Where to Start · God of War
Where to Start with God of War
God of War is Sony Santa Monica's action franchise following Kratos — a Spartan warrior who killed the Greek gods and then, years later, reinvented himself as a father in Norse mythology. The franchise has two distinct eras: the Greek mythology era (God of War 1-3 and spinoffs, 2005-2013) featuring brutal hack-and-slash combat and operatic violence, and the Norse mythology era (God of War 2018 and Ragnarök, 2022) which rebuilt the franchise as a character-driven action RPG with Kratos and his son Atreus.
The Norse era is among the greatest achievements in modern gaming.
If you only play one God of War game
Play God of War (2018). It is one of the greatest games ever made — Kratos in Norse mythology, the relationship between a father and son as the emotional core, a single unbroken camera shot for the entire game. The Leviathan Axe, the Blades of Chaos, the World Serpent, the Valkyries. The 2018 game requires no prior knowledge of the Greek era and serves as both a fresh start for newcomers and a meaningful evolution for longtime fans. Available on PS4/PS5 and PC.
Real talk — God of War (2018) is written to stand alone. Treat the Greek games as optional context once you care about the full arc — not as a mandatory prologue.
God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök (2022) is the direct sequel and conclusion to the Norse mythology arc — Fimbulwinter, the Norse apocalypse, and consequences from the 2018 game playing out across the Nine Realms. It is a longer and more ambitious game than its predecessor. Play the 2018 game first — Ragnarök's emotional weight depends entirely on your relationship with Kratos and Atreus built across the previous game. Available on PS4/PS5.
The Greek era
God of War (2005) on PS2 is the original — Kratos seeking revenge against Ares, chained blades, and QTE-heavy brutal combat that defined the character action genre for a decade. God of War II (2007) is the better game — larger scale, better boss fights, and a cliffhanger ending that leads directly into GoW III. God of War III (2010, PS3) is the conclusion of the Greek arc — the most visually spectacular entry in the original trilogy with boss fights on an extraordinary scale. The God of War Collection on PS3 remastered the first two games. All three are on PS Now in some regions.
Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008, PSP) and God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010, PSP) are the handheld entries filling in Kratos's backstory. Both are excellent PSP games and available in the God of War Origins Collection on PS3. Ghost of Sparta in particular fills in crucial character history. Both are optional for newcomers but enriching for series completionists.
What platforms you need
God of War (2018) and Ragnarök — PS4/PS5 (2018 also on PC). Greek era — PS2/PS3 physical or PS3 digital. God of War Collection (remaster of 1 and 2) — PS3.
Recommended order
God of War 2018 first — it is the best starting point and stands completely alone. Ragnarök immediately after. Then the Greek trilogy in release order (1 → 2 → 3) for the complete Kratos story.