Kratos has seen his fair bit of war, love, and everything in between. The God of War has seen two massive kingdoms of myth grovel at his feet and that is why fans love his might. The GoW franchise has done a swimmingly good job of resonating among its fans, retaining old and sucking in new players with each title.
Given that the Spartan demigod has had an 18-year-old tenure of hacking, slashing, and swinging his way to bloody victory, it’s only natural that we gush with praise for the studios behind his success; Sony’s Santa Monica Studio.
If you’re new to the GoW fan base and want a concise guide on where and how to start with GoW’s journey, or want to relive the fun moments of the franchise, we’re here to talk all about it in chronological order.
So come on along as we explore both Greece and Norse mythology in tandem with Kratos’ foray into the gods’ happy places.
God of War: Ascension
Ascension is the seventh release of the God of War series but chronologically it is the very first to introduce Kratos. Not as a God of War but as a Spartan demigod. The game explores Kratos’ early days, fresh after unintentionally killing his wife and daughter. The Greek behemoth, in his anger and frustration, refuses to honor his oath to Ares, which then prompts the god to seek out the Furies and set them on a path of killing and luring out Kratos.
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Next, we have a PSP title aptly named Chains of Olympus that takes place during Kratos’ 10 years of servitude to the gods. At this time, Olympus has agreed to free Kratos of the ghosts of his past if he willingly submits ten years of his life to fight for the main gods. The main quest consists of our beloved GoW battling through hell to rescue Helios who is entrapped in there.
Athena is the one who assigns our hero the quest to go retrieve him with a spicy incentive in tow. However, when Kratos reaches the bowels of the Underworld he is met by Persephone who has plans of her own for him. Ah, the burdens of being a man.
God of War 2
Released for the PS3 and having a massive download file, GoW 2 took place when Kratos decided to get up and close with the main man himself; Zeus. Considering this game takes up a big chunk of your system’s space if you plan on downloading it direct to your PlayStation’s memory, consider setting yourself up with Spectrum.
The PS store has a freshly remastered GoW 2 up for grabs and we’d want the download process to be swift so you can get into the game ASAP. Give WOW Internet a holler and hook yourself up with an internet service that can offer you exactly that.
Now, coming back to the game itself, Kratos is actually killed by Zeus in the very beginning but then brought back by Gaia, who offers him a means to rewrite his past. With unrelenting will and fiery passion, Kratos travels back and forth in time to alter the scene of his death and give himself a chance to fight back.
God of War 3
Set immediately after the events of God of War 2, GoW 3 is an epic climax to the Greek chapter of our beloved God of War as he takes on Zeus and aims to end the tyranny of the gods once and for all. Sadly for Kratos, he is once again betrayed by the higher-ups and falls into the Underworld only to battle out of it again and take the fight to Zeus.
This time, Kratos goes up against humanity, gods, and titans, willing to end them all to wipe the slate clean. He does so after a long, grueling battle up in the heavens, which culminates in a fistfight between Kratos and Zeus, ending with Kratos beheading the main dude.
God of War (2018)
This title marks the departure of Kratos from the Greek world and into the Norse realm. Our hero in red stripes settles for Faye, a giant, and fathers a boy named Atreus. The story starts with Faye’s death and Kratos left with the daunting task of raising his son without having him walk in his father’s footsteps.
The duo lead a simple life until Baldur, who notes that Kratos does not belong in his realm, visits them. Upon being threatened, Kratos lays the smackdown on Baldur who momentarily retreats and woes to get to the bottom of why the GoW is living a retired life in Midgard.
The duo then travels the realms in search of an end to Baldur’s threats and to find out how Atreus is linked to the Norse realm. During their adventures, they meet many Norse deities and gods, most of whom are crazed into killing them rather than offering them a hand of friendship.
The ending of this game marks the start of Fimbulwinter, a precursor to the grand event of Ragnarok.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap on all we have for you when chronologically presenting God of War. Note that we have not yet mentioned GoW Ragnarok, which is the latest to the series because it still has DLCs slated to beef it up in the coming months. Once that game is complete, you’ll find it in our follow-up articles. Until then, feast yourself on these titles and get your game face on!
Matthew is a seasoned researcher and writer with over five years of experience creating engaging SEO content. He is passionate about exploring new ideas and sharing his knowledge through writing. Matthew has a keen eye for detail and takes pride in producing content that is not only informative but also visually appealing. He constantly expands his skill set and stays up-to-date with the latest SEO trends to ensure that his content always performs well in search rankings. Matthew can be found reading, surfing, or experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen when he’s not writing.