One of my favourite games series, so can't wait for this, and the multiplayer sounds superb too

taken from maxconsole

SCE Santa Monica Studio has shared the first details for their upcoming God of War prequel.

GoW: Ascension takes place six months after Kratos' tragedy:

As for the story, Ascension sees players assume the role of Kratos as he tries to break the blood oath that binds him to Ares. Since this is a prequel, we get to see a younger Kratos, one driven mad after bring tricked into killing his wife and child. In the game Kratos "seeks to break his bond and gain the clarity to seek revenge on Ares for his part in the death of his family". Helping is his signature double-chained blades.

The game will feature a variety of multiplayer modes, customisable avatar warriors, armour and weapon types to unlock.

Multiplayer "combines the brutal gameplay and large-scale battles that God of War is known for to create a competitive experience like never before", Sony said. According to game director Todd Pappy it's a "fresh twist" on competitive gaming.

Of course, the game has a single-player mode too, and it has been "revamped" a bit. According to them, this time the campaign is "just a little bit shorter":

But the game has single-player, too, this time with a "revamped" combat and weapon system, "promptless" mini-games and new puzzles. Sony mentioned "fluid, life-like characters, dynamic lighting effects, and world-changing scenarios".

Pappy told Eurogamer Ascension's campaign is "just a little bit shorter" than in previous God of War games. "We've mapped out everything and given time estimates. It'll be pretty damn close."

And lead combat designer Jason McDonald insisted that single-player has not suffered as a result of the addition of multiplayer. "We didn't want to sacrifice single-player for multiplayer, neither did we want to tack [the latter] on," he said. "We're definitely going full force with both."

Check out the first game screens and multiplayer trailer below. The game is using an "improved" version of the God of War 3 graphical engine, so it still looks pretty cool!