God of War
Officially God of War (franchise)
LEGENDARY SONY-EXCLUSIVE ACTION-ADVENTURE FRANCHISE from SANTA MONICA STUDIO — original 2005 PS2 hack-and-slash starring rageful Spartan warrior KRATOS against Greek gods. Series REBOOT in GOD OF WAR (2018, PS4) shifted to NORSE MYTHOLOGY + third-person over-the-shoulder camera + slower deliberate combat + LEVIATHAN AXE + young son ATREUS companion; won 2018 Game of the Year + 20+ GotY awards + sold 23M+ copies. Sequel GOD OF WAR RAGNAROK (2022, PS4/PS5) sold 15M+ copies + won 6 Game Awards. Considered ONE OF THE GREATEST franchise reboots in gaming.
What is God of War?
GOD OF WAR is a LEGENDARY SONY-EXCLUSIVE ACTION-ADVENTURE VIDEO GAME FRANCHISE developed by SANTA MONICA STUDIO (Sony subsidiary since 1999). Franchise consists of TWO ERAS: (1) GREEK ERA (2005-2013): brutal hack-and-slash starring rageful Spartan warrior KRATOS wielding the BLADES OF CHAOS (chained blades) against Greek gods — original GOD OF WAR (2005 PS2, directed by DAVID JAFFE), God of War II (2007 PS2), God of War III (2010 PS3), God of War: Ascension (2013 PS3) + spin-offs on PSP. Sold 20M+ combined. (2) NORSE ERA (2018-present): SERIES REBOOT — GOD OF WAR (2018 PS4, directed by CORY BARLOG) shifted from top-down hack-and-slash to THIRD-PERSON OVER-THE-SHOULDER camera + slower + more deliberate combat + LEVIATHAN AXE (Thor's would-be Mjolnir replacement) + young son ATREUS (Kratos's son) as AI companion. Setting: Kratos + Atreus travel through Norse Nine Realms (Midgard, Alfheim, Muspelheim, Helheim, Niflheim, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Asgard, Svartalfheim) to scatter Kratos's wife Faye's ashes from tallest peak in the realms; encounter Norse gods Baldur, Thor's sons Modi + Magni, Freya, the World Serpent Jörmungandr. Won 2018 GAME OF THE YEAR at Game Awards + 20+ GotY awards + DICE Game of the Year + BAFTA Best Game. Sold 23M+ copies (best-selling PS4 exclusive). SEQUEL GOD OF WAR RAGNAROK (November 2022, PS4/PS5) — directed by ERIC WILLIAMS — concludes Norse saga; players fight Thor, Odin, prevent (or trigger) Ragnarok. Adds ATREUS as playable protagonist for several chapters. Sold 15M+ copies + won 6 GAME AWARDS 2022 including Best Direction + Best Narrative + Best Action-Adventure + Innovation in Accessibility. Free DLC Valhalla (December 2022 PS5/PS4) adds roguelite mode with narrative epilogue. Next GoW confirmed by Sony but no title/setting announced (Egyptian setting rumored). Considered ONE OF THE GREATEST FRANCHISE REBOOTS in gaming — 2018 God of War brought critical + commercial acclaim to what had been considered a fading brand.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~1500 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Console + TV / PC
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
March 2005 God of War PS2 (Greek era); April 2018 God of War PS4 (Norse reboot); November 2022 God of War Ragnarok
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Follow Kratos through mythological pantheon adventures; brutal combat + puzzle-solving + narrative + skill trees + gear upgrades.
Rules
Basic rules
Combat: light attack (R1), heavy attack (R2), axe throw + recall (L2 aim + R2)
Leviathan Axe is central weapon; recall via square.
Blades of Chaos unlock later 2018 (return of Greek blades)
Adds fire-based combos + burn damage.
Atreus AI companion shoots bow + interacts
Ragnarok makes him playable.
Skill trees + Rage meter + Runic attacks (elemental/AoE cooldown abilities)
Build variety via runes + armor sets.
Explore hub world (Lake of Nine) + Nine Realms via Bifrost
Open-map exploration.
Solve environmental puzzles (freeze water with axe, throw axe at mechanisms)
Axe throw is puzzle + combat multitool.
Scoring
Story-driven; no VP. Track story progress, upgrade materials (hacksilver, XP), Nornir chests, artifacts, Valkyries defeated, difficulty completion.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Story chapter complete | Narrative progression + unlocks |
| Nornir chest solved (bell puzzle for HP/Rage upgrade) | Permanent stat boost |
| Valkyrie defeated (8 optional bosses 2018, 9 in Ragnarok) | Epic loot + trophy |
| Give Me God of War difficulty clear | Hardest difficulty trophy |
| Ragnarok Valhalla DLC completed | Roguelite narrative epilogue |
Win condition · Complete narrative + optional Valkyrie fights + Muspelheim/Niflheim challenges.
Playing area
Called
Console + TV / PC
Dimensions
Any TV / monitor
PS2 (originals), PS3 (III, Ascension, HD collections), PS4 (2018), PS5 (Ragnarok), PC (2018 God of War 2022; Ragnarok TBA).
