious site appeared named Spartans Stand Tall.  With nothing more than a rainy dark landscape there wasn’t a lot to gather from this teaser site.

Exclusive interview with T.C. Carson, the voice of Kratos in God of War

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 03/20/2010 - 12:57
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One of the most popular gaming series of the last decade has been Sony’s God of War franchise. With its epic gameplay and amazing presentation, the God of War series is one of the few AAA franchises out there.

God of War wouldn’t necessarily be where it’s at without the work of T.C. Carson, the man responsible for voicing Kratos’ rage.  Kratos has almost become a new mascot for the PlayStation brand and besides the character’s unique design, many know him for his deep rage filled voice.  Over the course of four games Mr. Carson has done a terrific job of voicing Kratos, a character who despite being a badass is quite a tortured soul.

[Review] God of War 3

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 03/20/2010 - 12:55
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Overall Feeling: 

Playing God of War 3 may be a bit bittersweet for some. With the amazing set pieces, action, and references to past games, there’s no question that you won’t want this to be the final chapter in the God of War 3 franchise. We’ll probably see Kratos pop up in the future via prequels and side stories but God of War 3 is without a doubt the end of this current story. But as some of us try to hold back the tears of awesome while playing GOW3 at least the series is going out on an extremely high note. Just like its protagonist Kratos, God of War 3 is a beast that simply rips through everything in its path to achieve complete and utter dominance.

The Pros: 

Amazing graphics and art design. The set pieces and sense of scale is something we haven’t seen in games before. Top notch production values and voice acting. Kratos’ brutality is unparalleled and is fun as hell to control. Superb soundtrack and voice acting.

The Cons: 

Double jumping is a bit iffy at times. Using the left analog stick for quick time events is a bit hit & miss.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
10

At this point in the console generation it seemed like we were finally approaching the max of what was possible.  After games like Uncharted 2 and Mass Effect 2 were released it almost seemed a bit hard to imagine what we would see next. Both UC2 and ME2 featured jaw dropping visuals and equally impressive levels and art designed that rivaled what we’re used to seeing in movies.  Now God of War 3 has come along and in less than a week of being released it has immediately shown that there’s still a lot of power to be tapped.

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