Best games like God of War on Xbox

By Luke Albigés,

As God of War Ragnarok arrives as a PlayStation exclusive, some of you may well be on the hunt for similar games available here on Xbox. Here are some of the best ones we could find that might just scratch the same itch...

As we like to do when a big non-Xbox release comes along, we've racked our brains and scoured the Xbox catalogue to find some great games that share at least a little DNA with God of War now that Ragnarok has rolled around. Kes certainly sold us on the game in his God of War Ragnarok review over on TrueTrophies, but if you don't have the means to play it and fancy something a bit similar, we've compiled a few options for you. They cover several different bases — games that feel like the older, more manic hack-and-slash God of War titles, games with the same kind of spectacle that lives on in the series today, cinematic adventures like the newer releases, and even some that simply share tone, feel, or backdrop with the Sony series — so hopefully you'll find something of interest. Many are getting on a bit, it must be said... in the big-budget world of modern AAA game development, few would dare take on one of Sony's flagship franchises on its own terms, meaning similar games are not all that common nowadays!

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Modern Castlevania games that don’t follow the classic Symphony of the Night template have had a rough run, and that’s partly why MercurySteam’s reinvention of the iconic series with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow really stands out among them. Once it found its flow, Lords of Shadow really did start to feel like Castlevania redefined for the modern era — its dark tone, rich bestiary, epic bosses, and satisfying combat all came together nicely, and it still holds up well today. Gabriel’s sweeping chain whip attacks cleave through hordes of enemies at once, not unlike Kratos’ flailing Blades of Chaos, and it’s just as useful in keeping your distance from big scary monsters… of which the game has plenty. The sequel made improvements in some areas but at the cost of adding horrible stealth sections so the original is the way to go, and it’s backwards compatible too, which is always a bonus.

Ryse: Son of Rome

The first of several games on this list that share a historical backdrop, Xbox One launch title Ryse: Son of Rome seems like a suitable fit. Being more grounded than many similar games, you can’t expect too much in the way of weapon or enemy variety, but the savage, crunchy combat pretty much makes up for that shortcoming. If the brutality is what makes God of War for you, Ryse should have you sorted — once you get into the flow of combat, you’ll be leaving trails of severed limbs in your wake. It was a real looker at launch and still doesn’t look half bad even today, so if you skipped over it previously due to its relatively lukewarm reception (by big launch title standards, at least), keep an eye on the sales and give it a try for yourself some time.

Dante’s Inferno

Back to the 360 era we go once more, and not for the last time — large-scale hack-and-slash adventures aren’t as common or as lucrative as they once were, after all, so we need to hit the back catalogue if we are to find worthy challengers for the few that remain. Based on the first part of Dante Alighieri’s 14th century narrative poem Divine Comedy (obviously), it’s a descent into Hell courtesy of the Dead Space team, and you can tell at a glance that God of War must have been a major influence on the game. Vile and violent in all it does (because, y’know… Hell), Dante’s Inferno does a pretty great job of nailing that same intense hack-and-slash feel of the earlier God of War games, so could be worth a look if you preferred that to Kratos’ more cinematic modern approach. Oh, and it's available with EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, too.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla/Odyssey

This double-header will have you sorted whether you want more Norse action in your life, or you pine for Kratos’ days of murdering his way through the Greek pantheon. While both games are typically more grounded than God of War, they too delve into mythology in their respective DLC offerings so may also help scratch that itch. The more recent Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has you covered on the Norse side, while you’ll want Assassin’s Creed Odyssey if you’re after something a little more Greek. Ubisoft’s modern Assassin’s Creed games skew a little more heavily into the action-RPG space, although the recent God of War titles also dabble with similar systems so these may not be as much of a stretch as they first appear. Odyssey is also available with Xbox Game Pass, if that makes the decision any easier for you…

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Another Norse treat next with Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, a dark journey through Helheim with a little bit of Celtic flavour to give the game its own unique character. It has the same kind of cinematic vibe as Kratos’ latest adventures and while combat may not be as much of a focus as it is in God of War, Hellblade holds its own in that department just fine with its simpler systems and typically smaller encounters. Thanks to an update last year, Hellblade is now optimised for Xbox Series X|S and is an audiovisual feast, so check it out if you haven’t already — it’s up there with the best Game Pass games, and a sequel is on the way.

Darksiders

If playing as a big angry dude hell-bent on revenge is why you love God of War, you’ll be in safe hands with Darksiders. Unsurprisingly, a chap called War isn’t exactly the most subtle or chill of folks, especially when he’s been tricked by higher powers into ruining everything... sound familiar? Combat has a much weightier feel than most other games featured here as agility isn’t really War’s thing, and while that can lead to Darksiders feeling a bit slow in places, that extra heft can also hammer home the raw power of the first Horseman of the Apocalypse. The 360 original is definitely showing its age a bit now, but there’s always the option of the Xbox One remaster if you want to play it at its best.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor/War

If you don’t mind going from the fantastical to pure high fantasy then Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and sequel Shadow of War certainly share at least a little DNA with modern God of War, if perhaps not as much as some of the others here, hence why we saved it for last. Naturally, Tolkien’s rich lore gave the team plenty to play with, and play it did — Monolith’s inventive Nemesis System gave this game and its sequel a unique hook to help the series stand out. Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War are practically interchangeable here, though the former has been delisted, so you may want to plump for the latter unless you can pick up a physical copy of Shadow of Mordor.

And that’s your lot! Planning on giving any of these a go, if you haven’t already? Got any suggestions of your own for similar games? Let us know down in the comments!
Luke Albigés
Written by Luke Albigés
Luke runs the TA news team, contributing where he can primarily with reviews and other long-form features — crafts he has honed across two decades of print and online gaming media experience, having worked with the likes of gamesTM, Eurogamer, Play, Retro Gamer, Edge, and many more. He loves all things Monster Hunter, enjoys a good D&D session, and has played way too much Destiny.
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