Remember back when every franchise on the planet had to have some sort of multiplayer mode, and they weren’t allBattle Royales? Sure, we got some weird, janky messes of online play like Singularity andCrysis2, but it also meant that whole new styles of online play were finally explored.Bioshock 2’s Fall of Rapture multiplayer integrated all its immersive sim elements into multiplayer levels, andDead Space 2’s Outbreak mode was likeCounter-StrikemeetsLeft 4 Dead. Yet few are as unique asGod of War: Ascension’s multiplayer. It’s the first time God of War really flexed its creative muscles beyond spectacle, and it was a hell of a lot of fun.
Ascension’s multiplayer isn’t a simple deathmatch of the gods, but instead a gladiatorial arena brimming with all the cinematic presentation you’d expect from Kratos’ Greek conquests. Brutal takedown kills rip you and your opponents to pieces thanks to a variety of hammers, spears, and swords' platforming is simple, swift, and intuitive; and of course, there are plenty chests to smash. Every core move afforded to Kratos is available, paired with unique buffs courtesy of whichever god you seek favor with, forming an extremely loose class system and standard gear customization with armor and weapons.
What’s remarkable is just how well God of War’s classic formula fits in a multiplayer space. The sidelong camera means you may track most of the small arenas with ease, and larger maps have to wrap around with clear sightlines. It has the visual clarity ofSmash Bros. while boasting the brutal back-and-forth of a match ofQuake. Health bars are even clearly displayed over each player, ensuring you can focus on prime prey for slaughter.
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It’s a simple style of gameplay on paper, with weapons and health spawning around the map, straight out of Unreal Tournament, but it works exceptionally well. There are even some maps with stage bosses you’re able to fight alongside your human opponents, such as a remixed version of the Hydra from the original God of War on PS2, spearing at everyone with its tentacles. It might not be to the level of Battlefield 4’s “Levelution” events, but Ascension’s multiplayer was no slouch when it came to level interactivity.
Sadly, Ascension suffered from the same issue many experimental multiplayer modes of its time did - being bound to a single-player-focused package with no cheaper alternative to be experienced on its own. I could easily see Ascension’s multiplayer having done gangbusters on PSN for, say, $15 USD. Tying it to a $60 game, with the most difficult campaign in the series' history, and one of the largest digital installs on PS3 - over 35 gigabytes! - did Ascension absolutely no favors. While it can still be experienced via PS Plus streaming, the chance for it to take hold as a true multiplayer contender has sadly long since passed.
