God of War

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2512 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,245 out of 2512
  2. Mixed: 175 out of 2512
  3. Negative: 92 out of 2512
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  1. Nathan1963
    Sep 20, 2012
    10
    (Translate from Portuguese into English)O começo do que seria a melhor trilogia que já joguei,tudo é perfeito nele (para a época),a batalha final é épica,Kratos conquistou uma legião de fãs com este jogo,acho que foi o jogo que mais vezes zerei.
  2. habib
    Jun 20, 2012
    10
    This Should be called God of PS2 Game ,because it's the best PS2 game ever .This Should be called God of PS2 Game ,because it's the best PS2 game ever .

    .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................    … Expand
  3. platguy4
    Apr 23, 2011
    10
    If your looking for adventure, puzzle, and great combat, look no further. This is a fantastic game in all respects - it keeps you hooked from beginning to end. The pure scale of the environment is enough to warrant a purchase - the environment is vast and engaging. The difficulty level is perfectly tuned, the puzzles are difficult but not frustrating, and the battle scenes are intense andIf your looking for adventure, puzzle, and great combat, look no further. This is a fantastic game in all respects - it keeps you hooked from beginning to end. The pure scale of the environment is enough to warrant a purchase - the environment is vast and engaging. The difficulty level is perfectly tuned, the puzzles are difficult but not frustrating, and the battle scenes are intense and enjoyable in equal measure. All round God of War reaches near perfection and makes you really feel part of the Greek myth it emulates. It is true that there are minor issues with the fixed camera view, but this hardly detracts from the experience of the game as a whole. Also the game is a touch short ( can be finished in about 8 hours), but if you crank up the difficulty settings you soon realise that tactics are everything and the battle system requires skill and forethought. BUY IT… Expand
  4. abhi181080
    Oct 17, 2011
    10
    unbelievable, kudos to david jaffe and team , what an exhilarating experience, gripping and addictive, u can not stop untill u end it, u just get inside the character so much that if he is hurt , u feel the pain.
    Wow what a play !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  5. iKen
    Apr 13, 2020
    9
    Played on PlayStation 2.
    Gameplay: GREAT.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GREAT.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Dialogue: GREAT.
  6. alexaxa
    Mar 23, 2014
    9
    This game was awesome back when it came out. The boss fights were awesome but there was not as many as player would have like but this has been fixed in God of War 2.
  7. Ultach
    Aug 17, 2013
    9
    A different beast entirely from the series' later entries. Kratos is a reasonably sympathetic Byronic Hero. The atmosphere intentionally invokes Ray Harryhausen films, and gives you an idea of what those films might have been like with blood n guts and all that good stuff. The dialogue can be clumsy in places, but otherwise the story is sound. Some puzzles are real headscratchers, whileA different beast entirely from the series' later entries. Kratos is a reasonably sympathetic Byronic Hero. The atmosphere intentionally invokes Ray Harryhausen films, and gives you an idea of what those films might have been like with blood n guts and all that good stuff. The dialogue can be clumsy in places, but otherwise the story is sound. Some puzzles are real headscratchers, while others you'll barely have to think about. The combat, arguably the main draw of the series, is certainly less complex in this one. It feels more like an action adventure game than a hack n slash (Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, et all) as far as the combat is concerned, but there's still quite a lot of combo potential.… Expand
  8. Derpman233
    Apr 19, 2013
    6
    I have to admit this was a good game when I played the HD remake on PS3, but it just got so very boring after a while. I stopped playing when I was almost done with the Temple of Pandora, I just felt that that section was just a gimmick just so that the developers could extend the game's length. There were really no cutscenes during that part and it felt really pointless. I liked some ofI have to admit this was a good game when I played the HD remake on PS3, but it just got so very boring after a while. I stopped playing when I was almost done with the Temple of Pandora, I just felt that that section was just a gimmick just so that the developers could extend the game's length. There were really no cutscenes during that part and it felt really pointless. I liked some of the combos but I'm not really one to remember all the buttons you have to mash to perform a specific combo and often found myself just using two or three of them. Overall, the game is good but lacks: subtitles, good graphics (even after the HD re-release), more cutscenes (I never thought I would be asking for this but, yeah...) and a more engaging story-line. I think GoW: Ascension gets a bit more in-depth into the anger of Kratos and I think that should have been achieved through the original.… Expand
  9. Mahdiar
    Dec 17, 2015
    9
    Gameplay : 9
    Graphics : 8
    Story : 8
    Sound : 8
    **********************************************************************************
    Overall : 9
  10. crimsondoor
    Jul 22, 2016
    9
    What a classic. I picked this up only because I love Greek Mythology, but I was surprised at the quality of it. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

