The official PlayStation guide to God of War

The Norse wilds are a fearsome place for those unprepared. Ensure you’re ready for your odyssey by familiarizing yourself with the basics of combat, exploring the lore of its legendary setting and getting a look at the enemies you’ll face.

The official PlayStation guide to God of War

The Norse wilds are a fearsome place for those unprepared. Ensure you’re ready for your odyssey by familiarizing yourself with the basics of combat, exploring the lore of its legendary setting and getting a look at the enemies you’ll face.

Mastering combat in God of War

Dealing damage

Combat in God of War is brutal, tactical and varied; the secret to victory is knowing how and when to combine Kratos' many different skills. 

  • R1 and R2 are your most basic attacks - light and heavy, in that order. Combine the two in different ways to create crushing combos.
  • Holding L2 to raise your Leviathan Axe, and use R1 and R2 to then throw it. R1 will throw it horizontally, perfect for tripping enemies, while R2 will throw it  vertically to inflict maximum damage.
  • Press Triangle after a throwing the Leviathan Axe to summon it back to you. If you're still holding L2, the reticle will guide it's return journey allowing you to strike enemies unawares.
  • While empty-handed, Kratos has a completely different set of bare-handed attacks, again a mixture of heavy and light mapped to the R1 and R2 buttons.
  • Staggered enemies are prone to brutal finishers; lookout for an 'R3' prompt over dazed enemies and press it to trigger a takedown.
  • When your Spartan Rage meter (beneath your health) is glowing, push L3 and R3 together to unleash your Spartan Rage - a devastating frenzy mode that dishes out huge damage.

Defending yourself

Blocking

Hold L1 to raise Kratos’ Guardian Shield. It can guard you against damage in a range of situations, but it's not full-proof. Watch for a yellow circle appearing around an enemy attack: this indicates if it can be blocked.  

Dodging

If the circle is around an enemy attack is red it's unblockable. Tap Circle once to side step an incoming swipe or, for a bigger attack, quickly double-tap Circle with the left stick held to roll away clear of the impact.

Parrying

Tap L1 right before a blockable attack hits and you'll be able to parry it with your Guardian Shield, knocking the enemy back and leaving them wide open for a brutal follow-up.

Commanding Atreus

Atreus’ long-range support can be an invaluable asset in tough encounters. Simply tap Square and Atreus will fire a shot from his Talon Bow. By default, he’ll target the enemy Kratos is locked onto, but you can command him to fire at a specific target by aiming with L2 first.

As you progress through the game’s story, Atreus will gain access to different arrow types, each with its own unique effects. Simply tap the Up directional button to switch between arrow types.

As the boy grows more confident in combat, he’ll also be able to subdue enemies with melee attacks, leaving them open to follow-ups from the Leviathan Axe. You’ll first have to unlock this ability through the Skills tab in the pause menu.

Know your enemy

Atreus’ Bestiary

If a particular creature is giving you trouble, Atreus’ bestiary can be an invaluable source of information. 

From the pause menu, navigate to the Codex tab and then select Bestiary. Here, Atreus logs all of the enemies encountered along the journey, and adds notes on enemy-specific strategies with repeated encounters.

Enemy Levels

Blocking, dodging and parrying like a god? Clued-up on the best strategies from the bestiary and still struggling? You might just be under-leveled.

Beneath each enemy’s health meter is a number indicating its level. If their level is higher than Kratos’, it might be too much. Explore the world, upgrade your gear and come back stronger.

Understanding Kratos' abilities

As you explore Midgard (and beyond), you’ll come across new pieces of gear for Kratos which enhance his core stats. By upgrading gear at the blacksmith’s to improve these stats further, you’ll find encounters much easier to manage. Be sure to pick the right gear and enhance the right stats for the situation.

Key attributes

Strength

Determines Kratos’ raw power. A higher strength stat results in increased damage for all standard, non-Runic attacks.

Runic

Determines the strength of Runic abilities. A higher Runic stat equals stronger elemental damage, but does not increase the damage of normal attacks.

Defense

Helps to resist the impact of incoming attacks, reducing damage sustained from all types of foe. 

Luck

Increases the chance of additional abilities from armor and weapons enchantments being activated in combat and also increases the amount of XP and Hacksilver you acquire.

Vitality

Increases Kratos’ maximum health and resistance to being staggered. You can also boost Kratos’ maximum health by collecting Iðunn Apples, found in locked Nornir chests around the world.

Cooldown

A higher cooldown reduces the wait time needed to activate Runic attacks, summons and talisman abilities. These special abilities are unlocked gradually as you progress through your journey.

Weapons, Armor and Talismans

Beyond your god-like strength, you'll need to ensure you're properly armed for battle. This means collecting, crafting and upgrading your armor as well as taking care of your weapons.

