In September of 2020, PlayStation fans were likely shocked and thrilled as Sony Santa Monica Studios announced that the next game in the classic God of War franchise would be coming in 2021. The studio ran a small teaser trailer showing the well-known omega logo with the phrase "Ragnarok is Coming" as the final announcement in the PS5 Showcase Event, giving players a compelling reason to purchase the new console.

While no further information has been provided for the new God of War game, there are likely many players that would be interested in catching up on the journey of Kratos in the lead up to this title. Though Ragnarok is technically the fifth mainline title in the series, there are actually seven games in total for those wanting to enjoy the full breadth of the Spartan's trials and tribulations. Many could be wondering if a major time investment will be needed to enjoy the full God of War story. However, players will find that this mountain is not as steep as they may originally expect.

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God of War: Ascension is the first game in the chronological timeline of the series, taking place only six months after the tragic event that began Kratos' vengeance-filled journey. The PS3 title will have players battling the three Furies; Megaera, Tisiphone, and Alecto, as well as other monsters inspired by Greek myth like the manticore, in a title that will take players around 8.5 hours to finish.

The next game in the God of War timeline is the PSP title, God of War: Chains of Olympus. This game spans the course of about 5.5 hours, and tells the tale of Kratos' task from Athena to find the Sun God, Helios, and stop the villainous plan that Persephone has concocted in the underworld.

Now that the two prologue games have been finished, players are now ready to take on the original God of War game that made its debut on the PS2 in 2005. The classic action game's story takes around 9 hours to complete, and gives players the context for how Kratos attained his godhood in the first place.

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Up next, players will want to play the other PSP God of War game: God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Revolving around Kratos and the relationship with his brother Deimos, Ghost of Sparta serves as a direct prequel to God of War 2 and reveals major details from the Spartans' lineage. To complete the main story of the game, players will likely invest around 6.5 hours and will be rewarded with greater context for the next two games in the series.

God of War 2 opens with the other Olympian gods having disdain for Kratos and his violence as the new God of War. Following an intense battle with an animated version of the Colossus of Rhodes, Zeus kills the Ghost of Sparta, but he is saved by the Titan Gaia who instructs him to seek out the Fates in order to turn back time and seek revenge. This vengeance-filled story takes about 12 hours to complete and leaves on a huge cliffhanger, as Kratos ascends Mount Olympus to slay the Gods.

God of War 3 is the final act of the classic God of War series. Over the course of 10 hours, Kratos makes his dangerous trek to find Zeus and kill him, along with any other God or Goddess that stands in his way. Considering the utter ruin that is displayed by the end of this game, it was assumed by many that Kratos' tale was at an end. However, 2018 saw the release of another game with a whole new mythos to explore.

God of War on PS4 is the latest installment in the God of War franchise, and is a direct sequel to God of War 3. While it hasn't been stated just how long it's been since Kratos laid waste to Olympus and its denizens, it appears to have been long enough that the former Greek God of War was able to find love and begin raising a child, Atreus. The 2018 God of War takes on the Norse pantheon of Gods, with Baldur serving as the primary antagonist alongside many other important Norse figures such as Freya making an appearance as well.

The critically-acclaimed prequel to God of War: Ragnarok is by far the longest entry in the series as it gave players an open-world map to explore for the first time in the franchise, as well as adding more RPG-like elements. Completing the main story alone will likely take players around 20.5 hours. That being said, a full completionist run could look closer to 50 hours.

If players add up the amount of time it takes to complete only the main story of each of these seven titles, they are looking at about 72 hours of total playtime. For those looking to go the extra mile and do completionist runs of all the games, about 126 hours of revenge will have to be prepared for. However, considering the stage that has been set for Ragnarok, this time should be worth it in the long-run.

God of War: Ragnarok is slated to release in 2021 on PS5.

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Source: How Long To Beat