Ares' Path

Ares' Path is a Sci-Fi Hack and Slash game developed by Platinum Games and published by Square-Enix and the seventh installment of the Heroic 10 Project. It was released on May 3rd in Japan and May 8th in the rest of the world in 2018. It's available on the Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo NX. The game's premise is based on the predictions of Bulgarian prophet Baba Vanga, who among in one of her predictions was the creation of Humanoid species combined with animals and a war in Mars in 3005.

The game uses a lot of elements from the Bayonetta games while also incorporating elements of games like Doom and Halo, mostly in the inspired environment and weapons and style of executions.

The game gathered a lot of controversy given the extreme levels of violence present in it and the subject matter, nonetheless, it still became a huge hit in sale and reception.

Setting
Thousands of years ago, Human has endured a lot of struggle and grief in order to advance. War, plagues, murder, poverty, they pretty wrecked much of Earth apart. Nonetheless, Humanity still found a way to surpass all of these problems, first with the increased Augmentation of citizens, new discoveries in genetics leading to Human-Animal hybrids, interstellar travelling colonization, terraformations of planets, creation of planetary settlements, etc. These feats it's what eventually kickstarted the so called: "Rainbow Millenium Era", an era where progress and understanding drove Humanity forwards to a new tomorrow with the eventual formation of the Star Union. Of all the planets colonized in the RWE, Mars is the most prospering one, all standards in one place and all the necessary resources needed for the rest of the Universal community to survive in this new age.

However...in 3005 AD, Elysium Island, which was the workplace of most of the resources, is suddenly destroyed, plunging the planet and probably the rest of the Galaxy into a potential Energy crisis. Desperate to gain the hold of the remaining resources, many factions started to split from the Star Union, all claiming responsibility in declaring the protection of the remaining resources of the planet. Now, the fate of the universe lies within 6 factions stationed on Mars, the democratic Star Union, the technocratic Eon Confederacy, the Reptilian-Human hybrid faction Kronosu, the fascistic Prometheus Reunifacators, the commercialist Delphus Corporation and the faith-based Children of Truth. Who will decide the eventual fate of the Universe? it will be soon found out in the prophetical event known as "Ares' Path".

Gameplay
The game plays similarly to some of PlatinumGames known games like Bayonetta, Nier: Automata and Scalebound, in which involves fighting a large range of enemies in many ways. The character can fight enemies in many ways like Melee weapons, organic and melee weapons and guns and every variety of vehicles there can be. Players can also more weapons and skills depending in which of the five classes they can choose from, Shocker, Trooper, Silencer, Linker and Sentinel. In addition, players can also control a variety of vehicles and modify their body to unlock numerous other abilities.

Shocker
Type: Heavy

Special Abilities: Durability MAX, Tank Mode

Pros: Handles stronger weapons, heavy defense.

Cons: Slowest of the classes.

Trooper
Type: Medium

Special Abilities: Dual Weaponry, Stamina increase.

Pros: Jack of all stats, better stamina.

Cons: Low durability.

Silencer
Type: Light

Special Abilities: Invincibility, Shadow Death.

Pros: Handles Stealth missions better, Highest durability.

Cons: Low stamina.

Linker
Type: Medium

Special Abilities: Integralitilital Power, Body shapeshifter

Pros: Highest Speed, largest varieties of weapons.

Cons: Low health.

Sentinel
Type: Heavy

Special Abilities: Razer Combos, Berserker Barrages

Pros: Highest health, Highest combat skill.

Cons: Low defense.

Factions and Characters
Each faction have their own style of equipment and each of them having 3 playable character to choose, each with their own personality and abilities.

Star Union
Ideology: Democracy

Occupied Zone(s): Southern Continent, Hellas

Group: Federal Organization

Objective: Secure the stability in Mars.

Eon Confederacy
Ideology: Separatism

Occupied Zone(s): Icharus, Tharsis, Daedallus

Group: Separatist Alliance

Objective: Achieve total independence from the SU and reestablish control in Mars.

Kronosu
Ideology: Oligarchicalism

Occupied Zone(s): Olympus, Ulysses, Arsia

Group: Eco-based group

Objective: Achieve dominance of the Human-Reptile Hybrid race.

Prometheus Reunificators
Ideology: Fascism

Occupied Zone(s): Prometheus

Group: Militaristic Alliance

Objective: Occupy all of Mars and secure the remaining resources, reestablishing themselves as the new rulers.

Delphus Corporation
Ideology: Industrialist

Occupied Zone(s): Delphi, Ascraeus

Group: Private Military Corporation

Objective: Establish a new monopoly of the new resources for the universe.

Children of Truth
Ideology: Neo-Evangelists

Occupied Zone(s): Pavonis, Valles, Marineris

Group: Religious Militia

Objective: Spread the new faith to the Universe.