7 Games Like God of War Worth Playing in 2023

ign.com:

God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok raised the bar for immersive, narrative-rich action-adventure games. It's only the fifth time IGN has awarded consecutive mainline games in a series review scores of 10, putting God of War in the company of The Legend of Zelda, Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, and The Last of Us.

Naturally, comparing a game to God of War sets it up for failure, and in turn, sets you up for disappointment. These games don't necessarily exceed the bar set by Santa Monica Studio, rather they share and successfully implement notable design and/or gameplay characteristics found in the recent God of War games.

So as we await news on the future of Kratos and Atreus, these are 7 games God of War fans may enjoy, whether you come to the series for its visceral third-person combat, inspired world design, compelling narrative, and/or exploration of Norse mythology.

For fans of God of War’s combat, Norse setting/mythological exploration, and/or story.

Like Kratos in God of War (2018), Senua embarks on a perilous journey motivated by a deceased lover — a journey set within a similarly mythology-rich Norse world. Senua’s journey takes her to Ninja Theory’s iteration of Helheim, a mythological realm that will be familiar to those who played God of War, with appearances from shared characters like Garmr and Surtr. Like Kratos, Senua even carries and communicates with a decapitated head that swings from her hip.

As for the gameplay, Hellblade and God of War share visceral third-person combat played from a tight, over-the-shoulder perspective. Cinematically, both games effectively employ a continuous, one-shot approach in service of elevated immersion.

Each character-driven narrative is bolstered by an excellent