PlayStation 3 500GB with God of War: Ascension PlayStation 3

Released on 15-Mar-2013

The PS3 Slim gets slimmer and slicker in White!

The redesigned new smaller, lighter PlayStation 3 packs all the gaming fun you’d expect from PlayStation but in a brand new case!

By redesigning the internal design architecture and removing the disc-fed tray for a sliding top-loading disk cover, the PS3 Super Slim is reduced in size by up to 25% compared to the current Slim PS3.

For those who like to download, you’ll find a 500GB Hard Drive (HDD) waiting to be filled with downloadable games, add-on content, music and films from the PlayStation Network, meaning you’ll never need to worry about storage space on the PS3 Slim 500GB.

You’ll still be able to play all your favourite PlayStation 3 titles such as Uncharted 3 Drakes Deception, God of War 3 and Gran Turismo 5, not to mention some of the upcoming titles like Assassins Creed III, Need for Speed Most Wanted and PlayStation All Star Battle Royale.

The White PS3 Slim 500GB is more than a games console; it’s a home entertainment system that allows you to play Blu-Ray Discs, DVD’s, Music CD’s and watch TV through the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 iPlayers*.

The sleek new look will go with any household set up and thanks to the White PS3 Slim 500GB stand (sold separately) you can lay the console down or have it stood up, depending on the space you have!

Included in the box you’ll find:

• White PlayStation 3 Slim 500GB Console
• 1 Gold God of War Wireless Dualshock 3 Controller
• AC power cord
• AV cable
• USB cable

*You will need Internet access to use this function.

BEFORE HE WAS A GOD, HE WAS A MAN.

God of War Ascension Special Edition Contains:

• Premium Steelbook Case
• Official Game Soundtrack
• Multiplayer Double XP Unlock
• PlayStation 3 Dynamic Theme
• PlayStation Network Avatar Pack

Discover the Origins of Kratos and his never ending fight against the Gods of Olympus in God of War Ascension on PlayStation 3

• Epic New Story – See how Kratos started his Journey of vengeance in this prequel to God of War!
• Introducing Multiplayer - God of War Ascension sees you fighting with or against your friends as you go online to prove your dominance.
• Choose your Allegiance – Choose your alias carefully from Zeus, Ares, Poseidon or Hades, as each has much to offer…

In this prequel to God of War, we see why Kratos becomes the one man army and God of War. It’s been six months since Kratos stood over the blood soaked bodies of his family, tricked by the God Ares into killing them.

Fuelled by anger and swearing revenge on Ares, Kratos breaks his blood oath that binds him to the God he now loathes. But as Kratos finds out, breaking such as an oath is no easy task. Cast into a prison of the living damned Kratos must battle insanity at the hands of the Furies.

As Kratos you’ll battle all manner of mythological beasts and foul creatures using new combat mechanics, whilst tackling new puzzles that you’ll need to solve in order to progress.

For the first time in God of War take the fight online as you battle your friends in coop and competitive modes to prove your superiority on the battlefield! Wield immense swords and hammers fighting in the style of the God of War himself.

Perform devastating combos, launch your opponents into the air or deliver brutal moves that seem to come from the Gods themselves such as flaming arrows from above ad awesome shockwaves to knock opponents back.

Before joining the heat of battle you must align yourself with a God, choose from Zeus, Ares, Poseidon and Hades. Earn their favour in battle and they will grant you access to new weapons and armour.

Customise your warrior with their gifts that will not strike fear into your opponent but also offer you increased strength and stamina as well as making you the mightiest warrior on the field of battle.

• God of War: Ascension's mystery code

  The God of War games are well known for their bloodthirsty combat and gruesome boss battles, but now the series has been linked to something more cerebral. Eagle-eyed American players of God of War: Ascension, the just-released-over-there-but-we've-got-to-wait-till-Friday prequel, have stumbled across a cryptic code buried in the game.

  The code is hidden inside a painting of Mount Olympus in a side room during The Cistern level. Examine the painting and you're presented with a curious caption:

  Of all the prophecies I have seen, this one haunts my dreams.
  QUJIKPHIUEEEKMJQUJ
  The full truth of this nightmare yet remains hidden. - Aletheia

  The jumble of letters in the middle changes depending on the language you're playing in, and internet detectives are already hard at work trying to crack the cypher. The most popular theory right now translates the text as "SUN BIRD BULL LION SUN"

  Previous God of War games also had similar easter eggs - the first game famously contained a phone number that connected to players to a voice message from Kratos himself - but this one is the most mysterious yet. What does it mean?

  I guess we can find out when God of War: Ascension is released this Friday for PlayStation 3
  

  Published: 13/03/2013

• God of War: Ascension - Review

  
  

  

  Brash, brutal, spectacular and anything but subtle, SONY's God of War series mimics the style and ambiance of the Greek myths from which it draws influence. Placing players in the leather-strapped sandals of Kratos, a bare-chested warrior sick with revenge, the five previous titles in the series have allowed us to face up to Homeric gods and monsters millennia old - before tearing them limb from limb in a narrative arc that's rarely anything but crimson-soaked. God of War: Ascension, the sixth game in a series that spans across two PlayStations and a handheld, is a prequel that offers, for the first time, an expansive suite of online multiplayer modes to supplement the thrill-ride single player campaign.

