The Best Action Games To Play If You Like God Of War

Key Takeaways

• God of War’s reboot brought new depth to Kratos, with mature themes and interactions making it a standout in the series.
• The success of God of War has led to a surge in popularity, with fans eagerly awaiting the next installment.
• There are many other games like God of War, offering similar engaging combat and compelling narratives for a great time.

God of War is one of the biggest action franchises of all time, with the 2018 reboot helping to propel the series back into the mainstream. Kratos was a pretty one-dimensional character during his adventures through Greek mythology, so watching him become more mature and grounded through his interactions with Atreus and the Norse gods makes for a great time.

Thanks to the success of the two Norse mythology-inspired installments, the God of War franchise has never been more popular, with fans the world over clamoring for more. Sadly, the next step of Kratos’ journey is likely still some years away, but there are plenty of great games like God of War to keep players busy until then. From story-heavy games to scintillating hack-and-slash titles, there are many titles that fans of this game series will have a great time with.

Updated November 23, 2024, by Hamza Haq: Over the last decade or so, the entire gaming industry seems to have shifted its entire focus on making Soulsikes, discarding the old hack-and-slash action RPG formula as outdated. But the market has long been oversaturated with such titles now, and gamers crave something different — an itch God of War (2018) was able to scratch, reigniting the passion players had for non-Soulsike ARPGs in a big way.

43 Final Fantasy 16

An Action Game With A Focus On Mature Themes And Excellent Real-Time Combat

The shift from a party-based system that was usually turn-based to a character-action game where real-time combat is the norm is a change that may have scared many players when Final Fantasy 16 came out. However, once players get over the initial tonal shift, the cinematic battles and epic storytelling of this title make it clear why many people consider this title to be a fine modern Final Fantasy title and one of the best games like God of War that players can get their hands on, especially if they love the mature themes present in Kratos’ adventures.

It’s one of the first mainline Final Fantasy games to attain an M rating, with its complex themes and violence showing how far Square Enix was willing to go to ensure that the series evolved. Clive is a great protagonist who endures a ton of strife in his goal to destroy the Mothercrystals and prevent Ultima from inhabiting his body.

42 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

A Story-Heavy Action Game Set In Norse Mythology

The first Hellblade game was a short and invigorating experience that let players take on numerous challenges as Senua, a warrior who suffers from psychosis and must battle her demons as she makes her way through a violent adventure. The combat may not be as in-depth as most people expected, but the amazing technical achievements and intriguing story of this title carried an experience that many held in high regard.

The same statements apply to the sequel, which looks breathtaking and is an easy recommendation for players seeking out state-of-the-art games like God of War that push the needle on both a technical and narrative front. The Norse mythology setting is a bonus for players who loved the new interpretation of Kratos and the characters he interacts with.

41 Assassin’s Creed Origins

Integrated RPG Elements In An Established Stealth-Action Series

Assassin’s Creed is a series that has both languished in complacency and tried to evolve its gameplay from time to time, with Origins being a massive departure from the series’ roots. The focus on turning the franchise into an open-world RPG a la The Witcher 3 was a bold choice that addressed many complaints about the cut-and-paste nature of previous games in the series.

Players who loved the RPG influences in Kratos’ new adventures will find Assassin’s Creed Origins to be one of the best games like God of War they can get their hands on. Featuring its fair share of hack-and-slash combat and climbing mechanics, this title shares a lot in common with Santa Monica’s endeavors than most people would assume.

40 Dark Souls

Modern God Of War Combat Is Very Much Inspired By This Title’s Gameplay

The new combat framework of God of War owes a lot to Dark Souls, and even the exploration feels similar in many ways. Both games adopt a Metroidvania-lite approach to level design and emphasize parrying, blocking, and dodging along with regular combat moves.

It helps that Dark Souls is also one of the greatest action RPGs ever made, meaning that players will be more than pleased to check out this piece of gaming history if they haven’t already. The fact that this title still stands strong as one of FromSoftware’s finest games is a testament to the sheer amount of love poured into this title.

39 Bayonetta

A Hyper-Stylized Action Game Focused On Dishing Out Combos And Taking Out Enemies With Flair

God of War has some of the most stylish combat ever seen in a video game, and this can be seen in the many combos Kratos can employ to turn his enemies into mincemeat. The moves he can pull off are nothing short of extraordinary, and it’s easy to see fans of this series wouldn’t mind checking out stylish combat systems that emphasize special moves and combos.

