Games Like God of War

What Made God of War Work

The question splits in two. The old God of War is a combo-driven spectacle brawler with quick-time set pieces; the 2018 one is a slower over-the-shoulder game about a father and a son with the best axe in games. Both are covered below, because people mean different things by it.

God of War began as Santa Monica Studio's 2005 PlayStation 2 action game, directed by David Jaffe, in which Kratos fights his way through Greek myth with chained blades and quick-time finishes. The 2018 soft reboot, directed by Cory Barlog, moved Kratos and his son Atreus to Norse myth with the Leviathan Axe, an over-the-shoulder camera and a single unbroken shot; it came to PC in 2022. What a fan wants next depends on which of the two they mean.

10 Games Like God of War

1. Go

   1.God of War Ragnarok(2022)

   The direct sequel, with more combat variety and the same writing.

   Why it fits: Santa Monica Studio's 2022 sequel, on PS4 and PS5 and on PC in 2024, continues Kratos and Atreus's story through the rest of the Norse realms. It has the same axe and blades combat, more playable sections for Atreus, and wraps up the reboot's story.

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2. De

   2.Devil May Cry 5(2019)

   If you meant the old games: this is the genre at its sharpest.

   Why it fits: Capcom's 2019 game, directed by Hideaki Itsuno, has three playable characters — Nero, Dante and V — with some of the deepest combo systems in action games. It is the modern equivalent of the Greek God of War games' fast, stylish combat.

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   3.Hades(2020)

   Greek mythology, superb combat, and it respects your time.

   Why it fits: Supergiant Games' roguelike, released in 2020 after early access in 2018, has Zagreus, son of Hades, trying to escape the Underworld. It draws on the same Greek mythology as the original God of War, with Olympian gods granting powers along the way.

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4. St

   4.Star Wars Jedi: Survivor(2023)

   The closest structural copy of the 2018 game's shape.

   Why it fits: Respawn Entertainment's 2023 sequel to Fallen Order, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, puts Cal Kestis through large, interconnected planets with lightsaber combat and exploration. Its structure — combat, climbing, hidden paths, upgrades — follows the 2018 God of War closely.

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5. Se

   5.Senua's Saga: Hellblade II(2024)

   Norse setting and heavy, weighty single-combat.

   Why it fits: Ninja Theory's 2024 game, first on Xbox Series X|S and PC and later on PS5, follows the Pict warrior Senua through Viking-age Iceland. Close, heavy one-on-one fights and a Norse-influenced world connect it to the 2018 God of War.

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6. Se

   6.Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice(2019)

   If you want the combat to demand more than the axe ever does.

   Why it fits: FromSoftware's 2019 game, published by Activision, sets a shinobi against warlords and monsters in Sengoku-era Japan. Its posture system rewards deflecting at the right moment, which makes it the hardest and most precise combat on this list.

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7. Da

   7.Dante's Inferno(2010)

   The most blatant old-God-of-War clone, and knowingly so.

   Why it fits: Visceral Games' 2010 action game, published by EA, loosely adapts Dante's Divine Comedy with a scythe-wielding crusader fighting through the nine circles of Hell. Its combat, camera and quick-time kills were modelled closely on the original God of War.

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8. Ba

   8.Bayonetta(2009)

   Spectacle combat with far more depth under the surface.

   Why it fits: PlatinumGames' 2009 game, directed by Hideki Kamiya, the creator of Devil May Cry, is known for its dodge-triggered slow motion and combo system. It fits players who liked the Greek God of War's spectacle and want deeper combat.

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9. Th

   9.The Last of Us Part II(2020)

   For the father-and-child story told through a violent game.

   Why it fits: Naughty Dog's 2020 game follows Ellie and Abby in a post-outbreak Seattle, with a story about the cost of revenge. It fits players who valued the 2018 God of War's relationship between a parent and a child more than its combat.

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10. Gh

    10.Ghost of Tsushima(2020)

    Sony first-party scale with close, deliberate sword duels, and a story about duty and the family you came from.

    Why it fits: Sucker Punch Productions, PS4, 2020 (PS5 Director's Cut 2021, PC 2024). Stance-based swordplay and stand-offs give it the weight of the 2018 God of War's axe fights, in an open Tsushima instead of the Nine Realms.

    What is different: A fully open world with far less spectacle in its fights, and no companion at your side.

    Where to play it: PS4, PS5 and PC.

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Where to Start

If you mean the 2018 game, play God of War Ragnarök first — it finishes that story. If you mean the older Greek games, Devil May Cry 5 is the best modern version of that fast combat. If you want the Greek myth setting without Kratos, Hades is the one to play.

How We Picked These Games

Every pick had to match one of the two God of War styles: fast, combo-heavy action like the Greek games, or weighty, story-driven third-person combat like the Norse ones. We favoured games with strong boss fights and a mythological or historical setting, and marked the harder Soulslike picks so they do not surprise anyone.

Which One to Play, by What You Liked

If you liked God of War for Kratos and Atreus's journey, try God of War Ragnarok and The Last of Us Part II. Ragnarok finishes the story; The Last of Us Part II is the other PlayStation epic about what a parent owes a child.

If you liked God of War for the Greek games' combat, try Dante's Inferno and Hades. Dante's Inferno was modelled on the PS2 games; Hades is set in the same Greek underworld.

If you liked God of War for the heavy, deliberate axe fights, try Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Ghost of Tsushima. Close, weighty duels — one cinematic, one far harder, one in an open world.

If you liked God of War for exploring for chests and upgrades, try Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Its structure — combat, climbing, shortcuts and hidden rewards — follows the 2018 game closely.

If you liked God of War for long, flashy combos, try Devil May Cry 5 and Bayonetta. The deep end of character action, if the 2005-era God of War's speed was the hook.