With the long awaited release of God of War Ragnarök, fans all over the world are beginning to sharpen their axes and blades. And if you and me are somewhat alike, you know that the best way to prepare for such an event is to, obviously, play all the games in the franchise in advance. Just to, you know, not miss any details or any important piece of information or lore. Today, we will embark on a journey to rediscover all God of War Games in order. And boy, do we have a lot to cover.
All God of War Games in Order
Just a little disclaimer: the order we will follow is the release order. I have found that playing the games in the order which they were released gives you an authentic sense of what gamers at the time experienced. Anyway, at the end of the article we will list all the games in chronological order if that’s your prefer way to play all games in the franchise. A spoiler warning is ensued to keep the list under a common thread regarding the main story. (We’re skipping God of War: Betrayal, nothing can save that game, really)
God of War (2005)
Released in 2005, Kratos makes his debut in the original God of War. After being betrayed by Ares, Kratos, aka the Ghost of Sparta, is determined to find Pandora’s Box (by the suggestion of Athena) to defeat the god of war himself. We learn that, under the influence of Ares, and blinded by his unparalleled rage, Kratos was tricked into killing his own family. Eventually, Kratos defeats Ares (and by defeating, I mean killing, and killing gods is what God of War is all about) and becomes the new God of War (roll credits).
God of War II (2007)
After the events of the original game, Kratos takes the mantle of God of War. After witnessing Kratos’ recklessness and his constant desire for war, Zeus betrays and kills Kratos. However, The Titan Gaia saves him and commands Kratos to find the Sisters of Fate in order to revert Kratos’ demise and kill Zeus. Afterwards, Kratos is about to kill Zeus, only for Athena to take the blow herself. In her dying moments, she reveals that Kratos is a son of Zeus. After learning this, Kratos recruits the power of all the titans and starts the siege of Olympus.
God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008)
Being the first portable game for the franchise, Chains of Olympus takes place before the original God of War, during Kratos’ service to the gods. In spite of being situated in the God of War timeline, this is pretty a self-contained story. Anyway, it narrates Kratos’ journey to stop the goddess Persephone’s plan to destroy the world by using the titan Atlas (you know, the one that holds the entire earth on his shoulders).
God of War III (2010)
God of War III literally begins at the exact moment God of War II ended. You’re at the back of Gaia, and you’re commanding the siege of Olympus. However, Gaia abandons Kratos as he falls to the river Styx after being overwhelmed by the Olympians. After all, they didn’t pose much of a threat. Now guided by the spirit of Athena, Kratos’ mission is to find the Flame of Olympus in order to defeat the almighty Zeus, his father (oh yes, this is a Greek tragedy indeed). Further into the story, and after learning that Pandora’s Box resides withing the Flame, Pandora herself, Kratos’ ally in the game, sacrifices herself to help Kratos open the box. Kratos kills Zeus and takes his own life with the Blade of Olympus. Really, play the game, is my favorite of the first batch of God of War games.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010)
Set after the original God of War, Ghost of Sparta follows Kratos’ continuous fight with his past and his own demons. Sensing something strange, he travels to find his own mother, Callisto, who tells him about his brother Deimos, who is still alive. However, Callisto is transformed into a monster and fights Kratos to the death before she can unveil the identity of Kratos’ father. Surely my man Kratos can’t catch a break. Kratos discovers his brother is enslaved by Thanatos, the god of death, and decides to save his kin. And just after saving him, Thanatos engages in battle with the brother, killing Deimos in the process (man, Kratos can’t catch a break, can he?). Anyway, Kratos returns to Olympus, with an ever-growing hate for the gods.
God of War: Ascension (2013)
Ascension takes places merely months after Kratos killed his own family. Therefore, it is the first game in the saga, chronologically. By breaking his blood oath of servitude to Ares, Kratos is imprisoned by the Furies. Eventually, Kratos defeats the Furies and breaks free of Ares’ bond after discovering their plan to overthrow Mount Olympus. Ascension is the weakest link in the franchise, but if you are not tired of the hack and slash formula, go ahead and enjoy it.
God of War (2018)
The franchise needed something to reignite the flame, and boy did God of War (2018) delivered. Set years after the events of the original trilogy, we find Kratos living a family life off the grid. Did I mention the place he chose to live was the realm of Midgard? Oh yes, the Ghost of Sparta is about to ensue mayhem on all Asgard, right? Well, not quite. We see an older and wiser Kratos, struggling with parenting a boy named Atreus. Furthermore, both of them are struggling with the loss of mother and wife, Faye. As a dying wish, Faye asks for her remains to be spread on the highest peak of all the realms. That’s where our story begins. Go ahead and play the game to discover the story that lies in the Nordic part of Kratos’ adventure.
God of War Ragnarök (2022)
And finally, we are here. Kratos and Atreus’ latest adventure will be set after the events of God of War (2018). The everlasting winter announces Ragnarök, the Norse end of times. They both are awaiting what’s coming for them. Needless to say, we are looking towards one of the biggest releases of our time, and expectations are incredibly high. Let’s hope the game delivers. I hope it does.
God of War Games in Chronological Order
Just to please the fans of the franchise that would like to enjoy the games in a chronological order, here are all the God of War games in chronological order:
- 1: God of War: Ascension
- 2: God of War: Chains of Olympus
- 3: God of War
- 4: God of War: Ghost of Sparta
- 5: God of War II
- 6: God of War III
- 7: God of War (2018)
- 8: God of War Ragnarök
And that’s it! Hope you enjoy your God of War marathon while waiting for God of War Ragnarök’s release. Happy gaming!
God of War Ragnarök is set to be released on November 9, 2022, on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. If you like our God of War content, don’t forget to check out the Best Difficulty for God of War and How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted God of War: Ragnarok.
