Joystiq

God of War: Ascension's 'Trial of Archimedes' patch out now

Xav de Matos — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:00:00 EST

A promised patch to adjust the difficulty found during a late game combat sequence in God of War: Ascension has been deployed. Santa Monica Studio Community Strategist Aaron Kaufman posted on the PlayStation Blog to explained the changes introduced by the game's patch.

Found in Chapter 28 of the game's single-player campaign, the 'Trial of Archimedes' pits Kratos against waves of enemies as he ascends a tower toward Ascension's final chapter. The tweak will now provide players across all difficulties with a slew of "green health orbs and a nominal amount of blue magic orbs" after each successive wave, of which there are three.

"In every God of War game, establishing a well-paced difficulty ramp towards the end of the game is paramount to us. Based on player response, the degree of challenge offered here was short of our goal of being perfectly balanced," Kaufman wrote.

The 1.03 patch also adds new, visual multiplayer customization options called "Marks" that players can obtain based on a number of criteria, including selected allegiance. For more details, check the PlayStation Blog.

God of War: Ascension's 'Trial of Archimedes' patch out now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Controversial God of War: Ascension trophy altered in upcoming patch

Xav de Matos — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST

In a statement sent to Joystiq, developer Sony Santa Monica has confirmed it will change the name of a controversial God of War: Ascension trophy in a patch that should be available alongside the game on Tuesday. Once the patch is applied, the name of the trophy will be "Bros Before Foes."

Originally named "Bros Before Hos" (as seen above), the trophy pops up soon after you help God of War's anti-hero, Kratos, brutally pummel a Fury, one of a trio of female antagonists in the game. (Though it's not a spoiler in light of the fact that Kratos beats everyone up, we've omitted the trophy description.) The change comes after negative reaction from early reviews to the jarring scene on and the attached award, which is perceived as misogynistic.

"We have created and will soon push out a patch for God of War: Ascension that alters the title of one of the game Trophies. The text was offensive to some members of our community and impacted their enjoyment of the game," Sony Santa Monica's statement noted. "We are endlessly committed to ensuring that our community can fully enjoy the experiences the team has created. As such, we've addressed the feedback and amended the Trophy in question."

Players will be instructed to download the update once God of War: Ascension has been inserted into an internet-connected PlayStation 3. No other aspect of the game is affected by the patch.

God of War: Ascension launches exclusively for the PlayStation 3 on March 12, 2013. For more on the game, check out Joystiq's review.

Controversial God of War: Ascension trophy altered in upcoming patch originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War: Ascension review: Spectacle slipstream

Xav de Matos — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:45:00 EST

In the race for spectacle, Sony Santa Monica's God of War franchise is constantly attempting to lap itself. From striking down a god to tearing down giants, it would seem there are few bodies - human, mythical being, god or behemoth - left for Kratos to shatter. In response to the angry protagonist's bloody evolution, Santa Monica has ventured to the only place left for Kratos to wage war: the past.

God of War: Ascension tells the story of Kratos before the events of his all-out war against Ares, the Greek God of War. But the narrative fabric woven throughout the franchise has begun to split, and Ascension's thinly constructed premise does little to enhance its characters in any meaningful way.

Its narrative issues aside, Ascension provides the distinct God of War flair required to eradicate all that stands in Kratos' way. Wielding a familiar set of chained blades, the popular anti-hero fluidly works his murder-pinwheel magic to perfection. The combat system, however, is less complicated than before, abandoning an arsenal of collected weaponry in favor of sticking with Kratos' trusty, sharp sidekicks. It's Kratos at his least materialistic, eschewing the pack-rat mentality of previous entries in favor of simplicity.

Gallery: God of War: Ascension (3/11/13)

Continue reading God of War: Ascension review: Spectacle slipstream

God of War: Ascension review: Spectacle slipstream originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale review: Smashing

Steve Watts — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:15:00 EST

Nintendo's presence looms large in the fledgling category of game mascot fighters. For years, the company has had a monopoly on the concept with its Smash Bros. series, essentially making it a genre of one. Sony may be the only other publisher with a large enough bench to support such a concept, and as a result PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale has been subject to many comparisons with Nintendo's beloved franchise (not all of them favorable).

All-Stars certainly wears its influences on its sleeve, but thanks to some clever ideas, it also earns its keep. This isn't just a carbon copy, but a well-designed game that could go toe-to-toe with Nintendo's fighters.

