God of War is a series that has been enticing gamers with its historical fantasy, sexy themes, and dramatic relationships for almost two decades. Since Kratos lost his family in the original 2005 release due to a trick by the god Ares, there have been 11 games on Playstation and mobile that follow Kratos' path of vengeance against the gods. Despite the games’ exclusivity to Playstation platforms, they still see wild success today with a continued reputation as a leader in the gaming industry for story, gameplay, and graphics. We reviewed each game to determine which one stands above the rest and takes the throne as the best God of War.
God of War (PS2, 2005)
God of War Gameplay
The original God of War introduced players to Kratos, a historical figure that was believed to be a demigod who took down the gods of Olympus. Kratos is tasked by the gods with the mission to kill Ares, the god of war, who is trying to take over Olympus.
Kratos easily accepts his mission with the intent of exacting revenge on Ares for tricking him into killing his own family while in servitude to the god.
Newcomers to the series may look back on the original game and want to skip it, assuming that it will be a relic of the past. After all, when compared to modern games, the game mechanics are pretty simple, exploration is limited, and the graphics are blocky.
Regardless of these limitations, the game’s popularity still holds up today, and it’s definitely not a part of the story that you will want to miss out on!
As far as the story goes, they did a very good job introducing the characters and revealing new information along the way to keep you interested.
One thing that could be taken as either good or bad is how they structure the missions. Throughout the game, they keep hinting that the final boss mission is within reach but then divert the current missions away from it. This draws out the game's length and allows for upgrades before the final battle.
The average time to complete the game is about 10 hours, give or take, depending on if you are just trying to finish the story or achieve 100% completion. Players enjoyed never-before-seen battles with mythological creatures such as Medusa, Cyclops, and the Hydra.
In addition, the game provided some adult content that is only now being contested by series like The Witcher. All in all, the game was the introduction to a wildly successful franchise that still has players lining up for a copy today.
God of War Pros:
- Strong storytelling
- Fast-paced tutorials
- Action-packed gameplay
- Progressive skills and weapon upgrades
- Complex actions such as running, climbing, swimming, etc.
- Interesting cut-scenes
God of War Cons:
- Outdated graphics
- Simple game mechanics by today’s standards
- Awkward camera angles
Game Score: 90/100
God of War II (PS2, 2007)
God of War II Gameplay
The second installment of the series begins where the first game ends, a trend that continues through many of the following games. It walks through the story of how Kratos takes over as the God of War. However, the gods refuse to relieve him of his haunting visions of the past and the horrors of his family’s death.
Bitter with resentment and anger, he refuses to swear loyalty to Zeus, and his powers are taken from him. The titans seek to seize the opportunity to use Kratos against the gods in an attempt to overthrow them. Kratos has his own goals, however, to change his fate and relieve himself of his terrible visions.
At this point, players are generally already invested in the story, and we get to see the continued trend of gods and titans alike trying to take advantage of the mortal who has the will of a god.
We begin to really see the strength of Kratos, who refuses to be a puppet and continues to take matters into his own hands.
This game builds on the strong foundation of the original game with better graphics and more gamer-friendly controls and combos. Overall, this game provided a much more climactic and satisfying system of combat and story progression.
The story also allows gamers to dive deep into the game, with an average game time of 12 hours and 30 minutes, earning the place of the longest game prior to the revival in 2018.
God of War II Pros:
- Complex game mechanics
- Game Plus mode (Challenge of the Titans)
- Increased length
- Interesting story
- Improved graphics
- Interesting cut-scenes
God of War II Cons:
- Bonus costumes are minimal, and many consider them not worth the effort
- No map or quest guides
Game Score: 92/100
God of War Betrayal (Mobile, 2007)
God of War Betrayal Gameplay
God of War Betrayal was a mobile game released in 2007 with the goal of developing the backstory of Kronos’ relationship with the gods. It provides additional details of what happened to Kronos during his time as the God of War reigning on Olympus.
The story walks through how Kratos was framed after the death of Argos, a move that was intended to turn the gods against him. The storytelling is just as strong in this rendition of the game, however, the platform and combat limitations leave quite a bit to be desired.
This is generally a game that is skipped by many players, partially because of the arcade-style game mechanics and rudimentary graphics; and partially due to the limitations of the mobile platform from 2007.
