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 all the way back to 2005. The franchise has given players no shortage of hack-and-slash thrills over the years, and most of it is 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.
7 God Of War: Ascension
It was painfully clear at this point that the creators were running out of ideas. Building an entire game around Kratos breaking his oath to Ares reeks of desperation, and the execution doesn’t assuage any skepticism. The journey here is so forgettable and uninspired that it evaporates from your memory as you play through it.
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.
6 God Of War: Chains Of Olympus
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 entry on the PSP. 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. Nevertheless, Chains of Olympus is still a solid entry whose biggest weakness is that the other ones are better.
5 God Of War (2005)
It’s always special to reflect on the original. This 2005 hit laid the foundation for the rest of the 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. The intuitive controls lend themselves beautifully to the devastating combos, and you feel a real sense of progression as you unlock more through the simple-yet-effective upgrade system.
On top of that, the narrative introduces Kratos with surprising care, steadily doling out development over the course of the journey and getting the player just as invested in his quest for vengeance by the end. What ultimately hinders the game’s replay value is its long stretches of awkward platforming and repetitive puzzles. Even with these issues, though, God of War remains one of the best debuts in gaming.
4 God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta
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 moment-to-moment thrills, personal story, and continued dive (Atlantis pun) in Greek myth are plenty strong enough, pushing The Little System That Could to its limit.
3 God Of War (2018)
This is exactly the radical reinvention the series needed. 2018’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 in 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.
The gameplay reflects that intimate perspective, as it’s much slower, more focused on strategy, and closer to the action. While it’s a bit clunkier than previous entries, it 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, and fans remain excited for the next one.
2 God Of War II
God of War II improves virtually everything about its predecessor. The cathartic gameplay is tightened, and the narrative is far grander in scope yet somehow more personal.
What really sticks with you is how this sequel expands the world and characters of its predecessor. 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. Overall, this operatic follow-up is a triumph, deftly balancing everything fans love about the series.
1 God Of War III
The grand finale of the original trilogy delivered on nearly every front. The well-honed combat has never been as exhilarating. The set pieces have never been this jaw-dropping. The myths have never been this engaging or well-realized. Above all, it’s a satisfying conclusion for Kratos’s journey, causing him to reevaluate why he fights and making his final victory all the more complete.
God of War III is a wild ride from start to finish. The seasoned developers execute their vision with finesse, polish, and passion virtually unparalleled. To make a long story short, it’s the quintessential God of War experience.
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