The game was working.
A glance at the log window revealed a waterfall of red text. F PPU[0x1000000] Thread (main_thread) class std::runtime_error thrown: Verify failed. RSX: Unsupported surface format. god of war ascension not working on rpcs3
Enable the "Disable MLAA" patch. MLAA is a form of anti-aliasing that is very heavy on the CPU; turning it off provides a massive framerate boost without significantly degrading visuals at higher resolutions. The game was working
Enable "Unlock FPS" if you want to target 60 FPS, but only if your hardware can handle it. Final Tips for Stability god of war ascension not working on rpcs3