God of War gives Kratos the Blades of Chaos and sends him through crowds of monsters from Greek myth. The fighting is built on combos, and you can mix in up to four magic attacks once you earn them. Stronger enemies and bosses end with quick time events, a string of button presses you hit in time to finish them yourself. Between the fights there are puzzles and platforming, so the pace keeps changing.
Plenty of action games share that feeling, and two of them came out before Kratos did. These are the 12 games players recommend most to God of War fans, ranked by how many different people named each one.
12 Games Like God of War Where You Tear Through Crowds of Enemies With Combos
Prototype (2009)
Prototype is the open world pick. You play Alex Mercer, who can shapeshift and turn parts of his body into weapons that you earn as the game goes on. His melee moves run from air combos to a high-speed rolling cannonball attack, and he can "consume" people to regain health. Critics praised its originality and storytelling, though they criticized the control scheme.
The big difference is the freedom. Outside the main story you can explore the open world and take on side activities. Alex can jump high enough to clear five-story buildings, and soldiers in tanks and heavily armed helicopters come after him. He can also take the weapons of enemies he beats. Play it on PS3, or on PS4, where it came back in a bundle with its sequel.
Rygar: The Legendary Adventure (2002)
Rygar came out on the PS2 three years before the first God of War, and players say it had God of War style combat before God of War existed. Rygar is a heavy infantryman from Argus, a Roman-controlled island in the Mediterranean, and he fights with the Diskarmor, a legendary weapon forged by the gods themselves. Critics praised the Diskarmor and the depth of the combat and upgrade systems. Several called it the best action-adventure game on the PS2.
The big difference is the camera. It is fixed, and critics named it as the game's biggest weakness, along with the short length. You still get mythical bosses, a minotaur among them. A Wii version, The Battle of Argus, came out in 2009 to mostly negative reviews, because so little had been updated. Play it on PS2, or on Wii.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine lets Logan loose with his claws on whole squads of soldiers. Raven Software built it in Unreal Engine 3. The story follows Logan from his days on Stryker's team, next to his brother Victor Creed, to a fight with Weapon XI, a mutant-killing super soldier built partly from Logan's own powers. Critics singled out the violence, which stays true to the comic version of the character.
The big difference is the length. The campaign is short, and reviewers also pointed to the repetitive action and the lack of replay value. If you go in for one bloody weekend, that matters less. Play the Uncaged Edition on PS3, or the PS2 and Wii versions.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008)
Players describe The Force Unleashed as God of War set in Star Wars. You play Starkiller, who trains under Darth Vader, and you fight with a lightsaber and Force powers. Critics praised the story and the physics, and they criticized the linear gameplay and the technical issues. It sold over 1,000,000 copies in its first month.
The big difference is the ending. Near the end you choose between saving Kota, the Light Side path, or killing Vader, the Dark Side path. A later Switch version keeps the motion controls of the Wii version, so you swing the lightsaber with a Joy-Con. Play it on PS3.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010)
Lords of Shadow moves Castlevania into 3D environments, and players say it plays a lot like God of War. You control Gabriel Belmont, who uses melee skills to defeat enemies and solves puzzles on his quest to defeat the Lords of Shadow and bring his wife back to life. It sold well, and reviews praised the story, the combat and the music.
The big difference is the setting. You leave Greek myth behind for Southern Europe in the Middle Ages. The developers set out to radically change the direction of the Castlevania mythos with it, and Konami asked for more games after it. Play it on PS3, and keep going with Lords of Shadow 2.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (2007)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma is the God of War pick for players who want a harder fight. It is a reboot of Ninja Gaiden where you control Ryu Hayabusa, a master ninja, out to recover a stolen sword and avenge the slaughter of his clan. Your weapons can be upgraded as you go, and moves like the Flying Swallow let Ryu leap and slash through enemies. It received acclaim for its combat, graphics and difficulty.
The big difference is the weapon list. Light swords are quick, heavy weapons are slow but hit harder, and flails and staves string together long sequences of attacks. A bladesmith named Muramasa sells upgrades for your weapons. Tecmo spent five years on the original game. Play it on PS3, Vita, PS4 or Switch.
