The God of War franchise, known for its brutal combat, compelling narratives, and stunning visuals, has captivated gamers for nearly two decades. From the original Greek saga to the Norse-inspired reinvention, each installment offers a unique and memorable experience. A common question among fans, however, persists: which God of War game takes the crown for being the longest? Determining the true “longest” game requires a nuanced approach, considering factors like main story completion time, completionist runs, and the inclusion of optional content. This article delves into the playtime data of each major God of War title, analyzes the variables, and crowns the champion based on thorough research.
Analyzing Playtime Data: A Look At Each Game
To accurately assess the length of each God of War game, we’ll examine playtime data compiled from reputable sources like HowLongToBeat, a website known for crowdsourced game completion times. This data typically distinguishes between the main story, the main story plus extras, and a completionist run. It is important to note that individual playtimes can vary depending on difficulty level, play style, and prior experience with the franchise.
God Of War (2005): A Spartan Beginning
The original God of War, which introduced us to the vengeful Kratos, offers a relatively concise experience compared to later entries. The main story can be completed in approximately 8-10 hours. A playthrough encompassing the main story with some side content pushes the playtime to around 11-14 hours. Completionists aiming to unlock every achievement and find every collectible can expect to spend upwards of 15-20 hours.
God Of War II (2007): Expanding The Epic
God of War II builds upon the foundation of its predecessor, delivering a more expansive adventure. The main story takes roughly 10-12 hours to complete. Including extra content and exploring more of the game world extends the playtime to 15-18 hours. For completionists, mastering the challenges, unlocking all upgrades, and finding all secrets can easily consume 20-25 hours.
God Of War III (2010): A Climax Of Destruction
God of War III delivers a visually stunning and action-packed conclusion to the Greek saga. The main story is comparable in length to God of War II, clocking in at around 10-12 hours. A playthrough including extras and optional challenges can take 15-18 hours. Completionists can expect to invest 20-25 hours to fully conquer the game. The Remastered version on PS4 maintains similar playtime statistics.
God Of War: Ascension (2013): A Prequel’s Perspective
God of War: Ascension, a prequel exploring Kratos’ early days, offers a slightly shorter experience than its immediate predecessors. The main story typically takes 7-9 hours to complete. Exploring additional content and side objectives increases the playtime to 10-13 hours. Completionists aiming to achieve 100% completion can anticipate spending 15-20 hours.
God Of War (2018): A Norse Rebirth
The 2018 God of War marks a significant departure from the previous titles, both in terms of gameplay and narrative. This Norse-inspired adventure is significantly longer than the Greek saga games. The main story takes around 25-30 hours to complete. A playthrough that includes main story content plus optional side quests, Valkyrie battles, and exploration can extend the playtime to 40-50 hours. Completionists striving for 100% completion, including defeating all Valkyries, finding all collectibles, and mastering all challenges, can easily spend 50-70 hours or more.
God Of War Ragnarök (2022): An Epic Conclusion
God of War Ragnarök continues the Norse saga and offers a comparable playtime to its predecessor. The main story takes approximately 25-30 hours to complete. Including side quests, exploring the nine realms, and battling optional bosses pushes the playtime to 40-50 hours. A completionist run, involving mastering all combat challenges, finding every collectible, and uncovering all secrets, can require 50-70 hours or even more. Some players have reported exceeding 80 hours for a truly comprehensive experience.
The Verdict: Declaring The Longest God Of War Game
Based on the playtime data analyzed, God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök are the longest games in the God of War franchise. While the main story length is similar between the two, the sheer volume of optional content, side quests, and collectibles significantly extends the playtime for completionists. The Valkyrie battles in God of War (2018) and the challenging Berserker encounters in Ragnarök, coupled with extensive realm exploration, contribute significantly to the overall playtime.
It’s important to consider that while the original God of War trilogy and Ascension offer shorter main story campaigns, they still provide engaging and memorable experiences. The length of a game is not necessarily indicative of its quality, and many fans appreciate the more focused and streamlined gameplay of the earlier titles.
Factors Contributing To Playtime Differences
Several factors contribute to the substantial difference in playtime between the Greek saga games and the Norse saga games. These include:
- Open World Design: God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök feature a semi-open world design, encouraging exploration and discovery. The earlier games are more linear in their structure.
- Side Quests and Optional Content: The Norse saga games are packed with numerous side quests, optional bosses (like the Valkyries and Berserkers), and collectibles that significantly extend the playtime.
- RPG Elements: The introduction of RPG elements, such as character progression, gear upgrades, and skill trees, encourages players to spend more time exploring and leveling up their characters.
- Difficulty Level: Playing on higher difficulty levels can significantly increase the playtime, as enemies become more challenging and require more strategic combat.
- Combat System: The revamped combat system in the Norse games, with its emphasis on tactical decision-making and resource management, can also contribute to longer playtime, especially on higher difficulties.
Beyond Playtime: The Value Of Each Game
While God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök are undoubtedly the longest games in the franchise, each installment offers its own unique value. The original trilogy provides a classic action-adventure experience with a compelling revenge story. God of War: Ascension delves into Kratos’ early history and offers a glimpse into his vulnerable side. The Norse saga games, with their mature storytelling, intricate world-building, and engaging gameplay, represent a significant evolution for the franchise. Ultimately, the “best” God of War game is subjective and depends on individual preferences. Whether you prefer the fast-paced action of the Greek era or the open-world exploration of the Norse era, the God of War franchise offers something for everyone.
