Can I Play the Original God of War Games on My PS4?
The short answer is yes, you can absolutely experience the original God of War and God of War 2 on the PlayStation 4. While Sony has not released full remasters of the classic PS2 titles, there are a few great options for revisiting Kratos‘ first epic adventures in the God of War saga on PS4.
As a longtime gaming enthusiast and God of War superfan, I‘ve spent countless hours analyzing all the ways PS4 owners can access the iconic first two games. In this in-depth guide, I‘ll walk through the various methods and provide my expert insight on the pros and cons of each.
Streaming God of War 1 & 2 via PlayStation Plus Premium
The simplest way to play the original God of War games on PS4 is through PlayStation Plus Premium, the highest tier of Sony‘s subscription service. PS Plus Premium offers a massive catalog of "classic" PS1, PS2, and PSP games available for unlimited downloading and streaming.
Fortunately, this catalog includes both God of War (2005) and God of War II (2007). So as a Premium subscriber, you can directly download these classics and play them natively on your PS4 system.
Here‘s a quick overview of how to access God of War via PS Plus Premium:
Ensure you are subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium ($17.99/month, $49.99/quarter, or $119.99/year)
On your PS4, go to the PlayStation Plus hub in the main menu
Select the "Classics Catalog" tab
Scroll down to find God of War and God of War II
Select to download either title – downloads are usually between 5-10GB
Once downloaded, you can play them like any other PS4 game
This method provides the most authentic and highest quality experience of the original God of War games on PS4. Since you‘re downloading and running them natively, you get full HD resolution, smooth framerates, and no streaming latency.
However, PlayStation Plus Premium is a paid service, so this option isn‘t free. But in my opinion, it‘s worth the price for unlimited, lag-free access to a huge library of retro games in addition to God of War.
Streaming via PlayStation Now
For PS4 owners without PS Plus Premium, PlayStation Now provides another avenue for streaming God of War 1 & 2.
PlayStation Now grants access to a rotating selection of PS2, PS3, and PS4 games through cloud streaming technology. While God of War 1 and 2 aren‘t directly available, PlayStation Now does offer the God of War Collection for PS3.
This collection includes remastered versions of God of War 1 and God of War 2 from the PS2 era. So by streaming the PS3 collection to your PS4 via PlayStation Now, you can experience revamped editions of the original games.
Here‘s a quick rundown of how to stream God of War PS3 via PlayStation Now:
Subscribe to PlayStation Now ($9.99/month, $24.99/quarter, or $59.99/year)
On your PS4, open the PlayStation Now app
Check the available games to confirm God of War Collection is currently offered
Select God of War Collection and choose to stream it to your PS4
Streaming will begin after a short loading time
You can then play through the revamped version of God of War 1 and 2 via streaming
The main catch is that PlayStation Now only allows game streaming, not direct downloads. So visual and latency issues can crop up compared to playing natively. But it still provides a solid way to experience the core God of War gameplay on PS4. Just make sure you have a fast, stable internet connection.
Remote Play Streaming from PS3 System
The last option is more involved but allows native quality streaming: using PS4 Remote Play to stream God of War 1 & 2 from an actual PS3 system.
Remote Play is a feature that lets you stream and remotely control PS4 games from another device on the same WiFi network. But it can also stream PS3 games to PS4, provided you own the games and a PS3 to stream from.
So if you still have a PS3 and copies of God of War 1 and 2 (either disc or digital), Remote Play is a viable free option. The steps are:
Ensure your PS3 and PS4 are on the same network and Remote Play is enabled on PS3
Insert the God of War 1 or 2 disc into your PS3 or access it digitally
On your PS4, open Remote Play and select your PS3
When connected, it will stream the PS3 screen to your PS4
You can then control the game directly on your PS4 while it streams from PS3
The benefit here is you get full native quality and responsiveness, since the game runs on PS3 and streams video/inputs to PS4. The only catch is needing a PS3 on the same network to stream from.
Which Option is Best?
So to recap, the three main methods for playing original God of War on PS4 are:
- PlayStation Plus Premium – Download and play natively in HD
- PlayStation Now – Stream PS3 remasters
- PS3 Remote Play – Stream natively from a PS3 system
In my opinion, PlayStation Plus Premium is by far the best option for most PS4 owners. It provides the authentic experience plus a huge classic games library for one subscription fee.
However, PlayStation Now is a capable alternative for those without Premium. And dedicated fans who still own a functional PS3 can utilize Remote Play for lag-free native streaming.
Overall, I‘m thrilled that PS4 owners have multiple routes to revisit God of War‘s origins. While the 2018 reboot redefined the series, experiencing Kratos‘ brutal and tragic beginnings is still an incredible gaming journey even today.
Now, let‘s dive deeper into the God of War legacy and why these iconic PS2 classics are worth playing 14+ years later…
God of War – The Game That Started It All
It‘s hard to overstate just how groundbreaking the original God of War felt when it first launched for PS2 in 2005. At the time, nothing else looked or played quite like it.
