God of War is an action-adventure video game series, the first era of which was loosely based on Greek mythology. Debuting in 2005, the series became a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and the character Kratos is one of its most popular characters. The series consists of nine games across multiple platforms; the first seven make up the Greek era of the series. Five of the Greek era games have been re-released through three separate compilations for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) platform: God of War Collection (2009), God of War: Origins Collection (2011), and God of War Saga (2012). With the exception of God of War III in the God of War Saga, each collection features remastered ports of the games that were not originally released on the PS3. God of War III was later remastered as God of War III Remastered and released on PlayStation 4 (PS4) in July 2015. God of War: Betrayal , God of War: Ascension , God of War (2018), and God of War Ragnarök are the only installments that have not been remastered for a newer platform or included in a collection.
Each collection was praised for how the games were remastered, as well as their price. IGN claimed that the God of War Collection was the "definitive way to play the game[s]". God of War Collection prompted Sony to make a new line of remastered games for the PlayStation 3 (which expanded to subsequent PlayStation consoles). Although the Origins Collection was criticized for its lack of new bonus content, IGN said that "Sony succeeded at making good games better". For the Saga, Digital Trends claimed it is "perhaps the best value buy for any console available".
God of War Collection | |
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![]() North American PlayStation 3 box art | |
Developer(s) | Santa Monica Studio List
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Publisher(s) | |
Series | God of War |
Engine | Bluepoint Engine |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 PlayStation Vita |
Release | PlayStation 3 PlayStation Vita |
Genre(s) | Action-adventure, hack and slash |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
God of War Collection is a remastered port [8] of God of War and God of War II for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc that was released in North America on November 17, 2009. [2] It is the first game under Sony's line of "Classics HD". [8] The collection was included in the God of War III Ultimate Trilogy Edition, released on March 18, 2010, in Australia and New Zealand, and on March 19 in Europe. It was released in Japan as a stand-alone on March 18, where it was distributed by Capcom, [3] and was later released as part of the God of War III Trilogy Edition, which included God of War III and God of War Collection, on March 25. It was released as a stand-alone in Australia on April 29 [4] and in Europe on April 30. [5] At the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), a PlayStation Vita version of God of War Collection was announced, [9] and it was released on May 6, 2014, in North America, May 9 in Europe, May 14 in Australia, and May 15 in Japan. [6]
God of War and God of War II were ported by Bluepoint Games and feature high-definition 720p anti-aliased graphics at 60 frames per second and Trophies. [10] The bonus materials of the original two-disc PlayStation 2 version of God of War II are included with the Blu-ray version of the collection. [11] The port was produced as a result of feedback from fans of the series and was viewed as a means of introducing new players to the series before God of War III was released. [12] The God of War III game demo from E3 2009 was included with early copies of the collection. [13] Sanzaru Games was responsible for porting the collection to the Vita. [14]
Sony's Santa Monica Studio—the games' original developer—ran a sweepstakes in November 2009 for the release of God of War Collection. The grand prize was an autographed "Gold" disc, exclusive artwork created and signed by a God of War team member, a Limited Edition Kratos T-shirt, and a limited edition 10 inches (25 cm) figurine of Kratos. First place prize was a copy of God of War Collection signed by the development team. Winners were announced in December 2009. [15] [16]
On November 2, 2010, God of War Collection was released as a digital download on the PlayStation Store. [11] PlayStation Plus subscribers could download a one-hour trial of each game. For a limited time, Plus subscribers received a God of War III skin with the purchase of each game: "Phantom of Chaos" (God of War) and "Forgotten Warrior" (God of War II), respectively. [17] The bonus materials for God of War II were not included with the digital download version. [11] Patch update version 1.01, released on September 5, 2012, allowed the PlayStation 3 version of God of War Collection to be played on the PlayStation Vita via the Remote Play function. [18]
God of War Collection received critical acclaim from critics. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 90.78% based on 43 reviews and 91/100 based on 50 reviews [19] [20] and the PlayStation Vita version 75.00% based on 15 reviews and 73/100 based on 28 reviews. [21] [22]
The PlayStation 3 version received critical acclaim. IGN gave the game an "Editor's Choice" Award, praised the enhanced resolutions, lower price point, and smoother frame rates, and stated it was the "definitive way to play the game". [23] 1up.com noted the tremendous increase in visuals but said the in-engine cut-scenes appeared blurry. [24] GamePro stated the collection is "two fantastic games on one disc for a low price; puts you in the right mindset for God of War 3". [25] PlayStation LifeStyle (5/5) said "Those … familiar with Kratos will enjoy the extra polish the Collection brings to two of the best games from the PS2 era". [26] Due to the success of God of War Collection, Sony announced that further titles would receive similar treatment for release under its new "Classics HD" brand. [8] By June 2012, God of War Collection had sold more than 2.4 million copies worldwide, making it the eighteenth best-selling PlayStation 3 game of all time. [27]
