Eleven years ago today, Sony Santa Monica released God of War. The character-action game impressed gamers with its top-notch production value, amazing boss fights, and satisfyingly violent combat. Since then we’ve seen 5 additional entries in the series, all of them of a high quality and cementing it as one of PlayStation’s premier franchises.
That being said, it’s fun to nitpick and try to figure out which is the best God of War game. So with the series’ anniversary upon us, it made sense to take a stroll through memory lane, and rank the God of War series from best to worst.
Before we get onto the list, here are a few things to consider. First off, only games released on PlayStation systems were considered for ranking. So that means no God of War: Betrayal despite it being a surprisingly fun 2D adaptation. Second, and most importantly, there wasn’t some mathematical formula to come up with this list. It’s all just a matter of opinion.
We hope you enjoyed our look at the God of War series on PlayStation. It was difficult to separate some of the games, due to most of them being of such a high quality!
In your opinion, which is the best God of War game? Which is the worst entry in the franchise? Share them in the comments below.
More Brutal God of War Reading:
- Top 5 Best God of War Boss Battles
- Examining God of War’s Mythological Accuracy
- God of War’s Kratos – The Anti-Hero No One Asked For
Ranking God of War
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Ranking the Best and Worst of the God of War Series
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God of War: Ascension
Kratos' most recent adventure wasn't his greatest. God of War: Ascension is still a very good time, but it just felt like more of the same. Even the addition of multiplayer didn't make this feel like a fresh entry to the series. Here's to hoping that the next game changes things up in a bigger way.
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God of War
While it certainly wowed in 2005, the same can't be said today. Since it's the first game in the series, it makes sense that God of War is rough around the edges, and has aged more poorly than more recent entries. Some of the puzzles are more of a hassle than clever, and the level design can be tedious at times. While it's by far the most important game, it's simply not the best.
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God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympus was a revelation on the PlayStation Portable. Players got to experience a full-blown console like experience on the go, and not a watered down version. Ready at Dawn did a fantastic job with each of the two portable games, but Chains of Olympus is the weaker of the two.
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God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Ready at Dawn was one of the PlayStation Portable's top developers, and God of War: Ghost of Sparta is their crowning achievement. The portable adventure told a more personal tale about Kratos than other entries have, and it was fascinating learning more about the enigmatic hero. It also featured some of the most fun skills in a God of War game which manages to get it into the top 3.
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God of War III
Kratos' first HD adventure was a great one. God of War III is graphically stunning, especially in the PlayStation 4 remastered version, and features some of the most epic moments in the series. Memorable boss fights, and a great ending scene brings this to number two on our list.
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God of War II
The last God of War game that David Jaffe worked on is also the best in the series. God of War II featured a much better story than the original game, and managed to build upon it mechanically. Everything that was good about God of War was great in God of War II.
