Few gaming franchises could last more than a decade without releasing a single bad entry. Since 2005, Sony’s God of War series has been one of the rare gaming giants. The franchise has not only produced a steady stream of new entries, but has also had consistent commercial and critical success. On home consoles, mobile devices, or even the web, the God of War franchise is synonymous with excellence.
With God of War Ragnarok set to take the legendary series to new heights, we look back at Kratos’ history to see which of these great games reigns as the god among them all.
Here are all the God of War games, Ranked from worst to best.
9. God of War: Ascension
Being the last proper PlayStation 3 entry in the God of War family, Ascension doesn’t quite get the same love as its predecessors.
This is prior to the events of the original God of War. The game follows Kratos as he struggles to break free from Ares’ control and prevent the original god of war from laying siege to Olympus. The combat and presentation in this entry in the series was as intense as ever, and the boss fights were just as memorable as in any other God of War game. However, the story was holding it back a bit by trying to wedge it up in a certain amount of time, and the multiplayer mode was an unnecessary inclusion that fell short of a solo game.
8. God of War: Call of the Prairie
Ahead of the 2018 release of God of War, Sony and Facebook teamed up for a text adventure starring Atreus, son of Kratos. A Call from the Wilds can be played just like in Messenger, like a classic PC game from a bygone era, albeit with the trappings of modern convenience.
For example, you can leave and come back at any time without losing progress in the story. Call from the Wilds is a departure from the God of War series, which has always relied on action gameplay, but that doesn’t make this title any less interesting. You can also earn some technical concepts, so you will get rewarded for the time you invest in Atreus.
7. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
The second God of War game to hit the PlayStation Portable, Ghost of Sparta is another early adventure from Kratos. This game saw the Demigod attempt to free his brother Deimos from the hands of the Death God Thanatos. It wasn’t surprising to see Kratos return to PSP, given how successful the formula has been in the Olympus series. But it surprised us when we learned that another aspect of Kratos’ life is closely connected with the Greek pantheon.
Sadly, this was the last mobile entry to get God of War, as Kratos didn’t get a dedicated adventure on PlayStation Vita.
6. God of War: Betrayal
Like A Call from the Wild, Betrayal is one of the few God of War games available outside of the Sony PlayStation ecosystem. Made for mobile in a pre-smartphone world, Betrayal was a side scrolling adventure before the events of God of War II. Sony was willing to try a familiar tale of Kratos outside the PlayStation brand for one thing; That this title was also a worthwhile game was another thing.
Unfortunately, unless you come across an old Nokia phone with Betrayal already installed, there is almost no way to play this game anywhere today.
5. God of War: Chains of Olympus
In his first portable adventure, Kratos is forced to stop the goddess Persephone from unleashing one of the legendary Titans to destroy the world. When the game debuted, there were a lot of skeptics who wondered if the PSP would be able to handle such a powerful franchise as God of War.
The gameplay depth of Chains of Olympus was almost identical to that of its console sibling, and this title set a new standard for what games could visually achieve on PSP. Yes, you may have gotten severe claws from how tight a grip your PSP was for hours on end, but it’s definitely worth it.
4. God of War III
As the only proper sequel in the franchise to come to PlayStation 3, Sony Santa Monica has been under great pressure to make God of War III a worthy successor. Fortunately for all parties involved, God of War III wasn’t just an amazing follow-up; It was also, without a doubt, one of the best games on PlayStation 3.
Weapons, such as Hercules’ gauntlet, were more lethal; The boss fights, like the one with Titan Cronos, were more epic, and the story provided a great closing chapter for an era in Kratos’ life. Had this been the actual end of the series, it would have been a fitting farewell.
3. God of War
The game that started it all remains one of the greatest action/adventure games of all time. God of War didn’t introduce us to Kratos and his super brand of violence; It also redefined the movement genre for years to come.
God of War pushed the PlayStation 2 to limits we never thought possible at the time, and gave the system another exclusive feather in a lid that really blows it. The first game was baffling and punitive in equal parts but not overbearing in difficulty. It’s a time-tested classic that’s still amazingly strong today.
2. God of War II
Just because Sony launched the PlayStation 3 in 2006, that doesn’t mean the company was ready to give up on the PlayStation 2. God of War II debuted on PS2 in March 2007.
The game captured everything we loved about the first title – endless combo-building combat, vicious brutality, and engaging mythological combo – and stepped up tenfold to give us a sequel that outperformed its predecessor in almost every way. God of War II, which transcended every aspect of PS2 hardware, was as epic a swan song as the console would hope. And it set the stage for Kratos’ next adventure in killing the gods.
1. God of War (2018)
The latest entry in the God of War series is arguably the best watch in the series.
God of War (2018) is a minor reboot. Although it follows the exploits of Kratos, the core gameplay has been updated. Unlike previous entries, the camera always remains centered on Kratos’ back. This may take a while to get used to, but it makes the fight sequences feel more intimate and lively. Puzzles are still a crucial component and are often tossed with random items to keep things alive.
More than any other title in the series, God of War places more emphasis on story and character development. Anyone can enjoy this title without playing previous installments, but there is additional weight for those who have been with Kratos since the beginning. New characters like Atreus (son of Kratos) and the Norse gods Freya and Balder are just as compelling as the main character. God of War (2018) was and still is one of the best games released in recent years.
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