godofwar
Latest
UK's God of War: Ascension PS3 bundle to include game themed controller, Kratos' wrath
If PS3 gamers across the pond were envious of the garnet red console North Americans were getting as part of a God of War bundle, they can feel a little more chuffed today. According to a Sony press release, British fans will be able to score their very own God of War: Ascension PS3 bundle, which includes a sparkling "Classic White" super slim console along with a lovely gold and custom-designed controller specially made for UK-dwelling Kratos lovers. It comes with the largest HDD available, 500GB, as well as a special edition copy of God of War: Ascension that contains a steelbook case, the audio soundtrack, a double XP unlock code for multiplayer gaming, avatars and a special PS3 theme. The release below didn't reveal pricing, but Joystiq pointed out an Amazon UK search result of £249.99 ($391) for the lot. So if you're a die-hard GoW fan, or just someone who loves golden game controllers, get ready to head to the shops (or click on that cart symbol) on March 15th.
Garnet red PlayStation 3 bundled with God of War: Ascension and 500GB HDD arrives this March for $349
Sony apparently sees 2013 as a chance to colorize its aging PlayStation 3 console, today announcing yet another new color for the superslim packing 500GB of storage. To match the blood red tattoos found all over God of War star Kratos' body, Sony colored this one garnet red, and is pairing the console with God of War: Ascension -- thusly, the bundle arrives on March 12, the same day God of War: Ascension is scheduled to go up for sale. Unlike its "Classic White" brethren, you won't get a full-year subscription to PlayStation Plus in this bundle -- a disappointment considering this one costs $50 more. It does, however, include not just a copy of God of War: Ascension, but also God of War Saga (which collects the first three God of War games) and God of War: Origins Collection (which bundles the two God of War PlayStation Portable games). That's a total of six God of War games included in this bundle, so you'd better really be into spending time with Kratos should you pick this up.
Kratos casemod can bring 'God of War' to your desktop... if you really want that
Well, this is disturbingly creative. Seriously, is there much more to say about this Kratos casemod? Well, Greek mythology and video game fanatics alike should be pleased yet horrified with this one. We certainly were. Video is after the break.
PS3 Guitar Hero III getting free God of War track in June [update]
With Xbox 360 players getting a Halo 3 musical number for free last Thanksgiving, the gods of rock have now smiled down on PS3 owners as well. Tucked away in the latest PlayStation Underground newsletter comes word that PS3 armchair rockers will be able to download a free God of War-themed track for Guitar Hero III to rock out to on Thursday, June 5. No other details have been revealed, including what selection exactly will be released. Even so, free is free, though honestly we're racking our brains trying to come up with a single piece of God of War music that's memorable enough to warrant a living room encore.Update: It has a name! "The End Begins (to Rock)." [Thanks, Dan; via Guitar Hero Community]
Amazon and Gamestop offering God of War III pre-orders, claim March 2 release
We know that a vast majority of the gaming media consumers out there have a fairly negative outlook when it comes to pre-orders for popular titles (did anyone really have a hard time finding Halo 3 last September?), but that's not why we're writing about the recent pre-order listings on Amazon and Gamestop for the next (Barlog-less) installment in the well-received God of War franchise. What we find intriguing is the March 2 release date listed on both websites -- three quarters earlier than the last rumored launch window for the title. Is this wishful thinking from these two gaming retailers, or could the further adventures of everyone's favorite ashy Spartan hit shelves much sooner than expected?
Zero Punctuation takes on the God of War
Zero Punctuation's Yahtzee isn't content with taking on just God of War: Chains of Olympus this week. No, he takes on the whole bloody franchise. What we end up getting is almost four minutes of Yahtzee admitting that he's nitpicking and that the series helps give us relief from our 9 8:30 to 5 6 (with a half-hour lunch break) lives. The trademark Yahtzee anger just isn't there in this review, but considering it was overflowing in last week's Smash Bros. piece, an easing of tension might be good for a week.This week's NSFW review eviscerating God of War: Chains of Olympus can be found after the break.
The God of War PSP bundle looks like this
Click to enlarge We consider packaging to be quite effective when you can tell at a glance just what awaits you inside of it. Take this God of War Entertainment Pack, for example. There's the "Deep Red" PSP, the Superbad UMD, the critically praised God of War: Chains of Olympus and ... well, there's also a PSN voucher for Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, which isn't pictured. To be fair, that's simply due to the lack of excitement incurred by a piece of paper with some obscure code on it.Also not pictured is the price tag of $199.99 and, perhaps most importantly, a disappointing label which reads, "Not for sale until June."
Art student creates Kratos sculpture
For every Greek God, there is a statue. For what better way is there to immortalize an immortal than to construct an effigy? You know you've made God status when mortals start sculpting your very likeness. Today, we have Humber College student Sheldon P. to thank for this lovingly violent sculpture of God of War's hero Kratos.The sculpture, titled "Ghost of Sparta," is currently on display at the 2008 Humber Art Show: Thou Art Your Art. If you're interested in seeing the sculpture in person or just have nothing to do next week, you can still catch the exhibition on March 24 and 25 up in Toronto. Or, why not make your own Kratos sculpture? In the words of Neil Buchanan: try it yourself!Have another look at the sculpture after the break.