Bayonetta is right up the alley of most players who want to check out more stylish action. This charismatic and sassy witch becomes the star attraction of her eponymous game, with players trying their hardest to master the combat system before nailing combos and getting the highest ranking possible in every stage.

38 Immortals Fenyx Rising

An Underrated Open-World Action-Adventure Game Set In Ancient Greece

Kratos’ adventures in Norse mythology were a thing of beauty, but some fans miss the time when he was slicing and dicing Greek gods left and right. For these players, an adventure in Ancient Greece is exactly what the doctor ordered, and the prescription is bound to mention a heavy dose of Immortals Fenyx Rising.

This title may not bring anything new or revolutionary to the table, but it is a fun video game nevertheless that players can check out if they want to enjoy fun action combat and a story full of memorable characters who add some levity to the proceedings with their sense of humor. It’s a shame that this game didn’t meet Ubisoft’s sales expectations, since it could have been the start of something memorable.

37 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night

A Metroidvania Whose Design Shaped Elements Of God Of War

In many ways, players can call God of War a metroidvania, courtesy of the backtracking and how they need to unlock certain powers before gaining access to areas. This type of design was popularized by two legendary titles, one of which was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

This platforming RPG documents Alucard’s journey in Dracula’s Castle as he strives to end the villain before a curse transforms him for good. The gameplay in Symphony of the Night has aged like a fine wine. Players will love conquering the title’s many tough challenges before reaching the true ending of a masterpiece.

36 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

A Fun Assassin’s Creed Chapter In A Much-Requested Norse Setting

The new route of the Assassin’s Creed series hasn’t been warmly welcomed by many players who loved the old style of the series. However, many people love the RPG-heavy focus of the new Assassin’s Creed games, too, with Valhalla finally fulfilling everyone’s fantasies and serving as a game in this series that is set in Nordic territory.

Eivor is an engaging protagonist, and the scope of the world is incredible, too. Fans of fun open-world games who don’t mind a bit of repetition will love what Assassin’s Creed Valhalla brings to the table. It may not be the most original title around, but players shouldn’t have a huge problem with this as long as they know what they’re signing up for.

35 Horizon Forbidden West

Builds On The Success Of Its Predecessor

Horizon Forbidden West was the highly anticipated sequel to Zero Dawn. The story of Aloy as she continued to figure out the mystery behind the apocalypse that ravaged humanity while trying to take out the new threats that stood in her way made for a fun time, even if many people felt that some aspects of this open-world game were a bit too generic for their tastes.

Regardless, there’s no denying that fighting a bunch of robotic dinosaurs made for a huge draw that never got tiring any step of the way. Players had to utilize all the weapons in their arsenal, using specific weapons against certain enemies to level the playing field and come out unscathed. A single mistake could have dire consequences for Aloy, who could easily lose her life if she wasn’t careful while tackling these larger-than-life mechanical monstrosities.

34 Furi

A Boss Rush Title With Tight & Engaging Combat

Players who like the tougher fights in God of War (such as the Valkyries) will love what Furi brings to the table. The game is essentially a boss rush title where players are forced to learn the patterns of imposing foes before finally besting them after a tough encounter that pushes gamers to the very limit.

The satisfaction of finally beating a tough boss who was making the player tear their hair apart is nothing short of incredible. On top of the amazing gameplay that makes this title special, Furi also has an interesting story that plays out in the background, featuring riveting twists and turns in a plot that does a lot with very little.

33 Dante’s Inferno

A God Of War Clone Featuring Religious Imagery & Influences

Dante’s Inferno is a great game that has been accused of being a God of War clone, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The game’s violent take on this legendary poem was entertaining, and the combat and art style were particular highlights.

It’s a shame that more people don’t talk about this game, since Dante’s Inferno had some great things going for it. Right now, it’s nothing more than a footnote in gaming history that only a few fans still rave about to this day.

32 Hades

A Top-Down Action Game With Roguelite Elements

Hades is one of the best action titles ever made, combining amazing storytelling with a roguelike structure to make for a fun and exciting experience. The sheer depth of the dialogue system in Hades is amazing and shows just how much thought the developers put into it.