Gallery: PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale (11/20/12)

Continue reading PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale review: Smashing

PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale review: Smashing originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War: Ascension Collector's Edition isn't angry enough

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 23:15:00 EST

Remember the God of War: Ascension Collector's Edition that popped up earlier this year? Sony has officially unveiled it, and the $80 package includes some lovely God of War goodies. First and foremost is a statue of the god-killer himself, Kratos, looking much less angry than usual. He looks almost introspective, really, perhaps pondering the meaning of life or, more likely, precisely how to rip open the skull of the nearest elephant man.

The collector's edition also includes a copy of the game in a Steelbook case, a soundtrack, multiplayer double XP unlock, a "pass for future DLC content" a dynamic theme and an avatar pack. The package will be available on God of War: Ascension's launch date, March 12, 2013, and is available for pre-order now.

Speaking of which, pre-ordering the collector's or standard edition will net you the "Mythological Heroes Multiplayer Pack," which includes four characters: Perseus, Achilles, Odysseus, and Orion.

God of War: Ascension Collector's Edition isn't angry enough originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the first God of War: Ascension gameplay right here

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:55:00 EST

Wondering what that just-announced multiplayer focus will look like in God of War: Ascension? The game's creative lead, Todd Papy, is currently setting up shop with the US PlayStation Blog's Jeff Rubenstein and will be broadcasting footage of the game across the interwebs any minute now.

What's that, you wanna ask questions too? Thanks to the power of the internet, you can do just that via Twitter with Sony's synergistic hashtag, "#GodofWarAscension."

But don't ask if Kratos is still gonna be super upset in this one. We've got that news for you right here: he totally will be.

Watch the first God of War: Ascension gameplay right here originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creating the world of Starhawk with music

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:00:00 EST

What do an orchestra, heavy metal guitars, harmonicas, Chinese flutes and dobros have in common? The Starhawk soundtrack, of course!

Creating the world of Starhawk with music originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War: Ascension officially revealed [update: director is Todd Papy]

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST

After the teaser trailer leaked last night, Sony has officially announced God of War Ascension. Unfortunately, we don't have much more info beyond the teaser trailer (above), though Sony will be hosting a live streaming event on PlayStation Blog on Monday, April 30 at 8am Pacific (11am Eastern) that promises "a glimpse of what's in store."

In the meantime, the PlayStation Twitter account will accept questions about the game - using the hashtag #godofwarascension - until this Friday at 3pm Pacific. Those whose questions are chosen for the live stream will receive a signed God of War Ascension poster. Poster or not, we'll definitely be watching the stream and reporting any news as soon as we get it.

Update: Ascension's director is Todd Papy, who previously served as design director for God of War 3.

God of War: Ascension officially revealed [update: director is Todd Papy] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Composer confirms work on 'God of War IV' [update]

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:15:00 EST

The man behind the orchestral arrangements for Valve's upcoming Dota 2, as well as orchestration in films like the recent remake of Halloween, claims to be working on the music for "God of War IV." Timothy Williams lists the unannounced God of War entry in his resume under "Video Games," and he denotes it as an "upcoming" title.

This isn't the first time we've seen news of another God of War title popping up; this development follows a pair of job listings calling for talent to work on an unannounced God of War title at Sony's Santa Monica studios. The word on the street - yes, we're from the streets - is that the next, still unannounced God of War entry will arrive in time for fall 2012. Sony, meanwhile, hasn't said a peep, though we've reached out for comment once more all the same.

Update: Sony tells us, "We do not comment on rumors or speculation about our products."

Update 2: Timothy Williams confirmed the listing as accurate to Joystiq and explained that he is, "working on it in the capacity of orchestrations and some additional music," but wanted to note that Tyler Bates is the "main composer" and should be listed as such. Bates had yet to return request for comment as of this update.

Composer confirms work on 'God of War IV' [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War Master Collection 'currently' only for Germany

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:15:00 EST

As much as we love writing about video games here at Joystiq, it pales in comparison to our real hobby: crushing hopes and dreams. If you were looking forward to playing through every single God of War game in the God of War Master Collection that was spotted on Amazon's German site, and you don't actually live in Germany, you're out of luck.

When asked about the listing, Sony informed Joystiq that the Master Collection is "currently only slated for the German market." It seems a bit unlikely that such a collection would be exclusive to a single region, so we wouldn't be surprised to see it announced for other regions as well. Of course, we'll take all the dream crushing we can get, even if it is only temporary.

God of War Master Collection 'currently' only for Germany originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War 2's lost Atlantis level pulled from the abyss

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:40:00 EST

When God of War 3 director Stig Asmussen recently revealed that "we cut less" from the PS3 game than from its PS2 predecessors, he wasn't kidding! As PlayStation Blog has unearthed, God of War 2 has the entire "lost" city of Atlantis buried in its design history.

