The God of War franchise began with its first game in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. It was developed by Sony’s in-house Santa Monica Studio and directed by David Jaffe, who was also known for the Twisted Metal franchise. The games were first loosely based on Greek mythology and then focused on Norse mythology in the 2018 reboot. The original series was comparable to the Devil May Cry series in terms of its gameplay, but God of War was more approachable in terms of its difficulty for even the most casual player.

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In terms of its scale and storytelling, the series took inspiration from the Ray Harryhausen classics like Clash of Titans, Jason and the Argonauts, and the Sinbad film series. The God of War series is easily one of the most cinematic series available in gaming. As large-scale epics, the length of the games have to be just right. Let’s take a look at the campaign length in the series’ history.

Updated June 2, 2021, by Tom Bowen: With the next God of War game looking increasingly unlikely to release in 2021, those looking to get their fill of hack and slash thrills may now find themselves turning to some of Kratos' past outings instead. Though many of these games are short in length, the series is one that's renowned for providing its players with plenty of post-game content, making multiple playthroughs a must for those looking to see all that they have to offer. Some provide quite a bit more than others in this regard, but there's generally always something for those who return for a second bite.

9 God Of War: A Call From The Wilds – 30 minutes

Prior to the release of God of War for the PS4, the team behind the game teamed up with Facebook to release a text-based game that was designed to build up hype. Users typed commands in to a chat box to progress the story, which revealed information about key characters as well as lore about the series itself.

Though incredibly basic at its core, the game was fairly enjoyable and could be completed in half an hour. Those who took the time to make it to the end were rewarded with high definition concept art from the upcoming game as well as an interesting look into the relationship between Kratos and Atreus.

For as enjoyable as the experience was, the game provided very little reason for players to return for a second playthrough, with no branching storylines nor any real skill required to make it to the end. As a game designed to get fans excited about God of War (2018), however, it's hard to argue that A Call from the Wilds didn't serve its purpose well.

8 God Of War: Betrayal – 2 Hours

God of War: Betrayal was released in 2007 for mobile phones. It’s a 2D side-scrolling action/platforming game with a story chronologically set between the events of ­God of War: Ghost of Sparta and God of War II. It's not much to look at, nor is it particularly long, but it's still a fairly interesting experience nonetheless.

The game’s narrative sees Kratos framed for the death of Argos in an attempt to turn the gods against him. As well as trying to give the series more exposure across different media platforms the game’s story was created to give players more insight into Kratos’ relationship with the gods.

There's plenty of variety in enemy types and the combat is fairly solid too. The platforming, on the other hand, can sometimes be a little hit and miss, due largely to the limitations of the platform. Though there's no real incentive to return to the game after completing it, its short length did make it ideal for those looking for something to play while on the move.

7 God Of War: Chains Of Olympus – 5 ½ Hours

God of War: Chain of Olympus was originally released on the PlayStation Portable in 2008. The game was released as a prequel to the first God of War game and chronologically is the second game in the series after God of War: Ascension.

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The game was subsequently released as part of the God of War: Origins set for the PlayStation 3 in 2011. It was one of the first games that could really show off the power of the PSP when compared to other handhelds and provided a home console experience in the palm of the player’s hands.

Although there are plenty of bonus armor sets to unlock in Chains of Olympus, it doesn't include a traditional new game plus mode. Even so, with multiple difficulty settings and plenty of distractions, there's more than enough to warrant a second playthrough for those looking to squeeze a few more hours out of their purchase.

6 God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta – 6 ½ Hours

God of War: Ghost of Sparta was first released on the PlayStation Portable in 2010. The game’s story is set between the events of the first God of War and the mobile game Betrayal and is set during Kratos’ ten years service to the gods.

The game was later remastered and released together with Chains of Olympus as part of the Origins bundle in 2011 for the PlayStation 3. Despite the short length of 6 ½ hours, developers Ready at Dawn managed to squeeze in more gameplay and combat mechanics than its predecessor.

Ghost of Sparta has a new game plus mode which allows players to carry over their progress into subsequent playthroughs. The only downside of this is that players won't be able to increase the difficulty setting in new game plus, meaning they'll either have to replay the game at the same difficulty (or lower) or start from scratch on a higher setting.