Modifying your weapons

Your enchanted Leviathan Axe is the first of two weapons you'll wield (excluding your bare fists). It can be upgraded throughout your journey to add powerful new moves and increase it's physical and elemental damage attributes. 

  • Axe upgrades: Look out for a very rare material known as a Frozen Flame. Will these, you can have blacksmiths Brok or Sindre permanently upgrade the Leviathan Axe across all of its attributes - including appearance.
  • Axe Pommels: The base of your axe handle - also known as the 'pommel', can be replaced with a whole range of different variants, each with their own unique traits and bonuses. Buy these from Brok or Sindre or discover them in chests around Midgard.
  • Runes: There two slots in the head of your Leviathan Axe into which you can insert Runes. Found throughout Midgard, these Runes endow you with special elemental attacks that can be unleashed by holding L1 and pressing either R1 or R2.
  • Runes upgrades: Each Rune can be upgraded, expanding the move set attached to it and improving attributes like 'Damage' or 'Stun'. 

Kratos' Armor

Arms, Chest and Waist

Each piece of Kratos' armor can be replaced, customized and upgraded to attune Kratos' strengths to your preferred play style. Collect dozens of pieces and numerous full sets (each of which can be mixed and matched with one another) and bring the right materials to dwarves Brok and Sindre to have them upgraded.

Talismans

Alongside Kratos' armor, you're able to equip a talisman to your build that will not only bring its own benefits to your key attributes, but will also add a special unique runic ability that can be activated by holding L1 and pressing the X button.

Enchantments

Some armor pieces contain sockets into which you can insert runic Enchantments. These Enchantments come in a range of types and rarities and alongside augmenting your key attributes, will also add specific perks that can be activated in battle.  

Atreus' armor and weapons

While not as comprehensive as Kratos' armor and skills, Atreus still has a number of options and upgrades to consider. 

  • Armor sets: There are several suits of armor to be collected throughout your adventure, each of which will boost certain of Atreus' attributes and  govern how effective he is in combat. 
  • Runes: Atreus' Talon Bow can also be fitted with Runes. These Runes add special elemental attacks that can be unleashed by holding down Square.
  • Magic arrows: As you journey throughout the world you'll discover new types of arrow for Atreus to use. These have different elemental effects that will not only work against enemies, but also interact with the environment. Hit up on the D-pad to switch between different arrow types.

Expanding your powers

The opening hours of God of War find Kratos far removed from his violent past and living a life of relative peace. As he sets forth into the world of Midgard, brutal encounters and new threats will reawaken his dormant powers.

Experience and leveling

Completing quests, overcoming enemies and progressing the story will reward Kratos with experience - though the exact amount will depend on your Luck attribute - which can be used to unlock new techniques and upgrade others.

Skills

Kratos and Atreus have four full movesets that can be expanded over the course of the adventure: two you'll have at the outset and the others you'll discover as you progress through the game.

Using experience you can add new attacks that combo with existing ones or augment your favourite attacks with follow up moves and techniques. In order to access some of these, though, you'll need to enhance your weapons first, so spend your experience points wisely.

Leviathan Axe

Contains two skill trees, one for Ranged Combat options and one for Close Combat.

Guardian Shield

Contains two skill trees, one for Shield Combat (including all of your bare-handed attacks) and another for your Spartan Rage abilities.

Talon Bow

Contains two skill trees, one for magic combat (that adds unique magical effects to Atreus' attacks) and another for Expert Combat.

Runic abilities

Throughout your adventure you'll collect dozens of Runes that augment Kratos and Atreus' weapons with special moves and abilities. Each of these can be upgraded using experience points.

Upgrading Runic abilities will not only improve the efficacy of these attacks but may also modify them with additional attacks and effects. 

A world of myths and legends

Discover some of the terrifying creatures you’ll encounter on your perilous journey. Witness their transformation from sketch, to digital painting, to fully animated in-game character.

Draugr

Undead warriors whose souls were too fierce and stubborn to leave the mortal realm, their twisted forms have rendered them slow and predictable. Use this to your advantage as you parry their sluggish attacks.

 

Trolls

It is said that no one troll in Midgard is the same, but each of these monstrous creatures shares something in common: immeasurable power. Even the Guardian Shield will struggle to deflect their mighty blows, so watch for their attacks, dodge and counter.

Revenants

Vile witches deformed by their zealous devotion to Seiðr magic, these creatures are too nimble even for the swiftest cleaves of the Leviathan Axe. Use Atreus’ arrows to stun them before moving in for the kill.

Editions

Standard Edition

    Digital Deluxe Edition

    • God of War PS4™ Dynamic Theme
    • “Exile’s Guardian” Shield Skin
    • “Death’s Vow” Armor for Kratos
    • “Death’s Vow” Armor for Atreus

    God of War - Digital Comic Book Issue 1