Best & Worst: God of War

Any video game franchise that lasts more than three entries is usually a pretty good one. Fans will always want more, and publishers are eager to make sure that these trusted franchises continue to see new releases. Sometimes this can lead to truly great experiences, but sometimes it leads to some pretty lackluster ones. This March long feature is going to take a look at the best and worst a few series have offered.

God of War and all of its home console released sequels were created and developed by Sony Santa Monica Studio (with the PSP releases developed by Ready At Dawn). Sony has been relying on this franchise to bring in the big bucks for almost ten years now, and nearly all of the entries have been fantastic. So, let’s start with the good.

The Best: God of War II

The Pegasus stage is one of the best in the game.

God of War II has so many things going for it that it’s difficult to narrow down what exactly makes it better than every other entry. The original God of War laid the groundwork for what the series would come to be, but many of the key elements of the franchise (from character movement to major set pieces) would be refined so much more in the entries that followed. God of War 3, on the other hand, focused more on graphical fidelity and scale rather than a meaningful narrative and character depth. The second game seemed to hit the sweet spot for everything that makes God of War what it is. The title had a much more focused story and more varied environments. The platforming was also expanded upon with the addition of the Icarus wings. The combat was fine tuned as well with more options for the player to try out. Additionally, the second game in the series added plenty of interesting side characters, from more obscure members of Greek Mythology as well as characters from the films that inspired the series.

HEEEEEEEYYYYYYY KRATOOOOOOOOSSS!!!!

Here we see Kratos making the mistake of bringing up the Clash of the Titans remake.

The Worst: God of War: Ascension

Cheer up Kratos; the game isn't completely bad.

God of War: Ascension is by no means a bad game; it’s simply the God of War game with the most diffused goals. Where the first 5 games in the series excelled at being very focused single player experiences with stories that pushed the player from A to B, Ascension feels more cobbled together in its progression. The set pieces aren’t bad in the least (riding giant mechanized serpents to open a gateway was awesome), but it was difficult to understand why Kratos wanted to go through any of them. On top of the muddled narrative aspect, the game added a more punishing combo system that blocked players from using certain abilities (even ones the player had unlocked) until they had racked up enough hits. Additionally, the game added a multiplayer mode that, while fun, was wholly unnecessary. Ascension had a lot of good ideas that just didn’t come together as well as the rest of the God of War titles, and as a result, it’s the hardest to recommend to any but the diehard fans of the series.

Magic was still a highlight in Ascension.

Despite its flaws, Ascension is a beauty.

God of War is a series we’re very likely to see more from in the coming years. It’s always been a great opportunity for Sony to flex some of its hardware power, so God of War II may even be dethroned at some point, but until then, it’s the easiest to recommend to anyone wanting one of the best single player experiences ever crafted; whereas, Ascension is only for those who already love the series.