Sony opened up access for fans to get early access to everyone's favorite Greek God, announcing that fans can sign up to an early taste of God of War: Ascension's multiplayer mode with the Ascension beta. Sign up for free here simply by logging in with your Sony ID. After that, wish in one hand and...well, you get the idea.
Sony is keeping the sign-up open until Dec. 7, so you have about a week.
Sony's PlayStation Blog director Todd Papy has previously written about the beta, saying that the game itself is about epic larger than life moments.
Offering an example, he described one of the map reveals for the game's multiplayer mode, where "you've witnessed the awe-shocking terror of Polyphemus, a skyscraper sized giant Titan who wants to squash you to a pulp. When a team has earned a certain threshold of 'favor points,' the Gods will drop down the Spear of Olympus; the only weapon known to man that can destroy Polyphemus. The first team to acquire this weapon and destroy the Titan may win the match, or turn the tide of the battle."
Ascension sees a younger, not yet quite so cynical Kratos, whose been sentenced to serve his time in a titan sized prison, after being tricked into killing his wife and child. Ever the wiley one, Kratos escapes, and then begins being hunted by the the Furies.
Like most of the characters and enemies in the God of War series, they take inspiration from Greek mythology, according to which, the Furies were the three goddesses of vengeance. There was Tisiphone, the avenger of murder, Megaera who represented jealousy, and Alecto, representing constant anger. The Furies were also mentioned in Homer's Iliad as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath." See where this is going?
Given their origin of "beneath the earth," they're sent by Hades after Kratos swears off service to the God of war, Ares, which is where Ascension begins. It's been six months since Kratos has killed his wife and child. If he can kill the Furies, he can sever all ties with Ares, and hopefully go on with his life. If you've played the rest of the God of War series, you know this is a fool's errand, but Kratos hasn't been one to give up too easily, if at all.
Like past God of Wars, expect head bashing, spleen ripping, and gut wrenching action. And for good measure, a couple puzzles for Kratos to scratch his shiny bald head over along the way. It's also the first game in the series to incorporate multiplayer.
God of War: Ascension will release on PlayStation 3 on Mar. 12. A collector's edition is also available for pre-order.