God of War PC review: The best PlayStation exclusive comes to Windows
2018’s God of War is one of the best games ever made. And with its move to Windows PC nearly four years after launch, it’s managed to get even better.
God of War surprised players with the ways in which it matured the series — like making Kratos a character people care about rather than an unrepentant bastard, and doing away with the extreme objectification of female characters. But as much as developer Sony Santa Monica focused on building a new legacy, it didn’t do away with the past completely.
God of War picks up years after Kratos’ adventures through Greece, where he slew the entire pantheon of Olympian gods. Now he’s a father, again, and he’s trying to pull his son, Atreus, in a different direction, to help Atreus avoid some of the cruel mistakes Kratos made in his previous lives on PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.
Image: Polygon
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It’s still a series about rage, but instead of focusing on the youthful frustrations of the past, it offers a more mature take. Fear is the new heart at the center of Kratos’ fury — fear that Kratos’ past will never let him be at peace, that his son will discover who he truly is, and that he’s too broken to ever be the father he needs to be. And of course, fear fuels a new rogues’ gallery of enemies — the Norse gods — who are all fighting to stave off the end of the world.
God of War wraps a beautiful story into a tight third-person action and puzzle game. It demonstrates a fervid appreciation for Norse myths in the way it makes these gods into compelling characters.
It takes RPG systems, narrative-based exploration, unique weapons, and storytelling tricks from different kinds of games, and melds them all together perfectly. It’s a marvel of modern game design, but it’s been shackled to PlayStation for years, limiting both its technical potential as well as the number of people who can experience it.
Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/PlayStation PC
With this PC release, Sony has not only brought an excellent game to masses of PC players; it has also given God of War a second life as a visual feast. The original release looked great in 2018 on PlayStation 4, and in 2021 on PlayStation 5. But in 2022, God of War looks downright gorgeous on PC.
On ultra settings, God of War runs smoothly at 120 frames per second in 1080p resolution on my PC. (I’m rocking an Nvidia RTX 3080 with a Core i7-10700K processor at 3.80 GHz and 32 GB of RAM.) The melted innards of Draugr splinter apart with a crack when Kratos rips the creatures open, spewing orange viscera everywhere.
During emotional moments, the subtle twitches of Kratos’ face betray his thoughts beautifully. And during close-up shots, I can count the individual gray hairs in his beautifully detailed beard.
Nothing compares to playing a game like God of War for the first time, seeing the way the water rushes out of the Lake of Nine as Jörmungandr, the World Serpent, rises from beneath the waves. But when the giant snake opened his mouth, and his voice bellowed through my headphones, I was even more awestruck by his design — his 4-year-old model and textures look excellent, even with my face just inches away from the monitor. The water dripping off of his mossy beard, the shadows in his nostrils, and his throat wavering while he speaks — it all looks better than ever. It’s the same game, but with its already impressive sets and visuals turned up, creating an even more immersive experience.
But my beautiful PC playthrough wasn’t without some hiccups. On rare occasions, I experienced minor screen tearing during quick turns.
Kratos’ armor also occasionally clips through his body or objects. The enhanced visuals make the 2018 level of detail on certain textures — like a rare kind of chest, made of a bright gold — more noticeable, with the game’s improved shadows seemingly not pulling the same weight on brighter textures. But those blemishes were the exception to the rule, thrown into contrast by the beauty seen everywhere else in the game.
Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/PlayStation PC
The excellent visuals and smooth performance of the PC version is something I’d hoped for — a way to see this excellent game in a new light, not constrained by my PS4 that was just a few years away from being benched for a PS5. God of War is an exciting addition to anyone’s Steam or Epic Games Store library because it looks beautiful and runs almost perfectly, but there’s another reason to be glad about its jump to PC: A legion of new players will get to experience Sony Santa Monica’s magnum opus for the first time.
With Sony’s recent move to get some of its exclusive titles (Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone) into the hands of PC players, it’s opening itself up to an even wider fan base. Sure, some of those players might buy a console to check out God of War Ragnarok later this year, but that’s not the point. God of War is my go-to example of how mechanics and storytelling can combine to create something distinct from other mediums, a game I recommend to nongamer friends and family all the time (with a high degree of success). It was always a bummer that it took buying into a single console ecosystem to experience this game, and now, it doesn’t.
God of War on PC is more than just a great visual upgrade for an already stunning game. It’s the best version of one of the best games ever made, perfect for replays and first run-throughs alike.
