In case you missed the news, God of War: Ascension will have a competitive online multiplayer mode, a first for the series. While many will undoubtedly have reservations, we found it to be pretty darn fun. PlayStation Plus members will be able to get their hands on the online offering soon, with the beta opening on January 8th.

But if you participated in The Rise of the Warrior social game, you may have earned access to said beta now. Additional bonuses are coming to players, including "exclusive DLC items," so it's not too late to join.

Watch: Earn the 'Favor of the Gods' »

While the Sony Santa Monica umbrella spans many games via its external development collaborations, its internal studio is best known for the God of War franchise. In fact, Sony's "God of War team" has never worked on a game outside of that iconic franchise. Santa Monica Studio director Shannon Studstill talked about the studio's attempt at moving away from Kratos, and what ultimately brought them back to the franchise with next year's Ascension.

Read more: Studio created prototypes, but returned to God of War »

Kratos is getting some company from another famous pop-culture Spartan in God of War: Ascension. Pre-ordering from GameStop will let you throw down as King Leonidas from the movie 300 in the game's multiplayer mode.

Read more: Armor and unique spear »

Sony has been slowly releasing details on the God of War: Ascension multiplayer beta coming to PlayStation Plus this winter. If you aren't already a Plus subscriber, there's another way in: playing the Rise of the Warrior social game.

Watch: Kratos plays with lightning »

If you want a taste of God of War: Ascension's single player campaign, you may have to stomach picking up the upcoming Blu-ray release of Total Recall. Unfortunately, to get the bonus, you'll have to get the 2012 Colin Farrell remake, not the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Read more: Other Blu-ray bonuses detailed »

While Vita doesn't yet have a God of War or Team Ico game of its own, you can have the next best thing. If you're itching to eviscerate some gods or experience some artistry on the handheld, good news. Sony has issued an update to both the God of War Collection and Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, allowing you to play them on your handheld via Remote Play.

Read more: Patches available now »

It's easy to be skeptical of God of War: Ascension's multiplayer mode. As with all single player games that go online, fans are typically wary. Thankfully, fans will be able to get an early taste of the game's competitive offerings with a brand new global beta--"available exclusively first to PlayStation Plus subscribers."

Watch: Kratos on Kratos action »

It's a heavy year for game collections on the PlayStation 3. In addition to Ratchet & Clank and Journey collections on the way, Sony has announced two more on the way: one for the Infamous series, and yet another God of War collection.

Read more: What's in the box? »

In God of War 3, Kratos climbed upon Titans and fought the gods of Olympus to a bloody end. It's the very definition of epic. But Ascension is a prequel--what is the appeal of playing as a mere mortal? Game director Todd Papy says that Ascension's prequel nature allows the team to create a more "likable" Kratos--someone you could "somewhat relate to."

Papy explains that in the first God of War, "he was still somewhat ruthless, but there was a side to him that you could somewhat relate to. And that was something I wanted to get across." The goal? For him to be less of an "a**hole" like he was in God of War 3.

Read more: How do you undo selling your soul? »

Viewed on a timeline, the God of War series is basically the story of a man becoming a remorseless murder machine. The stage demonstration at E3 was particularly graphic, showing off Kratos going full Hannibal by ripping out a monster's brains. This was the partial inspiration for some developers reacting to the violence trend at the show this year.

But there are some lines even the furious Spartan won't cross, like hitting a lady.

Read more: 'Certain things carry a different kind of resonance' »

It's been awhile since we heard anything about the God of War movie. In fact, franchise creator David Jaffe had expressed doubt the movie would ever be made. However, it appears Universal Pictures is going ahead with the project, hiring a new writing team to take over the project.

Read more: Writers worked on Saw and Pacific Rim »

God of War: Ascension may not be ready until March of next year, but that doesn't mean you can't pre-order it now. In an enthusiastic e-mail sent out to PlayStation Network members, Sony has revealed various pre-order goodies and a new Collector's Edition set.

Pre-orders will be entitled to an exclusive "Mythological Heroes Multiplayer Pack," which includes the armor of Achilles, Perseus, Orion, and Odysseus for use in the game's new online mode.

Read more: What comes in the Collector's Edition box? »

At today's E3 press briefing, Sony showed off God of War: Ascension with an extended demonstration of the single-player. The company also announced a solid release date in the usual God of War window: March 12, 2013.

Read more: New powers and gameplay elements »

Update: Sony has officially announced the game.

It appears the rumors were true. A new God of War game is coming to the PS3. However, it's not exactly God of War 4. An all-CG teaser trailer for God of War Ascension has leaked onto the web, and you can watch it right here.

Watch: There was a time before Kratos became the monster »

Could a new God of War game be in the works? That's the general consensus of Facebook commenters. The PlayStation fan page has recently been updated with this new teaser image which asks: "Will Vengeance Bring Redemption?" Not only does the art and copy fit well with the God of War franchise, one Facebook commenter pointed out the curious file name of the image in use, which includes "gow."

Read more: Laundry list of evidence »