Positives:
- As epic in action as any "God of War" game yet.
- Combat is just as gripping as ever.
- It actually feels like there are some unique changes to the gameplay.
- On a smaller scale than the other mainline games, it's just the perfect length.
- Even with that, the overall scope is still impressive.
- Boss fights are every bit as badass as before.
- Visual design is stellar as usual.
- Unnecessary as it might be to have "another" prequel, the story makes the most of it.
- Kratos is more chilled, but it's not to his detriment.
Negatives:
- 30 FPS performance feels weird after playing so many of these games at 60 FPS.
- An uninspired puzzle or two can really drag things down.
Consensus: It's wild to think that one of the more unpopular "God of War" games is actually one of my personal favorites. "God of War: Ascension" is more lightweight than some of the previous games, but it actually felt like Sony Santa Monica wanted to try some new things out, which is to the benefit of this game. Had it not been for the frame rate (and the few uninspired puzzles), we might be looking at my overall favorite in the series. As it is, this is an overlooked but still great entry that I think is worth checking out. But as much as it pains me to say it, this is the last time I'll be talking about the "God of War" series. Much as I thought I wanted a change in gameplay, I didn't really love the change-up that the 2018 entry was gameplay-wise. Thus, my time with God of War ends here. Much as I liked "God of War III" and "Ascension," I get the feeling I should've liked this series more.
Final rating: 9 out of 10 "Awesome"