God of War will be released Jan. 14 on Windows PC.
The game was reviewed using a Steam key provided by PlayStation. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.
God of War games in order | Sorted by release date & story chronology
God of War has had a bit of a resurgence ever since the well-received 2018 reboot, so with the franchise continuing to go strong with a PC Port and God of War Ragnarök, now is a perfect time for a look back.
Now one of PlayStation’s prestige titles and an unofficial mascot, God of War began life as a 2005 hack and slash focused on Greek mythology that has since expanded in scope, focus, and gameplay.
However, with several spinoffs, mobile versions and a somewhat non-chronological order, it can be easy to lose track of the over-the-top series.
Luckily, however, we are here to straighten things out.
With many of the games receiving remasters or being offered as part of PS Plus Extra, it’s possible to play through the main games in order, whether you’d prefer chronologically or release order.
We’ll let you know both options down below, so you can battle oversized monsters in your chosen order!
How to play the God of War games in release date order
Dating all the way back to the late PS2 era in 2005, here is the release order that everyone else experienced Kratos’s journey in. We’ve included the original platforms and release years in brackets.
- God of War (PS2, 2005)
- God of War II (Ps2, 2007)
- God of War: Betrayal (Mobile, 2007)
- God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP, 2008)
- God of War III (PS3, 2010)
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PSP, 2010)
- God of War: Ascension (PS3, 2013)
- God of War: A Call from the Wilds (Facebook, 2018)
- God of War: Mimir’s Vision (iOS/Android, 2018)
- God of War (PS4, 2018)
- God of War Ragnarok (PS4/5, 2022)
It’s also worth noting that the PSP and mobile entries are considered side games, and while they are canon and have mostly been ported to home console, they can be skipped if you’re looking for a more streamlined playthrough.
How to play the God of War games in story order
Want to experience the full story of Kratos from the start to the finish? Follow the order below and you’ll play through it all in the official story order, watching events unfold in the same order that Kratos did.
God of War: Ascension
Santa Monica Studio
Despite being the seventh instalment in the series and the last release of the Greek era, God of War: Ascension is actually a prequel to the entire series. Six months after breaking his blood oath to Ares, Ascension sees Kratos imprisoned by the three Furies and learn the truth about his bond with the God of War.
2013’s God of War: Ascension is also the only game in the series to feature multiplayer, which included both cooperative and competitive online modes with new gameplay mechanics.
- Buy God of War: Ascension now at CEX
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Ready at Dawn
God of War’s first entry on the PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus, follows Kratos around five years into his service to the Gods.
The 2008 title sees Kratos investigate the abduction of the Sun God Helios, which leads to him unravelling a conspiracy in the underworld.
More like this
God of War: Chains of Olympus became one of the most critically acclaimed PSP games of all time with particular praise directed towards the controls, and was later ported to the PS3 as part of God of War: Origins Collection.
- Buy God of war: Chains of Olympus now at CEX
God of War (2005)
Santa Monica Studio
The game that kicked off this larger-than-life series, God of War, sees Kratos tasked with killing his former master Ares after 10 years of serving the gods — which requires the elusive Pandora’s Box.
God of War introduced players to the franchise’s signature combo-based hack and slash combat, and is widely regarded as one of the best games on the PS2. It was remastered for the PS3 in 2009 as part of the God of War Collection.
- Buy God of War at CEX now
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Ready at Dawn
The second God-brawling experience on the PSP, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, sees Kratos search for his mother in a quest to find his origins.
He then discovers his brother Deimos may still be alive — and held prisoner by the God of Death.
Widely thought to be one of the best-looking games on the PSP, Ghost of Sparta was also remastered for the PS3 as part of both the God of War: Origins Collection.
- Buy God of War: Ghost of Sparta at CEX now
God of War: Betrayal
An early attempt to replicate console games on mobile, God of War: Betrayal is a 2D side-scroller that follows Kratos on a bloodthirsty quest to clear his name after being framed for murder.
Despite fan speculation, God of War: Betrayal has been confirmed to be canon, although the game seems very tricky to find these days. Videos like the one above can help you get a feel for it, though.
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God of War 2
Santa Monica Studio
A late PS2 release, God of War 2 follows a bitter Kratos as he leads his Spartan army on a rampage across Greece which soon worries the Olympians and causes Zeus to intervene. Kratos then spends the game on a quest to get revenge on Zeus, leading to revelations for Kratos, the Titans and the Gods themselves.
