Summary

  • The God of War series offers engaging Bonus Play modes with additional challenges and rewards.
  • Each game in the series enhances replayability with new costumes, powers, and enemies.
  • New Game+ in God of War Ragnarok adds more resources, armor, and enemy attack patterns for increased combat depth.

God of War is one of the greatest action game franchises of all time. The original trilogy came at a time when players wanted cathartic titles that helped them dish out as much pain as possible to their enemies, and God of War didn't disappoint. Kratos was a protagonist full of rage who took revenge on the gods for betraying him time andagain. While he showed another side to his character in God of War 3, it wasn't until the soft reboot that fans got to witness the full three dimensions of this iconic video game character.

With the need for nuanced storytelling more prevalent than ever before in games, fans were pleasantly surprised to see a version of Kratos in the soft reboor that felt more mature than his previous iterations while channeling his latent rage from time to time. Each game in the God of War series is worth checking out, and fans who loved the action in this series will love how these titles encourage replayability.

MixCollage-23-Aug-2024-11-36-PM-5326
5 Similarities Between Black Myth Wukong & God Of War Ragnarok

Game Science's Black Myth: Wukong has been the subject of high praise, and similarities between the new IP and God of War Ragnarok are noticeable.

5 God Of War

Bonus Play Unlocks After Completing The Challenge Of The Gods

God of War
Display card tags widget
Hack and Slash
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
March 22, 2005
Developer(s)
Santa Monica Studio
Platform(s)
PlayStation 2
Genre(s)
Hack and Slash

The first God of War is an excellent game that still holds up, barring some camera issues. While it was clear that replayability wasn't a major focus in this title, fans still appreciated this game's efforts to keep players coming back for more. The game provides ample opportunity for this in the form of a Bonus Play mode, even if most players weren't aware of it at the time.

This is because they must complete the Challenge of the Gods before getting their hands on this engaging way to replay the game. These challenges are far from easy, and some are hair-pulling nightmares unless players either check a walkthrough or game the system. Unfortunately, Bonus Play feels a bit lacking, since all players can do is skip cutscenes and use different costumes during gameplay.

4 God Of War 3

Use Unlocked Costumes & Godly Possessions In Bonus Play

God of War III
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
March 16, 2010
Developer(s)
Santa Monica Studio
Platform(s)
PS4, PS3
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure

God of War 3 was a fitting sendoff to Kratos' adventures in Greece. After waging war on Olympus, Kratos is betrayed by the Titans that he freed, and decides to go on a rampage. He kills anything and everything standing in his way, before eventually taking his final revenge on Zeus. After Athena's spirit steps in to usurp control, Kratos shows his human side and sacrifices his life, disseminating the energy of the hope he'd absorbed to the people of Greece. Thankfully, he survives in the end, setting the stage for his adventures in the realm of Norse Mythology not long after.

While Bonus Play is present in this game, it's a major step back from its integration in God of War 2. In this mode, players can use the additional effects of the Godly Possessions they find in their first playthrough to bequeath numerous benefits to Kratos. These range from infinite Rage of Sparta to making the God of War invincible. Along with this, players can deck out Kratos in different costumes to make Bonus Play feel more novel.

3 God Of War 2

Bonus Play Offers All Magic Powers, Weapons, & Enhanced Health

God of War II
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
March 13, 2007
Developer(s)
Santa Monica Studio
Genre(s)
Action

God of War 2 is a massive improvement in every department, making it clear that Sony invested a lot of time and energy to ensure that Santa Monica Studios achieved its vision for the sequel. Not only was the gameplay and presentation improved, but fans were also treated to one of the most fleshed-out Bonus Play modes in the entire series.

A split image of the best action games to play for fans of God of War
The Best Action Games To Play If You Like God Of War

The God of War reboot gave players a new story with Kratos, and gamers seeking a similar experience are certain to enjoy these other action games.

Not only could fans replay the game's many stages with an upgraded version of Kratos, but they could use all the weapons they acquire in the game to turn enemies into mincemeat. Kratos' costumes can also be selected for a cosmetic change, making this mode more engaging and offering one of the best excuses to replay an adventure. Players will want to let the Ghost of Sparta channel his rage to rip enemies apart time and time again.

2 God Of War (2018)

New Game+ Lets Players Use Almost Every Power Kratos Unlocks

God of War
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
April 20, 2018
Developer(s)
Santa Monica Studio
Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 4
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure

2018's God of War reboot came at a time when players expected a lot from their games. Trying to cater to the masses and make the New Game+ mode as fleshed-out as possible was a tall order, so it's easy to see why Santa Monica Studios decided to develop this mode after release to give it the love and care it needed. The end result is one of the best New Game+ modes on a PlayStation title, featuring everything from additional resources to tougher enemies.

Players can ramp up the challenge to make things even harder, with many enemies turning Elite in a new playthrough. Additional XP can be sold for Hacksilver to give this resource some value, while hard enemies boast enhanced moves to keep players guessing. All these changes and more ensure that players can clock in numerous playthroughs in God of War, especially with New Game+ stacking as many times as players wish.

1 God Of War Ragnarok

New Game+ Adds Resources, Armor, Enemy Attack Patterns, & More

God of War Ragnarok
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 9, 2022
Developer(s)
Santa Monica Studio
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure

God of War Ragnarok is one of the greatest video games on the PS5, expanding the scope of the first game and making the narrative as epic as ever. As one would expect, New Game+ was added to the game in an update that gave it some much-needed replay value. Players can enhance their Armor Level to new heights and use XP to make Skill Mod Tokens more effective, giving them more of a reason to tackle everything in this amazing game once again.

All of this, coupled with the weapons, abilities, and enchantments that players have access to from their first playthrough, ensures that Kratos' effectiveness in combat is enhanced to new heights. Of course, the enemies are tougher and bring more of a fight, but players should be okay as long as they employ every trick in Kratos' arsenal to take out his foes.

God Of War Mimir, Hephaestus, Kratos
God Of War: 7 Weakest Gods, Ranked

The God of War franchise features not one, but two entire pantheons of gods. While most wielded incredible might, some have been more unimpressive.

3