God of War is a series near and dear to the hearts of many gamers. The series has seen a tremendous amount of critical and commercial success, with almost every single entry in the franchise being rated as among the best of their years. With 2018's God of War stealing last years thunder, we thought it would be fitting to rank the series of games from the worst to the best. With this in mind, I don't necessarily think that there's a bad game in the franchise, but as you will come to see, they start off relatively good before quickly climbing to masterpiece status. Here's the seven God of War games in the series ranked from worst to best!

7. God of War: Ascension


God of War: Ascension arrived at a strange time in the series. After God of War III sealed the franchise off, it was a little jarring to have another game - albeit a prequel of sorts - attempt to recapture the lightning in a bottle of the original trilogy. To some extent, Ascension is actually pretty good, though falls divisively short of being as spectacular as its predecessors. It still retains the same gory, violent gameplay, Kratos' brooding persona, and a plethora of massive action set pieces that would put most action/adventure games to shame at the time. Sadly, Ascension suffered for simply existing in the shadow of its conclusive trilogy, and instead felt like an attempt to ride on its success. There were some clever ideas and awesome sequences that the series is known for, but it ultimately felt like it had significantly less high stakes involved. It's not exactly the best thing to follow up the bonkers epic scale of God of War III.

6. God of War: Ghost of Sparta


God of War saw two releases on the PSP, the second being Ghost of Sparta. Many would agree that it's the best-looking game on the PSP, and visually pushed the boundaries for what the portable console could achieve. Ghost of Sparta is a stellar game with a deep focus on Kratos' turbulent past, though it ranks so low on the list because it struggles to find a solid continuity to base itself on. Instead, it does tend to feel like filler or a side story at times that's inconsequential to the main plot, but it does give us pretty much everything that made the series so great on the PlayStation 2 games. Epic moments, solid gameplay, and some jaw-dropping boss battles that places is firmly as one of the best games ever released on PSP.

5. God of War: Chains of Olympus


Chains of Olympus was the first God of War game released on the PSP, and one that made a little more sense for the timeline. Set in the ten years in which Kratos served the Gods of Olympus (making it a prequel to the first game), Chains of Olympus sets our angry protagonist on a murderous rampage against the Invading Persian armies in Attica. It slightly nudges Ghost of Sparta out as the better God of War game on the PSP thanks to memorable boss fights and Kratos' unhinged rage fueling the emotional core of the experience. It's textbook God of War, for mostly the better.

4. God of War (2005)


The game that kicked it all off. God of War was a revelation back on the PS2, pushing the boundaries of the console and introducing the world to a new kind of furious action game. Kratos' introduction also sets off a chain of events that leads to him overthrowing Olympus, but here, it all started with a simple tale of vengeance against the god of war, Ares, who betrayed Kratos and lead him to murder his own family. It was a harrowing but simple story that still resonates with many fans, and thanks to its simplicity - both in story and straight-forward gameplay - God of War proved to be more than your average hack and slash. It became a game of legend.

3. God of War III


The conclusion to what I like to call the Greek mythology trilogy, Kratos leads the titans to war against the Gods of Olympus. What follows is an endless barrage of high-octane, massive action set pieces the likes of which have never been seen before in gaming. Kratos goes through the ranks of the gods, making quick work of the last remaining ones willing to fight against his vengeance. It leads to some pretty fantastic moments, especially in the opening moments of the game that still give me goosebumps. It's epic, immaculately designed, and insanely bombastic in all the right, satisfying, and gruesomely awesome ways.

2. God of War II


Santa Monica Studio had a lot to prove following the release of the first God of War, so when God of War II rolled around, and somehow outdid the first game in almost every conceivable way, it was a pleasant surprise. It also solidified the developer as one of the titans of the gaming industry, creating one of the best video game sequels of all time. God of War II starts on a high note and somehow maintains (and in some cases, elevates) that high note throughout the entire game, leading from one climactic moment to the next in absurdly stylish fashion. The boss battles were grander, the story was more revenge-fueled than ever before, and Kratos proved to be a protagonist that simply could not be f***ed with. God of War II is the best of the original trilogy, and a true masterpiece in its own class.

1. God of War (2018)


You probably saw this coming from a mile away, but it's no secret that I absolutely adored 2018's God of War. While it didn't quite make my Game of the Year last year, I still awarded it a perfect 10/10, and over a year later, I still stand by my original rating. The game acts as both a sequel to the Greek mythology trilogy and a soft reboot of sorts, shying away from the Greek setting in favour of Norse mythology. I was skeptical as to how well that would work, but upon playing it, it just exceeded my expectations - and then some.

This is largely thanks to the fresh new direction that Santa Monica Studio took with the series, placing a great emphasis on Kratos and his relationship with his son, Atreus. The focus always remains on them, regardless of all the (literal) massive obstacles thrown their way. Best of all, it's a beautiful, almost poetic journey of bonding between a father and son - more accurately, a torn man trying to be a father, and a son who desperately needs him to be one. Tears and blood were shed, but I'll never forget the pure exhilaration of playing 2018's God of War for the first time. It only really rolls around a few times every decade.

What's your favourite God of War game? Let us know in the comments below!