Rank these six god of war games

1. God of War Ragnarok
2. God of War III
3. God of War 2018
4. God of War II
5. God of War Ghost of Sparta (PSP)
6. God of War
7. God of War Ascension
8. God of War Chains Of Olympus (PSP)
 
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Feels really weird to compare 2018 & Ragnarok to the others for obvious reasons. But for gameplay, story, characters, etc. combined...

God of War 3
God of War 2018
God of War Ragnarok
God of War 1
God of War 2
God of War: Ghost of Sparta

3 for me was peak God of War for so many reasons. I loved 2018 as well because it was a bold change, but worked very well. Ragnarok is more of the same, though even better in some areas than 2018, but also worse IMO.
 
The 2018 and Ragnarok are significantly different than the precious games. I don't think I can even put them in same category as 1 2 3 and psp games.
 
3 Masterpiece and the pinnacle of the series (as it was originally intended)
2 One of the best sequels ever
1 Amazing introduction to the series
Ragnarok Superior follow up to a series reboot
2018 great game in its own right but the Norse mythology just doesn't compare to its Greek counterpart
 
I enjoyed everything before 2018. Don't remember enough to rank them but I'd probably put GoW 3 on top. Still haven't finished 2018 and skipped Ragnarok. New formula is really boring to me.

EDIT: Post above this gets it right.
 
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AngelMuffin said:
2018 great game in its own right but the Norse mythology just doesn't compare to its Greek counterpart
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This, really.

Trazyn the Infinite said:
You need to stop creating strawman arguments, kiddo. I never said such a thing.
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Then why laugh at my spot on analogy?
Ragnarok feels like a modern written media. But implying it's somewhat inferior/less mature than what God of War II and GoW III were is nothing but astonishing.

gow3isben said:
So many people loving 3 when so many people were down on it when it came out lol
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"It's DMC lite", "There's no layers to its gameplay", "Square, Square, Triangle", "It's way too short and ridiculously linear", "It's epic yes but story and characters are so laughable it's impossible to take it seriously", "It's a glorified QTE fest", "Can't even look around, of course it looks good"..
Ah, the memories.
SSM made quantum leaps in these areas, but can't please everyone.
 
Vick said:
This, really.


Then why laugh at my spot on analogy?
Ragnarok feels like a modern written media. But implying it's somewhat inferior/less mature than what God of War II and GoW III were is nothing but astonishing.


"It's DMC lite", "There's no layers to its gameplay", "Square, Square, Triangle", "It's way too short and ridiculously linear", "It's epic yes but story and characters are so laughable it's impossible to take it seriously", "It's a glorified QTE fest", "Can't even look around, of course it looks good"..
Ah, the memories.
SSM made quantum leaps in these areas, but can't please everyone.
Click to expand...

Because I disagree. Maybe use your brain before jumping to idiotic conclusions and making assumptions.
 
Damn this thread makes me want to go back and replay 3 and ascension.
I thought I was the only one really disappointed in GoW2018. I played the games for the spectacle and combat, and GoW2018 just made things feel like a more generic hack and slash game. It's like the soul of GoW had been ripped out and a contemporary "cinematic" clone was put in its place.
People also rave about last of us, but I found that game quite shallow in the gameplay department, but yeah, sure the story and the "cinema" was nice.
Same for uncharted, Tomb Raider is the far more fleshed out action adventure romp.
I think Sony went with the cinematic games angle with gameplay being decent but not the priority, and for people like me, that just soured me on Sony games. I'll still play them, as I've said, they are decent games and sometimes a story focus is nice, but it's not the Sony of the PS3 era which I preferred (they had their own share of blunders then too).
Thankfully they still help make the one absolute masterpiece of all time, which was Bloodborne, so I am thankful for that.
 
1 - GoW 3
2 - GoW R
3 - GoW 2
4 - GoW 1
5 - GoW 2018
6 - GoW ascension

I have no love for the PSP titles.

