First Order Ascension

Lore & Background

The story begins with Kratos imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies, guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment, after he renounced Ares and broke his blood oath. Helped by the oath keeper, Orkos, Kratos escapes his imprisonment and confronts the Furies, aiming to free himself of his bond to Ares. The game is set in ancient Greece, loosely based on Greek mythology, with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls Kratos, the former servant of the God of War Ares, who tricked Kratos into killing his own wife and daughter.

In Their Own Story

Kratos escapes his imprisonment with the help of Orkos, the oath keeper, and sets out to confront the three Furies. The Furies are guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment, and Kratos aims to free himself of his bond to Ares. The narrative is driven by Kratos' quest for vengeance after being tricked by Ares into killing his own wife and daughter. The game's single-player campaign features a first-person camera view in some scenes, and the player controls Kratos in combo-based combat, platforming, and puzzle games.

Reader's Guide

In single-player mode, the player controls Kratos in combo-based combat, platforming, and puzzle games. Kratos' main weapons are the Blades of Chaos, a pair of short swords attached to chains wrapped around his wrists and forearms. Introduced in Ascension is a weapons mechanic called the World Weapon system, allowing Kratos to pick up weapons scattered throughout game locations or take them from defeated foes for limited use. There are five World Weapons: sword, club, javelin, sling, and shield. Four magical disciplines are acquired: the Fire of Ares, the Ice of Poseidon, the Lightning of Zeus, and the Soul of Hades, which imbue the Blades of Chaos with elemental properties. The Ice of Poseidon also enables Kratos to breathe underwater. Three relics are acquired: the Amulet of Uroborus (Life Cycle mechanic), the Oath Stone of Orkos, and the Eyes of Truth. The Amulet of Uroborus allows Kratos to manipulate time by decaying or healing an object. The Oath Stone of Orkos creates a shadow duplicate of himself. The Eyes of Truth remove illusions created by the Furies. The game also features a promptless free-form system for quick time events. Multiplayer is online-only, with up to eight players. Players align with one of four deities: Ares, Hades, Zeus, or Poseidon, each offering a unique combat play-style. There are five multiplayer modes: Team Favor of the Gods, Match of Champions, Trial of the Gods, Capture the Flag, and Bout of Honor.

Did You Know?

• God of War: Ascension was the first 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 until the 2026 title, Sons of Sparta; the franchise shifted to Norse mythology with 2018's God of War and its 2022 sequel Ragnarök.
• The game sold over 3 million units and received 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'.
• 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.