In the video after the break, level creator Jonathan Hawkins guides us through the blueprint. This was his first "big chance," recalls Hawkins, who says "knowing what i know now, it cracks me up how all out I went." He reckons three to four months were spent on the intricate Atlantis level before it was eventually scrapped as the game's story evolution went in a different direction. (Kratos does take care of unfinished Atlantis business in the new Ghost of Sparta PSP game.)

"As a designer you have to have tough chops and, you know, roll with the punches," Hawkins warns with a chuckle about the unsentimental creative process. "I wish you guys could have played it."

Continue reading God of War 2's lost Atlantis level pulled from the abyss

God of War 2's lost Atlantis level pulled from the abyss originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have a look at what God of War 3 left on the cutting room floor

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST

Few would describe God of War 3 as an abridged action-adventure. "I would say we cut less" compared to the previous games, director Stig Asmussen told 1UP in a video interview covering the topic of the game's "deleted scenes." Still, cut they did.

"There were a couple of big moments that we lost," Asmussen recounted. "We had a [water-based] puzzle with this guy named Ixion [...] He was a really cool character. The inspiration was -- I don't remember his name -- but he was the flying guy from The Road Warrior." The objective, of course, was to drown Ixion.

"The big cut," Asmussen then revealed, "was the end of the game" -- an unpolished, three-way rumble between Gaia, Zeus and Kratos (pictured). "It was a tough cut, but it's something that needed to be done."

Hear more from Asmussen and producer Steve Caterson and see alpha footage of the deleted scenes in the video embedded after the break.

Continue reading Have a look at what God of War 3 left on the cutting room floor

Have a look at what God of War 3 left on the cutting room floor originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Twisted Metal

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:00:00 EST

David Jaffe is a big fat liar. He's a liarface. But at E3, he was finally able to tell the truth: Twisted Metal for PS3. The return of this beloved demolition murder derby series isn't so much a surprise as it is a relief for dedicated fans, fingers sore from begging for an original console sequel on any forum that will listen. Still in pre-alpha (and in the garage until 2011), Twisted Metal is up and running at Sony's E3 booth.

A 15-player demo (the game does support up to 16 players) staged in the "Slaughterdale" map showcased what Santa Monica Studios producer Chad Cox called the key feature of the new Twisted Metal: "online factions." While there will be free-for-all gametypes, the team-based matches appear to be the feature modes. You pick a side: in the demo, Clowns or Dolls (though more factions are to be revealed), and then you're free to choose and change your vehicle throughout a match; much like you might change up your character class or loadout in an online shooter before you respawn.

Gallery: Twisted Metal (E3 2010)

Continue reading Preview: Twisted Metal

Preview: Twisted Metal originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War III launch trailer reveals violent tendencies of the PS3

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:55:00 EST

There are a lot of totally awesome things in the God of War III launch trailer above: skydiving demigods, mountain-sized Titans, giant blue scorpions, and, of course, everyone's favorite chained antihero, Kratos -- to name a few. However, we'd like to specifically highlight the bit of PS3 marketing that ends all commercials for Sony-published games. This time around, it brags that the console only does "vengeance," "rage" and "everything," in that order.

We're imagining a scenario in which a Best Buy shopper asks a friendly sales clerk which gaming system would be the most appropriate for his kids ... and which one would be capable of "doing vengeance" on his in-laws.

God of War III launch trailer reveals violent tendencies of the PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War 3 'right within budget' -- a $44 million budget

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:06:00 EST

Anger management simulator God of War III cost $44 million to create, according to director of production development John Hight, which is "right within budget." Speaking with Giant Bomb, Hight revealed that the team of 132 staff required to finish the third installment was more than double the crew (of about 60) on hand to wrap up God of War II, with the biggest growth occurring in the graphics and art departments.

Considering the ultimate Kratos adventure will likely go on to become a phenomenal sales hit, the $44 million budget isn't as ridiculous as it might seem. Consider that Gran Turismo 5's budget, at last count, had reportedly ballooned to around the $60 million mark. On the other hand, Ken Levine previously put the first BioShock's budget at about $15 million. With such variation in current-gen development costs, in the end, the price is just a number -- and in the case of God of War III, it was certainly worth the dough.

Gallery: God of War 3

[Via Edge]

God of War 3 'right within budget' -- a $44 million budget originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: God of War III

Justin McElroy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

You know how Kratos' battle against the gods of Olympus is known for its massive, insane action sequences spread throughout? Well, some genius (or likely several geniuses) at Sony's Santa Monica Studio had the brilliant idea of making a whole game just out of those incredible moments. It was rare that I went 15 minutes without my jaw dropping at the immense size, stunning beauty or sheer creativity of the set piece I was now scaling or destroying.