Also, honestly the first 3 games are all amazing in their own right, but if you go back to 1&2 use the ps3 collection because their controls were updated to the GoW scheme and it makes them more playable.

I fear that going back to 2018 will be pretty hard after Ragnarok, so we have to see how it holds up in a few years.
 
Trazyn the Infinite said:
Because I disagree. Maybe use your brain before jumping to idiotic conclusions and making assumptions.
Click to expand...
You regard God of War PS2/PS3 games as better written than Ragnarok, and I am the one supposed to use his brain?

Sorry but if this is your way to disagree:
Trazyn the Infinite said:
Laugh Lol GIF
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You accept responses like the one I gave you. Otherwise start behaving like an adult and we can discuss.
 
elbourreau said:
So there are people thinking genuinely that God of War ragnarok is the best god of war?

What The Fuck GIF
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Well when you praise a game as the GOTY on daily basis until release 1 year later, use the main character as your avatar in anticipation, and take a week of leave at work to play the game.. you can't back down.
 
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Vick said:
You regard God of War PS2/PS3 games as better written than Ragnarok, and I am the one supposed to use his brain?

Sorry but if this is your way to disagree:

You accept responses like the one I gave you. Otherwise start behaving like an adult and we can discuss.
Click to expand...
Yes I used a lighthearted gif. Meanwhile you used straw man arguments and claim i say things i didn't. You are the one who needs to act like an adult here.
 
alabtrosMyster said:
I fear that going back to 2018 will be pretty hard after Ragnarok, so we have to see how it holds up in a few years.
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Try, it might surprise you. Combat feels somewhat better and more impactful, writing is superior, Kratos preferable there imo, level design more arcadey (excluding most side content in Ragnarok) and it's been retroactively improved after the new game contextualized/grounded it all.

Beanbox said:
Damn this thread makes me want to go back and replay 3 and ascension.

I thought I was the only one really disappointed in GoW2018. I played the games for the spectacle and combat, and GoW2018 just made things feel like a more generic hack and slash game. It's like the soul of GoW had been ripped out and a contemporary "cinematic" clone was put in its place.
People also rave about last of us, but I found that game quite shallow in the gameplay department, but yeah, sure the story and the "cinema" was nice.
Same for uncharted, Tomb Raider is the far more fleshed out action adventure romp.
I think Sony went with the cinematic games angle with gameplay being decent but not the priority, and for people like me, that just soured me on Sony games. I'll still play them, as I've said, they are decent games and sometimes a story focus is nice, but it's not the Sony of the PS3 era which I preferred (they had their own share of blunders then too).
Thankfully they still help make the one absolute masterpiece of all time, which was Bloodborne, so I am thankful for that.
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I think you posted this ten times already across Threads, but it'll never stop being funny to me.

Short, super linear, cinematic games with locked camera, QTE's and extremely limited agency in combat and exploration, are somehow more gameplay centric than 50 hours Metroidvanias with layered skill-based combat and optional, hidden open worlds straight from From Software formula.
 
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Vick said:
You regard God of War PS2/PS3 games as better written than Ragnarok, and I am the one supposed to use his brain?

Sorry but if this is your way to disagree:

You accept responses like the one I gave you. Otherwise start behaving like an adult and we can discuss.
Click to expand...
Do yourself a favor and put that guy on ignore. I promise you that you will lose absolutely nothing of value and your experience on GAF will be much better forward. I know I have.

It's hard to say which God of War I like better. I'm currently playing through Ragnarok and while it's very similar to 2018 I feel like the balance of the game is just off. There is far too little combat and way too much of it is just walking around and watching cutscenes. I feel that the combat that is there is starting to grow thin. The newly introduced camera perspective just really limits the combat in a way that the old trilogy didn't struggle with. The "refreshing" aspect of 2018 is also gone now.

So I'd put it like this:

GoW2
GoW1
GoW2018
GoW3
GoW Ragnarok
GoW GoS.
 
