You know the feeling. You just finished the credits on God of War Ragnarök, the screen fades to black, and suddenly your living room feels way too quiet. Kratos and Atreus are gone. The Leviathan Axe isn't humming in your hands anymore. It’s a specific kind of "post-game depression" because Santa Monica Studio creates a loop that is incredibly hard to replicate: tight, crunchy combat mixed with a story that actually makes you feel something besides "angry guy hits monster."
Finding games similar to God of War isn't just about finding another third-person action title. If it were that easy, you could pick up any generic hack-and-slash from the bargain bin and call it a day. It’s about the weight. The deliberate movement. The cinematic camera that never cuts away. You want that specific blend of high-production storytelling and "weighty" combat where every hit feels like it’s breaking a rib.
Honestly, most recommendations get this wrong. They’ll point you toward Devil May Cry just because there are swords involved. But Dante is a ballerina with dual pistols; Kratos is a freight train. If you’re looking for that specific DNA, you have to look at how a game handles physics, narrative stakes, and world-building.
Why Ghost of Tsushima Is Usually the First Stop
If you haven't played Ghost of Tsushima, start there. Seriously. While the setting is feudal Japan rather than Midgard, the "vibe" is the closest thing you’ll find to the modern GoW duology. Sucker Punch Productions nailed the "heavy" feeling of a blade. When Jin Sakai parries an enemy, there’s a spark and a momentary slowdown that feels ripped straight out of Kratos’ playbook.
The story hits those same father-figure notes, too. Instead of a son, you have Lord Shimura, an uncle who represents the "old way" of doing things. It’s a generational clash. Jin has to decide if he’s going to be the honorable samurai his father figure wants or the monster the world needs him to be. Sound familiar?
The exploration is also surprisingly similar. It’s not a true "open world" in the sense of a messy Ubisoft map. It’s more of a guided, curated experience where the environment itself—the wind, the birds—leads you to secrets. It lacks the "Metroidvania" gear-gating of God of War, but it replaces it with a visual fidelity that’s almost unmatched on the PS5.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and the Narrative Weight
Let’s talk about the camera. One of the most famous things about the 2018 God of War was the "no-cut" camera. It stays glued to Kratos’ shoulder. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice does something very similar, though it’s much more claustrophobic.
Ninja Theory didn’t have a Sony-sized budget for the first game, but they used binaural audio and a tight perspective to make the player feel Senua’s psychosis. Like Kratos, Senua is haunted by her past. She’s traveling into a version of Hel—specifically the Norse Helheim—to save a soul.
The combat is heavier than you think. It’s slower than God of War. You can’t juggle enemies in the air for twenty seconds. Every encounter feels like a desperate struggle for survival. You’re blocking, dodging, and waiting for that one opening to drive a sword into a Northman’s chest. If you loved the lore-heavy, mythic atmosphere of the recent GoW games, Hellblade is essentially the darker, more psychological cousin. Just wear headphones. The voices in Senua’s head are a core mechanic, and they’ll warn you about attacks coming from behind, much like Mimir or Atreus do.
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Elden Ring and the "Challenge" Factor
We have to address the elephant in the room. A lot of people looking for games similar to God of War are actually looking for that "Give Me God of War" difficulty spike. They want the Valkyries. They want Gná.
Elden Ring is the logical conclusion of that desire.
Now, look, the storytelling is different. FromSoftware doesn’t sit you down and tell you a story through cutscenes. You have to read item descriptions and look at the architecture. It’s a "show, don't tell" approach taken to the extreme. But the combat? It’s the gold standard.
If you enjoyed the RPG elements of the newer GoW games—the armor sets, the stat scaling, the runic attacks—Elden Ring offers that but magnified by a hundred. You can build a character that plays exactly like Kratos. Get a big axe, put some frost ash of war on it, and go to town. The boss fights in Elden Ring provide that same "heart-in-your-throat" tension that the Berserker fights in Ragnarök delivered.
Does the lack of a direct narrative hurt it?
Maybe for some. If you’re here specifically for the "Boy!" dynamic, Elden Ring might feel lonely. It’s a cold, dying world. But the sense of discovery—the "I wonder what’s behind that giant golden tree"—is identical to the feeling of rowing a boat around the Lake of Nine for the first time.
The Old School Vibe: Devil May Cry 5
Maybe you aren't looking for the 2018 "Dad of War" style. Maybe you miss the PS2 era. The era of the Blades of Chaos, 500-hit combos, and Greek gods being ripped limb from limb.
If that's the case, Devil May Cry 5 is your best bet. It is unapologetically "video gamey." It doesn't care about your feelings or a grounded narrative about grief. It cares about how many S-ranks you can get while juggling a demon in the air with a motorcycle that doubles as chainsaws.
It’s fast. It’s loud. It’s stylish.
