God of War: Ascension is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 console. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is the seventh installment in the God of War series and prequel to the entire series. The player controls Kratos, the former servant of the Greek god of war Ares, who tricked Kratos into killing his own wife and daughter. In response to this tragedy, Kratos renounced Ares, breaking his blood oath to the god. He was then imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies, the guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment, who he confronts after escaping with the aid of Orkos. The gameplay is similar to previous installments, focusing on combo-based combat and quick time events. The game also features magical attacks, puzzles, and platforming elements. It is the only installment to include a multiplayer mode, which is online-only for both competitive and cooperative play. Ascension received generally favorable reviews from critics, although the story was deemed to be less compelling than previous entries. (This article is part of a featured topic: God of War franchise.)