Revisiting God of War‘s Blood-Soaked Legacy: How to Play the Iconic PS2/PS3 Games in 2024

As an ardent God of War fan who has followed Kratos from his early days of rage-fueled vengeance against Ares and the Greek pantheon, I couldn‘t recommend diving into the original trilogy enough if you truly want to understand this iconic franchise. Between the groundbreaking spectacle, visceral combat, and epic storytelling, the PS2/PS3 era of God of War represents a high point for both cinematic action gaming and mature mythological storytelling.

And thanks to modern platforms and services, there are now more ways than ever for newcomers to experience why these genre-defining classics remain so revered by critics and fans alike.

Kratos Origins: The Ghost of Sparta‘s Path to Vengeance

Before covering how one can play the original saga today, it helps to understand where the demigod antihero Kratos came from. Once a respected Spartan general, Kratos finds himself tricked by Ares into slaughtering his own family. The shocking betrayal imbues him with fury towards the Greek gods who used him as a pawn. His skin turned to ash white from carrying the memories of his slain wife and daughter, the newly minted "Ghost of Sparta" sets out on a violent quest for revenge against those who wronged him.

The God of War Trilogy: Raising the Bar for Cinematic Action Gaming

Launching an iconic PlayStation franchise, 2005‘s God of War brought a visceral and mature take on Greek mythology to PS2. Its seamless blend of gameplay, cinematics, world design, and score was groundbreaking. Spectacular set pieces and gruesome finishing moves that let players tap into Kratos‘ rage dazzled gamers. It quickly set records, moving over 4 million copies in under 3 years – astounding for the PS2‘s late era.

Its acclaimed 2007 sequel, God of War II, expanded the scope in every way. New weapons and powers, more menacing mythological beasts, and tighter combat mechanics improved the already stellar gameplay. Meanwhile, the story drove Kratos to ever greater heights of god-defying madness. Many critics called it one of the best action games ever made, cementing itself as a must-play classic.

The trilogy concluded with 2010‘s God of War III, bringing the PS2 trilogy‘s epic saga of revenge to its gorily cathartic heights. Here, avenues opened up by more powerful PS3 hardware allowed the team at Sony Santa Monica Studio to realize jaw-dropping visions of the Titan war, Olympian gods, and score-settling violence on an unprecedented scale. Players battled up Mt. Olympus while confronting deities like Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus himself in creative, grandiose showdowns before reaching the saga‘s emotional end. As Kratos finally enacts the revenge that has driven him, critics heaped near-universal praise onto God of War III for reaching new narrative and technical heights that capped off the beloved franchise‘s most iconic era in spectacular fashion.

Why PlayStation Fans Still Revere These Groundbreaking Originals

Since then, 2018‘s smash hit God of War reboot starring Kratos brought entirely new life to the franchise. Yet even with the PS4 game‘s incredible success, many series fans argue the original trilogy (particularly God of War II) remains unmatched.

Gaming site IGN calls the opening scenes of God of War II "among the very best of all time," citing how it throws players into the action while revealing stunning vistas that immediately hook players.

Leading voice Colin Moriarty praises the sequel‘s refined combat, expanded world, and shocking narrative beats, saying "it took the promise of the original and multiplied it exponentially across the board…I don’t think many people would argue that it stands the test of time as one of the best sequels ever made.”

And fans contend elements like the trilogy’s intricate unlockable combos, weapon switching, and cascading violence aren’t matched even in the acclaimed reboot. Combined with unmatched spectacle as players climb Titans, battle across Hades, and challenge legendary Olympic deities, the original saga simply stands as monument among action games.

How to Play God of War I, II & III on Modern Platforms

Thankfully for both diehard fans and new Kratos devotees, all 3 iconic PS2/PS3 era releases can be easily enjoyed on modern platforms:

• God of War – Stream via PlayStation Plus Premium or purchase digitally on PS3/PS Vita
• God of War II – Stream via PlayStation Plus Premium or purchase digitally on PS3/PS Vita
• God of War III Remastered – Stream via PlayStation Plus Premium or purchase digitally on PS4

While not ideal, dusting off a PS3 or PS Vita provides avenues to buy the original God of War and God of War II to download. Purists argue playing the games natively in this way is still the best preservation of PS2-era Kratos‘ visceral combat.

Otherwise, a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription lets you stream all 3 classic God of War games. This shows off the titles with upgrades like 4K resolution and smoother 60 FPS framerates the original hardware couldn‘t deliver.

Either way, every God of War fan owes it to themselves to revisit these genre and franchise-defining PS2/PS3 classics that raised the bar for cinematic action storytelling and still represent peak Kratos for many series devotees. Their elegant combo systems, world designs, and penchant for the dramatics still amaze today.

So once you‘ve torn through the outstanding 2018 reboot, I implore you to seek out God of War‘s original iconic trilogy to complete your Kratos journey…just be prepared for things to get a bit messier compared to his more measured PS4 adventure!

Let me know if you take the dive into God of War‘s PS2/PS3 classics – or if you think players new to Kratos should start with the PS4 release! I‘m always down to chat old vs. new God of War comparisons.