God of War: Origins Collection | |
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Developer(s) | Ready at Dawn Santa Monica Studio |
Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Series | God of War |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Action-adventure, hack and slash |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
God of War: Origins Collection (known as God of War Collection – Volume II in Europe and Australia) is a remastered port of the two PlayStation Portable installments in the series— Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta —for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc. It was announced at the Sony press conference at E3 2011 and was ported by Ready at Dawn, the developer of the PlayStation Portable games. The collection was released on September 13, 2011, in North America, September 16 in Europe, September 29 in Australia, and October 6 in Japan. God of War: Origins Collection was also released in North America as a digital download on the PlayStation Store on September 13. [28]
God of War: Origins Collection features native 1080p high-definition video, anti-aliased graphics at 60 frames per second, DualShock 3 rumble features, Trophies, [29] and is the only God of War release to feature Stereoscopic 3D. The God of War – Game Directors Live documentary, Kratos Legionnaire bonus skin, and Forest of the Forgotten combat arena (originally pre-order bonuses for Ghost of Sparta) are also included with the Origins Collection. [30] [31]
God of War: Origins Collection received positive reviews from critics. It received a score of 86.62% based on 41 reviews on GameRankings [32] and 84/100 based on 58 reviews on Metacritic. [33]
IGN stated, "Sony succeeded at making good games better" and that it "acts as a time lapse experiment for players to get a really good look at how a developer evolves from one game to another". [34] GamePro noted the lack of new bonus content, and said, "3D doesn't necessarily radically redefine the experience. It does, however, make things like boss fights and magical effects much more mesmerizing", but added that, "all of the in-game cinematics are not in 3D, which is … unfortunate considering how cutscenes are such an integral part of the storytelling in any God of War game". [35] By June 2012, God of War: Origins Collection had sold 711,737 copies worldwide. [27]
God of War Saga | |
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Developer(s) | Santa Monica Studio Ready at Dawn Bluepoint Games |
Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Series | God of War |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Action-adventure, hack and slash |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
God of War Saga is a collection of five of the God of War games for the PlayStation 3 released as part of Sony's PlayStation Collections line on August 28, 2012, in North America; it was not released elsewhere. The collection includes God of War, God of War II, God of War III, Chains of Olympus, and Ghost of Sparta. It features two Blu-ray Discs—God of War I and II on the first and III on the second—and a voucher to download Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta. The games retain the same features as their first PS3 releases. The collection also includes exclusive bonus content and a voucher for a one-month trial of PlayStation Plus. The games, with the exception of God of War III, are also available to download from the PlayStation Store. [36] [37] From September 27 until October 5, 2012, to celebrate the release of God of War Saga, PlayStation.Blog ran a weekly countdown of the top five God of War epic moments as voted by the God of War Facebook community. "The Death of Ares" from the original God of War was voted as the "#1 most epic God of War moment of All Time". [38]
In Latin America, an exclusive version of God of War Saga, titled God of War: Omega Collection, was released in November 2012. The Omega Collection features three Blu-ray discs, as opposed to two, with Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta included on the third disc. It also includes a SteelBook game case with exclusive artwork and a limited edition bronze statue of Kratos, created by an Argentine artist. [39]
Ryan Fleming of Digital Trends wrote that the collection "is perhaps the best value buy for any console available", and that for fans of the series, "this collection is not for you" as all games (with the exception of God of War III) are available for download, and it will "likely be redundant". However, new or inexperienced players should buy it. Fleming added that it was odd that the PSP games were included as downloads, and would like to have seen content migrate over to the PlayStation Vita. [40] Jeffrey L. Wilson of PC Magazine gave the collection a 4 out of 5 and called it "an excellent purchase for anyone looking for cinematic, blood-drenched action—especially newcomers who get five titles for the price of one", but added that long time fans may not find much value in the collection. [41]
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November 17, 2006, in North America, and March 23, 2007, in Europe and Australia. The PlayStation 3 competed primarily against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, and is the first handheld installment in the PlayStation line of consoles. As a seventh generation console, the PSP competed with the Nintendo DS.
Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company owned by Sony. SIE primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game consoles and products. In 1993, Sony and Sony Music Entertainment Japan jointly established Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. in Tokyo. SCE released the video game console PlayStation in Japan the following year and subsequently in the United States and Europe the year after. In 2010, SCE underwent a corporate split and established Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI). SNEI provided gaming-related services through the PlayStation Network, including the sale of game titles and content on the PlayStation Store, as well as offering PlayStation Plus. In 2016, SCE and SNEI merged to form Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, with its headquarters located in San Mateo, California, U.S.
God of War is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released on March 22, 2005, for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) console, it is the first installment in the God of War series and the third chronologically. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, a Spartan warrior who serves the Olympian gods. The goddess Athena tasks Kratos with killing Ares, the God of War and Kratos' former mentor who tricked Kratos into killing his wife and daughter. As Ares besieges Athens out of hatred for Athena, Kratos embarks on a quest to find the one object capable of stopping the god once and for all: Pandora's Box.
God of War II is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) console on March 13, 2007, it is the second installment in the God of War series, the sixth chronologically, and the sequel to 2005's God of War. The game is based on Greek mythology and set in ancient Greece, with vengeance as its central motif. The player character is protagonist Kratos, the new God of War who killed the former, Ares. Kratos is betrayed by Zeus, the King of the Olympian gods, who strips him of his godhood and kills him. Slowly dragged to the Underworld, he is saved by the Titan Gaia, who instructs him to find the Sisters of Fate, as they can allow him to travel back in time, avert his betrayal, and take revenge on Zeus.
Remote Play is a feature of Sony video game consoles that allow the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 to transmit video and audio output to another device; previously this could only be a PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita. In 2014, it was expanded to include the use of PlayStation TV, Xperia smartphones and tablets, and PlayStation Now. In 2016, it was expanded to Microsoft Windows PCs and macOS. In 2019, support for Android and iOS devices was eventually added. Support for remote play of PlayStation 5 games to other devices was added in November 2020 just prior to the new console's launch.
God of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Ready at Dawn, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It was first released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console on March 4, 2008. The game is the fourth installment in the God of War series, the second chronologically, and a prequel to the original God of War. It is loosely based on Greek mythology and set in ancient Greece, with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls Kratos, a Spartan warrior who serves the Olympian gods. Kratos is guided by the goddess Athena, who instructs him to find the Sun God Helios, as the Dream God Morpheus has caused many of the gods to slumber in Helios' absence. With the power of the Sun and the aid of the Titan Atlas, Morpheus and the Queen of the Underworld Persephone intend to destroy the Pillar of the World and in turn Olympus.
God of War III is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth installment in the God of War series, the seventh chronologically, and the sequel to 2007's God of War II. Loosely based on Greek mythology, the game is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, the former God of War, after his betrayal at the hands of his father Zeus, King of the Olympian gods. Reigniting the Great War, Kratos ascends Mount Olympus until he is abandoned by the Titan Gaia. Guided by Athena's spirit, Kratos battles monsters, gods, and Titans in a search for Pandora, without whom he cannot open Pandora's Box, defeat Zeus, and end the reign of the Olympian gods to have his revenge.
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of Sony.
Kratos is a character and the protagonist of Santa Monica Studio's God of War series, based on Greek mythology and, later, Norse mythology. He first appeared in the 2005 video game God of War, which led to the development of eight additional titles featuring the character as the protagonist. Kratos also appears as the protagonist of the 2010 and 2018 comic series, as well as three novels that retell the events of three of the games. The character was voiced by Terrence C. Carson from 2005 to 2013, with Christopher Judge taking over the role in 2018's continuation, also titled God of War. Antony Del Rio voiced the character as a child in God of War: Ghost of Sparta.