God of War 3
Ragnarok
2018, GoW2 (tie)
God of War
Ghost of Sparta

I love all the games, nothing else like them in the industry though the franchise spawned many clones and it's impact on game design continues to resonate.
 
Haven't played 4-6, but they would have to be damn good to beat 2 which is my favorite of the series. I played the hell out of 2 when it came out.
2
3
1
 
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I havent played through all of them yet to properly rank but I just wanted to say whoever thought an over-the-shoulder perspective for a hack-n-slash with GoW2018 was high. The camera is fucking atrocious in combat.
 
Rykan said:
It's hard to say which God of War I like better. I'm currently playing through Ragnarok and while it's very similar to 2018
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I suggest to keep playing, best stuff in the game is almost hidden and extremely rewarding in every possible aspect. Don't want to spoil but here some comments on the area I'm referring to:

SlimySnake said:
The latest open world area is easily the best in the game. It is not only the biggest but also the best designed. the world feels alive and your action make a real difference. I keep thinking it would just be a random island to explore but it keeps going and every little area has its own stories, mini bosses and puzzles. I am quite flabbergasted at how massive this completely optional area feels. There is no way people who finished the game in the first week even saw this level because there is at least 6 hours on content here.

I know i might have said this before but at the risk of coming across as a broken record, this is probably the best game ive played since RDR2 and GOW in 2018. Better the Sekiro, Death Stranding and TLOU2. It's sublime.
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Aenima said:
Im exploring it now, and its mindblowing how an optional area that can be missed by ppl that only follow the main quest, is so good and has so much to do. To 90% of the publishers out there, this area would be locked behind a season pass or expansion pack. This game just keeps delivering the more you play it.
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SlimySnake said:
Whats mind blowing is how well its designed. It shouldve been the first open world area in the game, but i guess looking at the enemies they wanted it to be late game challenge with all your abilities unlocked. Just amazing level design that wouldve made a way better first impression than svartelheim which felt like midgard 2.0 or rather midgard 1.5.

Shame that lots of people are going to miss out on this level.
Click to expand...

Took me close to 15 hours to do everything there on GMGOW difficulty, that's almost two entire old GoW games combined. Best boss battles and puzzles and exploration, it's basically a contained Souls within the game, all mistery and surprises, not a single cutscene. It's honestly perfection.
 
Ragnarok
3
2
2018
1

Honestly don't remember enough of the others to rank them. They were fun but not as good as the main games.
 
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Rykan said:
It's hard to say which God of War I like better. I'm currently playing through Ragnarok and while it's very similar to 2018 I feel like the balance of the game is just off. There is far too little combat and way too much of it is just walking around and watching cutscenes. I feel that the combat that is there is starting to grow thin. The newly introduced camera perspective just really limits the combat in a way that the old trilogy didn't struggle with. The "refreshing" aspect of 2018 is also gone now.
Click to expand...
I will assume you miswrote what you meant there, there are much less pauses in Ragnarok than in 2018, the combat is baster and more dynamic in the new game too (I was in the middle of a playthrough of 2018 when I got Ragnarok).

For the writing, I'm not sure how that would rank them, 2018 seemed more natural and plausible, probably because it's a much more enclosed experience (you play the intro, go to the lake where you travel to the other worlds, it's very predictable in its structure). Ragnarok has a lot more scope with many more characters, with who you have meaningful interactions, you spend a lot less time in the hub world, it feels less samey throughout, but Kratos seems out of character more often in the new game one. I mean, Kratos just wanting to go on "adventures" to help people? In the next game he will be a fireman or something.

In a way it's a bit like going from TLoU to TLoU 2, the second one has more variety, is bigger, etc. (except I still think TLoU has an edge over TLoU 2, it's more relatable).
 
gow3isben said:
So many people loving 3 when so many people were down on it when it came out lol
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I love 3, but the last quarter or so wasn't as good as the parts before. I think that this is because they changed director during the project (the making of GoW 3 video shows this happens, however this may not be the reason).
 
