PlayStation has made an offer to the gods and fans in the form of a trailer showcasing the multiplayer mode for the upcoming prequel, God of War: Ascension. There's no sign of Kratos, but there is a collection of men who look like they have a fondness for HGH and the capability to tear several phonebooks in half. Or, just some straight up vivisection about a minute in.
Ascension will be the first God of War game to feature a multiplayer mode, and a non-traditional one at that. Players can choose to align themselves with one of four different Greek gods; Zeus, Hades, Ares, or Poseidon. Each god offers a particular fighting style and magical abilities, as well as seperate strenghts and weaknesses. The more you play for a particular God, the more you unlock unique upgraded armors, weapons, relics, and other treasures.
A PlayStation blog post from Ascension's Game Director, Todd Papy, already clued us in on what multiplayer is like fighting under Ares. As the OG God of War, Ares is meant for consumate brawlers, "tacticians and will destroy enemies with series of close attacks. They have magical abilities and are excellent in close combat." Zeus players on the other hand seems to be more about using magic in the offensive. Lending players his talent for electricity, landing successful lightning bolts will refill the magic gauge much quicker, and will grant players the ability to use more precise magical attacks.
Several different weapons will be available to the warriors, and are not unlike those wielded by Kratos in past games. They will also come equipped with grappling hooks that function similarly to Kratos's own chained blades.
Gamers will get their first chance to experience Acension's multiplayer mode in early January. A recent posting on the PlayStation blog announced that the multiplayer beta is coming to PlayStation Plus members Jan. 8.
Like past God of Wars, expect head bashing, spleen ripping, and gut wrenching action in both the multiplayer and single player campaign alike. And for good measure, a couple puzzles for Kratos to scratch his shiny bald head over along the way.
God of War: Ascension will release on PlayStation 3 on Mar. 12. A collector's edition is also available for pre-order.
