Wanting to fill the time until God of War: Ragnarok releases? Then you’ve landed on the right page. The critical and commercial success of 2018’s God of War reboot on the PS4 meant that a sequel was surely in the cards for old man Kratos. This surprisingly heartfelt tale transformed the Greek demigod from a vengeful killer into a doting dad, and it seems like his story is far from over.
But the PS5 sequel, God of War: Ragnarok isn’t releasing until 2022, which is still a ways off. And if you can’t wait to check back in with Kratos’s Norse mythology escapades, then we’ve got a few game suggestions that will keep you occupied until that elusive release date rolls around next year.
The following five games have been chosen based on their similarities to the God of War series, such as setting and/or gameplay. While they won’t necessarily be entirely similar, we’re sure there will be at least one game in here that will be to your liking, and could even become a new favorite among your gaming library.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011 - PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PC)
Okay, to be fair, if you’re reading this you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with Skyrim. But if you know it in name only, there’s a wonderfully fantastical and dangerous world waiting for you to conquer with boatloads of quests, factions and character customization to dabble in.
It’s a little scary to think that Skyrim has been out for nearly a decade at this point, but Bethesda’s open world fantasy adventure remains brilliantly playable to this day. The wintry environs of Skyrim can be as beautiful as they are harsh, and the dynamic world design means you could encounter unpredictable events at any turn.
While Skyrim does look pretty dated at this point in terms of graphical quality, the Special Edition released on PS4, Xbox One and PC added some lovely visual flair like higher resolution textures and improved lighting effects.
One of Skyrim’s best features comes from the players rather than the developers, and that would be the game’s robust collection of mods. If you can get over the learning curve, installing mods into Skyrim can transform the game in so many amazing ways, including adding quests, weapons and extra graphical details. Mod support is also somewhat miraculously supported on Xbox and PS4, though it’s unfortunately more limited on Sony’s machine.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020 - PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
If you’re looking for something that’s fairly God of War adjacent, it’s hard to do much better than Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This brilliantly realized open world takes place across the medieval landscapes of ye olde Norway and England, exploring the Nordic influences present in Britain at the time.
Valhalla trades the drop-dead gorgeous vistas of its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, for something a lot more grounded. Medieval England is a gritty, often dingy place to explore. It has its moments of beauty, of course, but you’ll often be fighting in the rainiest, muddiest climes merry old England has to offer.
Much like Odyssey and Origins before it, Valhalla has a pretty decent story that will guide you through all the highlights of the open world. The abundance of weapon and armor swapping has been greatly toned down from Odyssey, too, allowing for a more streamlined gameplay experience.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015 - PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC)
The Witcher 3 is getting on in years at this point, but that doesn’t make the game any less impressive. Truly, the scope of The Witcher 3 is nearly unparalleled to this day, showcasing a giant open world set across multiple and varied regions.
The Witcher 3 is very much about its characters, not least of all Geralt of Rivia, the series’ moody protagonist. Geralt’s grit-filled voice, no-nonsense mannerisms and dry sense of humor never get old, and seeing his relationships with other characters unfold is worth a playthrough alone.
That’s not to say the game is all form over function. Far from it, as The Witcher 3 boasts one of the most involving and detailed action combat systems in recent years. You have your standard sword attacks, of course, but those are supplemented by crossbows, potions, poisons and Signs - a set of basic magical abilities Geralt can employ to swiftly change the course of battle.
The Witcher 3 is a genuinely massive game, and much like Skyrim, will take you upwards of 100 hours if you want to see and do absolutely everything. That playtime expands exponentially with two substantial expansions - Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Not to mention Gwent, the bizarrely addictive collectible card game that got its own online multiplayer spin-off.
Ghost of Tsushima (2020 - PS4)
If you loved the God of War reboot, then you absolutely won’t want to miss out on another stunningly good Sony first-party title. Ghost of Tsushima pushes the PS4’s graphical power to its limits, delivering one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous games on the system. But that’s not all Ghost of Tsushima has going for it.
Developed by Sucker Punch, Ghost of Tsushima puts players in the role of samurai Jin Sakai. As Jin, it’s your job to protect the island of Tsushima from an invading Mongol horde, and you can do this via careful stealth or fiercely visceral sword combat.
Jin can also make use of a handful of useful tools to help him gain the upper hand in combat. Smoke bombs can be used to make a hasty escape, while kunai can strike multiple enemies for a quick burst of area damage.
Ghost of Tsushima’s open world is a delight to explore, and a real visual treat much like God of War and fellow PS4 landmark Horizon Zero Dawn. And just like those games, it’s easy to spend hours just drinking in the sights, and making use of the game’s superb photo mode.
Hades (2020 - Nintendo Switch, PC)
With 2018’s God of War and the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok largely featuring Norse mythology, it’s easy to overlook Kratos’s Greek origins. That’s why we’re recommending Hades - an action roguelite heavily inspired by Greek mythology - and arguably one of the best games ever made.
In Hades you play as Prince Zagreus, and the basic premise is to get one over on your dad (the titular God of the Dead himself) by escaping the underworld to reach Mount Olympus, spurred on by the gods that reside there who also aren’t particularly fond of Hades. Said gods will grant you boons (essentially combat perks) as you progress through the levels of the underworld, and are indispensable to your survival.
Hades is a very challenging game, but one of its best features is the House of Hades, where you return upon death. While here, Zagreus can interact with the house’s denizens to increase his bond with them (yep, Hades doubles as a dating sim), as well as upgrade himself and the layout of future runs to help give you every advantage you’ll most certainly need.
Like any good roguelite, the first time you clear a full run will feel oh-so satisfying. However, in Hades, that’s far from the end of the game, as the narrative cleverly sets itself up to give Zagreus a reason to continuously escape from the underworld. If you like fast-paced and challenging combat with a sizable helping of Greek mythology, Hades is a near infinitely playable game and simply one of the best indies around.
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