How to Play the God of War Games in Chronological Order

ign.com:

God of War’s duology of Norse-set masterpieces has cemented it as one of PlayStation’s most iconic franchises. Born during the PS2 era, God of War made a name for itself with excellent action gameplay, an intriguing tale of divine revenge, and a memorable lead in the Spartan demigod Kratos. 18 years later, God of War has grown into gaming’s seminal action-adventure series, blending that increasingly fine-tuned action with deeper lore and a stronger narrative hook, anchored by an older, more empathic Kratos.

With God of War Ragnarok having earned its place in the pantheon of all-time greats, we’ve created this chronology of the series for those interested in playing (or replaying) it from the start.

Jump to:

Sony has released 10 God of War games — six on home consoles, two on portable consoles, one on mobile, and one text-adventure on Facebook Messenger.

We’re excluding its second mobile release, God of War: Mimir’s Vision, as this AR game doesn’t add to the ongoing narrative but instead provides players with background lore from the world of God of War. We’re also excluding PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale in this chronology, despite its comical inclusion in the God of War canon.

There are several God of War stories told through novels and comics as well, though this list only includes games.

These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.

Ascension, the seventh God of War game by release date but the first chronologically, is a revenge tale that explores the early days of Kratos’s transformation from a Spartan demigod into the God of War.

Ascension takes place months after Kratos was manipulated into killing his wife and daughter by the Greek God of War Ares (more on this