I find it impossible to rank these games because I don't trust rose-tinted spectacles. GOW 3 has a special place in my heart, only because it was my first platinum trophy. But, lets be honest, all of them are pretty awesome games.
 
I've only played 1,3 and 2018 and I'd rate them in this order:
3
2018
1

3 is the best so far for me. Best combat, bosses, weapons, story and brutality to match Mortal Kombat. It was so much more epic and full of spectacle compared to 2018.
 
2 5 1 3 4
Nostalgia plays a role in 2 being on top mainly cause it stood so far above everything else at the time. Also appreciate Greek mythos much more than Noris so the lore and characters are more relatable.

If I'm replaying one today though, it's going be 5 (or 6 when I get it) mainly cause I love the axe and parry system. They feel great and still quite unique. For the more traditional combat of 1-3 there are others I prefer more now like DmC5 and Bayonettas.
 
Vick said:
Try, it might surprise you. Combat feels somewhat better and more impactful, writing is superior, Kratos preferable there imo, level design more arcadey (excluding most side content in Ragnarok) and it's been retroactively improved after the new game contextualized/grounded it all.


I think you posted this ten times already across Threads, but it'll never stop being funny to me.

Short, super linear, cinematic games with locked camera, QTE's and extremely limited agency in combat and exploration, are somehow more gameplay centric than 50 hours Metroidvanias with layered skill-based combat and optional, hidden open worlds straight from From Software formula.
Click to expand...
Don't bother. There's so little to complain about for haters that this is their angle, trying to use the old games against the new games.
 
alabtrosMyster said:
I will assume you miswrote what you meant there, there are much less pauses in Ragnarok than in 2018, the combat is baster and more dynamic in the new game too (I was in the middle of a playthrough of 2018 when I got Ragnarok).

For the writing, I'm not sure how that would rank them, 2018 seemed more natural and plausible, probably because it's a much more enclosed experience (you play the intro, go to the lake where you travel to the other worlds, it's very predictable in its structure). Ragnarok has a lot more scope with many more characters, with who you have meaningful interactions, you spend a lot less time in the hub world, it feels less samey throughout, but Kratos seems out of character more often in the new game one. I mean, Kratos just wanting to go on "adventures" to help people? In the next game he will be a fireman or something.

In a way it's a bit like going from TLoU to TLoU 2, the second one has more variety, is bigger, etc. (except I still think TLoU has an edge over TLoU 2, it's more relatable).
Click to expand...
Definitely was. I believe Cory was in charge while they were still doing the opening sequences, the rest of the game was a new director

Edit: meant to quote your other post
 
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Haven't finished ragnarok yet but for the other ones i played only the mainline series.

1. GOW 2018
2. GW3
3. GW2
4. GW1

I've never been a fan of ps2(or ps1) era platformers tbh and even though i played GW1 and GW2 years after they came out, i probably would still rank them lower even if i played them during their heyday.

GW 2018 just about beats out GW3 mainly because of the story. But GW3 beats it for boss batles.
 
GoW 2018
GoW II
GoW: Ghost of Sparta
GoW
GoW: Chains of Olympia
GoW III *I was not a fan of the story and direction, still to this day a visually impressive game*

I have not play GoW: Ragnarök, but I'm sure it would take the place of GoW 2018
 
Ragnarok > 2018 > 3 >= GOS > 1

havent completed 2.


The old games are fun in their own right, but their combat engines are so damn basic. The way the dodge roll lacks proper iframes is infuriating, especially in harder difficulties.
 
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I am glad most people prefer the older God of War games here, to me GOW2018 was not more than a mix of lackluster
gameplay with a story that about as good as mid-tier Netflix show
 
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God of War 3 > 2 > 2018 >>>>>>1.

Haven't played Ragnarok or Ascension and I also feel the Psp games while quite decent shouldn't be judged next to the main series.
 
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One of Sonys best exclusives, hope they keep pumping them out.

My rankings

1. God of War ll
2. God of War (2018)
3. God of War Ragnarok
4. God of War lll
5. God of War
6. God of War GoS
 
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