    Compared with GOW2, it has better puzzles, story, pacing, atmosphere and soundtrack which is why I enjoyed it more. But they both are much better than GOW3 for sure.
  11. chayshirin
    Jun 25, 2016
    9
    A huge improvement over the first one.
    good:
    Enjoyable puzzles
    great music
    lovely art direction
    excellent pacing
    Good boss fights

    Bad:
    still some cheap deaths
    pointless weapons and abilities
    abandoning new mechanics just after they are introduced
  12. psyco1000
    Mar 24, 2015
    10
    Absolutely the single biggest defining game of my gaming history. I've been an avid fan since the first release, and have converted from Xbox 360 to PS3, and now to PS4, all to follow the coming releases of this series. I borrowed my friend's PS3 to beat GoW3 several times, and then I bought a used PS3 solely to play the GoW collection (which included the remastered last-gen and PSPAbsolutely the single biggest defining game of my gaming history. I've been an avid fan since the first release, and have converted from Xbox 360 to PS3, and now to PS4, all to follow the coming releases of this series. I borrowed my friend's PS3 to beat GoW3 several times, and then I bought a used PS3 solely to play the GoW collection (which included the remastered last-gen and PSP titles), and GOW: Ascension, the 4th console release for the game.

    Needless to say, this is my favorite game series of all time. It has one of the most gripping, well thought-out storylines I've ever seen. The character development we've seen was artfully and movingly done, and the story was unique and creative. Every game has been on the forefront of graphics and game engine for its time. Every boss battle was awe-inspiring, the environments were beautifully humbling, and in my opinion, the combat system is unparalleled.

    No matter how vicious Kratos becomes, we always find ourselves agreeing with his decisions, mostly. ;)    … Expand
  13. Termin8ter
    Feb 9, 2016
    9
    God Of War is among the best action games of all time, excellent story, perfect combat, great graphics, and an overall amazing experience. Buy this game on sight.
  14. caligula_king
    Oct 3, 2015
    10
    EL NACIMIENTO DE UN DIOS DE LOS VIDEJUEGOS . God of War tuvo toda lo necesario para ser el mejor juego de ps2 y uno de los mejores de la historia, Graficos imponentes(Para esa consola), una historia atrapadora,BSO sublime , muchisima sangre, un enemigo mas que digno como Ares, poderes increíbles y el carisma del personaje principal (Kratos) . SIMPLEMENTE GRACIAS SONY POR CREAR TAL OBRAEL NACIMIENTO DE UN DIOS DE LOS VIDEJUEGOS . God of War tuvo toda lo necesario para ser el mejor juego de ps2 y uno de los mejores de la historia, Graficos imponentes(Para esa consola), una historia atrapadora,BSO sublime , muchisima sangre, un enemigo mas que digno como Ares, poderes increíbles y el carisma del personaje principal (Kratos) . SIMPLEMENTE GRACIAS SONY POR CREAR TAL OBRA MAESTRA EN 2005… Expand
  15. ursynhu
    Mar 10, 2016
    10
    Este jogo é incrível! Eu recebi e ainda não posso parar de jogar. Os gráficos são tão detalhadas para um game e é desafiador, mas divertido e terá que jogar por horas! A história é complexa e profundamente pensado. O melhor jogo que eu já joguei de forma
  16. OwnedKill
    Mar 8, 2016
    10
    O sucesso dessa trilogia foi por causa desse primeiro jogo, muito massa, batalhas muito épicas, chefões épicos e claro gráfico muito muito massa para a época.
  17. Antemiz
    Mar 19, 2016
    10
    I was extremly amazed when i first played this game back in 2005, fighting,weapons,levels,puzzle elements, and the characters showed how much this game just changed everything for gamers, well done to santa monica studios.
  18. FilemonBR
    Aug 16, 2016
    10
    Não tem oque falar, o nascimento do simbolo do mascote do playstation, jogo lindo, feito para brigar com o xbox, provou que o ps2 consegue fazer coisas incriveis, jogabilidade otima, graficos muito bons , levando a época e o ps2, trilha sonora impecável, um jogo muito divertido sim
  19. Filemon_Sega
    Aug 19, 2016
    10
    Não tem oque falar, o nascimento do simbolo do mascote do playstation, jogo lindo, feito para brigar com o xbox, provou que o ps2 consegue fazer coisas incriveis, jogabilidade otima, graficos muito bons , levando a época e o ps2, trilha sonora impecável, um jogo muito divertido sim
  20. Ishi123
    Oct 31, 2016
    10
    The first and the best. God of War is a master class in hack and slash fun. With an amazing story and fun and satisfying gameplay, this game sets a standard for many other games to follow.