Most people would expect that trying to pull off precise movements with a top-down perspective would be challenging, so it’s a testament to Hades‘ design that this works out beautifully. Fighting through the game’s bosses and slowly piecing together the story is quite fun.

31 Darksiders 2

A Mix Of Puzzle Solving & Hack-And-Slash Combat

Darksiders 2 is an excellent action-adventure title that served as many people’s introduction to the series. Despite featuring an amazing world and a compelling story, this game didn’t manage to meet sales expectations after being extremely costly to develop.

Fans of God of War will find themselves right at home with Darksiders 2 and its mythological elements. It’s a shame that the sequel didn’t elevate the status of the series, however, since Darksiders 2 was genuinely a great title that deserved a worthy continuation.

30 Bayonetta 3

An Excellent Chapter In Platinum Games’ Beloved Series

Bayonetta 3 went through a ton of controversy before release, which is a shame since it didn’t deserve any of it. After all, the game is one of the best action games on the Nintendo Switch and expands on Bayonetta‘s amazing arsenal.

The series is known for being extremely over-the-top in terms of both action and narrative, and the third game takes this to a whole new level. Fans of God of War who want to experience a massive thrill ride with spectacular combat can do no wrong with Bayonetta 3.

29 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow

A Modern Re-Imagining Of The Castlevania Series

Many Castlevania fans were saddened to see that this beloved Metroidvania series was going down the path of a regular action game. However, for what it’s worth, Lords of Shadow is a fun game to play despite the many gripes of hardcore fans.

The title may seem slightly derivative of games like God of War and Shadow of the Colossus, but it wears its inspirations boldly on its sleeve. It’s just a shame that Castlevania abandoned its Metroidvania roots, and it required an entirely new IP for this magic to come back once again.

28 Elden Ring

An Open-World Soulslike With Amazing Lore And Combat

FromSoftware’s latest title has been the studio’s biggest success. Elden Ring has gone more mainstream than any other FromSoftware title, and this open-world game is a blast from start to finish.

Elden Ring might seem challenging, but patient players who learn the combat system will soon realize why this game is in a class of its own. Of course, the other pillars of Elden Ring‘s gameplay are also pretty neat, be it the open-ended exploration, the character customization options, or the boss fights.

27 Grand Theft Auto 5

A Cinematic Action Game Set In A Bustling Open World

Speaking of grand open-world adventures, it would be impossible to not mention Grand Theft Auto 5. The fact that this title is still relevant even after a decade since its release shows why it’s revered by so many as one of the most legendary action games of all time.

Grand Theft Auto 5 might be known more for its multiplayer component nowadays, but players should still check out the expertly crafted single-player mode in this game. Controlling multiple protagonists and raising hell has never been more fun. GTA 5‘s gameplay and story are not similar to 2018’s God of War in any shape or form, but Rockstar’s masterpiece is such a landmark release in the open-world genre that it is almost a must-play for anyone who enjoys that type of game.

26 X-Men Origins: Wolverine

A Surprisingly Great Movie Tie-In

A big part of what makes God of War such a fun game is the visceral nature of its combat. This is something that is replicated in a highly underrated title — X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

This game flew under many people’s radar due to the lackluster nature of its movie counterpart. However, players only need to check out a bit of X-Men Origins: Wolverine to realize that its high-octane action gameplay and brutal combat is a blast that’s highly reminiscent of God of War‘s glory years.

25 Alice: Madness Returns

Fun Gameplay And An Imaginative World

American McGee’s Alice was one of the weirdest yet most fascinating games around. Sure, the gameplay might not have aged that well, but the nightmarish nature of the world and its characters is something that still sticks with players long after they’re done playing this game.

This title received a sequel in Alice: Madness Returns. While the gameplay might be slightly simplistic at times, the amazing narrative and characters more than make up for this. It may not seem overly like God of War at first, but it is certain to impress those who enjoy Kratos’ story.

A Metal Gear Spin-Off Focused On Heart-Pounding Combat

Leave it to Platinum Games when it comes to making ultra-stylish action-adventure titles. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance had no business being as good as it is, with many people considering it to be one of the better games in the series.

Controlling a cyborg, Raiden, and slashing enemies to bits never gets tiring. It helps that the game always goes over the top with its set pieces, making every moment with this title an absolute blast.