God of War vs Ragnarok: Which to Play First - Game Scout

Play God of War (2018) first. Ragnarok is a direct sequel that picks up a few years later and builds straight on the first game's plot, so starting there spoils the reveals that give the sequel its weight. The 2018 game is also the natural on-ramp: it reintroduces Kratos, establishes Atreus, and teaches the axe-and-shield combat that Ragnarok expands rather than replaces.

You do not need the older Greek-era God of War games to follow either one. The Norse arc is written as a fresh start, and the 2018 reboot opens with a recap-friendly premise, Kratos and his son carrying his late wife's ashes to the highest peak in the realms. Start with 2018, then move to Ragnarok for the payoff.

Both games share the same core: deliberate, stamina-aware melee built around the Leviathan Axe, the returning Blades of Chaos, a guardian shield, and Atreus as a ranged support you command in the fight. God of War (2018) introduced that toolkit and a skill-tree progression that slowly opens up runic attacks and combos.

Ragnarok keeps the feel and adds to it. Its headline addition is a third weapon, the Draupnir Spear, which changes how encounters are approached; the shields are more specialised, the gear and crafting systems are deeper, and the enemy and boss variety is wider. If 2018 is where the modern combat was built, Ragnarok is the refined, higher-ceiling version of the same system.

The clearest split is scope. God of War (2018) is the more linear, focused journey, with a central path and a handful of optional detours. God of War Ragnarok opens the map across all Nine Realms, with more freeform exploration, more side content, and multiple endings tied to how much of that content a player chases.

The trade is momentum against volume. The 2018 game keeps a tighter grip on pacing, while Ragnarok offers far more to do at the cost of a longer, occasionally looser middle. Which is better depends on whether a bigger world sounds like the appeal or the distraction.

Both are substantial single-player campaigns, and Ragnarok is the larger of the two. Full completion of God of War (2018) runs around 48 hours, while God of War Ragnarok climbs to roughly 60 hours for everything, reflecting its extra realms and side content. A story-focused run of either is considerably shorter than its completion time. If length is the deciding factor, the 2018 game is the tighter commitment; if scale is the appeal, Ragnarok is the bigger game.

Critics rate the two dead level: both God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok hold a 94 on Metacritic, among the highest-scoring PlayStation exclusives of their generations. Game-Scout players are just as close, with the 2018 game at 4.75 out of 5 across 301,055 ratings and Ragnarok marginally ahead at 4.78 from 196,025.

The written reception diverges more than the scores. God of War (2018) draws near-uniform praise for its story, visuals, and combat, with only minor grumbles about collectible bloat. Ragnarok earns the same praise for storytelling and presentation but is more divided in longer reviews, where pacing, drawn-out cutscenes, and a stretch of forced walking are the recurring complaints. Both still land firmly in the Great range.

There is no loser here. These are two chapters of one story rather than rivals, so the honest answer for most players is both, in order. Start with God of War (2018) for the tighter, more focused introduction, then play God of War Ragnarok for the larger, higher-ceiling sequel that pays off the first game's setup.

If you only have time for one, pick 2018 as a newcomer for its pacing and lower commitment, or Ragnarok if you want the bigger, more feature-rich adventure and do not mind meeting Kratos mid-journey. Both rank highly on our games like God of War and best story-driven games lists, where they sit in context against the wider PlayStation catalogue.