By Patrick Shaw | 04-20-2012 1:30PM
We all knew that it was coming eventually, but now the next game in Sony’s franchise juggernaut, God of War, is officially in development for PlayStation 3. Surprisingly, however, it’s not "God of War IV," as many had expected it would be, but a prequel titled God of War Ascension.
Set prior to the events of 2005’s God of War on PlayStation 2, God of War Ascension explores Kratos’ past before becoming a servant to the gods. The game’s teaser trailer (watch it above) also strongly suggests that we’ll see a different (and less rage-filled) side of the Greek antihero as it appears at least a portion of Ascension takes place before his wife and child are brutally slain.
A lot of questions remain as to what direction developer Sony Santa Monica Studios is taking with God of War Ascension, but there are a few things we can glean from the debut trailer. Gaia, whose narrates the short video, describes the setting as “a time when something other than rage consumed him,” which gives further credence to the idea that we’ll see a broader range of emotions within Kratos in the upcoming game. Gaia also says that “Kratos would break his blood oath to an unjust god.”
It’s worth noting that there’s already been a God of War prequel, 2008’s God of War: Chains of Olympus on PSP, so there’s a high likelihood that God of War Ascension will take place much earlier in Kratos‘ life, perhaps when he was a Spartan soldier.
God of War Ascension is currently slated for a spring 2013 release date, but game director Todd Papy (who previously served as design director on God of War III) says that the developer will reveal more concrete details about the game on Monday, April 30.
