It came as no surprise that during Sony's E3 Press Conference Sony Santa Monica unveiled their forthcoming entry in the ultra gory God of War franchise, which we know to be titled Ascension. While the game's multiplayer modes have been a heavy area of focus for the game as of late, the footage that was on display during the conference was all about the single player, and needless to say it didn't disappoint.

Along with showcasing some of the breathtaking locales that have been a mainstay of the series since the very beginning, the God of War: Ascension trailer also introduced a few of the game's new enemies. Sure, they might feel a bit like the types of enemies that Kratos has encountered in previous God of War games, or since this game is a prequel in subsequent games, but these enemies felt like perfect fodder for Kratos' blades.

To be frank, the game looks exactly like any previous God of War game: Kratos rips heads off and dismembers creatures in some pretty gruesome ways. All of the unique and interesting weapons that make up the varied, but ultimately button mashy, combat of the series were not on display, but there was enough of variety to keep gamers intrigued.

The highlight of the footage was the execution of an elephant-based enemy that involved Kratos first removing its legs, then splitting its scalp open, and then finally stabbing it in the brain. It might be a little much, but it's hard to argue that the guy doesn’t get results.

Along with giving gamers a closer look at God of War: Ascension's single player in action, Sony Santa Monica announced that the game will be releasing March 12, 2013. Now that a ton of the games that were initially slated to release later this year have been delayed into early 2013, that segment of the year is getting pretty crowded.

Nonetheless if God of War: Ascension delivers the same intense action gamers have been flocking to the series to for years then it should have no problem selling well.

And, as always, make sure to stick with Game Rant for all of your E3 2012 coverage.

What did you think of the footage that was shown of God of War: Ascension? Will Kratos dominate what is becoming a very oversaturated early 2013?

God of War: Ascension releases March 12, 2013 exclusively for the PlayStation 3.