  That single player story opens with Kratos chained atop a stone column being tortured by one of the Furies - the three sisters who hunt any who break a blood oath with a god. A grotesque monster that sweats attack bugs through her pores, you must dodge her flailing attacks while attempting to break free of the chains. Do so and the hunter becomes the hunted as you propel Kratos forward through a diverse set of Greek environments - ancient marbled temples, majestic aqueducts that power giant mechanical cogs, mountains and rivers - destroying any creature that tries to impede progress.

  

  The Odyssey

  It turns out, unsurprisingly for anyone who's played the previous titles, that there is a huge number of creatures eager to do that impeding. In the war on mythology, Kratos has an increasingly wide range of attacks at his disposal. You begin the game with just the trusty Blades of Chaos, used to rip and slice enemies into puffs of crimson mist. Light and heavy attacks can be interspersed with one another, while launchers will propel enemies into the air before a chain attack can latch onto them and draw them into you again.

  When they're sufficiently weakened, a red or white halo will appear above an enemy inviting a flamboyant finishing move. Larger enemies can even be mounted and used to attack smaller foes, while the biggest monsters must be felled by following on-screen button prompts to trigger gruesome eviscerations. The violence is stylised and cartoonish, but still manages to shock at times.

  

  Ancient Tools

  As the game progresses you gain access to new abilities and tools - four elemental properties that can be added to all attacks (fire, ice, electric, soul), each selected by a swift (sometimes mid-combo) tap of the d-pad. You can also pick up man-made equipment such as swords and shields that can be threaded into your usual slick combos. Later in the game, SONY Santa Monica introduces the Amulet of Urobotus, a non-violent tool that allows players to highlight pieces of scenery and either restore them to their former usefulness, or smash them into rubble. This item is cleverly used in a range of different environmental puzzles, adding welcome variety to the otherwise relentless bloodshed. This item can even be used in battle thereafter, aimed at foes to inflict slow motion on their action, allowing you to manage mobs of enemies with increasing ease.

  Collect hidden artefacts in the game and, upon completion, you can replay with, infinite rage for example, or triple the length of time on your combo meter. But the main source of replay value when the storyline is over is the multiplayer section of the game, which allows players to compete against one another using the battle techniques learned in the campaign. Here the game reveals the true depth and intricacy of its battle system, the full range of offensive and defensive moves offering the kind of taut, reactive competition in this context that are more usually found in a fighting game - refuting accusations that God of War is a 'button-mashing' series.

  Slick, well-oiled and expertly constructed, God of War Ascension may at times fall a little short of the wonder and spectacle of its predecessor God of War III, but it's nevertheless an enthralling retelling of the Kratos myth for those who are yet to have their appetite for revenge sated.

  GAME's Verdict

  The Good:

  • Spectacular
  • Environmental puzzles
  • Multiplayer

  The Bad

  • The campaign is over-familiar
  • The storyline
  • Weak puzzles in first half of game

  Published: 13/03/2013

• Review Roundup: God of War Ascension

  It's been three years since Kratos last carved his way across the PlayStation 3, but now he's back in the blood-soaked prequel, God of War: Ascension. But is it worth taking another trip back to Ancient Greece? The specialist gaming press has weighed in, and the answer seems to be yes.

  Official PlayStation Magazine awards it 8/10, praising "dizzyingly directed setpieces" and "moments that can rank with the finest in the franchise". The review also highlights the game's puzzles - an aspect previously overshadowed by the brutal combat - as some of the best gameplay in the series so far.

  Destructoid is even more effusive in its praise for what it calls "the fastest, craziest, most thrilling rollercoaster ever". There's plenty of attention given to the multiplayer modes - a first for the God of War series - with the 9/10 review calling its inclusion "a daring move that pays off big".

  Gamespot is also bowled over by the prequel's energy, declaring it "a gloriously bloody adventure filled with exhilarating combat". The game's stunning visuals are picked out and praised for the level of grisly detail "thrown into each and every stab of a knife, and each drop of blood that flows from a downed enemy's recently spilled guts". "It's all very juvenile", they conclude with an 8/10, "But boy is it fun."

  God of War: Ascension is out now for PlayStation 3.

  Published: 12/03/2013

• Special God of War: Ascension console bundle announced

  If you've been eyeing SONY's upcoming mythical brawler God of War: Ascension but haven't got a PlayStation 3 to play it on, a handy all-in-one solution just presented itself. From March 15th you'll be able to pick up a special bundle containing both the special edition of the game and a new super slim PS3 to play it on.

  The bundle includes a 500Gb Super Slim PlayStation 3 in "classic white" - all the better to show off those blood stains - and a limited edition golden God of War DualShock controller. The special edition of the game comes in a steelbook case and offers a copy of the game's soundtrack, a PS3 dynamic themes, avatar and a code that will grant you double XP in the game's new multiplayer mode for a limited time.

  Ascension is a prequel to the earlier God of War titles and joins Kratos shortly after he was tricked into murdering his family by the god Ares. The game details his struggle to break free of this cruel deity by finding and defeating the three Furies. As Daniel Day Lewis would say, there will be blood.

  Both game and bundle will be available from March 15th.

  Published: 06/02/2013

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