The Greatest Games Developed By Santa Monica Studios

Twenty-five years ago, a new Sony studio was opened in the suburbs of Santa Monica to develop cutting-edge games for PlayStation systems. In the years since, Santa Monica Studio has established itself as a leading developer in the industry, famed for its high-budget cinematic titles that have enamored generations of gamers.

And while the studio hasn’t released that many games – most of which have been in the God of War series – the consistent level of quality across their library speaks to a team that always goes above and beyond in their creative endeavors. Like the stuff of myth, Santa Monica Studio’s very best works touch the gods.

This list will not include games that were published or partly developed by Santa Monic Studio’s external development team, including games from other studios like Ready at Dawn and Thatgamecompany.

7 God Of War: Ascension

An Unnecessary Origin Story

The good news is that Santa Monica Studio has never released a bad game, and truth be told, even their worst offering is still an extremely well-crafted experience. The main issue with God of War: Ascension isn’t its lack of quality but rather its damning inability to justify its own existence.

As far as video game prequels go, there is very little necessary narrative detail that this game fills out in the larger God of War timeline. Add in a clunky multiplayer mode – because, hey, it was 2013, and every traditionally single-player series needed a clunky multiplayer mode – and you have a God of War game that is still a blast to play but ultimately feels a little bit pointless.

6 Kinetica

The One That Time Forgot

While Santa Monica Studio is best known for its God of War series, you may be surprised to know that the studio’s very first title was a futuristic racing game called Kinetica. What sets the game apart is the fact that all the racers aren’t in vehicles but special Kinetic Suits that have wheels where the hands and feet would normally be.

This leads to a unique visual style that still looks slick despite being well over twenty years old. Add in tight controls and a thumping techno soundtrack, and you start to wonder why Santa Monica Studio never returned to Kinetica.

5 God Of War 3

A Thrilling Conclusion To The Trilogy

Expectations could not be higher for God of War 3 – especially after the epic cliffhanger to the second game in the series. Add to this the fact that this would be the first God of War game developed for an HD console, meaning the bar had been significantly raised for what Santa Monica Studio could showcase on the hardware.

Luckily, God of War 3 delivered with an Olympus-crushing final chapter that never really takes its foot off the gas across its entire playtime. While the story may be on the thinner side compared to other games in the series, God of War 3 was still a more than worthy way to wrap up Kratos’ Greek-based quest for vengeance.

4 God Of War 2

The Perfect Swansong For The PlayStation 2

While it would’ve been easy for Santa Monica Studio to jump over to the brand-new PlayStation 3 for the development of God of War 2, they instead decided to make one more experience on the piece of hardware they had complete mastery over. It’s hard to argue with their decision, as God of War 2 is an absolute technical showcase for the PS2 while also being one the greatest video game sequels ever made.

This adventure sees Kratos’ hatred of the gods extend beyond Ares to just about all the Olympians as he goes on an epic quest across the Isles of Creation to rewrite his own death. With some incredible set pieces and some of the best weapons and magic abilities in the series, God of War 2 has remained a fan-favorite for a reason.

3 God Of War: Ragnarök

A Saga Complete

How do you follow up one of the most critically acclaimed video games of the modern era? Easy: you amp up the stakes in the plot by about a thousand percent, throw in a whole host of memorable new allies and villains, and make Atreus a playable character.

And while God of War: Ragnarök does occasionally wobble under its own ambition, it’s still remarkable that Santa Monica Studio wwasable to pull off so much within the one game without it completely falling apart. That’s largely due to the heart of the game beating around Kratos and Atreus’ relationship – and, of course, some of the most fluent combat in any game out there.

Special mention to God of War: Ragnarök Valhalla – a tremendously well-crafted rogue-like DLC expansion that went above and beyond in both its additional plot elements and gameplay.

2 God Of War (2005)

The Game That Put Santa Monica Studio On The Map

Few could have guessed the cultural impact that God of War would have when it launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. But this David Jaffe-helmed epic would go on to resonate with a generation of gamers seeking the kind of visceral action and cinematic scale that God of War reveled in.

Telling the story of disgraced Spartan warrior Kratos seeking vengeance against Ares, it’s incredible just how much God of War got right on its first go around. The story, pacing, puzzles, and set pieces are still some of the strongest in the entire series, not just laying the groundwork for what was to come but claiming its own masterpiece status with utter confidence.

1 God Of War (2018)

The Start Of Something New

After five years in the wilderness, God of War returned to PlayStation consoles in 2018 with a soft-reboot that would take the world by storm. Every decision made for this new game – from giving Kratos a son to switching the mythological setting from Greek to Norse – worked wonders in giving this series a brand-new lease on life.

The beauty of this game’s story is in its simplicity. While there are still plenty of gods and monsters involved (and even some dragons!), God of War (2018) focuses on the relationship between a father and a son as they grieve the loss of the most important person in their lives. It’s a sweeping tale of self-discovery that climbs right to the top of the mountain that is the God of War series.