God of War 2 received similar critical acclaim to its predecessor and was soon ported to the PS3 in 2009 as part of the God of War Collection.
- Buy God of War 2 now at CEX
God of War 3
Santa Monica Studio
The franchise’s PS3 debut sees an epic yet emotional end to the Greek era. After being betrayed by the Titans, the game sees Kratos go on a soul-searching quest through the Underworld and Mount Olympus, fighting God and Titan alike in a quest to finally kill Zeus.
With a revamped magic system and more enemies, God of War 3 was also critically acclaimed and was remastered for the PS4 in 2015.
- Buy God of War 3 Remastered now at Amazon
God of War: A Call from the Wilds
Not a fully-fledged entry, God of War: A Call from the Wilds is a short text-based game available on Facebook Messenger. It is a prequel to 2018’s God of War, telling the story of Atreus on his first adventure in the Norse wilds.
Downloadable concept art is unlocked upon completing the game. To have a go yourself, head to the game’s page on Facebook and click ‘send message’ to start it.
God of War: Mimir’s Vision
God of War: Mimir’s Vision is not a full game either, but rather an iOS and Android AR game released as part of the promotion for the 2018 God of War.
Pointing your camera at a flat surface causes the game to load an interactive 3D map of Midgard, revealing information about the setting and lore of the reboot.
- Download God of War: Mimir’s Vision for free on Google Play
God of War (2018)
Santa Monica Studio Sony
This iconic entry sees the famously angry Kratos reimagined as an older, more reflective character attempting to put his past behind him with his new wife Faye and son Atreus in the Norse world.
However, when Faye passes away, Kratos goes on a quest to spread her ashes, teaching Atreus key life lessons along the way.
The gameplay was also reimagined, with the magical Leviathan Axe replacing the usual double-chained blades, an over-the-shoulder free camera and RPG elements.
The best-selling PS4 game and winner of numerous Game of the Year awards, God of War was universally critically praised. The God of War PC port was released in 2022.
- Buy God of War now at Amazon
God of War Ragnarök
Santa Monica Studio Sony Santa Monica
Following on from events from the previous game, God of War Ragnarök sees the prophesied Ragnarök come about as Kratos seeks out the Norse God of War Týr to take on Odin and the Asgardians. What could go wrong?
- Buy God of War Ragnarok at Amazon
Read more on God of War:
- God of War Ragnarok review — our final verdict
- God of War Ragnarok cast — all voice actors
- God of War Ragnarok New Game Plus — when could it come?
- God of War Ragnarok chapters — are you near the end?
- God of War Ragnarok trophy guide — get the platinum
- God of War Ragnarok ending explained — is there a secret scene?
- God of War Ragnarok PS4 — how good is the last-gen version?
- God of War Ragnarok play time — how many hours?
- How tall is Thor in God of War Ragnarok?
- How old is Kratos in God of War Ragnarok?
- When will God of War Ragnarok come to PC?
- God of War PC review — is it worth playing?
- God of War PC requirements — all the specs you need
- God of War PC controls — full list of key bindings
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review, system requirements, computers for the game
In January 2022, PC gamers will embark on an epic adventure as God Of War, one of the best titles for the PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5 family of consoles, is coming to PC. exclusive.
The PC version of God Of War will be released on January 14, 2022. The original console version was released in 2018.
Who is this God of War?
God Of War is an action-adventure game with slasher elements set in the setting of Norse myths and legends. In the role of the former god of war Kratos, players will have to explore the harsh, merciless and cruel world of ancient Scandinavia.
Along the way, killing hundreds of creatures of the northern pantheon, including the walking dead, trolls, witches, werewolves and other monsters that are not very friendly to the Ghost of Sparta.
In addition to its accessible and high-quality gameplay, the God Of War series is also famous for its charismatic protagonist (that same Kratos) and a very impressive level of cruelty. Only here the protagonist could tear off the head of the sun god and use it as a lantern or turn the face of Hercules into, pardon the pun, Hercules porridge.
In previous editions of God Of War, Kratos actively destroyed all living things, gained new abilities, replenished his arsenal with new weapons, ran, jumped and occasionally solved simple puzzles in virtual ancient Greece. In slasher games of that time, a fixed camera with pre-selected angles was actively used. Now imagine that this formula (with some modifications) was used six times in a row. The players and, not surprisingly, the writers of the series felt that change was needed.
