Santa Monica Studio’s God of War (2018) not only proved that the series can invent itself masterfully but also elevated the standards by which AAA video game storytelling stands.
God of War (2018) gave us a more mature, heavy-of-heart Kratos who does his best to lend his knowledge and wisdom to his son, while still kicking some ass at the same time.
Probably, the only game that will stand to rival the 2018 Game of the Year is its soon-to-be-released sequel, God of War: Ragnarok.
Nonetheless, we decided to gather a list of the most appropriate games that stand close to God of War (2018) in terms of gameplay, narrative, and visuals.
God of War Game Features
 Release Date: | March 22, 2005 |
 Developer: | Santa Monica Studio |
 Publisher: | Sony Computer Entertainment |
 Platforms: | PlayStation 2 |
 Genre: | Action-adventure, hack and slash |
 Setting: | Ancient Greece |
 Game Modes: | Single-player |
1. God of War 3
- God of War 3
If you like the latest God of War game, then playing the older games will only make you fall deeper in love with this series, especially the original God of War trilogy for that matter, and its grand conclusion, God of War 3.
I can’t begin to describe how masterfully well-done this game is. To sum it up, it’s basically Kratos’s final bout with Olympus.
Just like there is a recurring theme of the looming threat of Ragnarok in God of War (2018), everything about God of War 3 makes it cataclysmic and biblical in its own right.
Kratos seeks to destroy Olympus and exact revenge on the gods for what misery and torture they’ve inflicted on him throughout his years of servitude and exile, but this time around, he has the Titans as a backup.
In God of War 3, Kratos slays so many gods, monsters, and mortal beings that at some point, you begin to wonder whether he’s still on the right after all of the blood he spilled, or he had possibly taken it a bit too far.
Oh! And the graphics on this one are unbelievable. For a PS3 game, God of War 3 has exceeded everyone’s expectations in terms of its visuals. Plus, it has already been remastered and released on the PS4 and PS5.
- Developer: Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: April 2018
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5
2. Red Dead Redemption 2
- Red Dead Redemption 2
God of War (2018) and RDR2 are very close to each other, and that’s not just in terms of quality, but also when it goes to context.
There’s a big emphasis on “redemption” here. The heart of RDR2 is its protagonist, Arthur Morgan. His story is of an outlaw who rolls with the Dutch Van Der Linde gang in the late 1800s, back when a fictionalized version of the wild west was on the verge of its end.
Arthur Morgan is one of the most iconic and dynamic characters you could meet in any art form. He can be brutal when he needs to and absolutely hilarious when he likes to.
As far as the rest of the game goes, it’s an open-world masterpiece. The visuals are stunning, the combat has a way of immersively making you feel like a true badass, and basically, all of its mechanics are top-notch.
It’s a well-built game with perfectly written and designed environments, characters, and stories. Even the NPCs are so well written that you won’t be able to resist any encounters in this world. RDR2 is a game where attention to detail is unparalleled.
- Developer: Rockstar Games
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Release Date: October 2018
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Just like the God of War series, The Witcher games have always had quite the stories. Both franchises were always known for having in-depth lore and their developers have proven to be masters of storytelling. The same goes for their latest respective installments and the captivating stories they tell.
In fact, even some of The Witcher 3’s core themes are the same as God of War’s. The Witcher 3 gives you a tale of fatherhood, war, deception, politics, and lots and lots of magic.
Its protagonist, Geralt, is a monster slayer who – for the most part of the game – is looking for his adoptive daughter, Ciri. They are both constantly trying to stop the “Wild Hunt” from fulfilling a cataclysmic prophecy called the “White Frost” that results in freezing entire worlds.
The Witcher 3 is an open-world action RPG with a branched, non-linear story. It takes place in a fictional continent where you can freely roam to explore, loot, craft, slay countless monsters, and interact with NPCs.
The Witcher 3’s world’s visuals are spectacular, its characters are compelling and real, and the stories it tells are immersive and although fictional, relatable. Plus, it’s needless to say that you’re going to have your fair share of combat, puzzles, and RPG elements.
I believe that there are only a handful of games that truly strike a game feel as good as God of War (2018) and The Witcher 3 stands to be among them.
- Developer: CD Project Red
- Publisher: CD Project Red
- Release Date: May 2015
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch
4. Horizon Zero Dawn
- Horizon Zero Dawn
If there’s any game that gives you that God of War “feel” right off the bat, especially after its reboot, it’s Horizon Zero Dawn.
