Every God of War game, ranked
All 7 God of War games we hold, spanning 2005 to 2024: 2 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 233,945 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: God of War (GamingPickz Score 8.6), the highest-rated entry we can score.
The God of War games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 2 games, plotted rather than listed. The two axes below are the ones the ranking is built from, so a game sitting high and right is a game the formula placed near the top. Change either axis to see the field a different way. Where we hold a publisher wordmark, the game is drawn as its mark rather than a dot.
2 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 2 games rather than the full 0 to 100 scale, because a filtered list shares a narrow band and would otherwise sit in one corner. End values are marked. A point on the left edge is the lowest of thesegames, not a low score.
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- PlayStation
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Every game by critic score
The grid above is built from Steam data, so it can only place the God of War games that were on Steam. This one uses the Metacritic critic aggregate, which the older console-only entries have too, so the whole series lands on a single chart: critic score against release year.
On Steam (also has a GamingPickz Score) Console-only (Metacritic only)
2 best God of War games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
- 1
God of War
Best for: Players who need accessibility options that actually exist
8.6GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceGod of War at a glance Released 2005 Studio Santa Monica Studio Player sentiment 96% positive of 184,172 Critics 93/100 Price $49.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 70 GB Accessibility 12 declared features Raw 96% shrinks to 96.0 on 184,172 reviews, then blends with the 93 critic aggregate, giving 8.6.
What the data supports- 96% positive across 184,172 reviews is a strong signal at that volume, where a few enthusiasts cannot move the number.
- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Declares 12 accessibility features, well above the catalogue norm.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
PlayStation VitaPlayStation 2PlayStation 3PlayStation 4Steam Deck
- 2
God of War Ragnarök
Best for: Players who need accessibility options that actually exist
8.1GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceGod of War Ragnarök at a glance Released 2024 Studio Santa Monica Studio Player sentiment 89% positive of 49,773 Critics 90/100 Price $59.99 Steam Deck verified Install size 190 GB Accessibility 11 declared features Raw 89% shrinks to 89.0 on 49,773 reviews, then blends with the 90 critic aggregate, giving 8.1.
What the data supports- Valve has tested it and rates it Verified on the Steam Deck.
- Declares 11 accessibility features, well above the catalogue norm.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Only the 2 God of War games with Steam review data can be scored and ranked. The complete series, scored or not, is charted in order below.
Best and worst entry
The best-received God of War game we can score is God of War at 8.6. The lowest is God of War Ragnarök at 8.1, a 0.5-point spread across the series. The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: God of War at $49.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: God of War, the most GamingPickz Score per dollar in the series at its current price.
On a Steam Deck
Valve's own Deck compatibility rating for the God of War entries on Steam:
- Verified: God of War, God of War Ragnarök
Platforms across the series
Where the 7 God of War games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 2 of 7 |
| PlayStation | 6 of 7 |
The God of War series, game by game
Every God of War game we hold, in release order. Each description is the game's own, from Steam where it has a listing and Wikipedia for the older entries, never ours.
- 2005
God of War
8.6His vengeance against the Gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse Gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive… and teach his son to do the same. (Steam)
- 2007
God of War II
Metacritic 93God of War II is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 on March 13, 2007, the game is the second installment in the God of War series, the seventh chronologically, and the sequel to 2005's God of War. It is… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting As with its predecessor , God of War II is set in an alternate version of ancient Greece , populated by the Olympian gods , Titans , heroes , and other beings of Greek mythology. With the exception of flashbacks , the events are set between those of the games Betrayal (2007) and God of War III (2010). Several locations are explored, including a real-world setting in the ancient city of Rhodes , and several fictional locations, including a brief… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of God of War The protagonist of the game is Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson ), a Spartan warrior who became the God of War after killing the former, Ares . Other characters include Athena ( Carole Ruggier ), the Goddess of Wisdom; Zeus ( Corey Burton ), the King of the Gods and the main antagonist; several Titans—including Gaia ( Linda Hunt ), Atlas ( Michael Clarke Duncan ), Prometheus ( Alan Oppenheimer ), Typhon ( Fred… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception God of War II received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . The game is regarded as one of the best PlayStation 2 and action games of all time. It has been praised for its story and improvements over its predecessor, such as gameplay and graphics. (Wikipedia)
- 2008
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Metacritic 91God of War: Chains of Olympus is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It was first released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console on March 4, 2008. The game is the fourth installment in the God of War series, the third… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting As with the previous games in the God of War franchise, God of War: Chains of Olympus is set in an alternate version of ancient Greece , populated by the Olympian gods , Titans , and other beings of Greek mythology . With the exception of flashbacks , the events are set between those of the games Ascension (2013) and God of War (2005). Several locations are explored, including the real-world locations of the ancient cities of Attica and Marathon… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of God of War The protagonist of the game is Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson ), a former Captain of Sparta 's Army, and once servant to the God of War, Ares . He now serves the other Olympian gods in hopes that they will free him of his nightmares. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception God of War: Chains of Olympus received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic , achieving the highest composite score for a PlayStation Portable title. The game's graphics were particularly praised, with Matt Leone of 1UP claiming Chains of Olympus is "a technical showpiece for Sony, and arguably the best-looking game on the system. " Robert Falcon of Modojo. (Wikipedia)
- 2010
God of War III
