Summary

• God of War now has a total of eight games, beginning on the PlayStation 2, with its most recent installment on the PS5.
• All mainline console releases of God of War can be played on the PS5, but some require a PS+ Premium subscription.
• Unfortunately, the two God of War games released for the PSP are not playable on the PS5.

The unexpected release of DLC for God of War's latest has brought even more of Kratos' journey to the PlayStation 5. Ever since the PlayStation 2 era, God of War has been one of Sony's flagship franchises for its line of consoles and handhelds. The last two console generations saw something of a reinvention for the series, starting with 2018's simply-titled God of War, a soft reboot. God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC, however, grapples directly with the series' earlier games, most of which can be played on the PS5.

Beginning in 2005 with the original God of War title for the PS2, the games follow the story of Kratos who used to be the commanding officer and a great warrior for Ares, the Greek god of war. Ares, believing he could make Kratos into an even better and hardened killer, tricks Kratos into killing his own wife and daughter. The tragedy instead led to Kratos being filled with anger and seeking revenge for Ares' betrayal, which spurs his motivations and character development across the eight main games in the series.

Every God Of War Game Playable On PS5

Six Of The Games Are Possible On The PS5

Every mainline console release in the God of War series is playable on the PlayStation 5, albeit with some caveats. There are only three that are directly supported – God of War 3 Remastered, God of War (2018), and God of War Ragnarok. God of War 3 Remastered and the 2018 soft reboot are both native PS4 games, and will run at 60 frames per second on Sony's latest console after God of War's PS5 patch in 2021. God of War Ragnarok was released as a cross-generation title, playable on both PS4 and PS5.

Unfortunately, God of War 3 is the only pre-PS4 game in the series to have gotten a remaster which is directly compatible with the PS5. It's arguably the best title of the original, fixed-camera games, so God of War 3 isn't a bad place to start, but anyone looking to play the whole mainline series will need to utilize other means. In order to play the original God of War, God of War 2, and God of War: Ascension on PS5, a subscription to PlayStation Plus Premium is required, which grants access to the Classics Catalog.

How PlayStation's Premium Classics Catalog Works

Needed To Play Older God Of War Games On PS5

Anyone who has a current subscription to the Premium tier of PlayStation Plus can access a special Classics Catalog of games on the PS5. This Classics Catalog has hundreds of games from the original PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PSP consoles available to play, including some God of War titles.

PlayStation's Classics Catalog has the HD versions of the first two games, which were remastered for the PlayStation 3 and must be streamed on the PS5. The same is true for Ascension, which never received a port or remaster for another platform. PS3 titles are a sticking point for the PS5's backward compatibility – unlike some of the games in the Classics Catalog, these cannot be downloaded. This means that, in addition to a PS+ Premium subscription, a stable internet connection is required to play God of War (2005), God of War 2, and God of War: Ascension on PS5.

God of War 3 Remastered, God of War (2018), and God of War Ragnarok are also included in the PS+ Premium catalog, making the entire mainline console series available as long as a subscription is active.

What Order To Play The God Of War Games

Where To Start With The Series

Because of the overall narrative that is told across the God of War games, it is recommended to play the games in release order. God of War: Ascension is actually a prequel and therefore, chronologically, the first game in the series, yet playing the titles in release date order allows the story to unfold in a more natural progression.

The original trilogy and Ascension are distinctly different from the two newest installments – all four are fixed-camera, hack-and-slash games; 2018's soft reboot reinvented God of War's combat with a third-person perspective. Because of this, by playing the games in the order they were released, players can not only see the story of Kratos' adventure progress as intended, but players also experience the natural evolution of the series' gameplay.

God Of War Games Not Playable On PS5

PSP And One-Off Games Not Available

Two games that are not mainline titles, God of War: Betrayal for mobile devices in 2007 and God of War: A Call From The Wilds for Facebook in 2018 can no longer be played. The latter can still be seen in YouTube playthroughs, but neither are considered canon in the overall God of War series.

Sadly, two God of War games that were released for the PlayStation Portable – Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta – are currently not playable on the PlayStation 5. This is one unfortunate consequence of the new PS+ model subsuming PlayStation Now, Sony's game streaming service. PlayStation Now previously made it possible to play all eight God of War games on PS5, but the series' two PSP installments have not been brought to the PS+ Premium Classics Catalog.

Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta were included as digital downloads in the God of War Saga collection released for the PS3 in 2012, so these versions could conceivably be streamed through PlayStation Plus Premium at a future point if PlayStation adds them to the catalog.

Although both PSP games can be considered bonus chapters to Kratos' story, fitting into the God of War timeline on either side of the original game, Chains of Olympus has acquired newfound prominence after the release of God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla. Helios' decapitated head appears in Valhalla, and even though his death occurs in God of War 3, Chains of Olympus details foundational moments in the Greek Sun god's relationship with Kratos. Most importantly, Kratos saves Helios' life in Chains of Olympus, giving Helios a debt he feels he must repay, which is referenced in both God of War 3 and throughout Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC.

Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta are ultimately fairly short romps through God of War's rendition of Ancient Greece, but it's unfortunate that the entirety of the series can't be experienced on PS5. The six home console games are certainly enough to satiate any longtime God of War fan revisiting the series or newcomer hoping to play through Kratos' journey for the first time, but the PSP games are still sorely missed. Sony regularly adds new retro games to the PS+ Premium Classics Catalog, so there's still hope that one day every God of War game will be available on the PlayStation 5.