God of War: Chains of Olympus [PS3]
A somewhat easier but still satisfying interlude/prequel. It was first released for the PSP, and there are a few slight traces of this heritage in the PS3 TV version, such as simplified controls and narrower fields of view. This is actually not a bad thing, as it tones down some of the over-the-top epic battles of the previous TV console games and focuses on more intimate encounters, which makes sense for this period in Kratos's life.
(For the record: the problem with over-the-top epic battles in the PS2 and PS3 was that the hardware couldn't do justice to the design. In the PS4 era the conceit finally works.)
All in all this is not a must-play game in the series, but definitely fun and definitely a true God of War entry. If you can't get enough of Kratos, play this! If only for the steamy sex scene at the beginning...