A new look
And it really happened: God Of War of 2018 not only changed its place of residence, moving from warm Greece to the northern latitudes, but also received a heavily redesigned gameplay, noticeably different from previous releases of the series. Now the camera hangs over the Spartan’s shoulder, and it follows the player constantly, smoothly flowing from story cutscenes back to gameplay, creating the feeling of «shooting in one take» without any editing cuts.
New tricks
The combat system has changed even more — Santa Monica Studio staff took inspiration from the Dark Souls series and transferred some of its features into the God of War game DNA. Like in Dark Souls, Kratos has at his disposal a light and heavy strike, a block with a shield, as well as the ability to deftly dodge blows with the help of rolls.
Every fight here feels like a test, it won’t be easy. Instead of crowds of enemies, there are only a few opponents, but each of them is capable of delivering a lot of headaches, so the ability to control the battle and seize the initiative is important in the “ring”.
It is worth gaping — and the Spartan will be unhappy.
There are some concessions. First, unlike Dark Souls, Kratos is not dependent on such a parameter as stamina, so the blows can be applied endlessly. Secondly, after death, the player has at his disposal a few seconds to put the main character on his feet.
The main weapon of Kratos is the Leviathan ax, with which he can not only destroy enemies in the most diverse way, but also use it to solve puzzles. One of the main features of this slashing weapon is the ability to throw it anywhere and return it to your hands at the touch of a button. The famous Blades of Chaos are also present in the game and you even have to use them many times…
Another notable innovation was the presence of a virtual partner in the form of Atreus, the son of Kratos. In combat, he really helps — his attacks with arrows and magic help to greatly stun enemies, and then quickly send them straight to Hel.
The game also has a fairly well-thought-out leveling system that significantly improves Kratos and Atreus as fighters: father and son can learn new tricks, choose the right armor, modify weapons, etc.
Magic runes empower heroes with various abilities, such as a stunning area of effect ice attack or a flurry of icicles. The game actively pushes for diversity: what will happen if I take this rune, and this one, or maybe it’s better for me to use this ability?
Residence
Previously, everything that happened in the world of God of War took place in linear locations of various sizes, from small rooms to large multi-level arenas. In the new part, players find themselves in an open world that can be explored like in the Zelda games: discover previously inaccessible places with the help of new skills, auxiliary items and weapons. In addition to the main quest, players will also be able to complete side quests for various rewards, be it a large portion of gold, a powerful new rune, or a piece of armor.
In addition to the many different places of Midgard (the world of people in Scandinavian mythology), the heroes will also visit several other worlds of Ygdrasil, meeting many adventures and dangers on their way.
All locations in the game are drawn just fine. Believe me, you yourself will often reach for the buttons on the keyboard (or gamepad) in order to take a beautiful screenshot.
Fathers and sons
If you’ve ever played or heard of the previous God Of War games, you know that story has never been a big deal in the series. He just served as at least some justification for everything that was happening on the screen. There is a bald, pale man with a sonorous name, he is eternally evil and constantly arranges genocide against the mythical creatures of ancient Greece. No, sometimes the authors tried to make the Spartan more attractive, showing him not quite a mindless killing machine, but in the eyes of many, he still remained a scumbag.
And only in the game of 2018, the Ghost of Sparta finally became a character that became interesting to follow, which is not even ashamed to worry about. Kratos has become a real person, he is vulnerable. He is still gloomy and stern, but now he tries not to give vent to his anger, to constantly restrain himself.
Now it is important for him to be … a good parent.
Yes, yes, Kratos became a father, and he does not want his son Atreus to repeat the same mistakes. We will not spoil the plot, it is best to see it for yourself. Watching how both main characters change, open up to each other is no less exciting than once again slaughtering a draug or troll that has come into view to death.
The secondary characters did just as well in the game. Each of them is gradually revealed from a new side. It is also worth praising the scriptwriters here — they were able to successfully intertwine the story of Kratos and Atreus from Scandinavian mythology, while creatively rethinking some of the key events and characters of northern legends.
What’s the difference: PC or PlayStation?
On PC, God of War will first of all get improved graphics, support for 4K resolution, as well as unlimited frame rates compared to the PS4 and PS5 versions. The game will also receive improved shadows and reflections, as well as support for technologies such as GTAO and SSDO to provide volumetric lighting.
NVIDIA DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex are also not forgotten. Both technologies are used to significantly improve not only the overall level of performance, but also the appearance of the game itself. In the case of DLSS, image rendering is based on special AI and the use of tensor cores. And Reflex noticeably reduces the delay between pressing a key and executing a command in the game itself.