Bayonetta (2009)
Bayonetta is a witch who carries guns but fights with her hair, which she uses to summon powerful demons and execute powerful attacks. PlatinumGames made it, with Hideki Kamiya as the director. It received critical acclaim, with praise for the combat and the soundtrack, and it is considered one of the greatest video games ever made. Players who love God of War name it next to Devil May Cry as a must play.
The big difference is the grade. A rating system scores your performance, and the combat system is similar to the Devil May Cry series, so it rewards style more than God of War does. Critics did knock the story and the quick time events. Play it on PS3, PS4, Wii U or Switch.
Darksiders (2010)
Darksiders is the one players call God of War with Christian mythology in place of Greek myth. You play War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who arrives on Earth in the middle of a war between angels and demons. He starts with a two-handed sword called Chaos Eater and picks up more weapons along the way, plus magic attacks called Wrath powers.
The big difference is the bosses. Each big foe is a puzzle that needs a certain method and certain weapons to bring down, with quick time events in some fights. Souls you collect are the money, and you spend them on new combo attacks and power-ups. Play it on PS3, or the Warmastered Edition on PS4, Wii U or Switch.
Ghost Rider (2007)
Players call Ghost Rider a God of War clone, and they mean it kindly. The story takes place after the events of the film, and Marvel writers Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti wrote it. You play Ghost Rider on foot, chaining attacks through demons on the way to the Gates of Hell.
The big difference is the Hellcycle. Part of the game puts you on the bike, where you can still chain attacks and shoot hellfire. You can also play as Blade, who fights with his Daywalker Sword and can suck the life out of any wounded foe that is not a boss. Reviews were mixed on PS2 and worse on PSP. Play it on PS2 or PSP.
Heavenly Sword (2007)
Heavenly Sword is one of the closest matches for God of War on the PS3, and players call it a God of War style hack and slash. You play Nariko, who fights with her clan's sacred sword against a tyrant warlord who wants her clan destroyed. The fighting is melee combat built like a martial arts game, with chances for ranged attacks.
The big difference is the stances. The Heavenly Sword changes into one of three forms depending on which attack stance you use. Quick time events show up in exploration and in certain battles, much like Kratos and his finishers. The sword also drains Nariko's life as she uses it, and the story makes that count. Play it on PS3.
Devil May Cry (2001)
Devil May Cry came out four years before God of War, and it is cited as the beginning of character action, where powerful heroes fight hordes of foes with stylish action. You play Dante, a demon hunter on a remote island, after the demon lord Mundus who killed his brother and mother. He gets a sword called Alastor and gauntlets called Ifrit. Players who love God of War send fans here for the combat above all.
The big difference is the style gauge. It rises with an unbroken series of varied attacks while you avoid damage, and it stops rising if you repeat the same moves. Each mission ends with a letter grade from D up to S. Play it on PS2, PS3, PS4 or Switch.
Dante's Inferno (2010)
Dante's Inferno is the game players name most for God of War fans, and plenty call it a close copy of God of War, and a fun one. You play Dante as a Templar knight from the Crusades, guided by the poet Virgil, and you fight through the nine Circles of Hell to rescue Beatrice from Lucifer. His main weapon is a scythe with combination attacks and finishing moves, and he has magic attacks that run on a mana pool.
The big difference is the source. The story is loosely based on Inferno, the first part of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. You face historic figures as bosses, among them Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Critics praised the art direction and the depiction of Hell. Play it on PS3, or on PSP.
Which one to play
There you have it, the whole list of games like God of War. The top three are where most fans start.
If the combat is what you love, play Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden Sigma. If you want more gods and monsters, try Dante's Inferno or Darksiders. For huge bosses and quick time finishers, pick Heavenly Sword. For an older game with the same feel, Rygar on PS2 is the pick. For God of War on the go, take Dante's Inferno or Ghost Rider on PSP. And if you want a whole city to fight in, Prototype is the one.
