God of War

God of War is an action-adventure hack-and-slash game from Santa Monica Studio, the first entry in the series and a story loosely drawn from Greek mythology. It is set in ancient Greece and built around the theme of vengeance, following Kratos, a Spartan warrior bound in service to the gods of Olympus.

Once a successful captain in the Spartan army, Kratos was defeated by a barbarian king and, facing death, swore himself to Ares, the God of War, in exchange for power. Ares granted him the Blades of Chaos but later deceived him into killing his own wife and daughter. Renouncing his oath, Kratos becomes haunted by nightmares of the deed, his skin turned ash-white by a curse that earns him the name Ghost of Sparta.

At the goddess Athena's command, Kratos is sent to destroy Ares, his former mentor, as the war god assaults Athens out of hatred for her. To stop him for good, Kratos must find Pandora's Box, the only thing capable of permanently ending the vengeful god.