Best God Of War Games

God of War is one of the most enduring franchises in gaming. Santa Monica Studio’s epic saga of an angry Spartan hacking and slashing his way through the great Greek myths stretches back to 2005. The franchise has given players no shortage of hack-and-slash thrills over the years, and most of them are exceptionally high in quality. Each entry maintains a palpable passion, possibly due to not coming out every year like some other long-running series.

Sadly, no property is perfect. God of War has gone through several changes to stay fresh, but these added gimmicks and narrative angles don’t always pay off. This inevitably makes some entries more appealing than others. At the end of the day, everyone has their favorite.

Updated on January 15, 2025 by Mark Sammut: God of War’s future is currently unknown. One has to assume that Santa Monica will, sooner or later, revive the franchise, be it with Kratos or Atreus. However, so far, a new project has not been announced. While waiting for the IP’s big return, players might wish to revisit some of the best God of War games.

Every God Of War Game

Sony and Santa Monica have produced quite a few God of War games over the last two decades, most of which are generally highly regarded. To make this information as accessible as possible, the following table contains every God of War game, not counting remasters and collections.

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God of War: A Call From The Wilds

A Fascinating Prologue To 2018’s God Of War

Before God of War‘s big 2018 return, Sony released God of War: A Call from the Wilds on Facebook, providing fans with some insight into Atreus’ backstory and relationships with both of his parents. While mainly consisting of text and a handful of images, A Call from the Wilds showcases the reboot/revival’s strong writing and shift toward introspection.

Unfortunately, nowadays, the original Facebook game does not seem to be available. Fortunately, Sony uploaded the story onto YouTube, so it is not completely lost to time either.

10

God Of War: Betrayal

Respectable Mobile Game

Out of all the God of War games, Betrayal is the one that even die-hard fans might have forgotten about. Released to mobile devices shortly after God of War 2‘s debut, Betrayal takes place between the first and second entries, and it does a respectable job of expanding upon Kratos’ story.

A 2D side-scroller, Betrayal impressively adapts God of War‘s style of gameplay for a mobile setting. While naturally simplified, Betrayal has all the violent action and puzzles any fan could want. This spin-off is certainly far from the best God of War game, but it was pretty decent when compared to other Java ME projects released in the mid-2000s. That said, players who skipped this release were not missing much.

For a mobile game released in 2007, Betrayal was likely to meet expectations when it debuted, even if it has not aged particularly well. Still, the combat was surprisingly vicious and gory, and there was some depth to the combo system.

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God Of War: Ascension

A Mostly Underwhelming Attempt To Shake Up The Classic Formula

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Released

March 12, 2013

Pros

• One Of The Best Looking PS3 Games
• Kratos Regained Some Dimensions After GOW 3

Cons

• Rage Meter
• Notorious Difficulty Spike
• Limited Combo Potential
• Parry Mechanic

It was painfully clear when God of War: Ascension debuted that the studio, SCE Santa Monica, was running out of ideas. Building an entire game around Kratos breaking his oath to Ares screams unnecessary, and the execution doesn’t assuage any skepticism. The journey here is so forgettable and uninspired that it evaporates from memory as soon as someone completes the campaign.

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It doesn’t help that God of War: Ascension crippled the combat, having combos dependent on the player’s ability to dodge. On paper, that’s a neat concept to mix up the gameplay, but it’s frustrating and completely counterintuitive to how the battles had functioned in the first five titles. It’s another in the line of missteps that hamper Ascension‘s enjoyment. Ascension did incorporate multiplayer, but it did not add too much value to the overall package and failed to add much longevity to the game’s lifespan.

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God Of War: Chains Of Olympus

A Well-Done, If Unspectacular Portable God Of War Game

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Pros

• Apes The Home Console Games’ Combat

This prequel proved the franchise can work on a handheld system. God of War: Chains of Olympus delivers all the polish and spectacle of a console GoW entry on the PSP, and it feels just as good as ever to slice enemies to ribbons.

Unfortunately, the reduced format means the game gets a bit too caught up in block-pushing puzzle-solving instead of combat. The story also feels incidental to Kratos and the overarching narrative until the last act. Chains of Olympus is also the shortest console entry in the series, and it does not offer a lot of replay value. Consequently, someone could easily blow through the campaign in an afternoon and find they have nothing left to do outside of repeating the same levels over and over again. That type of experience can work for action games that reward players for mastering their combo-heavy combat systems, but Chains of Olympus does not offer anything like that.

Nevertheless, Chains of Olympus is a solid portable entry whose biggest weakness is that the other games in the franchise are better. Chains of Olympus was packaged with Ghost of Sparta as part of the PS3’s God of War Origins Collection, and together they deliver an experience roughly equivalent to one of the mainline entries.