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While the modern God of War games moved away from this "Character Action" genre, DMC5 perfected it. You have three different characters, each with wildly different playstyles. Nero uses a mechanical arm (not unlike Kratos’ shield or various gadgets), while Dante uses... well, everything. It’s the perfect palate cleanser if you’re tired of the "prestige drama" tone of modern Sony games but still want the mechanical depth.
Jedi: Survivor Is Just God of War With Lightsabers
I’m being serious. If you strip away the Star Wars skin, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor are structurally almost identical to the 2018 God of War.
- The Map: It’s a 3D Metroidvania. You see a ledge you can’t reach, you go to a different planet, you learn a "Force Pull" or a double jump, and you come back to unlock that chest. It’s the exact same "hidden paths" logic used in the Nine Realms.
- The Combat: It uses a posture system. You aren't just mashing buttons; you’re timing parries to break an enemy’s guard so you can get a finishing move.
- The Companion: BD-1 is basically Atreus if Atreus were a tiny, adorable droid who gave you health stims and hacked doors.
Jedi: Survivor in particular expanded the combat stances. You can use a heavy "crossguard" stance that feels exactly like swinging a heavy claymore (or an axe), or a dual-wield stance that mimics the speed of the Blades of Chaos. The narrative is surprisingly mature, dealing with the trauma of being a survivor and the burden of leadership. It’s the closest "mechanical" match on this list.
Horizon Forbidden West and the "Grand Spectacle"
Sometimes what you really want is just a game that looks like it cost $200 million to make. Horizon Forbidden West delivers that.
The combat here is less about "crunchy" melee and more about tactical dismantling. You’re fighting giant robot dinosaurs. If you try to just whack a Thunderjaw with your spear, you’re going to die. You have to use your "Focus" to find weak points, tear off armor plating, and use their own weapons against them.
It hits that God of War itch in two specific ways:
- Production Value: The facial animations and voice acting are some of the only ones in the industry that can compete with Christopher Judge’s performance as Kratos.
- The "Impossible" World: Watching a massive mechanical creature collapse under your traps gives that same "David vs. Goliath" satisfaction that God of War perfected with its boss battles against Cronos or the Huldra brothers' creations.
Lies of P: The Dark Horse
If you liked the "parry-heavy" combat of God of War—where timing your L1 press perfectly creates a massive opening—you need to play Lies of P.
It’s a "Soulslike," sure, but it’s much more focused on the "Perfect Guard" than Dark Souls ever was. It’s a retelling of Pinocchio, but set in a Belle Époque city overrun by murderous puppets. It sounds weird. It is weird. But the weapon system is genius. You can combine different blades and handles to create a weapon that fits your timing.
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It feels "heavy." When your sword hits a puppet’s metal frame, the sparks and sound design give you that tactile feedback that Santa Monica Studio is so good at. It’s a linear-ish game, so you won't get lost in a massive open world, keeping the pacing tight and focused on the next big fight.
Technical Nuance: What Actually Makes a Game "Like" God of War?
We need to be honest about the limitations here. No game is going to be a 1:1 replacement.
Santa Monica Studio uses a specific "Hit Stop" technique. When Kratos hits an enemy, the game actually freezes for a fraction of a second—just a few frames. This creates the illusion of resistance. It makes it feel like the axe is actually biting into bone rather than sliding through a 3D model.
- Games that do this well: Ghost of Tsushima, Lies of P, Jedi: Survivor.
- Games that don't: The Witcher 3. (Love the game, but the combat is "floaty" compared to GoW).
Then there's the "Verticality." GoW 2018 and Ragnarök aren't flat. You’re constantly climbing, dropping down, and using the environment. If you hate games where you feel glued to the floor, avoid the older Souls titles and stick to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Rise of the Ronin.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
Don't just buy the first game you see on a "Top 10" list. Think about which part of God of War you actually liked the most.
- If you loved the story and the father-son bond: Play The Last of Us Part I. It’s not a hack-and-slash, but the emotional beats are the blueprint for modern God of War.
- If you loved the Norse mythology and world-building: Pick up Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. It covers many of the same myths from a much more grounded, terrifying perspective.
- If you loved the "Perfect Parry" and boss fights: Go with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It is the most refined version of that "clash of steel" feeling.
- If you want the exploration and gear upgrades: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the most direct structural match.
Most people make the mistake of jumping into a 100-hour RPG immediately after God of War and getting burnt out. If you're feeling that fatigue, try a shorter, more linear experience like A Plague Tale: Requiem. It has the companion mechanics and a dark, emotional story, but it won't ask you to spend 20 hours collecting crafting materials for a pair of gauntlets.
Whatever you choose, pay attention to the "weight" of the movement. That’s usually the "secret sauce" that makes a game feel like Kratos’ latest adventure. If the character feels like they’re sliding on ice, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Look for the crunch. Look for the impact. That’s where the ghost of Sparta truly lives.