Metacritic 92God of War III is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth installment in the God of War series, the eighth chronologically, the sequel to 2007's God of War II, and the first… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting As with previous games, God of War III is set in an alternate version of ancient Greece populated by Olympian gods , Titans , heroes , and other characters from Greek mythology. The events of the game are set between 2007's God of War II and 2018's God of War . The game is set across several locations on Mount Olympus , including the Tomb of Ares , the ancient city of Olympia , the Path of Eos , the Labyrinth , several areas of the Palace of the… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of God of War Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson ), the protagonist of the game, is a Spartan demigod warrior who became the God of War after killing Ares and seeks revenge on Zeus for his betrayal. Other characters include Greek gods such as Athena ( Erin Torpey ), the Goddess of Wisdom and Kratos' mentor and ally; Zeus ( Corey Burton ), King of the Gods, Kratos' father and the primary antagonist; Poseidon ( Gideon Emery ),… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception God of War III received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator website Metacritic , Adam Sessler of X-Play said that the game "finishes the trilogy on an exceptionally high note", and it "blends all of its best attributes into a stellar experience. " IGN s Chris Roper said that God of War III "practically redefines" scale in video games, singling out the size of the Titans as being "larger than entire levels in other games". Mike… (Wikipedia)
- 2010
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Metacritic 86God of War: Ghost of Sparta is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It was first released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console on November 2, 2010. The game is the sixth installment in the God of War series and the fifth… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting As with previous games in the God of War franchise, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is set in an alternate version of ancient Greece populated by the Olympian gods , Titans , and other beings from Greek mythology. With the exception of flashbacks , the events are set between the games God of War (2005) and Betrayal (2007). Several locations are explored, including the fictional city of Atlantis (and later a sunken version). (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of God of War The protagonist of the game is Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson ), the God of War after having killed the former, Ares (who appears in flashbacks and voiced by Steven Blum ). Other characters include Athena (Erin Torpey), the Goddess of Wisdom who warns Kratos about exploring his past; Deimos ( Mark Deklin ), the younger brother of Kratos who is imprisoned and tortured in the Domain of Death; Thanatos ( Arthur… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception God of War: Ghost of Sparta received "generally favourable reviews", according to review aggregator website Metacritic . Nicole Tanner of IGN stated that in terms of gameplay, "there's nothing unique here, but that's not a bad thing. " 1UP s Chris Pereira said that the controls are "largely the same" as Chains of Olympus , but it "is still an extremely well-paced action game. (Wikipedia)
- 2013
God of War: Ascension
Metacritic 80God of War: Ascension is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Released in March 2013, it is the seventh installment in the God of War series and the second chronologically. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is set in ancient… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting As with previous games, God of War: Ascension is set in an alternate version of ancient Greece populated by the Olympian gods , Titans , and other beings from Greek mythology. Game events are set sometime between Sons of Sparta (2026) and Chains of Olympus (2008), taking place six months after Kratos killed his family—10 years before the original God of War (2005). The game's narrative takes place over four weeks; it shifts between the present… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of God of War The game's protagonist is Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson ), a Spartan warrior who broke his blood oath to the god Ares after being tricked into killing his family by his former master. The main antagonists are the three Furies : Megaera ( Nika Futterman ), Tisiphone ( Debi Mae West ), and the Fury Queen, Alecto ( Jennifer Hale ). (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Critical reception God of War: Ascension received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . Critics praised the fundamental gameplay and spectacle, but were critical of the lack of new ideas and gave a mixed response to the additional multiplayer mode. Alex Simmons of IGN said the redesigned combat system adds a source of depth: "Learning how to use each power effectively ... (Wikipedia)
- 2024
Kratos and Atreus embark on a mythic journey for answers before Ragnarök arrives – now on PC. (Steam)
Plot
Setting Ragnarök is set in the world of Norse mythology, taking place three years after the previous game. Unlike that prior entry, all nine realms of Norse mythology are visited as part of the story. Midgard is the primary realm which has become a frigid wasteland, dramatically changed by Fimbulwinter , a three-year long winter that began upon the conclusion of the previous game. (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of God of War Christopher Judge (pictured in 2015) portrayed Kratos , reprising the role from the 2018 installment . The main protagonists are Kratos (played by Christopher Judge ) and his teenage son, Atreus ( Sunny Suljic ). Kratos is the former Greek God of War, while Atreus is half Giant, one-quarter god, and one-quarter mortal and is also referred to by his Giant name, Loki . (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception God of War Ragnarök on PS5 received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic , garnering a score of 94/100. This ties it with both the original 2005 installment and the 2018 installment for the highest Metacritic score in the series. Writing for IGN , Simon Cardy said that Ragnarök provided fresh interpretations of well-known Norse mythological characters, and the actors gave them a unique take that… (Wikipedia)
God of War vs other series
How God of War stacks up against other series in the same genre, as a whole:
Also: God of War vs Saints Row, God of War vs Borderlands, God of War vs Dishonored, God of War vs Lego Batman, God of War vs Prince of Persia, God of War vs Risen, God of War vs The Witcher, God of War vs Torchlight, God of War vs Watch, God of War vs Darksiders, God of War vs Dragon's Dogma, God of War vs Dungeon Siege, God of War vs Dying Light, God of War vs ELDEN RING, God of War vs Gothic, God of War vs Kingdom Come, God of War vs Kingdoms of Amalur, God of War vs Lego Harry Potter, God of War vs Marvel’s Spider-Man, God of War vs Middle-earth, God of War vs Red Dead Redemption, God of War vs Sea of Thieves, God of War vs Street Fighter, God of War vs The Surge, God of War vs Two Worlds
Common questions
How many God of War games are there?
We hold 7 God of War games in the catalogue, released between 2005 and 2024. 2 of them carry enough Steam data to rank; the rest are listed in release order below, including console-only entries with no Steam listing.
Which God of War game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, God of War rates highest at 8.6. That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, computed the same way for every game, not our opinion. The full ranking is above.
What order should I play the God of War games in?
Release order is listed below, from 2005 to 2024. For most series that is also story order, but we list dates rather than telling you a canon; the timeline is read from Wikidata.
More franchises
Browse every game franchise ranked the same way, or head to the full grid.