On the bright side, there were still a lot of different villains to fight, and the combat was still interesting despite the limitations. All-in-all, not a bad game to play as a time killer, with an average completion time of 2 hours.
God of War Betrayal Pros:
- Good storytelling
God of War Betrayal Cons:
- Mobile limitations that don’t hold up today
- Short playtime
- Simple progression
Game Score: 70/100
God of War Chains of Olympus (PSP, 2008)
God of War Chains of Olympus Gameplay
This next installment of the series takes a step back in the story to give the players a bit more insight into the strength and struggle that is the life of Kratos. The story follows Kratos after the death of his family but before he has defeated Ares. During his time of servitude, the gods fail to respond to his request for a new mission.
Upon further investigation, he finds that Helios, the god of the sun, has been captured, and Morphius, the god of dreams, has put the other gods into a deep sleep.
The gods beg for his help, promising to relieve him of his haunting visions, only to forsake him again ending this installment where the first game begins at the cliffs of suicide.
This game is another short one with an average gameplay time of 5 ½ hours. It is considered part of the God of War: Origins set, which includes The Ghost of Sparta, as both games were originally released on the PSP as prequels to the main story.
The game is notable enough to be considered a staple in the series: however, it is generally considered less important than the main games. This was partly because of the simplistic combat and lack of bonus gameplay due to the hand-held platform limitations.
God of War Chains of Olympus Pros:
- Interesting storytelling
- Good game mechanics and combat
- Bonus armor
God of War Chains of Olympus Cons:
- Short
- Simplistic combat compared to other games
- No game plus mode
Game Score: 85/100
God of War III (PS3, 2010)
God of War III Gameplay
The third, and final (chronologically) installment of the original God of War series wrapped up the story by finally tying up all the loose ends from previous games. We finally get to understand why Kratos has been such a strong opponent to the gods and titans alike through the years.
In this game, we see Kratos's journey to end the rule of the gods once and for all. He travels from the depths of Tartarus to the peak of Olympus, taking down every opposition along the way. This allows him to gain even more weapons and powers than ever before, along with more complex and exciting combat mechanics.
Along with the normal villains and mythological creatures, Kratos also battles Hercules, the Titans, and finally Zeus himself. Because of the sheer magnitude of the climactic story that the studio presented, many argue that Kratos's personality lacks depth and development in this game; however, this is more than made up for in gameplay, progression, and entertainment value.
God of War III was certainly a successfully updated adaptation of the series, with updated graphics and combat complexities that rivaled the original installments. The average gameplay time also rivaled the previous games at 10 ½ hours. In addition, it also featured plenty of game-plus content to keep players busy until the next release.
God of War III Pros:
- Advanced Combat
- Better Graphics
- Interesting Villians
- Interesting Story
- Interesting cut scenes
- Game Plus mode
- Weapons upgrades and progression
God of War III Cons:
- Lack of character development
Game Score: 93/100
God of War Ghost of Sparta (PSP, 2010)
God of War Ghost of Sparta Gameplay
The Ghost of Sparta was the second PSP installment that followed Kratos’s story after he defeated Ares but before losing his powers. During this time, he was filled with bloodlust and rage and was appointed the name The Ghost of Sparta.
The overall goal of this installment was to provide additional insight into the motivations of Kratos. While God of War III lacked character development due to the focus on combat, The Ghost of Sparta focused mainly on the story.
In addition to filling in the blanks in the main story that players are already familiar with, the game also explains details from the past that solidify Kratos’s story and motivations.
It has well-developed combat mechanics and progression, and the average gameplay length is about 6-12 hours. While it will never be considered the best of the series as a whole, it was definitely the better of the two PSP games and is a must-play for newcomers to the series.
God of War Ghost of Sparta Pros:
- In-depth storytelling
- Good combat mechanics
- Improved graphics
God of War Ghost of Sparta Cons:
- Limitations from the hand-held platform release when compared with other games
Game Score: 89/100
God of War Ascension (PS3, 2013)
God of War Ascension Gameplay
God of War Ascension was the last of the Greek installments; however, it is chronologically the first in the story. The game takes place only six months after the death of Kronos’s family.