In conclusion, if you are looking for the God of War game that will provide the most playtime, then God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök are the clear choices. Their expansive worlds, numerous side quests, and challenging optional content ensure a truly epic and immersive experience. However, the shorter games in the series should not be overlooked, as they offer equally engaging and memorable adventures in their own right. The key is to choose the game that aligns with your preferred play style and interests, and prepare to embark on an unforgettable journey through the world of gods and monsters.
Which God Of War Game Typically Takes The Longest To Complete For An Average Player?
God of War (2018), despite being a linear story compared to some of its predecessors, generally requires the most playtime for an average player. This is primarily due to its extensive exploration opportunities, a significant amount of side content, and challenging combat encounters that often necessitate multiple attempts. Players can easily spend 40-50 hours completing the main story and a good portion of the optional activities.
Furthermore, the game’s optional realms, such as Niflheim and Muspelheim, offer demanding trials and challenges that can significantly extend playtime. Completing all side quests, collecting all items, and fully upgrading Kratos and Atreus can push the total playtime well beyond 60 hours, making it the most time-consuming God of War experience for many.
What Factors Contribute To The Longer Playtime In God Of War (2018) Compared To Earlier Titles?
Several factors contribute to God of War (2018)’s extended playtime compared to earlier entries. The shift to a semi-open world design encourages exploration and discovery, rewarding players with resources, equipment, and lore that are not essential to the main story but enhance the overall experience. This contrasts with the more linear level design of previous God of War games, which offered less freedom for exploration.
Additionally, the introduction of RPG elements such as gear upgrades and skill trees necessitates resource gathering and character progression, which inherently adds to the playtime. The challenging combat system, featuring strategic enemy encounters and demanding boss fights, further contributes to the overall duration, as players may need to retry battles multiple times to master their skills and tactics.
Are There Any Specific Side Quests Or Areas In God Of War (2018) That Significantly Increase Playtime?
Yes, two specific realms – Niflheim and Muspelheim – significantly increase playtime in God of War (2018). Niflheim presents a procedurally generated maze filled with deadly mist and powerful enemies, requiring players to carefully manage their time and resources to survive. The rewards are valuable, but the repetitive nature of the trials can be quite time-consuming.
Muspelheim, on the other hand, offers a series of increasingly difficult combat trials that test the player’s skills and strategic thinking. Completing all the trials in Muspelheim is not only challenging but also unlocks powerful gear and upgrades, making it a worthwhile but time-intensive endeavor for dedicated players.
How Does The Completionist Approach Affect The Playtime Of God Of War (2018)?
Taking a completionist approach to God of War (2018) dramatically extends the playtime. This involves not only finishing the main story and all side quests, but also collecting all artifacts, ravens, treasure maps, and other collectibles scattered throughout the game world. Hunting down every hidden item can easily double or triple the amount of time spent playing.
Furthermore, completionists often aim to fully upgrade Kratos’ and Atreus’ equipment and skills, which requires significant resource farming and exploration. Defeating all optional Valkyrie bosses, renowned for their intense difficulty, is also a common goal for completionists, adding another substantial layer of playtime and challenge to the game.
Does The Difficulty Setting Impact The Overall Playtime Of God Of War (2018)?
Yes, the chosen difficulty setting can significantly impact the overall playtime of God of War (2018). Playing on higher difficulty levels, such as “Give Me God of War,” increases enemy health, damage output, and aggression, forcing players to adopt more strategic and cautious approaches to combat. This often leads to more frequent deaths and retries, substantially extending the time required to complete encounters.
Conversely, playing on lower difficulty settings, such as “Give Me a Story,” allows players to breeze through combat encounters with relative ease, reducing the overall playtime. Players focused solely on experiencing the narrative may opt for lower difficulties to minimize combat challenges and progress through the game more quickly.
Is God Of War Ragnarök Longer Than God Of War (2018)?
While God of War Ragnarök offers a larger world and more diverse activities, it generally takes a comparable amount of time to complete as God of War (2018) for an average player. The main story of Ragnarök is arguably longer, with a more complex narrative and numerous interconnected quests, but the optional content feels less grindy compared to the trials of Niflheim in the 2018 title.
However, the completionist playtime for Ragnarök can potentially exceed that of God of War (2018) due to the sheer volume of collectibles, side quests, and challenges scattered across the Nine Realms. Both games offer substantial playtime, but the experience may vary depending on the player’s preferred playstyle and level of dedication to completion.
Besides Completion Time, What Makes God Of War (2018) A Worthwhile Investment Of Time For Players?
Beyond its potentially lengthy playtime, God of War (2018) provides a deeply engaging and rewarding experience that justifies the time investment. The game features a compelling narrative centered on the evolving relationship between Kratos and Atreus, exploring themes of fatherhood, grief, and redemption in a mature and nuanced manner. The characters are well-developed, and their interactions resonate emotionally with players.
Furthermore, the game boasts stunning visuals, a meticulously crafted world filled with Norse mythology and lore, and a visceral and satisfying combat system that offers both depth and accessibility. The constant sense of progression, the discovery of secrets, and the thrill of overcoming challenging encounters contribute to a highly rewarding and memorable gaming experience.