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God Of War (2005)

An Impressive Start With A Great Story & Fun Combat, Along With Some Pacing Issues

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Released

March 22, 2005

Pros

• Strong Story
• Visually Impressive

It’s always special to reflect on the original entry in a franchise. This 2005 hit laid the foundation for the rest of the God of War series, and what a solid foundation it is! The hack-and-slash gameplay is a blast from the get-go, combining fast-paced strategy and raw, satisfying power. God of War‘s intuitive controls lend themselves beautifully to the devastating combos, and players feel a real sense of progression as they unlock more through the simple-yet-effective upgrade system.

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On top of that, the narrative introduces Kratos with surprising care, steadily doling out development throughout the journey and getting the player just as invested in his quest for vengeance by the end. What ultimately hinders God of War‘s replay value is its long stretches of awkward platforming and repetitive puzzles. After experiencing its sequels, the original game’s flaws became a bit harder to ignore, even if its positives continue to shine through to this very day. Even with these issues, though, God of War remains one of the strongest debuts in gaming.

5

God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta

A Powerful Story & Just An All-Around Great Entry

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God of War: Ghost of Sparta

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Platform(s)

PlayStation Portable
, PlayStation 3
, PlayStation Vita

Released

November 2, 2010

Pros

• A More Personal Story
• Technical Showcase

For this second PSP outing, developer Ready at Dawn took everything it learned the first time around and crafted a more confident entry, one that shows a few new layers to Kratos. That’s admirable for this late in the series, and it informs much of the game. Ghost of Sparta relies less on scale and more on creativity. Not only does it plow lesser-known legends, but it weaves these into some truly inspired visuals and set pieces, many of which directly reflect Kratos’s struggle. This makes the gameplay and presentation even more impressive than Chains of Olympus.

Although the set pieces themselves aren’t quite as memorable, the game’s moment-to-moment thrills, personal story, and continued dive (Atlantis pun) in Greek myth are plenty strong enough, pushing Sony’s portable system to its limit. Ghost of Sparta was one of the main reasons to own a PSP, and the game looks pretty good when experienced on the PS3. Do not discount this entry just because it is a spin-off as Ghost of Sparta is among the best God of War games.

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God Of War (2018)

Starting A New Era On A High Note

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Released

April 20, 2018

Pros

• Revitalized The Franchise
• Gorgeous Graphics
• Emotional Story
• Intense Combat

This is exactly the radical reinvention the series needed in 2018. The PS4’s God of War is a more methodical adventure guided mostly by character. An older Kratos coming to terms with his past and trying to build a better future for his son makes for an exceedingly compelling relationship, and the pair’s attempts to find common ground are some of the most poignant moments in the series.

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The gameplay reflects that intimate perspective, as it’s much slower, more focused on strategy, and the camera is much closer to the action. While it’s a bit clunkier than previous entries, the battle system still nails the brutality and flavor of God of War. Of course, it helps that the game mines just as much intriguing lore from Norse legends as the previous ones did with Greek mythology. All of this helped revitalize the franchise, leaving fans excited about the next entry, Ragnarok.

God of War also marked a significant first for the franchise as it was ported to a non-PlayStation ecosystem (that was not mobile). In January 2022, God of War made its way to PC, following in the footsteps of Days Gone and Horizon Zero Dawn. It is a decent port that opens up the franchise to an audience that might have never directly experienced Kratos’ story.

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God Of War 3

A Relentless Blockbuster And The End Of Kratos’ Original Story

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Released

March 16, 2010

Pros

• Fantastic Boss Fights
• Epic Scale
• Perfected Combat System
• Good Puzzles

Cons

• Kratos At His Most One-Note

Putting aside something like Ascension, God of War 3 is arguably the most divisive but still beloved entry in the franchise. In terms of pure excess, the 2010 release represents Santa Monica’s series at its absolute peak, especially when it comes to the classic pre-genre shift era. As the culmination of the Ancient Greece arc, God of War 3 revels in glorious over-the-top mayhem, pushing Kratos to effectively dismantle an entire pantheon in pursuit of revenge. Sure, he comes into this chapter with the blood of gods already on his hands, but the Spartan baths in their remains throughout this massacre.

Focusing solely on gameplay, God of War 3 is arguably unmatched. The combat is fast-paced, fine-tuned, and relentless. While satisfying on the easiest levels, the system shines when played on the highest difficulties, showcasing that there is more depth here than just a mindless hack and slash. The visuals are fantastic and grandiose, with Kratos’ battle with Cronos being the definition of epic. The campaign builds beautifully up to the final fight with Zeus, which serves as a fitting climax for the original trilogy.