5 God Of War: Ascension – 8 ½ Hours

God of War: Ascension was released on the PlayStation 3 in 2013. It’s a prequel with the story being set chronologically as the first in Kratos’ saga. The game’s story is set six months after the death of his wife and child and begins with Kratos’ imprisonment at the hands of the Furies.

The game also introduced an online-only multiplayer which wasn’t well-received by fans. Furthermore, the story wasn’t quite up to par with its immediate predecessor on the home consoles God of War III. Nevertheless, the combat was still solid and the game’s length at 8 ½ hours seemed to be just right and didn’t outstay its welcome.

As with many of the series' other entries, Ascension features a new game plus mode, in which players can gain access to plenty of new costumes and armor sets. They'll also be able to unlock the power of the artifacts that they've collected, which can grant bonuses like infinite magic, infinite rage, and reduced damage.

4 God Of War – 9 Hours

The first God of War was originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. It was the game that started it all for the series and introduced a new epic and cinematic exclusive for PlayStation brand that would continue on to the PlayStation 4.

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God of War shows Kratos’ journey of revenge against the God of War Ares who tricked him into killing his family. A remastered version was released as part of the God of War Saga for the PlayStation 3 in 2012.

The first God of War game arrived a little too early for there to be a new game plus mode, although that's not to say that there's nothing left to do after completing the main story. Players will gain access to the Challenge of the Gods mode and completing these challenges will unlock new outfits that can grant powerful perks in a standard playthrough.

3 God Of War III – 10 ½ Hours

God of War III was originally released for the PlayStation 3 in 2010. it is a direct sequel to God of War II and the seventh title chronologically in the series. The game was remastered for the PlayStation 4 in 2015 and visually still holds up incredibly well.

Prior to the Norse Mythology-set reboot released in 2018, God of War III was considered to be the biggest and the best game in the series. The epic boss scenes and the incredible orchestral score remains some of the best in any genre. It's also the game where Kratos is at his most vicious, with the God of War decapitating several gods during his ascent of Mount Olympus.

Thanks to the game's multiple difficulty settings and the Challenges of Olympus, there are plenty of reasons to dive back into God of War III after completing the main story. The Chaos difficulty setting will push players to their absolute limits, while the perks granted by the challenge rewards can completely change the gameplay.

2 God Of War II – 12 Hours

God of War II was first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2007 and in chronological terms, it is the sixth in the series’ storyline. The game was later remastered for the PlayStation 3 and released as part of the God of War Collection in 2009 and the God of Saga in 2012.

Betrayed and killed by Zeus, Kratos rises from the underworld to seek revenge and find the Sisters of Fate to change the course of history. It’s the second-longest game in the series but managed to outdo its predecessor in every sense of the word.

Kratos' second outing was the first game in the series to feature a new game plus mode, with players able to unlock special perks by completing the Challenge of the Titans. The bonus costumes aren't really much to look at, but the abilities they provide really can change the way that players approach the game.

1 God Of War (2018) – 20 ½ Hours

The new God of War was released in 2018 exclusively for the PlayStation 4. The game was as much a reboot – set now in Norse Mythology – as it was a continuation of Kratos’ story and development. It featured fantastic new voice work from Stargate’s Christopher Judge who brought in some much-needed humanity to the character. The narrative was definitely a step up from previous entries in the franchise.

In addition, the gameplay, combat, and exploration were a complete departure from its Greek mythology-set predecessors. The game had a more grounded but impactful combat system with some similarities to the Dark Souls series and the game’s semi-open world was huge, masterfully interconnected and the biggest in terms of its campaign size the series had ever seen taking around 20 ½ to complete without taking on the game’s many side quests.

Given the series' strong track record when it comes to post-game content, the announcement that God of War would feature a new game plus mode didn't really come as much of a surprise. It cranks up the difficulty quite a bit, while also granting access to special armor sets that can't be acquired in a regular playthrough. The game's also full of collectibles, so even a regular playthrough can extend far beyond the 20-hour mark.

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