    The game is mature, it's brutal, it contains to much energy and violence. Swinging your chain blades around and clearing a room with brutality and strength never gets old, and supplanted by magical    The first and the best. God of War is a master class in hack and slash fun. With an amazing story and fun and satisfying gameplay, this game sets a standard for many other games to follow.

    The game is mature, it's brutal, it contains to much energy and violence. Swinging your chain blades around and clearing a room with brutality and strength never gets old, and supplanted by magical abilities that you unlock along the way, the game is always fun and provides a meaty challenge for those who seek to brave this violent Greek tale of revenge.

    The combat system is top-notch, and swinging your chain blades around and cutting into legions of undead hellspawn feels heavy, satisfying and cathartic, and you are given a wide variety of combos and abilities to tackle whatever is in your way, sending hundreds of enemies straight back to Hades. Some enemies will require more strategy than just mashing square and triangle all over the place, which suffices for most encounters. Magic is provided to tip the scales in your favor for more hectic battles, and the boss fights this game has will definitely test your abilities.

    Level design is amazing as well, with each area feeling fresh with lots of secrets to uncover to reward a bit of exploration. Puzzles can get complex, and will make you stop the violence for a bit to think. The central location of the game itself is one of the most memorable locations in gaming for me, as it is a gigantic temple of trials, containing within itself multiple level types with their own challenges and enemies. Even though you spend most of the game in this one place, it never feels the same as you challenge its deadly halls, filled with demons and traps to test only the bravest and strongest warriors.

    The story is one of revenge, just like everything else nowadays, but it's told very well, and the scale of it sets a precedent that is hard to reach. You are a man up against a god, and it's up to you to gather the strength and the will to destroy the being who wronged you. However, it's not just murder and carnage, as the game will sometimes stop to make you think about your actions, perhaps making you feel some regret for all those innocent people you killed for health orbs back in the first area (you monster). The character of Kratos is tragic and depressing, a man blinded by rage and power who ends up committing atrocities that curse him, all of the world knowing him and the things he's done. It's a quest for redemption and absolution as much as it is for revenge, and it can be quite engaging.

    God of War is a timeless classic, setting the standard for the rest of the series to follow, setting the bar high and providing a gripping and amazing experience the whole way through.    … Expand
  21. Jconker
    May 8, 2018
    9
    The protagonist of the game is sympathetic in one moment then merciless in another it is interesting to see a video-game character this conflicted with a tragic story that repeats itself on the sequels. The voice acting is superb but the Gods motivations are not that great making it feel childish at times. The combat is deadly with great animation shown each time you make a specificThe protagonist of the game is sympathetic in one moment then merciless in another it is interesting to see a video-game character this conflicted with a tragic story that repeats itself on the sequels. The voice acting is superb but the Gods motivations are not that great making it feel childish at times. The combat is deadly with great animation shown each time you make a specific attack that you can see the bloody mess you can do. The combat does feature combos but you don't unlock long combos which is a small shame. The climbing is simple with responsive controls does make it feel realistic, while the button prompts that appear to make a finishing is a welcome feature that really makes the game stand out from the crowd. Even the underwater levels are awesome and challenging; the environments are almost perfect for the time with also amazing character models and background. The sound effects are just amazing with a great soundtrack, the enemies also makes player think for a better strategy in some instances like saving magic, dodging, avoiding, jump, and attack. The unlocks are the challenges in which is actually my least favorite in the series but still a good feature that also unlocks new customs. The level design showcases the diversity and a great pacing just made this game one of the greatest hack & Slash games of all time.… Expand
  22. RAZALIX
    Nov 4, 2019
    10
    Magnífico juego, espectacular la verdad, una joya de la corona en el mundo de lso videojuegos
  23. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    10
    A Masterpiece, loved everything about this game, it is definitely a must play!
  24. Hmody10087
    Nov 10, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Everything about this game is amazing the ending whare you become god of war except the trap was really annoying… Expand
  25. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 12, 2020
    9
    This game is so good I love it its the best in its genre. The highest difficulty is pretty frustrating and unbalanced but the game is very much wort hit.
  26. CurryTheBun
    Dec 2, 2022
    8
    It's pretty good, but has minor flaws. It's age surely shows that its curdling like expired milk. However, the flavor is aged like a fine wine.

