The best order to play God Of War video games

If you are in God of War and thinking about exploring its rich world, you may be wondering where to start. With over half a dozen games spanning the Greek saga and the Norse saga, deciding where to start can be overwhelming.

Fans often have mixed opinions – some suggest skipping the Greek games and diving straight into the new Norse saga, while others see it as sacrilege. Fortunately, the guide below will help you discover the best order to experience God of War a series that won't let you miss any of its epic moments.

All God Of War games in the series

There are 10 of them God of War games in total, but only eight are necessary. Two titles can be skipped without missing any significant story or gameplay: God of War: Betrayal (2007)a mobile game with limited narrative impact and God of War: Call of the Wild (2018)a Facebook-based text adventure. The rest of the games are key to experiencing Kratos' entire journey.

1. God of War 1
2. God of War 2
3. God of War 3
4. God of War: Chains of Olympus
5. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
6. God of War: Ascension
7. God of War (2018)
8. God of War Ragnarok

Most popular orders to play God of War games

When it comes to playing long-running series like God of Warthere are two main approaches: order to issue or chronological order. With several titles serving as prequels to the main trilogy, it's natural to wonder which method offers the best experience for immersing yourself in these critically acclaimed games.

Release order

Playing in order to issue is simple: simply follow the order in which the games were originally launched. This is how most longtime fans experienced the series. However, keep in mind that some titles such as Chains of Olympus and Spirit of Spartathey don't match the production quality of the main trilogy. Playing games in order of release also allows players to experience natural development of game mechanics and design improvements as the series progressed.

The release order is as follows:

1. God of War 1 (2005)
2. God of War 2 (2007)
3. God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008)
4. God of War 3 (2010)
5. God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010)
6. God of War: Ascension (2013)
7. God of War (2018)
8. Ragnarok (2022)
9. God of War Ragnarök Valhalla Mode (2023)

Chronological order

If you are more invested in the story aspect God of War series, playing in chronological order is the way to go. Be prepared for some, though graphics and gameplay whiplash as you jump between games with different gloss levels. The opening game is also widely considered to be the weakest in the series, so don't judge the entire series based on your first experience.

The chronological order is as follows:

1. God of War: Ascension
2. God of War: Chains of Olympus
3. God of War 1
4. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
5. God of War 2
6. God of War 3
7. God of War (2018)
8. God of War Ragnarok
9. God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla (Free DLC)

The best order to play God of War Games

While there's no one-size-fits-all answer that will satisfy every fan — some may even be strongly opposed — the ranking below takes both narrative and gameplay into account. This approach ensures that new players don't feel overwhelmed or burned out on the series. We recommend playing God of War games in the following order:

1. God of War 1
2. God of War: Chains of Olympus
3. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
4. God of War 2
5. God of War 3
6. God of War: Ascension
7. God of War (2018)
8. God of War Ragnarok
9. God of War Ragnarok Valhalla ModE

Start with the original God of Warbut don't jump right into its sequel. Play its prequel instead, Chains of Olympusfollows Spirit of Sparta (which takes place after the first game). Next, play God of War 2 and God of War 3 — it is important to play these two games back to back because the third game starts right after the second. After completion God of War 3go to Ascension to complete the Greek saga.

From there, the command is clear: play God of War (2018)follows Ragnarokand then dive into excellent Valhalla DLC v Ragnarok.

As mentioned earlier, God of War: Ascension is considered to be the weakest in the series. If you don't enjoy it, you might want to skip it and watch the recap on YouTube to catch up on his story. However, Ascension features some impressive, over-the-top action, so it's still recommended to push through if you can.

Alternate order to play God of War games

While older God of War the games are some of the best the PlayStation has to offer, no one would blame you for not enjoying them as they are somewhat dated. There is an alternate order that may make your entry easier God of War universe: play a norse saga before a greek saga.

While many fans would consider this blasphemous (and not without reason), there is a compelling case for it. The Norse games feature improved combat, higher production value, gorgeous visuals, and interestingly, not knowing the context of the Greek games can add a sense of mystery to the stories of both. God of War (2018) and Kratos' tragic past.

An alternative way to play God of War the games are as follows:

1. God of War (2018)
2. God of War Ragnarok
3. God of War Ragnarok Valhalla ModE
4. God of War: Ascension
5. God of War: Chains of Olympus
6. God of War 1
7. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
8. God of War 2
9. God of War 3