10 best games like God of War

The God of War reboot series has been a huge success, cementing a formula for third-person action-adventure games that many have followed in subsequent years.

If you're itching to find more games like God of War and its sequel, Ragnarok, here are ten to try out next that we've absolutely loved playing ourselves.

Best games like God of War

10 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Out of all the games like God of War, The Witcher 3 is a great start due to its large number of similarities in several aspects. Although not set in a realm of Norse mythology, The Witcher 3 is home to a massive yet fascinating map - the world of which is dripping with monsters, war, political strife, magic, and more which all have years worth of lore to get immersed in.

Along with the familiar-but-fun hack-and-slash gameplay complimented with magic in the form of signs and runes for added variety, The Witcher 3 is just like God of War in the depth of its stories big and small, the only difference being there are so many more in the form of side quests and Witcher contracts, courtesy of its larger open world.

That's shown in another intriguingly shared trait between Witcher 3 and God of War: although each is not the first entry in their series - third and eighth respectively - they have been the first many fans have played, if not still only; a testament to the quality of the writing tailored to both players old and new. Not to mention, Geralt is a perfect protagonist to follow Kratos if you haven't tried The Witcher series already - an experienced, deadly warrior with a stern exterior, the softer side kept deep down only shown to those he truly cares for. 

9 - Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Although partly a pivot in the genre to more puzzle-solving and psychological horror, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a fine choice if you're looking for something a tad different, but is still inspired by Norse Mythology and Celtic Culture. 

Following Pict warrior, Senua, Hellblade will feel familiar as she begins her quest to Helheim - the realm of Hel which is also shown in God of War - to retrieve the soul of her dead lover from the goddess, Hela. The game even feels like a step in the same direction as God of War via its melee combat, boss battles, and the use of other Norse characters. However, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice still makes a name for itself in its even deeper personal story - exploring mental health issues and the pain they can bring. 

8 - The Last of Us Part 1

When it comes to games like God of War, some are going to feel more familiar than others initially; that is until you play enough of the rest to see what's under the surface. Playing this PS5 remake of the 2013 game, that's without a doubt the best to ever hit the PS3, The Last of Us feels so similar to God of War but for almost entirely different reasons than the rest - besides its familiar third-person exploration and melee combat.

As Atreus is to Kratos, Ellie is more to Joel than just a helpful AI companion. Both pairs start their journey with their relationship in the same place: an arm's length from one another. Over time though, these father protagonists gradually let their walls down and let their children in - being a guiding light in the darkness to not let their past control them.

Yes, the sad-dad-plot shows a bit of a theme when comparing the two games. Nevertheless, if the element of God of War's story about bridging the bond between a father and his son gripped you from start to finish, then of The Last of Us - between Joel and his daughter-figure Ellie in a zombie apocalypse - will tug on your heartstrings just as much. 

7 - Elden Ring

Elden Ring is one of the most successful games of all time, selling more than 16.6 million copies since its February 2022 launch. With its stunning dark-fantasy world, menacing foes, and challenging levels of difficulty known only by developer, FromSoftware, it's not hard to understand why. 

That degree of challenge in not just its boss battles, but also from the open world in general, makes Elden Ring an exceptional choice for God of War players who want to test their mettle against more powerful enemies after besting Baldur or the Valkyrie Queen. As its massive player base built in such a short amount of time would suggest though, Elden Ring is also just a solid recommendation in general. 

6 - Assassin's Creed Valhalla

In the same vein as The Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed Valhalla boasts a lot of shared traits when comparing games like God of War - some more obvious enough to even have Valhalla accused of copying God of War. Set in a huge world with inspiration from Norse mythology, Assassin's Creed Valhalla could easily be called "Vikings: The Game". With axe-swinging combat, skill trees, sailing, raids to expand your settlement, and more, Valhalla will feel instantly familiar to God of War before wowing you with its much larger scope. 