Unlike God of War, Horizon is a completely open-world game. However, everything that falls under the remaining of its aspects and mechanics shows great influence from the God of War franchise.
Chief among them would be the combat mechanics. Horizon’s combat is comprised of both melee and ranged attacks.
Horizon is an open-world action RPG that takes place in a post-apocalyptic United States in the year 3040.
You play as Aloy, an orphaned girl who was raised as an outcast and trained to become a great warrior and win a ritual competition of her tribe’s to prove the ones who exiled her wrong.
Horizon’s world is full of mechanical creatures that were brought to existence after the Faro Plague’s Chariot war machines destroyed civilization. This world looks stunning and has plenty of lore to explore, mysteries to uncover, and a great adventure to embark on.
The RPG elements in Horizon are mainly defined by its skill tree and are accompanied by crafting and looting.
Horizon Zero Dawn is definitely one of the first games that come to mind if you’re looking for something similar to God of War. It’s also one of the first few Playstation exclusives that were ported to PC and paved the way to bring forth God of War (2018) itself to the platform.
- Developer: Guerrilla Games
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: February 2017
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5
5. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Senua’s Sacrifice is the only game in memory to display an excellent iteration of the Norse mythology theme and use it along with the brutal psychology around a compelling protagonist to execute such world-building that parallels that of God of War’s.
Senua’s Sacrifice is a psychological action-adventure game that mostly takes place in Helheim. I say mostly because there is a great emphasis on the word “psychological.”
This game tells the story of Senua, a Pictish warrior who is plagued by severe psychosis due to her troubled past and the great trauma that haunts her.
She sails the great Depths of Norse mythology’s literal underworld, Helheim to find the soul of her lover, Dillion, and save him from the goddess of death, Hela.
Its combat mechanics are so satisfying that they – ironically – make you feel as if you’re fighting your own demons.
Its thematic puzzle systems tend to test your focus, memory, and bravery.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is strange, exciting, and bold.
- Developer: Ninja Theory
- Publisher: Ninja Theory
- Release Date: August 2017
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nintendo Switch
6. Ghost of Tsushima
- Ghost of Tsushima
God of War is known for going the extra lengths to perfect its lore, scenery, action, themes, and essentially every element that it adopts. The same and more could be said for Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima.
Ghost of Tsushima is a masterpiece of immersion that takes you to Tsushima island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan.
You play as the last samurai, Jin Sakai, who must defend the island from the Mongols and fight for the freedom of Japan by adopting a way of fighting like no other, the way of the Ghost.
In order to make Ghost of Tsushima as immersive as they can, Sucker Punch developed quite an innovative navigation system for it. The island itself literally guides you to your destination by way of the wind.
Even the quest, NPC, location, and event indicators themselves elevate immersion to a whole new level as the game utilizes smoke tracks, flashes of insight, and animals to guide you to points of interest within the island.
The island also comes with day/night cycles, dynamic weather, and so many other mechanics and dynamics that provide immersion.
- Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: July 2020
- Platforms: Playstation 4, Playstation 5
7. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
God of War (2018) is not the only game that took a major series to Norse fronts. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla put its respective franchise at the forefront of Viking narrative-led video games, albeit in a less godly manner than God of War.
Valhalla takes place in 872-878 AD, back when the Vikings were expanding their reach into the British Isles. And at the center of it is Eivor Varinsdottir, a Viking raider trying to build his own Viking clan and carve out his own piece of paradise which is England.
Oh! You may also want to know that you get to choose Eivor’s gender. It’s one of Ubisoft’s many ways of introducing diversity to the industry.
And in the midst of all of that warfare and glory, Eivor finds himself in a precarious position in the middle of another enigmatic conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood and their counterparts of the Templar Order who seek tyrannical control over everything.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is an open-world action RPG that primarily takes you back and forth between England and Norway. However, you should expect to find your way into other thematically appropriate locations at some points in the game.
- Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Release Date: November 2020
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch
8. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Odyssey is another Assassin’s Creed game with many instances that put it in comparison with God of War, only this time, it’s Greek mythology as opposed to Norse.
This game is set in a mythological Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta that took place from 431 to 422 BC. It has indisputably the biggest map in the franchise where you’ll get to travel and explore various parts of Greece.
