Wikipedia talk:Peer review/God of War: Ascension/archive1

Plot revisions

Revision A

God of War: Ascension opens with a cinematic prologue. Before the time of the Titans and the rule of the Olympian Gods, an eons-long war was waged between the Primordials, the beings who created the Earth. The war spawned the Furies. When Aegaeon the Hecatonchires broke a blood oath to Zeus, he became the first traitor and a target for the Furies. As punishment, Aegaeon was captured, tortured, turned to stone, and made into the Prison of the Damned. Aegaeon became a symbol of the consequences of breaking a blood oath to a god.

Gameplay begins with Kratos, who is imprisoned, chained, and tormented by the Furies for breaking his blood oath to Ares. Megaera tortures Kratos, but accidentally facilitates his freedom. Chasing the Fury through the prison and overcoming an illusion created by Tisiphone and Daemon, he finds and kills Megaera, retrieving the Amulet of Uroborus, which the Furies had confiscated from him in a preceding week.

The narrative shifts to three weeks before Kratos' imprisonment. Confronted by Orkos in the Village of Kirra, Kratos is advised that the visions he has been experiencing are mind tricks created by the Furies, and instructs him to find the Oracle of Delphi. Upon arrival at the Temple of Delphi, he overcomes Castor and Pollux, who tried to kill the Oracle. In her dying breath, the Oracle instructs Kratos to travel to Delos to retrieve the Eyes of Truth. Taking the Amulet of Uroborus from the now-dead Castor and Pollux, Kratos travels to Kirra's harbor, where he again encounters Orkos. The oath keeper reveals that Ares wanted a perfect warrior to help him overthrow Zeus, so Ares helped Kratos against the barbarians to make him into a perfect warrior. Orkos became the oath keeper and did not question the Furies until Ares tricked Kratos into killing his own family. Armed with this knowledge, Kratos takes a ship to Delos.

A week later, Kratos arrives at the island of Delos and explores the ruined statue of Apollo. He is attacked by all three Furies and is eventually captured. Orkos appears and frees Kratos, transporting him to another location. Orkos gives Kratos his Oath Stone and reveals that he and Aletheia tried to warn Zeus of Ares' and the Furies' plan. In retaliation, the Furies took the Oracle's eyes, the objects Kratos seeks. After a perilous journey, Kratos uses the Amulet of Uroborus to restore the statue in order to retrieve the eyes. After completing the Trials of Archimedes, however, Kratos is ambushed and captured by the Furies.

Back in the present time, Tisiphone and Daemon cast another illusion to deceive Kratos, who overcomes it and retrieves the Oath Stone of Orkos. He encounters the Scribe of Hecatonchires, who reveals that the Furies were originally fair in their punishment, but devolved into ruthless beings because of Ares. Continuing his pursuit of the Furies, Kratos reaches the door to Alecto's Chamber, but seemingly returns home to his wife and daughter; another illusion, this time cast by Alecto. She tries to convince Kratos he can live within this illusion if he rejoins Ares, but he denies her. Enraged, Alecto and Tisiphone attack Kratos, who retrieves the eyes, and Alecto transforms herself into a giant sea monster. After a brutal battle, Kratos uses the eyes to break through the Furies' illusions before killing them both, which destroys the prison.

Kratos returns to Sparta, where he is met by Orkos. He praises Kratos' victory over the Furies, but reveals that Kratos will not be free from Ares' bond unless he kills Orkos. He begs Kratos to give him an honorable death, which will free them both from Ares. Kratos initially refuses but Orkos' continuing pleas ultimately force Kratos to kill him. Afterward, Kratos experiences the first of many nightmares—previously masked by his bond—and discovers his path to redemption through continual service to Olympus. Kratos burns down his house with the corpse of Orkos inside and leaves, beginning his path towards becoming the champion of the gods.

Revision B

God of War: Ascension opens with a cinematic prologue. Before the time of the Titans and the rule of the Olympian Gods, an eons-long war was waged between the Primordials, the beings who created the Earth. The war spawned the Furies. When Aegaeon the Hecatonchires broke a blood oath to Zeus, he became the first traitor and a target for the Furies. As punishment, Aegaeon was captured, tortured, turned to stone, and made into the Prison of the Damned. Aegaeon became a symbol of the consequences of breaking a blood oath to a god.

Gameplay begins in the present time, where Kratos is imprisoned, chained, and tormented by the Furies for breaking his blood oath to Ares. Three weeks before Kratos' imprisonment, he finds himself in the Village of Kirra. Confronted by Orkos, Kratos is advised that the visions he has been experiencing are mind tricks created by the Furies, and instructs him to find the Oracle of Delphi. Upon arrival at the Temple of Delphi, he overcomes Castor and Pollux, who tried to kill the Oracle. In her dying breath, the Oracle instructs Kratos to travel to Delos to retrieve the Eyes of Truth. Taking the Amulet of Uroborus from the now-dead Castor and Pollux, Kratos travels to Kirra's harbor, where he again encounters Orkos. The oath keeper reveals that Ares wanted a perfect warrior to help him overthrow Zeus, so Ares helped Kratos against the barbarians to make him into a perfect warrior. Orkos became the oath keeper and did not question the Furies until Ares tricked Kratos into killing his own family. Armed with this knowledge, Kratos takes a ship to Delos.

A week later, Kratos arrives at the island of Delos and explores the ruined statue of Apollo. He is attacked by all three Furies and is eventually captured. Orkos appears and frees Kratos, transporting him to another location. Orkos gives Kratos his Oath Stone and reveals that he and Aletheia tried to warn Zeus of Ares' and the Furies' plan. In retaliation, the Furies took the Oracle's eyes, the objects Kratos seeks. After a perilous journey, Kratos uses the Amulet of Uroborus to restore the statue in order to retrieve the eyes. After completing the Trials of Archimedes, however, Kratos is ambushed and captured by the Furies.

In the present time, Megaera tortures Kratos, but accidentally facilitates his freedom. Chasing her through the prison and overcoming an illusion created by Tisiphone and Daemon, he finds and kills Megaera, and retrieves the Amulet of Uroborus. Traversing the prison further, Tisiphone and Daemon cast another illusion to deceive Kratos, who overcomes it and retrieves the Oath Stone of Orkos. He encounters the Scribe of Hecatonchires, who reveals that the Furies were originally fair in their punishment, but devolved into ruthless beings because of Ares. Continuing his pursuit, Kratos seemingly returns home to his wife and daughter; another illusion, this time cast by Alecto. She tries to convince Kratos he can live within this illusion if he rejoins Ares, but he denies her. Enraged, Alecto and Tisiphone attack Kratos, who retrieves the eyes, and Alecto transforms herself into a giant sea monster. After a brutal battle, Kratos uses the eyes to break through the Furies' illusions before killing them both, which destroys the prison.

Kratos returns to Sparta, where he is met by Orkos. He praises Kratos' victory over the Furies, but reveals that Kratos will not be free from Ares' bond unless he kills Orkos. He begs Kratos to give him an honorable death, which will free them both from Ares. Kratos initially refuses but Orkos' continuing pleas ultimately force Kratos to kill him. Afterward, Kratos experiences the first of many nightmares—previously masked by his bond—and discovers his path to redemption through continual service to Olympus. Kratos burns down his house with the corpse of Orkos inside and leaves, beginning his path towards becoming the champion of the gods.