God of War: Ascension has online and offline multiplayer battles for up to eight players. There are a variety of multiplayer modes, customisable avatar warriors, armour and weapon types to unlock. Eurogamer's Johnny Minkley saw it in action for a God of War: Ascension preview, published today.

Multiplayer 'combines the brutal gameplay and large-scale battles that God of War is known for to create a competitive experience like never before', Sony said. According to game director Todd Pappy it's a 'fresh twist' on competitive gaming.

But the game has single-player, too, this time with a 'revamped' combat and weapon system, 'promptless' mini-games and new puzzles. Sony mentioned 'fluid, life-like characters, dynamic lighting effects, and world-changing scenarios'.

Pappy told Eurogamer Ascension's campaign is 'just a little bit shorter' than in previous God of War games. 'We've mapped out everything and given time estimates. It'll be pretty damn close.'

And lead combat designer Jason McDonald insisted that single-player has not suffered as a result of the addition of multiplayer. 'We didn't want to sacrifice single-player for multiplayer, neither did we want to tack [the latter] on,' he said. 'We're definitely going full force with both.'.