God of War is a series of hack and slash action-adventure video games developed primarily by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series debuted in 2005 and is primarily released on PlayStation consoles, though it also saw releases on mobile devices as well personal computers.
Influenced by various myths, legends and figures, the God of War series primarily follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who became the titular God of War after being tricked into murdering his family. The first six installments are set against the backdrop of Greek mythology and follows Kratos' vendetta against the Olympian gods for their roles in his grief; of the six installment, the three numerical titles as well as 2013's God of War: Ascension were developed by series creator Santa Monica Studio, while the other two were developed by Ready at Dawn with creative output by the former. The seventh and eighth installments make up the second saga, set in the Norse mythology and following an older Kratos with his son Atreus.
Gameplay across the series includes heavy emphasis on hack and slash combat with focus on chaining combos through different weapons; of particular note are Kratos' favored weapons, the dual-wielded, chain-based Blades of Chaos. Other elements include puzzle solving between action sequences, as well as QTE-based set-pieces. 2018's God of War saw significant change to the series' formula with overhauled systems and a third-person perspective instead of a fixed camera.
Outside of the console games, the series also saw expansion to mobile devices. Several comic and novel adaptations were made based on the series, some acting as narrative bridges between different games. Kratos' character also participated in several crossovers and appearances in other games outside of God of War.
Games within the God of War series have attained critical acclaim over the years, with particular praise directed at their high production values, action sequences, cinematic quality and scope; some criticism was also addressed towards the series for its depiction of violence, sex and women. The series sold over 50 million copies since its inception, and has been seen as a pivotal franchise for the PlayStation brand.
Series overview[]
Gameplay elements[]
Setting and premise[]
Characters[]
Games[]
Franchise[]
- Main installments
| Game title | Release | Platform | Developer | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God of War | March 22, 2005 | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita | Santa Monica Studio | |
| God of War II | March 13, 2007 | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita | Santa Monica Studio | |
| God of War III | March 16, 2010 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 | Santa Monica Studio | |
| God of War: Ascension | March 12, 2013 | PlayStation 3 | Santa Monica Studio | |
| God of War | April 20, 2018 | PlayStation 4, PC | Santa Monica Studio | |
| God of War Ragnarök | November 9, 2022 | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC | Santa Monica Studio |
- Spin-off installments
| Game title | Release | Platform | Developer | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God of War: Betrayal | June 20, 2007 | Mobile (Java) | Javaground, Sony Online Entertainment | |
| God of War: Chains of Olympus | March 4, 2008 | PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3 | Ready at Dawn | |
| God of War: Ghost of Sparta | November 2, 2010 | PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3 | Ready at Dawn |
- Collections and remasters
- God of War Collection (2009)
- God of War: Origins Collection (2011)
- God of War Saga (2012)
- God of War III Remastered (2015)
Appearances in other games[]
Media[]
Film[]
Television[]
An episode dedicated to PlayStation Studios will air on Amazon Prime as part of the animated video game-themed anthology series Secret Level, featuring Kratos as well as Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima.[1]
Novelizations[]
Comics[]
Tabletop game[]
Development[]
Reception[]
The God of War franchise as a whole has received acclaim for its cinematic flair, combat, set-pieces, scope, visuals and soundtrack, with many of its games being considered to be among the best PlayStation titles released. 2005's God of War, 2007's God of War II, 2010's God of War III, 2018's God of War and 2022's God of War Ragnarök as well as 2008's God of War: Chains of Olympus have all attained universal acclaim, with each of the installments scoring over 90/100 on Metacritic. 2010's God of War: Ghost of Sparta and 2013's God of War: Ascension received largely positive responses.