Kratos returns in the prequel, God of War: Ascension

By Ryan Fleming April 19, 2012

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that played the God of War games that Kratos was destined to return. Besides starring in some of the best-selling and best-received exclusive Sony titles, Kratos is a hard guy to keep down. He pwned Titans, murdered gods, and even seemed to die about a dozen times before fighting his way out of the underworld and murdering everything in his way just ‘cuse, so what could stop him from returning?

The only real question was who would Kratos be abusing in the next iteration of the series after tormenting almost every Greek God into an early grave. He even ripped the heads off of more than a few, which makes for a slightly less compelling narrative to have the one-time God of War face the dreaded corpses of the Greek gods. So it isn’t all that surprising to learn that Kratos’ next outing will likely be a prequel.

Earlier today Sony announced that those (not-so) mysterious images floating around last week were, indeed, for a new PS3 exclusive God of War title, and the angriest protagonist in Sony’s lineup would be returning in God of War: Ascension. The details are still being kept quiet, but the trailer suggestions that the story will take place before Kratos went on his divine killstreak.

The trailer references “a time before Kratos became the monster known as the Ghost of Sparta. A time when something other than rage consumed him. A time when, in spite of the madness that plagued him, Kratos would break his blood oath to an unjust god.”

Whoever that “unjust god is,” weep for that poor, doomed SOB. We’ll find out more about God of War: Ascension on Monday, April 30, when the game’s director, Todd Pappy, hosts a live streaming event on the Facebook page for the game.

{Warning: This trailer may not be suitable for all ages}

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

The best video games of November 2022: God of War Ragnarok, Pentiment, and more

Kratos sternly looks at Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok.

November 2022 was filled to the brim with some of the year’s biggest releases, which is typical of this time of year. Although not all of them lived up to expectations, others like God of War Ragnarok garnered critical acclaim and are must-plays for anyone gaming in 2022. Still, there are plenty of other games that released in November 2022 that also deserve admiration.
December 2022 will be packed with exciting games too, so you’ll want to check out these six titles before that rush begins. From well-known games like God of War Ragnarok to smaller indies like A Little to the Left, these are the November 2022 video game releases that you shouldn’t miss.
God of War Ragnarok

Sony Santa Monica followed up 2018’s critically acclaimed God of War with a sequel that is bigger in almost every way. While that doesn’t always work out perfectly for God of War Ragnarok, it’s still a massive and emotionally touching action game. It features many great accessibility options for players that need those too.
“God of War Ragnarok is much bigger than its predecessor, though not inherently better,” Gaming Editor Giovanni Colantonio wrote in his four-star review of the game. “It’s more reminiscent of the jump between the original God of War in 2005 and God of War 2, offering a largely similar experience down to its plot beats. That larger scope makes for a messier story that loses some of the previous game’s intimacy, but the trade-off is even sharper combat that further establishes the franchise as the God of action games.”
As God of War Ragnarok had the bestselling launch of any first-party PlayStation game ever, there's a good chance you're already playing it. If you haven’t checked it out, though, this sequel is a must for PlayStation owners. God of War Ragnarok is available now exclusively for PS4 and PS5.
Pentiment

Gaming

God of War Ragnarok: best Runic Abilities

Thor in God of War Ragnarok.

Runic attacks are back from God of War 2018, and they're more varied and potent than ever. These special moves are unique to each weapon in the game and offer various forms of attack that deal different amounts of damage, stun, and elemental afflictions. You can equip two per weapon -- one light and one heavy -- and each one can be upgraded using XP to make them even stronger. You'll need that extra edge in combat, especially when facing off against the tougher bosses in God of War Ragnarok.

You will naturally pick up a lot of Runic attacks as you make your way through the main story in God of War Ragnarok, and while they are easy to manage at first, you will eventually need to make some tough choices. Not only will you need to pick which ones are best, but also which are worth investing upgrades in. With Ragnarok fast approaching, don't waste any time with the weaker Runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok. Here are the best ones for each weapon.

Gaming

God of War Ragnarok: How to find the Giant’s Toes treasure

Tyr and Kratos in God of War Ragnarok.

If you think about it, Kratos is actually more of a treasure hunter than almost anything else. Ever since his first appearance, this Spartan has been raiding and smashing treasure chests of all kinds across Greece and Midgard. It would only make sense that, upon finding a treasure map, Kratos would be very interested in collecting that loot for himself. Unfortunately, these maps aren't as clear as just pointing you to the dig spot.