The game begins with Kronos as a prisoner of the fates as punishment for renouncing his oath to Ares.
The entire game is focused on Kratos gaining his freedom, which led many fans of the franchise to feel like the themes were overdone. Not only does the game revert to the past yet again, but it also refocuses on the death of his family and his hatred for the gods.
Overall, there are many aspects of the game that allowed players to relive the series’ nostalgia in a new installment. However, the game eventually fell flat, and the added multiplayer feature was one of the biggest failures of the franchise.
That being said, the game still holds many of the main attractions of the series including sexy characters and mini-games, interactive combat, and progressive storylines.
The average gameplay time is about 8 ½ hours giving it a satisfying duration without overstaying its welcome.
God of War Ascension Pros:
- Interesting story
- Good game mechanics
- Ideal game length
- Good story progression
- Game Plus mode
God of War Ascension Cons:
- Online-only multi-player with poor functionality
- Repetitive concepts
- Overly complex combat functionality
Game Score: 88/100
God of War A Call from the Wilds (Facebook, 2018)
God of War A Call from the Wilds Gameplay
A Call from the Wilds was essentially a mini-game released in 2018 on Facebook that was designed to generate interest in the revival of the God of War series with a focus on Norse mythology.
This installment is a text-based story progression game that helped players understand the relationships and mythologies that would be found in the new game.
The game only lasts about 30 minutes, but it served its purpose to inform players about the new concepts that were being introduced. While it is generally considered the most basic game ever released, and many players skip over it completely, it was successful in its own right.
God of War A Call from the Wilds Pros:
- Interesting story
God of War A Call from the Wilds Cons:
- Short
- Text-based
- Simple
Game Score: 75/100
God of War (PS4, 2018)
God of War (2018) Gameplay
The 2018 adaptation of God of War was a completely new take on the series that made a massive splash winning Game of the Year. The game continues following Kratos many years after he defeated the Gods in Greece. In the beginning, Kratos and his son Atreus mourn the loss of his wife, whom he had married sometime after avenging the death of his first family.
We quickly learn that Kratos and his son plan to take her remains to the top of a mountain to lay her to rest. They are interrupted by the Norse god Baldur, who attacks Kratos believing he is someone called the Guardian.
Along their journey to lay Kratos’s wife to rest, they learn more about the Norse gods and their interest in Kratos and Atreus.
This game was a revolutionary addition to the series, which added massive amounts of innovation to the gameplay and exploration that fans of the franchise had only been dreaming of up until now.
With an average of over 20 hours of gameplay time, this game broke through all the barriers the previous games had faced and ground them to dust.
One of the most successful aspects of this game was the studio’s ability to maintain the themes and characters of the previous games while progressing into a whole new story with endless possibilities.
In addition, they removed the mature themes that had dominated the original series to accommodate the story with his son and make the game accessible to a broader audience.
God of War Pros:
- Advanced graphics
- Complex combat
- Skill tree progression style
- Interactive puzzles
- Interesting and engaging storytelling
- Exploratory bonus content
- Bonus armor and weapon customization
God of War Cons:
- Awkward camera angles
- Long, defensive fighting style in some battles
Game Score: 94/100
God of War Ragnarok (PS4/5, 2022)
God of War Ragnarok Gameplay
The most recent adaptation of the franchise has not disappointed fans and is on its way to winning the title of Game of the Year yet again. Continuing the story where it left off in 2018, the focus in this game is on Thor and Odin in the mythological end-of-the-world event: Ragnarok.
This game takes the innovations from the 2018 revival even further by promoting exploration more than combat. Don’t worry, combat isn’t ignored by any means; however, exploration of the nine realms is greatly emphasized.
On the combat side, the studio succeeded in expanding upon the ideas that were introduced in 2018 but awarding players even more flexibility in battle.
Finally, they didn’t forget about the complex relationships that players have been following through the franchise for the past 20 years. The game brings all the classic themes of anger, grief, and regret into the story in an epic tale worthy of the wait.
God of War Ragnarok Pros:
- Advanced graphics
- Expanded exploration
- Improved combat
- In-depth character development
- Weapon upgrades and progression
God of War Ragnarok Cons:
- Mythological plotholes
Game Score: 95/100
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