33w ago - Sony Community Strategist at Aaron Kaufman Santa Monica Studio has posted up a video today showcasing the monsters of God of War: Ascension for PS3 which spotlights Megaera below.

To quote: From a titan-sized showdown with Ares to battling Zeus at Gaia's heart, the antagonists of God of War have provided some of the most memorable encounters in gaming history. God of War: Ascension promises to continue with this tradition by introducing a challenge that will push Kratos to his physical, mental, and spiritual limits to say the least.

In Ascension, Kratos is sentenced to an eternity chained within a prison for the living damned, and will battle insanity at the hands of the Furies - perhaps the most terrifying spectres of the ancient world.

The six-legged Fury Megaera is the first of three to be revealed in our latest Monsters of Ascension entry, with Lead Concept Artist Izzy Medrano - the mastermind behind their creation.

Since Ascension is set before the events of the first God of War, what specific role does Megaera (of the Furies) play in Kratos' journey from mortal to God?

Izzy: Megaera is the first of three deadly sisters that Kratos must push past to free himself from an oath he has come to greatly regret....

38w ago - Following up on their previous update, Sony Community Strategist Aaron Kaufman at Santa Monica Studio has detailed another of the Monsters in God of War: Ascension for PS3 today, namely the Satyr Captain!

To quote: As we continue the journey to March 12, 2013, we want to further explore all aspects of the God of War universe, giving you deeper insight into the creation, lore, design, and gameplay of God of War: Ascension. Welcome to our third Monsters of Ascension feature.

The Satyr Captain in God of War: Ascension continues the evolution of the "Satyr," an enemy that has featured in every God of War game from the beginning.

This time, however, these grunts are getting a "pack master" in the form of the vicious Satyr Captain. In today's post, our famed concept artist Izzy continues his dissection of the Monsters of Ascension. Let's roll!

The God of War Satyrs are traditionally pretty formidable alone and even more so in groups. Now with the addition of the Goat Captain, they add rank and structure to their arsenal. Those are some pretty stacked odds that Kratos is up against. What sparked the idea to give them a...

40w ago - Sony Producer Kumi Yuasa has shared details today from Gamescom 2012 on the monsters and magic of Soul Sacrifice for the PS Vita handheld console.

To quote: It's been a while since our last Soul Sacrifice blog post, so with Gamescom taking place this week I thought I'd take a moment to share some new game details.

In our debut post, we talked about the reality-blended experience and the concept of sacrificing in Soul Sacrifice on PS Vita. Now, I'm going to provide a deeper insight into the game.

In the world of Soul Sacrifice, monsters are what have become of humans who succumbed to darkness, using magic according to their desire. The mission of a sorcerer is to exterminate these monsters.

Now, you may be wondering what sort of monsters you will come across and how they succumbed to this fate. Let's take a look at the back story of one of these monsters - "Griffon."

Griffon

He was a noble. His lands were vast, and he lived in opulence, supported by heavy taxes exacted from those who lived in his dominion. One day, he was presented with an offering from the people - a golden statue of a figure combining beast, bird, and man.

His heart was swept away by the figure, and he felt an unnatural adoration for it. The power of the...

41w ago - Today Community Strategist Aaron Kaufman at Santa Monica Studio has shared a video spotlighting the monsters of God of War: Ascension for the PlayStation 3 console dubbed The Elephantaur.

To quote: God of War: Ascension's Elephantaur is a Minotaur hybrid unlike any ferocious enemy you've seen yet in the God of War universe.

You could call him an evolution of the Minotaur... or perhaps the beginning? We'll let our famed concept artist Izzy answer that for you. Let's roll!

Now that you've given us a glimpse into the creative process that spawned the monstrous Polyphemus, let's plunge our blades into God of War's newest baddie: The Elephantaur!

Tell us a bit about its history and how you managed to turn one of nature's most noble creatures into such a hulking juggernaut.

Izzy: For God of War III I had worked on the Berserker class Argus monster that was later cut. When I originally started doing sketches for that guy, I had done a painting of a pale elephant coated in blood like a gladiator. That image got scrapped, but ever since, I've wanted to do another scary elephant monster.

When the Elephantaur came up, it was originally an assignment to reskin the Minotaur from God of War III for God of War: Ascension. We had planned to do a different...

45w ago - Sony Santa Monica Studio Community Strategist Aaron Kaufman has posted up a video today showcasing the monsters of God of War: Ascension Polyphemus on PS3.

To quote: As we begin the journey to the launch of God of War: Ascension on March 12, 2013, we want to further explore all aspects of the God of War universe to give you deeper insight into the creation, lore, design, and gameplay that's being poured into the game. Welcome to our first "Monsters of Ascension" feature.

In God of War: Ascension, we are introducing an epic, unprecedented multiplayer experience. You will become a Champion of the Gods, but not before you encounter and conquer one of the biggest Titans seen in the entire God of War series - Polyphemus.

The Titan cyclops Polyphemus - the gargantuan one-eyed son of Poseidon - is a brutal boss on our desert multiplayer map. He will literally crush you and your foes (repeatedly) until you earn enough favor from the Gods to be granted the Spear of Olympus - the only known weapon that can destroy Polyphemus.





I sat down with Izzy Medrano, Lead Concept Artist for God of War: Ascension, to discuss his contributions to the...