You take the role of either Alexios or Kassandra, two alternate versions of each other. Throughout Odyssey, you are a Spartan mercenary who fights on both sides of the Peloponnesian war, slowly achieving glorious renown and making a legend of your name in the process.
The core of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey’s narrative is that you’re in constant search of your family. There’s also an additional conflict that you will find yourself in. The Cult of Kosmos is an iteration of a recurring theme in the Assassin’s Creed games. They are a group of individuals who seek to control the world by influencing the conflict between Athens and Sparta.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is not only a game that holds itself to God of War’s standards, but it also holds many similarities to it, including the very familiar RPG elements of its equipment and abilities systems.
Furthermore, it stands to be one of the best games in its respective franchise, almost perfecting everything from its traditional stealthy gameplay elements to the fresh and modern qualities that the franchise’s latest games tend to offer.
- Developer: Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Release Date: October 2018
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
9. The Last of Us: Remastered
- The Last of Us: Remastered
The first installment in The Last of Us franchise is arguable the most narratively similar game to God of War (2018) in the eyes of many people. Primarily, because they are both father-child journeys, but not just for that sole reason.
God of War and The Last of Us are arguably the two most iconic Playstation Exclusive franchises. Throughout the years, both game series have amassed a massive worldwide following due to their high-quality storytelling, stellar characters, and invasively gory – but absolutely necessary – violent sequences.
The Last of us is an action-adventure game that tells the story of Joel, a survivor in a post-apocalyptic United States who lost his daughter when the harsh new world began. As a smuggler, he finds himself in quite an unfamiliar position as he has to help a little girl called Ellie, and the two must travel across the U.S. and endure both human and undead dangers in hope of finding the semblance of a decent group of people.
This is a story of redemption, perseverance, and survival. A truly must-play experience that demonstrates a whole new perspective on how life finds a way to give people a real sense of purpose.
Make sure you check it out when its next-gen and PC ports come out this September.
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: June 2013
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows (September 2022,) Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation 5 (September 2022)
10. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
There really aren’t many names that are as recognizable as Skyrim or The Elder Scrolls series as a whole in the industry. Skyrim itself is one of – if not THE – greatest RPGs of all time. And mind you that this game is brought to you by Bethesda Game Studios who specialize in developing the best RPG experiences in the industry.
Just like God of War (2018,) Skyrim has the Norse theme written all over it from the characters and creatures to the tiniest little details in its environmental storytelling.
In short, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an open-world action RPG. This game came out in 2011 but it claims so many qualities that some of the most recent video games just couldn’t live up to. Qualities such as immersion, mystery, and replayability.
Everything about Skyrim shouts “time-proof” to the very last detail. It perfected an RPG formula that so many games tried to replicate but failed. Its combat, skill trees, questlines, open-world content, and soundtrack are a joy that sticks with you for years after experiencing them.
Skyrim is a top-tier video game that reinvented and brought a refreshing, lasting taste to a whole genre. If this doesn’t remind you of God of War (2018,) then I don’t know what does.
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- Release Date: September 2011
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch
11. Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
Insomniac Games’s version of your friendly neighborhood web-slinger is hands down the greatest thing that ever happened to Spiderman in the video game industry.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is just perfect. This game gives you the most fluid and satisfying traversal mechanics from parkour and wall running to the signature slingshot webbing.
Its RPG elements are very similar to those in God of War (2018). There are three separate skill trees to upgrade gameplay elements such as traversal and combat.
The open-world setting of New York City is a vast environment, within which you will come across loads of side missions, challenges, and plain old crimes to fight.
Oh! And did I mention that there are over 25 Spidey suits for you to rock?
Oh! And did I mention that there are over 25 Spidey suits for you to rock?
- Developer: Insomniac Games
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: September 2018
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5
12. Horizon Forbidden West
- Horizon Forbidden West
Be it for its charismatic and easily-loved huntress of a protagonist or its beautiful world ripe for exploration, this year’s Horizon Forbidden West is almost as iconic as God of War (2018) already.
Even though it stands to be only the second installment in the Horizon series, this game has already furthered the story so much and filled us in on so much lore of the Horizon world.
It’s almost ironic how two protagonists (Kratos and Aloy) with contrasting styles are so much alike.
Kratos is a warrior, a god, and a brutal killing machine and Aloy is a huntress who maintains her ways of radiating innocence as she elegantly slays predatorial machines and saves the world.