As great as God of War 3 is, the story does not quite have the nuance of its predecessors. At this point, Kratos is completely and utterly fueled by revenge, which can make him come across as one-dimensional. His characterization slightly undermines the Greek Tragedy aspect that was part of the first two God of War games, resulting in arguably a shallower experience. Honestly, after this entry, Kratos needed a substantial reboot as he had nowhere left to go.

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God Of War: Ragnarok

Intense Action, Varied Locations, Plenty Of Companions, And Consistently Engaging Story

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Released

November 9, 2022

Pros

• Improved Combat (From 2018’s God of War)
• More Exploration
• Satisfying Conclusion To Norse Arc

With 2018’s God of War, Santa Monica confidently launched a new era in Kratos’ story, one that set high expectations for the foreshadowed sequel. Except for perhaps Elden Ring, Ragnarok was probably the biggest game of 2022, and the game is more than capable of carrying the weight burdened by this attention. On the surface, the sequel does not deviate too far from its predecessor, offering hefty combat alongside smart character work. However, Ragnarok is not happy to merely retread past glories and smartly picks which areas to evolve and expand.

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In terms of storytelling, Ragnarok is an ambitious and cinematic conclusion to the franchise’s Norse mythology era. As told in the tales of old, Ragnarok refers to a cataclysmic series of events that brings devastating destruction to the world of humans along with the demise of key Norse figures such as Odin and Thor. Santa Monica uses this myth to craft an explorative romp that directs Kratos and Atreus to the Nine Realms.

Ragnarok emphasizes exploration quite a bit as well, providing quite a few open areas that each contain loot and optional content. While pretty short for the most part, side quests are great for lore and world-building, and they usually emphasize a companion’s history (Freya, for example). Speaking of companions, Ragnarok juggles quite a few secondary characters who join Kratos and Atreus on their (respective) journeys, including one or two surprises that will not be spoiled here. The sequel improves upon its predecessor’s combat significantly, offering far more variety and customization options.

Telling a gripping story about grief, anger, and regret, Ragnarok is a character-driven epic that balances quieter personal moments and large-scale set pieces. If there is one major criticism that can be thrown at Ragnarok, it would have to be the story’s final act. Considering Ragnarok is built up to be such a cataclysmic deal, the actual event is surprisingly underwhelming and lasts for just about two hours. The ending feels rushed, particularly Kratos’ final battles with Thor and Odin.

Also, Atreus’ sections can be polarizing, particularly one overly long excursion to Ironwood that, while introducing some important plot threads and lore details, brings the campaign to a screeching halt. Due to focusing on ranged combat, Atreus plays very differently from Kratos, which is both a positive and a negative. While he should not have been a copy of his father, Atreus is just not as fun to use as Kratos.

Valhalla

Ragnarok presents a strong case for being one of the best God of War games on its own, but the Valhalla DLC brings things up a few notches. Santa Monica’s franchise is not exactly known for dropping post-release content, so Valhalla came as something of a surprise; furthermore, the release is free and adds potentially hours upon hours of gameplay. This release is so good that the mode could have probably been expanded into a spin-off game, and it would not have seemed like a cash grab.

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Kratos is summoned to Valhalla, a place that forces the warrior to reminisce over his long and blood-soaked history. Reduced to his essential weapons, Kratos must work his way through Valhalla’s halls, battling enemies from the past along the way. En route, he finds resources and upgrades that grant him a boost, although they are lost if the protagonist falls in battle. This DLC follows the structure of a roguelite, a concept that emphasizes Ragnarok‘s combat while still incorporating narrative depth.

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God Of War 2

The Pinnacle Of Action-Adventure Slaughterfests

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Released

March 13, 2007

Pros

• Great Mix Of Combat, Puzzles, & Story
• Improves On Its Predecessor In nearly Every Way

God of War 2 improves virtually everything about its predecessor. The cathartic gameplay is tightened and the game’s narrative is far grander in scope yet somehow more personal.

What really sticks in the mind is how this sequel expands the world and characters of the first game. The mythological lore is fleshed out much further, complemented by the more fluid combat and less intrusive navigation. Traversing the environment is no longer a chore, and the creative puzzles give players a sense of accomplishment without wearing out their welcome.

Though eclipsed in some areas by its immediate successor, God of War 2 is ultimately the best God of War game of the franchise’s classic era. Even if the reboots are taken into consideration, an argument could be made that God of War 2‘s campaign has the best pacing in the series, offering just the right mix of action, platforming, puzzles, and storytelling.

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