    "You should play God of War, It'll get you laid"

    - Richard Foge
  27. Lncrypt3d7
    Feb 1, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is great.... Kinda- I love the story it's amazing but that's honestly the only thing this game has going for it. Don't play this game just watch it on YouTube the combat is insanly infuriating and the game play is straight up unfair. I played in normal mode up untill the final boss fight with the golden sword. That part was so **** bad that I quit the game. It is insanly unfair and whenever you get hit he heals and not to mention the fact that you are constantly just stuck in place. Move? Stuck. Attack? Stuck. Get hit? Stuck. Roll? Stuck. No matter what happens krotos won't stand his ass up and blocking hardly works after **** ages of trying and feeling a rage that no game has EVER brought me my game froze and made me restart from the first phase. I quit then. I will never pick up this game again, I will be playing GoW2 but this game is horrible the cons far outweigh the pros


    Edit: my gamer pride caved and I switched to easy mode which felt like a cakewalk in comparison to normal. It was almost like jumping from Very hard to Easy mode. I finished the game I'm still upset about the controls but I rate it a 6now instead of 4. If you play this game play on easy    … Expand
  28. TheTruth69
    Feb 2, 2013
    8
    I was reading the negative reviews of this game and its just like... Oh this game's music is horrible. Then turn the music off. "It's too hard and there is so much blood..." First of all games dont suck because there hard and this is god of war, there is tons of blood. No that that done with we can review this awesome game. The story is good but the game lacks a lot of cutscenes so youI was reading the negative reviews of this game and its just like... Oh this game's music is horrible. Then turn the music off. "It's too hard and there is so much blood..." First of all games dont suck because there hard and this is god of war, there is tons of blood. No that that done with we can review this awesome game. The story is good but the game lacks a lot of cutscenes so you will find you self a few hours brefor something happens. The game presents it self well though. The music is awesome not much to complain about, The gameplay is superb and the QTE's can be hard but are extremely satisfying. The blades of chaos are extremely good but late game you will prbabaly ditch them for the artemis sword. The puzzles will get you thinking. The magic isnt really that notable becuase you use it when its needed. The graphics are ok but its ps2 game y'know? Kratos is an extremely deep and badass character while the supporting characters, um support. The only notable characters are Kratos, athena, and Ares who has an epic flame beard by the way. The game is worth renting, as its not that notable but if you really like it buy it. The bosses all have a puzzle to solve in order to beat them, like the hydra boss you have to impale each head when you down it. However ares is the boss you really want to fight. The diffculty isnt to bad but the part in underworld is frustrating as hell. The art design is completly good, you will feel like your in ancient greece. And did i mention theres is a sex minigame and boobies! So if you like boobs, sex blood and gore, hack and slash, and flame beards than this game is for you… Expand
  29. TomL.
    Jan 31, 2009
    10
    Amazing!
  30. Mako5
    Feb 26, 2012
    7
    This game was a startling surprise for it's day. A fresh and unique experience with a some-what interesting story, though. Gameplay was decent, and sometimes the game grew a little boring. Not the best game in the world, but still I enjoyed the game. I liked it actually. I'd recommend it.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PS2 Game of 2005
2
#2 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005
2
#2 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 74 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 75
  3. Negative: 0 out of 75
  1. Game Informer
    100
    While playing God of War, I honestly found it difficult to resist the urge to simply genuflect and be humbled to be in the presence of such digital divinity, this god among games. [Apr 2005, p.122]
  2. IGN
    98
    If you like to kill freaky things with your giant serrated knives, you'll love the s*** out of this... This videogame features sexual situations, bare breasts and excessive brutality. Good with that? Excellent!
    Read full review
  3. Play Magazine
    95
    The game contains so much energy and conviction, so much skill and spirit. There came a point where I was totally lost to it, in the way you are to a great movie - to any powerful art form. [Apr 2005, p.50]
See all critic reviews »