The God of War franchise is treasured, with most of the games over the past 20 years beloved by fans. It’s not slowing down either, with the recent announcement of God of War Laufey and a remake of the original trilogy expected to debut in the future.
All that to say, some of the amazing games are bound to stand over the rest. Even if it’s just by a little bit. If you’re at all curious about how these heavy hitters stack up, here are the best God of War games you should check out before God of War: Laufey.
5. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
The original God of War Greek trilogy presents a great overarching story around Kratos and his desire for revenge. That said, later games explored the gaps between and before the trilogy. A great example is God of War: Ghost of Sparta, a PSP game set between the original game and its sequel.
As the second PSP game in the series (after God of War: Chains of Olympus), this one feels like an improvement in every way. Better weapons and visuals make it just as fun and comparable to the first two home console titles. The story also rounds out Kratos’ character further by introducing his mother and brother.
4. God of War III
While the first two mainline entries were on the PS2, the third debuted on the PS3. Fans experienced the end of the original Greek trilogy with improved combat and beautiful visuals. Both of which were the perfect pairing for the game where you kill the most Gods and other memorable Greek mythical figures.
While God of War III didn't have the same level of story twists and puzzles as the prior two, it is the most action-packed entry. Not only does it put a nice bow on the end of the Greek trilogy, but it's a visceral capper that never lets its foot off the gas pedal.
3. God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok is the most recent entry in the franchise's Norse era and serves as a sequel to 2018's God of War. Building upon its predecessor with even better combat and more encounters with Norse gods and mythology, it’s almost a perfect follow-up.
The strongest negatives that bring it down are the arguably convoluted story and the excessive hint tips. The latter of which was eventually mended with an update that allowed you to change the frequency, but the story and its pacing let two other games barely edge past for this list.
2. God of War II
With 10 games in the franchise, it might seem surprising that the second made it this far on the list. To the game's credit, it really is just that damn good. It improves upon everything its predecessor achieved while still excelling in some ways over the sequel.
Everyone's favorite aspect of this entry is the story. Further betrayal from the Gods sends Kratos on an adventure to meet the Sisters of Fate, all the while fighting a variety of mythical figures and monsters. Between the fantastic story and uptick in puzzle quality, this game has easily stood the test of time.
1. God of War (2018)
How could we put anything here other than 2018's God of War? Although its sequel hits some higher highs in some regards, it also hits some lower ends that this game doesn’t. The first Norse era title feels more consistently amazing in comparison.
The keyword there is “amazing”, because this game serves as a fantastic return for fans or as an entry point for newcomers. Combat is a fun reimagining, the world is breath-taking, and both the story and character development of Kratos and Atreus are incredible. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this one a masterpiece.
The God of War series has far more positively received games than not, but even those that aren’t a common favorite still feature incredible fights or story beats. These games have remained fun throughout 20 years and a gameplay reinvention, which makes the hype around future ones all the more exciting.