However, they are both growing characters who seek to rid themselves of the troubles of their pasts, be they a bloodthirsty reputation or an origin that brings dishonor.
In Forbidden West, Aloy embarks on a journey to a mystical territory called the Forbidden West in order to uncover the mysteries of a great plague that kills everything it touches.
- Developer: Guerrilla Games
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: February 2018
- Platforms: Playstation 4, Playstation 5
13. The Last of Us Part 2
Naughty Dog’s Game of the Year of 2020 took what was already an emotional story that had you well-invested in and gave it even more layers.
By layers, I mean those of the already-existing characters in the series and the new ones. This game bested its precedent by allowing its characters to grow even more dynamic in already too-complex circumstances.
The Last of Us Part II is a continuation of the story that takes place five years after the original game.
This time, you play as two characters in the core game. A 19-year-old Ellie who seeks retribution for a tragedy and Abby, a newly-introduced soldier in the series who stands in a military conflict of her own, also happens to be the main antagonist in the game.
The Last of Us Part II is an action-adventure game with spectacular visuals, dynamic gameplay and combat mechanics that reinforce the characters’ capabilities and disadvantages for immersion, and most importantly, top-tier storytelling.
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: June 2020
- Platforms: Playstation 4
14. Elden Ring
Elden Ring is the most beloved game of 2022. So much so that its only contest for Game of the Year is God of War: Ragnarok.
FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series is not for all people. They are famously challenging and their level design and grueling boss fights tend to take a toll on your energy.
But no matter what type of player you are, a casual or a hardcore Souls fan, you can’t help but appreciate these games for their worth, especially Elden Ring.
Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG that takes place in the Lands Between, ruled by queen Marika.
You play as the Tarnished. Its RPG elements allow you to either be a Bandit, a Warrior, a Hero, a Vagabond, a Prophet, a Samurai, a Prisoner, a Confessor, a Wretch, or an Astrologer.
So many aspects of your playable character’s gameplay are yours to define, including attributes and how they look.
This game’s boss fights will not only remind you of God of War (2018) but also of every other God of War game. This is because they tend to be massive in terms of scale, which is a level design technique that Santa Monica Studio uses in every God of War game.
Elden Ring is a must-play if you want a similar game to God of War (2018) when it comes to lore depth and combat, albeit much more challenging.
- Developer: FromSoftware
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Release Date: February 2020
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Series S
15. Devil May Cry 5
- Devil May Cry 5
The Devil May Cry games have always been a major subject of comparison to God of War ever since the latter’s first installment came out. This was mostly because of its early “hack and slash” days.
With the first God of War game released four years after Devil May Cry, some fans of the latter even speculated that the greek mythology game took a great deal of inspiration from Devil May Cry’s hack and slash style and level design techniques.
Nevertheless, both game series has matured a lot over the years and made quite the name for themselves. Both franchises have now given us some of the most memorable games of the last 20 years and they have quite the following to back that up.
Especially, after each franchise’s latest respective game. Devil May Cry 5 is one of the best video games to come out in 2019.
Devil May Cry 5 is an action-adventure game. You primarily play as Nero as you take on the new threat of the demon king Urizen. Throughout the game, you also play as
Dante and V.
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
- Release Date: March 2018
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Series S
16. Far Cry Primal
- Far Cry Primal
Ubisoft’s Far Cry: Primal is an open-world action RPG that takes place in 10000 B.C. You play as Dakkar,
Its open-world setting has a great variety of animals to hunt, enemies to fight, and loot to scavenge and forage for crafting. The atmosphere and ancient terrain vibes are astoundingly so similar to the scenery in the snowy forests in God of War (2018).
Its combat has a variety of melee and ranged elements, just like God of War, and the visual effects that come with combat add so much to generating a vibe similar to that which you get in God of War (2018).
You do have your own base, which by upgrading, you can have more resources for crafting and other upgrades.
But aside from that and NPC-given quests, you wouldn’t even remember having a base somewhere due to how much the world out there is addictive to roam and explore.
In Far Cry: Primal, you explore prehistoric lands, you liberate your people, you hunt animals, and you even tame some too.
- Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Release Date: February 2016
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One
Conclusion
There you go, folks! That’s our list of the best games like God of War (2018). These games are all represented by satisfying combat, excellent storytelling, and some of the most iconic, compelling video game protagonists.