If you're looking for the best value for money, Assassin's Creed Valhalla has more than a hundred hours' worth of content to keep you busy. If you're craving the more mythological aspects of Norse lore, Valhalla's Ragnarok expansion will give you just that - as protagonist Eivor sets off to embrace their destiny as Odin.

5 - Horizon Forbidden West

Another recent hit among 2022 releases, Horizon Forbidden West is a visual spectacle with a unique premise behind its story of a futuristic post-apocalyptic world ruled by machines. The first game in the series, Horizon Zero Dawn, is also fantastic in visuals and gameplay for its time. However, the sequel's gameplay tweaked the gameplay just enough to make it a more satisfactory scratch for that God of War itch. 

With huntress Aloy's prowess as an archer with added weapon types, and light-to-heavy melee capabilities, combat feels like a fun mix of both Atreus' and Kratos' skills with a sci-fi edge. Also made by Zero Dawn developer, Guerrilla Games, Horizon Forbidden West is arguably the most beautiful game like God of War you can play.

4 - Devil May Cry 5

If you loved pulling off flawless hack-and-slash combos in God of War, Devil May Cry 5 is the most stylish game to jump into next. Yes, being the fifth in the franchise might be at first offputting for newcomers, but the story is simple to follow once you pick the general quick-to-learn lore.

Even so, Devil May Cry 5's fast-paced, sword-slashing, gun-blasting combat against numerous demons big and small is what makes the latest in Capcom's hack-and-slash action-adventure series a must-try for God of War fans. 

3 - Red Dead Redemption 2

Another vast open world set in the 1899 US, many may wonder how what could easily be remarked as "the cowboy game", is like God of War. While just as, if not more, pleasing to the eyes in terms of graphics with an immersive setting, it's not Red Dead 2's gameplay that makes it mirror God of War. It is in fact its story - one of self-reflection within its protagonist. As is the reason many fans fell in love with God of War (2018), Red Dead Redemption 2's ginormous adventure is a nuanced personal story via the arc of Arthur Morgan from start to finish.

Like how Kratos eventually realised he had to face his past as a monster, Arthur does the same towards the end of RD2's long campaign, more so depending on your morality choices. Without going into spoilers, Red Dead Redemption 2 requires a large time investment, but the payoff is equally beneficial.

2 - Ghost of Tsushima

Sure, there are games like God of War, but what they have in common might be in just some parts more than others. In Ghost of Tsushima's case, that would be in its combat and most prominent of all, tragedy. It was the death of Kratos' wife, Faye, which set him and Atreus off on their journey and face whatever enemies got in their way. In Ghost of Tsushima, it's the death of Jin Sakai's people and all of his Samurai kin that sets him off on a path of vengeance - with the faces of all Mongol invaders as his targets.

Like God of War, Ghost of Tsushima too has an open world, but its map isn't so large that exploring everything on offer might become laborious if you're mainly focused on the story. There's a decent amount of side quests that, whilst all optional, are all so impossible to resist in learning more about the island of Tsushima's engaging lore.

Of course, if more of Kratos' violent, gore-inducing weapon-swinging is what you're after, Jin's selection of weapons and skills, as both Samurai and Shinobi, give you just that versus numerous Mongols and bandits.

The best game like God of War

1 - Final Fantasy 7 Remake

There's no shortage of epic third-person adventures when it comes to God of War, and it's hard to find one as appealing as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. For those coming fresh off God of War, FF7 gives you more of what you love, over-the-top combat that lets you hack and slash with gigantic swords to your heart's content. Like God of War, your loadouts can be modified with buffed stats and perks equipping accessories and magical materia - tailoring the large choice of combat capabilities to however you wish. 

The big difference with Final Fantasy 7 Remake is that you'll have even more AI companions with unique movesets to integrate into your playstyle - with even the ability to summon monsters to aid you in battle. But when you're facing the game's numerous mainline and optional bosses, that's all just part of the fun. Thanks to the enhanced version, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for PS5 and PC, there's never been a better time to try out this like-God-of-War title.