Developer Sony Santa Monica drew heavily from ancient Greek mythology to craft a brutal and visceral combat experience centered around tragic protagonist Kratos. Armed with the iconic Blades of Chaos, Kratos had to hack, slash, and puzzle solve his way through horrors inspired by ancient legends.
Some key facts on the original:
- Released March 22, 2005 for PS2
- Directed by David Jaffe (later Cory Barlog)
- Main protagonist Kratos seeks revenge against Ares
- Received 94/100 Metacritic score and numerous awards
- Sold over 4.6 million copies worldwide on PS2
The combat instantly stood out for its fast, fluid, and cinematic carnage. Kratos could combo seamlessly between light and heavy attacks, grapples, magic, executions, chain-swinging, and QTEs. Battles felt as epic as the Greek mythos the game was based on.
And while combat was the highlight, God of War also introduced clever platforming and environmental puzzles to break up the action. Chests and item collections encouraged exploration rather than pure linearity.
Many mechanics that later became God of War staples – like Rage mode, red orbs, upgrade trees, and even the series logo – originated in this first iconic entry. It also featured truly memorable boss fights against mythological beasts like Hydra and Pandora‘s Guardian.
For my money, God of War is still one of the most satisfying and complete PS2 action experiences ever created. It laid an incredible foundation for the franchise and still holds up amazingly well, especially now playable in HD on PS4.
God of War 2 – Bigger, Badder, and More Epic
After the runaway success of the original, expectations were sky-high for a sequel. Amazingly, 2007‘s God of War 2 exceeded them and delivered what many consider to be the pinnacle of the whole PS2 trilogy.
Kratos was now an enraged God on a quest for revenge against Zeus himself after being betrayed. This allowed for settings and set-pieces of even grander scale and spectacle. Some God of War 2 highlights:
- Released March 13, 2007 for PS2
- First God of War directed fully by Cory Barlog
- Kratos adventures through real Greek locales like Rhodes
- Added new magical abilities and more weapon varieties
- Received critical acclaim, including 93/100 on Metacritic
- Sold over 2 million copies in just first 3 months
On a technical level, God of War 2 demonstrated how much extra power developers could still squeeze from the PS2 hardware that late into its lifespan. Environments, textures, and visual effects all represented a big step up vs. the first game.
And the sequel introduced even more complex combo strings and abilities to the already stellar combat. Kratos now battled with the Golden Fleece shield, the Icarus Wings, and the massive Barbarian Hammer alongside his chained Blades. Mixing and matching weapons kept fights fresh and strategic.
To me, God of War 2 represented a perfect evolution and refinement of everything that made the original so great. The deeper combat, brilliantly imagined locales, and crueler portrayal of the Greek gods created an experience even more grandiose and memorable than fans could‘ve expected.
Why Play God of War 1 & 2 on PS4 Today?
Even with the incredibly well-received God of War (2018) soft reboot on PS4, there are still compelling reasons to go back and experience where it all began by playing the original games.
For the story and characters – God of War (2018) makes constant references and connections to events and figures from the original games. You‘ll gain much deeper context for the new game‘s narrative and Kratos himself by living his journey from the start.
For the history – As pioneers of cinematic action games, the early God of War titles represent key moments in PlayStation history. Appreciating later entries is enriched by understanding the franchise‘s origins and evolution.
For the fun gameplay – While certainly dated in some respects, the core action of the original God of War games still holds up remarkably well. The franchise didn‘t earn its reputation solely due to storytelling.
To appreciate the upgrades – Going back to the PS2 origins lets you better recognize just how far God of War had come technologically by 2018. You gain a newfound appreciation for the upgrades.
To feed your hype for Ragnarok – With God of War Ragnarok coming in 2022, now is the perfect time to stoke your hype by revisiting Kratos‘ debut adventures that started it all.
So even with the stellar new era of God of War on PS4, the original classics are absolutely still worth your time. Thankfully, the PS4 provides multiple routes to let you experience them in HD and prep for Ragnarok.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide provided helpful and detailed insight into the various options for playing the original God of War games on the PS4 system. While not as accessible as native PS4 remasters, the ability to access God of War 1 and 2 adds real value to Sony‘s current and last-gen consoles.
For me as a lifelong PlayStation gamer, getting to re-experience those iconic early God of War adventures in HD via PS Plus was a real treat. They represent such crucial chapters in the fascinating character arc of Kratos across the series. I highly recommend all fans dive back into the ancient Greek era of God of War.
And if you have any other questions about playing the classics on PS4, feel free to ask! I‘m always happy to provide additional tips and background from my many years of God of War expertise. Now if you‘ll excuse me, I need to go fire up God of War 2 on my PS4 for another dose of sweet nostalgia…