Equipment
God of War Ragnarok ($60-70, PS5/PS4)
Latest mainline entry
God of War (2018) on PS4/PS5/PC ($20 on sale)
Norse reboot; excellent on PC 2022 port
God of War III Remastered PS4 ($20)
Peak of Greek era; concluded original saga
God of War Collection HD (PS3)
GoW1 + GoW2 remastered
DualSense controller (PS5) for haptic feedback
Immersive haptics for Leviathan Axe throws
Strategies
Learn parry timing (L1 tap at right moment)
Perfect parry opens enemies to stun-attack.
Use Axe throw for stagger + recall
Throw + recall = damage on throw + damage on recall.
Blade of Chaos for grouped enemies
Burn AoE combos better than axe vs crowds.
Upgrade armor sets that match your playstyle
Rage-focused, Runic-focused, Defense-focused builds.
Save Valkyries for after main quest + Nornir upgrades
Valkyries are hardest optional bosses.
Terminology
- Kratos
- Franchise protagonist; Spartan god-killer.
- Atreus / Loki
- Kratos's son; Norse trickster god.
- Leviathan Axe
- Norse-era main weapon; frost-imbued; recallable.
- Blades of Chaos
- Greek-era + returned Norse-era chained blades; fire-imbued.
- Spartan Rage
- Rage meter; unleashes fists-only berserker mode.
- Runic attack
- Elemental/AoE cooldown ability; equip 2 per weapon.
- Nornir chest
- Rune-bell puzzle chest; rewards permanent HP/Rage upgrade.
- Valkyrie
- Optional super boss; 8 in 2018 + 9 in Ragnarok; extremely hard.
- Bifrost
- Norse realm travel bridge; access all Nine Realms.
- Ragnarok
- Norse mythology apocalypse event; core of 2022 game plot.
Major competitions
The Game Awards 2018 Game of the Year (GoW 2018)
annual · worldwide · since 2018
The Game Awards 2022: 6 wins for Ragnarok including Best Narrative + Best Direction
annual · worldwide · since 2022
DICE Awards 2019 Game of the Year (GoW 2018)
annual · USA · since 2019
BAFTA Best Game 2019 (GoW 2018)
annual · UK · since 2019
Speedrun: Any%, All Bosses, GMGoW% categories active
ongoing · worldwide online · since 2005
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Santa Monica Studio (developer)
Founded 1999 · Santa Monica, California, USA
Sony Interactive Entertainment (publisher)
Founded 1993 · Tokyo, Japan / San Mateo California
PlayStation Studios (Sony first-party umbrella)
Founded 2020 · USA
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- David Jaffe (US) — Original God of War (2005) director
- Cory Barlog (US) — God of War (2018) director + creative director Ragnarok
- Eric Williams (US) — God of War Ragnarok director
- Christopher Judge (US) — English voice of Kratos in Norse era (formerly Teal'c from Stargate)
- Sunny Suljic (US) — Voice of Atreus in Norse games
- Terrence C. Carson (US) — Original English voice of Kratos in Greek era
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play God of War (2018) on PS4/PS5/PC
Excellent reboot entry point.
intermediate
- 1
Continue to God of War Ragnarok (2022)
Direct sequel; complete Norse saga.
- 2
Play Ragnarok Valhalla DLC (free)
Roguelite narrative epilogue.
advanced
- 1
Play God of War III Remastered (PS4)
Greek era peak; if you want origins.
- 2
Complete Give Me God of War difficulty + all Valkyries
Ultimate challenge.
Frequently asked
What is God of War?+
LEGENDARY SONY-EXCLUSIVE ACTION-ADVENTURE FRANCHISE from SANTA MONICA STUDIO — original 2005 PS2 hack-and-slash starring rageful Spartan KRATOS against Greek gods. Series REBOOTED in GOD OF WAR (2018, PS4) shifting to NORSE MYTHOLOGY + third-person over-the-shoulder camera + slower deliberate combat + LEVIATHAN AXE + young son ATREUS companion; won 2018 GAME OF THE YEAR + 20+ GotY awards + sold 23M+ copies. Sequel GOD OF WAR RAGNAROK (2022, PS4/PS5) sold 15M+ copies + won 6 Game Awards. Considered ONE OF THE GREATEST franchise reboots in gaming.
Should I play the old Greek God of War games first?+
NO. Norse-era GoW (2018) is a soft-reboot; DIRECT SEQUEL to Greek era but you don't need Greek knowledge (game explains via character interactions). Play Norse first for the modern experience. IF you love GoW 2018 + Ragnarok, THEN backtrack to Greek era via God of War III Remastered PS4 for old-school hack-and-slash flavor. GREEK GOW IS: fast, brutal, top-down cinematic, iconic quick-time-event finishers, chained blades, over-the-top gore. NORSE GOW IS: slower, deliberate, cinematic camera, narrative-focused, father-son emotional story.
Sources & provenance
- Santa Monica Studio — God of War— Santa Monica Studio
- Wikipedia — God of War (franchise)— Wikipedia