God of War: Ascension protagonist Kratos will be more likable in the forthcoming PS3 exclusive, director Todd Papy has said.

Compared to previous installments, Papy stressed that the character's latest outing will get him into a more "likable" state, as well as getting him more relatable.

"With the way that God of War III ended, Kratos, was…um…an a**hole, to say the least. I think some people connected with him, but it was more of an, “I’ve been through this journey with him from the start.” And he wasn’t a very likable character, versus God of War 1 – he was still somewhat ruthless, but there was a side to him that you could somewhat relate to. And that was something that I wanted to get across. I felt the best way to do that was going more for a prequel.

"The whole idea behind the story is more, “How do you undo selling your soul to the devil?” In essence, that is the question that we are answering in this story. It’s something that has never been explained in any of the games. Obviously, it’s not something that you go in and you’re like, “Oh hey, I quit. Ares, you’re a mean guy for making me kill my wife and kid. I’m no longer gonna work for you.” That, to me, is something that we should kind of explain and elaborate on a little more."

As for the violence elsewhere in the game, Sony Santa Monica said women won't be harmed throughout the title.

God of War: Ascension launches in the United States on March 12, 2013.