System requirements
By today’s standards, God Of War is a fairly democratic game — it can be run on a three-year-old machine. But will it look good? We are sure not. Only on high or ultra settings you can fully experience not only the gameplay, but also what an excellent job the programmers and artists of Santa Monica Studio have done, recreating the legendary Scandinavian myths. Below we will present a variant of our system requirements that will allow you to play comfortably even on the hardware of the recommended level.
| Recommended system requirements for 1080p and 30 FPS, with PlayStation 4 PRO graphics | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 |
| Video card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 from 3200 MHz |
| Disk space | 70 GB on SSD |
| Ultra system requirements for 4K resolution and 60 FPS at maximum graphics settings | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 |
| Video card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or higher |
| RAM | 32 GB DDR4 from 3200 MHz |
| Disk space | 70 GB on SSD |
Computers for God of War — February 2023
For a comfortable stay in the harsh world of the «God of War», as well as in other top games, you will need a great gaming computer.
In the list of available PCs below, you can easily find the exact machine that can meet your requirements both in terms of components and in terms of appearance.
Each of these PCs offers a high level of performance, so they are also suitable for tasks such as working in a variety of special applications or creating a variety of content in the form of illustrations, music, videos, etc.
Select the resolution of your monitor
- FullHD (1920×1080)
- 2K (2560×1440)
- 4K (3840×2160)
Game Tips for Beginners – PlayStation
PlayStation.Blog
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God of War (2018) is coming to PC tomorrow, January 14th. And to get you ready to jump into the game, we’ve put together a list of the PC game’s system requirements and features — be sure to check them out.
Widescreen
There is one feature of the PC that we are extremely pleased with.
It supports 21:9 widescreen resolution, making you feel like you’re in a movie theater. See for yourself:
We look forward to seeing your big screens!
Nine Worlds Survival Guide
We really hope that with the release on PC, the game will for the first time reveal the story of Kratos and Atreus to many new players. And to set you in the right mood, we have prepared a couple of tips for beginners before the upcoming adventure.
Don’t forget about the boy
Although Atreus is young, he is your main assistant in battle. During the journey, Atreus will grow and learn new abilities that will decide the outcome of even the toughest battles. For example, he will be able to immobilize monsters, snatch Kratos from the clutches of death, cast powerful spells and shoot from a bow.
Atreus has three different sets of equipment, each of which can complement your play style. Choose the best equipment for him — the one that will best help Kratos in battle.
At the first level, sets have the following powers:
· Archer’s Garb: Decreases the claw’s cooldown. Aimed hits on enemies in the air deal more damage.
· Fighter’s Tunic: Increases melee damage and reveals enemy weaknesses. Increases damage against strangled enemies.
· Runic Robes: Increases recovery from enemy attacks and applies a health gem. If Kratos is injured, Atreus has a chance to find health stones.
Develop Atreus’ abilities and equipment. This is just as important as developing Kratos. Upgrade it as often as possible from the start of the game!
Not for service, but for friendship
There are secondary tasks in God of War — requests. Some will help you learn more about your allies, such as the blacksmith brothers Brok and Sindri, others will send you to explore the incredible expanses of the world of Norse mythology.
Completing them will give you rewards that will help you in battle. In addition to experience points, many requests will also give you gear and ability upgrades.
Gain experience points by completing Kratos’s Feats
Feats reward you for interacting with the world and completing the game. For them, you can get a lot of experience points, which is very handy when you need to level up. Change your play style, try new tactics and explore the world.
There are four types of feats:
· World Exploration: Explore the world around you by completing various tasks, such as closing gaps between worlds and opening secret rooms.
· Crafting: Craft and upgrade your equipment.
· Combat Skills: Kill enemies in a special way, such as setting them on fire or parrying.
· Kills: Defeat the required number of enemies of the same type.
Bestiary with Advice
Atreus will mark all the enemies you encounter in the Codex. This is not only a great way to save information about important characters and worlds, but in the Bestiary you will find information about the weaknesses of monsters. Not all enemies are alike, so if you’re having a hard time with any type of enemy, check out the Bestiary to find out how to deal with them.
Learn the characteristics of equipment
The equipment you choose may be useful for your fighting style. Once you’ve decided on your playstyle, look for gear sets to help you excel.
Whether you prefer normal attacks, runic abilities, or both, it is important to be able to understand the characteristics of equipment, because this will help you understand what is worth developing.
