- God of War: Sons of Sparta . A 2D, sidescrolling game that turns God of War into a metroidvania. Kratos tells his daughter Calliope a story about his life as a child, offering a rare look at Kratos as a father to his first child and the family that still carries heavy narrative weight across the franchise. Mechanically, the 2D, sidescrolling Sons of Sparta maybe wasn't the kind of treatment I want God of War to get but narratively, yes, please, may I have another.
I thought turning GOW into a metroidvania was cute, but the gameplay got tedious after a while.
However, I adored that the narrative conceit of the game is Kratos telling his daughter Calliope a story about his life as a child.
I have so much grief for Kratos' first family because they wield so much narrative power over this entire franchise but we know so little about them.
Regardless of the gameplay, I'm glad Sons of Sparta exists so I can get my "Kratos being a good dad to his FIRST child for a change" fix.
- God of War: Ascension . A prequel and the last PlayStation 3 God of War entry, shaped by a pre live service era when multiplayer modes were bolted onto major franchises. Much of Ascension feels underbaked, though it still delivers cinematic set pieces and twitchy action. Combat stays narrowly focused on the Blades of Chaos with elemental affinity shifts rather than distinct weapons that would change playstyle more dramatically. The final boss fight against the Kraken and the Furies remains a standout sequence. The last PS3 God of War is absolutely a relic of a pre-live-service era when companies were bolting multiplayer modes onto the sides of their most lucrative ships, so it's not super surprising that the bulk of Ascension feels a little underbaked.
The prequel is still full of the kinds of incredible, cinematic set pieces and twitchy action that make each God of War at least memorable, but its hack-and-slash combat feels narrowly focused on Kratos' iconic Blades of Chaos, with you shifting between different elemental affinities instead of different weapons that would have more tangibly changed up your playstyle and the flow of combat.
That final boss fight against the Kraken and the Furies still whips pretty hard, though.
- God of War Ragnarok . The Norse sequel is frustratingly bloated and overly long, with a case that it could have worked better split across two games. Kratos and Atreus remain the heart of the Norse mythology arc despite an expanding cast. Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC gives Kratos a roguelike therapy session and shows what a scaled back follow up might have looked like, laser focused on one character instead of a crowded roster. Compelling narrative threads involving Angrboda seeking out the remnants of the frost giants and Thor's family drama compete for attention in a game trying to wrap a trilogy's worth of story into a single sequel. God of War Ragnarok would have been incredible as two games instead of one.
Yeah, the frustratingly bloated and overly long sequel is still rock solid, with fantastic action and some incredible moments, especially for Kratos and Atreus, who remain the heart and soul of the series' Norse mythology games despite the ever-expanding cast.
Still, it's hard to not get wistful thinking of what this story might've looked like if it'd had a bit of breathing room.
Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC, meanwhile, shows exactly what a hypothetical scaled-back sequel could have looked like by giving Kratos a roguelike therapy session that's laser-focused on one character instead of a dozen, which helps the core action mechanics shine through in a way that base Ragnarok didn't, having a bit too much noise going on to let that action sing sometimes.
It's a shame because so many of Ragnarok's narrative threads, such as Angrboda seeking out the remnants of the frost giants and the inner machinations of Thor's family drama are genuinely compelling, but it's all fighting for attention in a game that's trying to wrap up a trilogy's-worth of stories in a second game.
- God of War: Chains of Olympus . Ready at Dawn's 2008 PlayStation Portable release stands as one of the stronger handheld attempts at console level action. The portable Kratos experience is largely comparable to its home console counterparts. It may not reach the narrative depth of its handheld successor, but it remains an impressive technical achievement for its era. The PlayStation Portable was one of the earlier attempts at a handheld offering console-level experiences, and God of War: Chains of Olympus was certainly one of the best examples of a studio making it happen.
Ready at Dawn pulled off a handheld God of War remarkably well, creating a Kratos experience that was pretty comparable to its console brethren and that you could take on the go.
Though it isn't quite as narratively illuminating as its sequel, it's still a truly impressive feat for 2008.
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta . Ready at Dawn's second handheld God of War entry matches the solid quality of Chains of Olympus while adding narrative depth in the prequel format. The game introduces Kratos' brother Deimos, adding another layer to the franchise's family history. Ghost of Sparta, Ready at Dawn's second Chaos Blade swing at a handheld God of War game is just as solid a game as its predecessor.
What gives it a bit of an edge over Chains of Olympus is how much we learn about Kratos in the prequel, including the introduction of his brother Deimos, who adds a whole new wrinkle to Kratos' dysfunctional family tree.
- God of War (2005) . The original 2005 launch now reads as a product of mid 2000s action design, voiced by T.C. Carson with a double jumping Kratos who feels distinct from the modern incarnation. The opening features a morose Kratos throwing himself off a cliff, and the tone leans into the era's edgy violence. As an action platformer, it delivered the bloody combat the period demanded.
- God of War III . The 2010 entry carried the weight of feeling like a major franchise finale at the time, with a resolution to Kratos' arc that touched on hope even if execution was uneven. Pandora tags along for part of the adventure, marking an early version of pairing Kratos with a companion who helps progress the story. A standout beat comes when Zeus hurts Pandora and Kratos' reaction sells the emotional stakes.
- God of War II . A direct improvement on the original with a larger story and bloodier combat. The game depowers Kratos early in a narrative setup that feeds new weapons and abilities. The opening Colossus of Rhodes battle ranks among the defining PlayStation 2 gameplay sequences, framed as a god level escalation from the mortal scale fights of the first game.
- God of War (2018) . The Norse reboot changed what embodying Kratos meant, presenting a somber, shame ridden version of the character hiding his past from Atreus in the Nine Realms after wiping out the Greek pantheon. Rather than ignoring earlier entries, the game uses that history as a springboard. Kratos initially trades the Blades of Chaos for the Leviathan Axe, shifting combat toward a heavier feel, while RPG lite systems open more player expression than the original hack and slash entries allowed.
God of War Laufey will move the spotlight away from Kratos when the series enters the Everywhen, closing the book on this look back at the Kratos led era.
