God of War: Ascension Collector's Edition

Kratos in miniature, standing guard over a steelbook. The God of War: Ascension Collector's Edition on Playstation 3 is where Santa Monica Studio started giving fans something worth displaying. The centerpiece is the Kratos statue, an imposing figure that captures the Ghost of Sparta mid-fury, all muscle and menace and Blades of Chaos.

It's the kind of piece that commands a shelf and makes visitors ask questions. The steelbook is a nice companion, giving the game itself premium packaging that sits above the standard Blu-ray case. On the digital side, you get the official soundtrack, a PS3 dynamic theme, PSN avatar pack, multiplayer double XP unlock, and a pass for future DLC content.

That season pass was a forward-thinking inclusion at a time when DLC passes were still relatively new territory. For God of War collectors, Ascension's Collector's Edition represents a specific moment in the franchise. This was the last PS3 entry, the prequel that explored Kratos's earliest betrayal by Ares, and the only mainline game to feature competitive multiplayer.

The statue from this edition has held up well as a display piece, and complete sets with all inserts and unused codes have gotten harder to find as the years stack up. If you're building a comprehensive God of War shrine, this is a required entry. That Kratos figure earns its place through sheer presence alone.