I'm willing to agree that God of War III is just "God of War HD," provided that "HD" stands for "Holy Shit."

Gallery: God of War 3

Continue reading Review: God of War III

Review: God of War III originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kratos talks fashion in GameStop God of War 3 video

Justin McElroy — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

You've got to hand it to those PlayStation and GameStop marketing people: They know how to speak our language. Take note, wannabees: If you've got an exclusive God of War III outfit to show off, you could show Kratos flipping out and killing people in it. But why do that when you could show him having a polite conversation with a mythological beast about his ensemble choice? Why indeed.

Fun fact: Kratos has more dialog in this trailer than in God of War I and II combined. It's true!

Kratos talks fashion in GameStop God of War 3 video originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: John Hight, God of War III director of product development

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:55:00 EST

John Hight runs Sony's Santa Monica studio and oversees the entire God of War 3 team. He makes sure that everyone is happy, that the game is going to ship on time, and that it's going to be something you'll want to play. Read on to learn more from him about the the future of the franchise, the possibility of multiplayer, the God of War movie and why he hasn't played Dante's Inferno (yet).

Continue reading Interview: John Hight, God of War III director of product development

Interview: John Hight, God of War III director of product development originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: Adam Puhl, God of War III's combat designer

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:57:00 EST

As lead combat designer of God of War III, Adam Puhl has the enviable position of creating an arsenal of weapons and abilities fit to take down the gods. I recently spoke with Adam about the design process for such a titanic task and the pressures of surpassing the first two God of War games. Additionally, Adam offered his gameplay reactions to Dante's Inferno and Darksiders, two recent action-adventures that owe a lot to the God of War series.

Read on after the break for the full interview.

Gallery: God of War 3

Continue reading Interview: Adam Puhl, God of War III's combat designer

Interview: Adam Puhl, God of War III's combat designer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: God of War III (well, the first boss battle at least)

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

A common refrain from many (including us!) about God of War III is: "It's God of War ... in HD." And, as our last preview attested, that's not such a bad thing. In fact, while the demo was impressive in its own right, the game's director tells us they've added depth of field, motion blur, and high dynamic range lighting to the finished product. Too technical, right? We'll just use our fallback word: awesome.

For this hands-on, we went all the way up to the first boss and beat him ... err, after several tries. It's none other than a certain God of the Sea, and he's pretty moody on account of Kratos and a bunch of Titans trying to scale Mount Olympus. In fact, there's a gathering of the gods up there and they're all pretty miffed: Zeus, Helios, Hermes, Poseidon, Hades, and a mysterious someone else. Based on this preview, they're going to do everything they can to try and make sure Kratos doesn't play king of the hill on their precious mountain.

Read on for our experience with the opening of God of War III up to, and including, the first boss battle. If you're hoping to go into this game spoiler-free next month, you might want to stop here; otherwise, press on!

Gallery: God of War 3

Continue reading Hands-on: God of War III (well, the first boss battle at least)

Hands-on: God of War III (well, the first boss battle at least) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe gets DIY compatibility fix

Xav de Matos — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

Recent connection issues have marred European PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe owners from participating in rousing online games against North American and Asian players. Thankfully, the PlayStation Blog has released a two-part DIY guide to help fix the PSP game's issues. The process is simple:

Delete your game through the PSP Home Menu (select Game>Memory Stick>press the triangle button with PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe highlighted and select Delete).
Connect to PlayStation Store > Select View Downloads and re-download PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe from the Download List.

Users will still retain their previous progress and now (hopefully) be completely problem free in their quest for online Deluxe dominance.

Gallery: PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe

PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe gets DIY compatibility fix originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cory Barlog leaves Sony; God of War 3 in development

Jem Alexander — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Cory Barlog, director of Santa Monica Studio and of God of War II, will soon be leaving Sony in order to pursue other opportunities. In a statement to 1Up, Sony thanks Barlog for his work on one of their biggest PS2 franchises of the year as well as stating that they have faith in the team at Santa Monica Studio and in their future projects. Specifically, God of War: Chains of Olympus for PSP and God of War III for PS3.

This marks the first time that a Sony representative has confirmed the development of God of War III and, while we all knew it was coming, it's nice to have the game officially on the cards. With no indication of how long development has been going on, there's no real way of knowing when the game will be released but we're willing to play our bets safe and guesstimate at some time during 2009.

Cory Barlog leaves Sony; God of War 3 in development originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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