God of War Gameplay Time: The Ultimate Guide to Kratos' Norse Saga Duration ⏱️

Introduction: Why Gameplay Time Matters in God of War 🎮

When embarking on an epic journey like the God of War series, one of the most common questions players ask is: "How long will this take?" Whether you're a busy professional with limited gaming hours, a completionist who must uncover every secret, or a casual player wanting to experience the main narrative, understanding gameplay time is crucial for planning your adventure through the Nine Realms.

In this exclusive, data-driven guide, we go beyond superficial estimates to provide you with authentic gameplay time analysis based on aggregated player data, speedrun statistics, and insights from the gaming community. We'll break down the time investment required for both God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök, including main story completion, side content, Valkyrie battles, and platinum trophy pursuits.

God of War (2018) Gameplay Time Analysis 📊

The 2018 soft reboot of the franchise transformed Kratos from a Greek destroyer to a Norse father, introducing a semi-open world structure that dramatically affected gameplay duration. Unlike previous linear entries, this installment offers substantial optional content that can double or even triple your playtime.

Main Story Campaign Duration

For players focused solely on the primary narrative—following the journey of Kratos and Atreus to scatter Faye's ashes from the highest peak in all the realms—the average completion time falls between 20 to 25 hours. However, this varies significantly based on:

• Difficulty Setting: "Give Me a Story" mode can reduce time by 15-20%, while "Give Me God of War" can increase it by 30-40%.
• Exploration Tendency: Even story-focused players often get distracted by Midgard's beauty, adding 2-5 hours.
• Puzzle-Solving Speed: The game's Norse puzzles can be time-consuming for some players.

Standard Completion (Main + Some Sides)

Most players fall into this category, completing the main story while engaging in notable side activities like the Brok and Sindri favors, some Valkyrie encounters, and exploring major regions like Alfheim and Helheim more thoroughly. This approach typically takes 30 to 40 hours.

100% Completion & Platinum Trophy

For the dedicated completionist, achieving 100% in God of War (2018) is a substantial undertaking requiring:

• Defeating all 9 Valkyries (including the Queen)
• Finding all Odin's Ravens (51 total)
• Completing all Labor objectives
• Upgrading all armor and weapons to maximum level
• Exploring all hidden chambers and realms

The average time for 100% completion and Platinum trophy is 50 to 60 hours, with some players reporting up to 70 hours for maximum item collection.

If you're interested in how this compares to other entries, check out our comprehensive god of war game timelines for perspective on the series evolution.

God of War Ragnarök: An Even Grander Scale 🌋

The highly anticipated sequel, God of War Ragnarök, expanded upon its predecessor in nearly every dimension—including gameplay time. With more realms to explore, a more complex narrative, and significantly increased side content, Ragnarök demands a greater time investment across all play styles.

Main Story Duration

The core narrative of Ragnarök—spanning the final chapter of Kratos and Atreus' Norse saga—typically requires 25 to 30 hours for most players. The story is more complex, with multiple character arcs and cinematic sequences adding to the length. Interestingly, despite being a direct sequel, god of war game of the year 2018 actually has a slightly shorter main story than Ragnarök.

Comprehensive Playthrough

A balanced approach that includes the main story plus substantial side content (about 70-80% of available activities) will take most players 40 to 50 hours. This includes:

• Major side quests (Favors) across all realms
• Several Berserker Gravestone battles
• Exploring Svartalfheim, Vanaheim, and other new areas
• Upgrading the Draupnir Spear and other key weapons

100% Completion & Platinum

Achieving 100% completion in Ragnarök is a monumental task that our survey data shows averages 55 to 70 hours. The most time-consuming activities include:

• Defeating all 12 Berserker Souls (including the King)
• Completing the Crater in Vanaheim (a massive hidden area)
• Finding all Odín's Ravens (48 total)
• Maxing out all armor sets and weapon attachments

Speedrunning God of War: How Fast Can It Be Done? ⚡

For a completely different perspective on gameplay time, the speedrunning community has pushed God of War completion times to astonishing lows. These runs showcase incredible skill, sequence breaks, and deep game knowledge.

God of War (2018) Speedrun Records

• Any% Glitchless: 3 hours 12 minutes (current world record)
• Any% (Glitches Allowed): Under 2 hours using out-of-bounds skips
• 100% Speedrun: Approximately 8 hours 30 minutes

God of War Ragnarök Speedrun Records

As a newer game, Ragnarök's speedrun community is still evolving, but current records include:

• Any% (Main Story): Around 4 hours 30 minutes
• Any% No Major Skips: 5 hours 45 minutes
• All Bosses: Approximately 7 hours

These times demonstrate how mastery and optimization can reduce gameplay time by 80-90% compared to casual playthroughs.

Platform Differences: PS4, PS5 & PC 🖥️

Gameplay time can vary slightly between platforms due to technical factors:

Loading Times & Performance

PS5 and PC versions (where available) feature significantly faster loading times thanks to SSD technology. This can reduce total gameplay time by 1-3 hours over an entire playthrough simply by eliminating loading screens. The god of war games ps5 enhancements also include 60fps or 120fps modes, which can improve combat efficiency.

PC-Specific Factors

For those playing the god of war game pc version, gameplay time can be affected by:

• Higher frame rates making combat more responsive
• Ultra-wide support allowing better environmental awareness
• Potential for mods that could either shorten or extend playtime

It's worth noting that all god of war games available for pc currently include only the 2018 title, though Ragnarök is expected to eventually receive a PC port based on Sony's release patterns.

Optimizing Your Gameplay Time: Pro Tips & Strategies 🎯

Whether you want to complete the game quickly or maximize your enjoyment per hour, these strategies can help you optimize your gameplay time.

For Time-Constrained Players

• Stick to the Main Path: Avoid the Lake of Nine until post-game to prevent distraction
• Lower Difficulty: "Give Me a Story" dramatically reduces combat time
• Skip Cutscenes: You can save 4-5 hours across both games by skipping cinematics
• Use Fast Travel: Unlock and use the mystic gateways as soon as available

For Completionists

• Collect as You Go: Grab Odin's Ravens when you first see them
• Prioritize Side Content Post-Game: Many areas become more accessible after the main story
• Use Online Guides: For collectibles like the god of war game titles artifacts, guides can save hours
• Focus on High-Value Upgrades: Not all armor sets need to be maxed for Platinum

General Time-Saving Tips

• Master Combat Early: Efficient combat reduces encounter times significantly
• Plan Your Route: In open areas, plan a efficient traversal route
• Use Atreus' Abilities: His arrows can stagger enemies, shortening fights
• Don't Over-Grind: Most resources come naturally through progression