God of War composer talks about Chains of Olympus, future projects
God of War games, as you all know, are epic. A major contributing factor to that legendary atmosphere is undoubtedly the game's musical score -- to that we have Gerard Marino to thank. In a recent interview with Music 4 Games, Marino discussed what went into making the music compositions for Chains of Olympus as well as shed some light on his future projects.Marino says that the music in Chains of Olympus is "a bit lighter" than the previous games. The reason for this is that there's a certain character in the game that isn't as grim as the usual cast of war-hardened soldiers, and the apathetic Pantheon. Despite only composing fifteen minutes worth of new material, the game's sound should have enough freshness to it. This has to do largely in part by a huge effort to remix old tracks; they take the old tracks apart, restructure them, and then use the various arrangements in a way that ensures each scene has its own unique sound. He also calls the music on Chains of Olympus "more intimate" than what we've seen previously. Marino also revealed some interesting trivia about the God of War series. For example, did you know that Kratos was originally supposed to be named Dominus? Now how about the future you ask? Marino shared that he will be indeed working on God of War III for the PS3. Another epic game, another rocking music score. There are a lot of other alluring tidbits in the interview, so why not have a read of it for yourself?
Nega-review: God of War: Chains of Olympus
"Chains of Olympus doesn't quite live up to the other God of War games." (4) "Ready at Dawn didn't mess with the franchise's proven formula whatsoever, which is ... one of our ... gripes for the game." (3) "Gameplay-wise, nothing much has changed ... You still run around and beat the beejezus [sic] out of enemies and then meet up with the occasional boss fight." (5) "I wish that Ready at Dawn had added something new the canon rather than just re-using what's been done in the past." (7)"The game feels a bit too familiar ... [and] at times you do feel like you've played the game before." (7) That said, "the game is missing some of the features from other God of War games. ... you won't find the ability to use your blades on grappling points, the Icarus Wings, Rage of the Gods, rope traversal, rope swinging, a fourth magic, etc." (4) "I find myself disappointed ... that the game doesn't quite have the same feeling of showing you something new around every corner that the previous games did." (4) "The game is also brutally linear: you're constantly running from point A to point B, stopping to administer the occasional beatdown." (5) It could also be described as "a very linear experience, (3) that "may be a touch linear." (9) "Toward the end, combat got pretty repetitious, relying really heavily on the mechanic of blocking you into a room and not letting you out until you finished taking down the waves of enemies." (1) "It would have been nice to have seen a little experimentation here or there to mix things up. (3) "Altogether, ... the game feels like a bit less of an adventure and more of a straightforward action game." (4)
God of War III confirmed on Chains of Olympus manual
We know that most of you haven't read an instruction manual since the days of Gyromite -- not that we can judge you. Aside from the occasional steamy Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction, we try to avoid video game literature as well. Lucky for us, IGN recently cracked the narrow spine of the God of War: Chains of Olympus instruction manual and discovered this treat on the back cover -- an advertisement for a new God of War game for the PS3, presumably the third chapter in the series.While the series' tremendous sales success and God of War II's cliffhanger ending didn't leave much room for doubt that the threequel was on it's way, we didn't think we'd be hearing from our good pal Kratos so "soon" after the release of Chains. Ah, well; no rest for the familicidal, as they say.
God of War: Chains of Olympus goes gold
We typically don't do posts when games go gold, but Ready at Dawn's declaration that God of War: Chains of Olympus is ready to print on UMDs has two things going for it. First, GoW: Chains of Olympus is arguably the most high-profile PSP release outside Japan EVAR. Second, well, there are just some awesomely fun photos of the team's celebration after the game was finally done.Ready at Dawn's jamboree also means that Chains of Olympus should most definitely make its March 4 release date. Don't have a PSP and still need to get your Kratos on? If the rumor mill holds true the game will see its day on the PS2 at some point in the future. Congrats to the team at Ready at Dawn, may your hangovers be kind and gentle.[Via PSP Fanboy]%Gallery-3184%
Rumor: PSP God of War being ported to PS2
Although EGM's Quarterman rumor column in the March issue whispers sweet nothings about Dead Rising 2 and a PS2 Wiimote, the most credible rumor is that God of War: Chains of Olympus may be heading to PS2. EGM's resident man of mystery writes that Chains of Olympus may head to the PS2 later down the line, sometime after its release on PSP. It's worth wondering how much of this is rumor reporting, as opposed to "common expectation" at this point.Many high-profile PSP games have made the jump to PS2 in recent years, and GoW: Chains of Olympus could certainly fit that category. Just recently, Silent Hill Origins and Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters made the leap from portable to big screen. We'll be sure to welcome Kratos from a safe distance if he ever decides to make the jump.