God of War is an action-adventure game franchise created by David Jaffe at Sony's Santa Monica Studio. It began in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game console and has become a flagship series for PlayStation, consisting of nine installments across multiple platforms. Based on ancient mythologies, the story follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior and later the Greek God of War, who was tricked into killing his family by his former master, the original Greek God of War Ares. This sets off a series of events that leads to wars with the different mythological pantheons. The Greek-based games see Kratos follow a path of vengeance due to the machinations of the Olympian gods, while the Norse-based games, which introduced his son Atreus as a secondary protagonist, show an older Kratos on a path of redemption and inadvertently coming into conflict with the Norse gods.
Bluepoint Games Inc is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2006 by Andy O'Neil and Marco Thrush, the studio is known for video game remasters and remakes, such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (2015), Shadow of the Colossus (2018), and Demon's Souls (2020). Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired the company in September 2021, making them a first-party developer for PlayStation Studios.
The characters of the God of War video game franchise belong to a fictional universe based on Greek mythology and Norse mythology. As such, the series features a range of traditional figures, including those from Greek mythology, such as the Olympian Gods, Titans, and Greek heroes, and those from Norse mythology, including the Æsir and Vanir gods and other beings. A number of original characters have also been created to supplement storylines.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Ready at Dawn and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It was first released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld console on November 2, 2010. The game is the sixth installment in the God of War series and the fourth chronologically. Loosely based on Greek mythology, Ghost of Sparta is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, the God of War. Kratos is still haunted by the visions of his mortal past and decides to explore his origins. In Atlantis, he finds his mother Callisto, who claims that his brother Deimos is still alive. Kratos journeys to the Domain of Death to rescue his brother. After initial resentment from Deimos, the brothers team up to battle the God of Death, Thanatos, Deimos's capturer.
Sony has released a number of previously released PlayStation video games, remastered in high-definition (HD) for their newer consoles, a form of porting. A number of related programs exist, the most prominent two being "Classics HD" and "PSP Remasters". The former consists of multiple PlayStation 2 games compiled on one Blu-ray Disc. The latter are individual PlayStation Portable games republished on Blu-ray. These games are not direct ports, but remastered versions in high-definition, to take advantage of the newer consoles' capabilities. The remastering of the games include updated graphics, new textures, and Trophy support, and some of the remastered games released on PlayStation 3 have included 3D and PlayStation Move support. Some HD remasters have also been released individually or in bundles as downloads on the PlayStation Store; others are released exclusively as downloads.
Ratchet & Clank Collection is a high-definition remastered collection. The collection includes the original 3 PlayStation 2 games: the first game, Going Commando/Locked and Loaded, and Up Your Arsenal, all at 720p in 60 frames per second, and includes stereoscopic 3D support at 30 frames per second. It also includes the multiplayer of Up Your Arsenal over the PlayStation Network. The PlayStation 3 Multiplayer Servers were terminated on February 15, 2018. It includes a Trophy set for each game. All of the games in this collection have been re-rated E10+ by the ESRB; they were originally rated T since the E10+ rating didn't exist at the time these games were released on the PlayStation 2.
God of War: Ascension is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). The game was first released on March 12, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console. It is the seventh installment in the God of War series and a prequel to the entire series. Loosely based on Greek mythology, it is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist, Kratos, the former servant of the God of War Ares, who tricked Kratos into killing his wife and daughter. In response to this tragedy, Kratos renounced Ares, breaking his blood oath to the god. Kratos was, therefore, imprisoned and tortured by the three Furies, guardians of honor and enforcers of punishment. Helped by the oath keeper, Orkos, Kratos escapes his imprisonment and confronts the Furies, aiming to free himself of his bond to Ares.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a 2012 crossover fighting video game developed by SuperBot Entertainment, in conjunction with Bluepoint Games, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features various characters drawn from different PlayStation video game franchises competing against each other in multiplayer battles. The game was released in November 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console has been produced in various models during its life cycle. At launch, the PlayStation 3 was available with either a 20 or 60 GB hard disk drive in the US and Japan, respectively— priced from US$499 to US$599; and with either a 40, 60, or 80 GB hard disk drive in Europe, priced from £299 to £425. Since then, Sony have released two further redesigned models, the "Slim" and "Super Slim" models. As of March 2017, the total number of consoles sold is estimated at 87.4 million.
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