God of War: Ascension has received generally favorable reception from critics with an average review score of 79.93% at GameRankings and 80/100 at Metacritic with critics praising the fundamental gameplay and spectacle true to the series, yet were also critical towards a lack of new ideas and a mixed response to the additional multiplayer modes. Alex Simmons of IGN said the revamped combat system adds a source of depth. He said “Learning how to use each power effectively … provides a strategic lifeline when there’s no energy re-gen chest nearby.” He said although he initially found the World Weapons useful, they became “superfluous” after upgrading the Blades. He also gave praise to the magic system, stating that since magic attacks are unlocked at a later time, “It’s a positive step” as players cannot rely on them as much as they may have in previous installments, and it encourages players “to think wisely about where to allocate experience points rather than being the ultimate badass from the outset.”