Rumor: God of War III waits until Christmas 2009
After flexing his muscle in last year's God of War 2, Kratos may need to take a little break. Games Radar is claiming (via Games World UK) that inside sources tell them God of War 3 won't be released until at the earliest Christmas 2009. That date seems to fall under common sense, given that two years passed between the first two God of War titles and the next iteration is taking a leap to the more technically-proficient PlayStation 3. An earlier rumor from EGM suggested the game would come out this Christmas alongside an also-rumored release of Gears of War 2. The third God of War, sans outgoing lead developer Cory Barlog, is expected to feature ultra-fancy graphics, motion controls and rumble.
Cory Barlog says God of War III in good hands
Cory Barlog, lead developer on God of War II, wrote in his blog today that God of War III is in good hands. Barlog says Sony's Santa Monica team is very talented and he already did the story and design for the third game before parting ways with Sony, he says Kratos' finale will end with a "very big, very epic bang though."Barlog doesn't give any indication what he's currently working on, simply saying he's "cooking up several things." Poor Kratos seems to chew up and spit out his lead developers. All we need now is the Ready at Dawn lead on God of War: Chains of Olympus to quit after production and we'll have a bona fide curse on our hands -- it'll be the Madden curse of action games.[Via GameDaily]
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2007: God of War II
QTE. Quick Time Events. It stands proud as one of the most annoying video game design clichés in use today. You might remember them from games like Resident Evil 4 and the original God of War, described by game developers as a device that makes you feel like you're playing a cutscene, as opposed to watching it. It was so cool when we first saw it -- but when every single game ever decided to add QTE, it became less ... welcome.So, how did God of War II trick us into having so much fun with its QTE-riddled cinematics? Probably because the game remembered exactly what made these sequences fun. There was the all-important feeling of empowerment from these moment, where every button pressed felt like it had consequence. When we cracked Theseus' head open by slamming it into a door over and over again, we felt the same blood thirst that Kratos must have undeniably felt. We weren't pressing buttons simply because the game told us to. Rather, we pressed buttons because it intrinsically made so much sense. We were one with Kratos. RARGH! Some may argue that God of War II doesn't innovate enough to warrant any GOTY accolades. Hey, it's not like the first one really broke new ground either. (And that didn't stop the original from winning GOTY.) Instead, God of War II so finely executes what has already been done before. Giant boss battles are nothing new to video games, but those found here are exceptionally well placed (and paced!) throughout the game. Even the first level's backdrop is a giant animated statue that you ultimately go sword-to-face with. Each battle is filled with a ferocity, a viciousness that reminds you that these are very powerful gods and demons you're fighting.God of War II shows that the PS2 is still capable of producing wonderful gaming experiences. It highlights the true value of excellent design over pure technology, and offers so much of that all-important commodity we seek from games: fun. %Gallery-1588% Extreme fever! ->
PSP God of War's boosted clock speed comparison
God of War and its sequel for the PS2 had a reputation for being the dreamiest guy in school -- the Zack Morris of the system, if you will. So it makes sense that developer Ready at Dawn would want their latest project, God of War: Chains of Olympus, to hold a similar honor for the PSP -- and since the release of firmware update 3.50 for the system earlier this year, Sony has made their job much, much easier.The firmware update unlocks the system's true capabilities, upping the system's measly 222MHz processing speed to a respectable 333MHz. It doesn't make your old games look any better, but developers of new games on the system can reap the rewards of the 50 percent processing speed boost. Just check out the video comparison of the game running at the two different clock speeds above, and see how Ready at Dawn gussied up their handheld take on the PS2 swan song.
Ready at Dawn drawn to current-gen consoles
With work on God of War: Chains of Olympus coming to an end in March, developer Ready at Dawn is already planning an excursion beyond the PSP's portable realm. In a lengthy interview with 1UP, the studio discusses how easily the Greek-on-the-go got the green light thanks to the hard work put into the well-received Daxter. "The first meeting just went like 'we should make a God of War PSP game' and they were like 'yeah you should.' And that was pretty much it," quipped the game's director, Ru Weerasuriya.Once Kratos is out of the way, Ready at Dawn hopes to put on a similarly impressive show on that system you currently have chained to your television. "This team is ready to move onto something pretty big, and we've [been] planning it for quite a while, and this team needs to show what they're capable of doing on next-gen or current-gen." Expect to hear more about Something Pretty Big as soon as the team gives Okami its deserved second chance on the Wii. [Via PSP Fanboy]
GOW:COO-SE:BOADD now shipping
The wait is finally over ... for your demo. As promised, God of War: Chains of Olympus - Special Edition: Battle of Attica Demo Disc -- or simply, 'GoWCoOSEBoADD' -- has been pressed, printed, and popped in the mail. In just a matter of days you'll be tearing off the plastic seal and enjoying a full fifteen minutes of gameplay! But don't rush it -- you gotta make this one last. March 4th is still 158 days away.
Cyclops gets murdered in today's GoW vid
Yet another interview surfaced from GameSpot today, showing off even more enemies in Ready at Dawn's upcoming God of War: Chains of Olympus. Yes, you'll have to sit through some obvious moments of marketing propaganda, but chances are: you'll like it. Once again, you must be 17 years or older to see this new footage, featured after the break.[Thanks, PSP_Amigo!]
