The God of War series has explored two separate mythologies over two distinct sagas, but one era is a more effective adventure than the other. The mythic action series tells the story of Kratos, a Spartan warrior who rises up to supplant Ares as the Greek God of War and ultimately destroy the gods of Mount Olympus. Following this epic Greek story the series ventured into the pages of Norse myth, with Kratos starting a new journey with his young son Atreus to determine the fate of the Nine Realms. There are similarities and differences between God of War's Greek and Norse eras, though one has proven to be greater than the other.
The Norse God of War saga has now come to a close with the release of God of War Ragnarok, inviting fully informed comparison between the two wildly different halves of the series.
God Of War's Greek Saga Overstayed Its Welcome
One of the most instantly recognizable differences between the two God of War eras are their contrasting lengths. The series' Greek saga spans six major games, the main trilogy and the three prequel titles, which were released over the course of eight years. Santa Monica Studios' core trilogy is actually fairly concise, with the plot covering Kratos' rise and fall as the God of War alongside his general slip into madness. These three games gradually escalate in scale, too, with Kratos struggling to kill a single god in the first God of War while God of War 3 lets players casually slay multiple Olympians in succession. The Greek gods Kratos kills in the main trilogy left few memorable encounters for the three prequel games, however, making these titles feel superfluous and flooding the Greek era with subpar experiences rather than a smaller number of impressive adventures.
God of War's Norse era, in contrast, surprisingly takes places over the course of just two games. Many fans naturally assumed that Kratos and Atreus' adventures through the Nine Realms would form a new trilogy, but God of War Ragnarok has definitively closed the book on this era. This makes God of War's Norse saga a much tighter and more concise experience than the Greek era that avoids dragging plot threads out beyond their natural conclusion. Embracing the duology format also means that players got to experience the entire Norse saga in only four years, rather than waiting nearly a decade to see the dramatic confrontation between Kratos and Odin in God of War Ragnarok.
God Of War's Greek Saga Has More Epic Moments
2018's God of War and its recently released sequel put a heavy emphasis on creating an emotional narrative, rather than delivering brutal action on an epic scale. Both titles feature their fair share of action-packed moments, of course, like the battle against the dragon Hræzlyr in the first game and Kratos' breathtaking duel against Thor in God of War Ragnarok. However, the Norse games put much more focus on quiet and even somber moments, which allow Kratos and Atreus to bond and demonstrate their ongoing development. The franchise's new over-the-shoulder camera perspective also makes battle feel much more intimate, but it also makes it much more difficult to choreograph battles between Kratos and massive monsters.
Meanwhile, the Greek era features far bigger and more impressive God of War boss fights and action setpieces than its Norse follow-ups. God of War 3 is truly the peak of the franchise's scale, with Kratos battling and quickly demolishing enormous foes like Poseidon's elemental Hippocamp and the unbelievably large Titan Cronos. The series' first installment manages to match this enormous scale in its final boss fight against Ares, and God of War 2 delivers huge bosses in the form of the animated Colossus of Rhodes and the iconic Kraken. Even the Greek era's spin-off prequel games manage to outsize the Norse era during moments like the Hecatoncheires battle in God of War: Ascension and the sinking of Atlantis in Ghost of Sparta. The Norse saga may be more introspective and emotional, but the Greek saga's countless epic moments still go unmatched.
Norse God Of War Is A Truly Unforgettable Journey
Despite the Greek era's grand scale and impressive brutality, the Norse God of War story manages to sur the series' earlier entries by delivering a varied and robust adventure. Each game in the Norse saga is larger than multiple Greek God of War games put together, making the franchise's newest duology feel way bigger and more varied despite being told over just two titles. The games include both lengthy main stories and meaningful optional quests, which is possible thanks to the semi-open-world nature of God of War Ragnarok and its predecessor. RPG elements also create many possible playstyles and branches of player progression, in contrast to the early God of War titles and their straightforward weapon upgrade system. Armor sets, weapon attachments and magical Runic abilities make Kratos a much more versatile protagonist, which in turn makes the two Norse titles stay fun and engaging for a very impressive length of time.
While God of War started in Greek mythology, the transition into the Nine Realms of Norse myth has brought the franchise to amazing new heights. The Greek games like God of War 3 did deliver truly impressive boss battles and action setpieces, which God of War Ragnarok and its 2018 predecessor have mostly failed to match. However, the old God of War era wound up overstaying its welcome over the course of eight years and six games. The Norse God of War era managed to deliver a massive and emotionally resonant journey over just two games, meaning the mythological action series has aged like a mythic Greek wine.
