God of War director Cory Barlog still ranks the original game over his most recent work

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God of War (opens in new tab) is, without a doubt, one of the best games of 2018 (opens in new tab), giving Kratos the kind of emotional depth and character development you won’t find in many games, let alone an action adventure full of blood-splattering combat. The PS4 exclusive won multiple categories (opens in new tab) at the Golden Joystick Awards 2018 (opens in new tab), snagged top honors at The Game Awards 2018 (opens in new tab), and has inspired an entire subculture devoted to shouting “BOY!” at any given opportunity. If there was ever a time for God of War’s director Cory Barlog to be full of himself, it’s now – but even with all the accolades, he still ranks the new God of War just underneath the original PS2 game.

When asked by Variety (opens in new tab) to rank all the games in the God of War series, Barlog knew his number one pick right away. “Look, I love [the latest God of War] so much. This one is so near and dear to my heart – but that first one kinda started it all,” said Barlog. “[The original God of War from director David Jaffe] was absolutely brilliant.” Here’s Barlog’s full list, including the oft-forgotten PSP entries: 

1. God of War (2005)
2. God of War (2018)
3. God of War 2
4. God of War 3
5. God of War: Ascension
6. God of War: Ghost of Sparta
7. God of War: Chains of Olympus
8. God of War: Betrayal

“I love Betrayal, but it’s the last one – something’s got to be last,” Barlog said with a grin. For reference, Barlog worked as lead animator on the first God of War, then graduated to game director and writer for God of War 2. He was also creative director and writer on Chains of Olympus, penned the story for Ghost of Sparta, and led the initial development on God of War 3. Even after his triumphant return to Sony’s Santa Monica Studio, it’s great to see that Barlog is ever the humble developer; if you ask me, I’d put the latest God of War leagues above the rest. What do you think of his ranking?

To find out what it took to create Barlog’s favorite game in the series, read our in-depth look at the making of the original God of War (opens in new tab).