The first time I played God of War: Ascension’s multiplayer mode, my reaction was quite mixed to say the least. I admired the game managed to retain the impressive graphics the series is known for, plus the controls have all but remained the same. The only thing that bugged me was the actual gameplay itself. It felt too much like a button mashing affair and I got killed several times without managing to kill any of my opponents for several games.
One thing that bugged me about the beta is that it feels a little unfair. I’m not sure what the full game will implement, but the beta did not include a filter system so players could face off against other people of the same skill level. I remember facing off with three other players at one time who were more skilled and were equipped with better weapons and armor than me. Naturally, they teamed up on me and killed me all of the time. Hopefully the full game allows you to find players that are around the same level as yourself…
Another annoying aspect of the game is that other players are likely to steal your kills on a frequent basis. I remember targeting a specific opponent and stunned him so I could deliver the final blow on him. Just as soon as I was about to kill him, another player re-spawned and then knocked me out of the way and stole the kill. Since the “Hercules” arena is so small, expect this type of thing to happen on a regular basis. Sure I’m awarded with an “assist”, although this isn’t nearly as satisfying as earning a kill.
Aside from a few niggles here and there, I actually improved once I got the hang of the actual gameplay. After my fourth match, I actually managed to come first and was able to play the game a lot better than I did at the very beginning. Not to mention I was amazed how the multiplayer mode did not “downgrade” its graphics with some other games. Even though it’s a beta, the graphics are still impressive and I did not even experience any lag while playing the game either.
God of War: Ascension’s multiplayer mode may suffer from a few flaws right now, but let’s hope the full game finds ways to improve on these aspects. It’s nice to see another type of online mode in a game that doesn’t involve any type of shooting. If you are sick to death of online shooting games, then God of War: Ascension might be the game for you. It’s far from perfect right now, but fans of hack-n-slash games will find the multiplayer mode both different yet exciting at the same time.
Check out some gameplay footage of the beta below:
