Using these God of War Ragnarok tips and tricks, you'll be able to slaughter your way through the Nine Realms as Kratos and Atreus. Though you'll be doing a lot more than just hacking apart enemies with the Leviathan Axe as there's plenty of exploring to be done and many other systems to wrap your head around in God of War Ragnarok, and it's worth understanding the nuances so that you can use them to your advantage. Fortunately, numerous people are GamesRadar+ have played through the game in its entirety to bring you these essential tidbits that we wish we knew when getting started. Here are some key tips for God of War Ragnarok to help you achieve true godhood.
1. Smash any vases or hanging buckets you see for rewards
Any vases or hanging buckets you see will almost 100% always drop some hacksilver (the game's main currency) if you destroy them. The only reason they won't is if they give you a health or rage stone instead. You're never going to get loads but the steady trickle this can provide is always going to help. Just get into the habit of smashing any you see. Thin pottery vases on the ground can also have a payout for breaking then, but not the boxes and barrels. However the barrels and containers you see while sledding can be smashed by running into them for cash and crafting rearwards, much likely you used to grab passing wreckage in boat for the previous game. If you're after some bigger payouts then you can track down the God of War Ragnarok buried treasure locations.
2. Charge up your Leviathan Axe or Blades of Chaos for more damage
By holding down or mashing triangle for the axe or blades respectively, Kratos can charge each with extra frost or fire damage. This will also increase the elemental effect on the next hit. It's a good habit to get into - doing it before a fight or any chance you get the time during - as the boost can really make a difference. As you level up, you'll unlock additional ways to charge up your weapons faster. It's a very useful advantage to press.
3. Buy the elemental and dodging skills ASAP to do more damage
One skill you can unlock will do more damage if you attack a enemy suffering from an elemental effect with the opposite effect. So if you freeze something and then and then switch to the Blades' fire, you'll do far more damage. It can melt tough enemies away much faster so keep an eye out for the element affliction icon on anything you're attacking and switch the second if takes affect.
It's also very worth getting the skill that lets you do a special attack as you dodge. You'll be dodging a lot just in the normal course of play, so even if you don't learn the specifics you'll trigger it occasionally by accident for a bit of extra damage. The reverse axe spin is particularly effective - able to wound and stun enemies while you're getting out of the way.
4. Swap between Axe and Blades depending on what you're fighting
As a general rule, the Leviathan Axe is best for attacking single enemies, while the Blades of Chaos' wide sweep is ideal for groups. Some enemies also have elemental shields that can only be damaged by the right weapon - so use the icey Leviathan on fire, and so on. Learn to switch quickly between weapons on the fly to fully optimise this flow between types. Unarmed combat with your fists also fills an enemy's stun bar quicker, letting you pull off finisher moves faster for big damage attacks or maybe even an instakill. A fast and fluid movement switching between all your options will maximise the impact you have in battle.
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5. Pick armor carefully to match your playstyle
In the previous God of War, armor provided basic buffs and bonuses for wearing a full set, although you were free to mix and match. In Ragnarok, armor is more focused and designed to enhance very specific styles of play with effects that stack and interlock if you equip a full set. Lunda's armor is a good example: the chest piece has a chance to inflict poison, while the bracers and belt do more damage to poisoned enemies, doubling the boost if you wear both. Basically you want to wear what suits the way you play to get the most out of it. If you want help finding the best options for you our guide to the Best God of War Ragnarok Armor Sets explains more.
6. Armor upgrades are better than new gear to start with but switch up mid-game
When you first start playing you'll get more out of your armor and gear by using your money and resources to upgrade things, rather than swapping it out for newer things. However, you will want to swap eventually so upgrade until mid-game and then see what your expanding options give you. If you want a sense for where the mid game actually is then check our spoiler-free guide to the God of War Ragnarok story length to help you see where you are.
7. Watch the arrows around Kratos to dodge attacks
The arrows that appear around Kratos indicate threats that aren't on screen. A yellow arrow means a nearby enemy is approaching, a red arrow means they're attacking, and a 'purple' (slightly different red) arrow means a projectile is headed in your direction. The latter two are very quick alerts and you'll often need to dodge instantly, the second you see them, to avoid damage.
8. Environmental objects do high damage in combat if you can find them
Certain areas will have objects that can be hit, thrown or used to do high damage to enemies. There are tree trunks that Kratos can swing at enemies, pieces of rock that can be picked up and thrown, jars that explode, and more. However, many of these don't stand out at all. There are tree stumps you can use to create a large area freeze attack for example, that are almost impossible to see in the middle of a battle. So make sure you take a second to cast an eye over the battlefield to see what you can bash enemies with and get used to recognising them.
9. Crack open Nornir Chests as you see them, if you can
The God of War Ragnarok Nornir Chests are special rune crates full of loot that require three objects hidden around the environment to be smashed, moved, lit and so on. The Nornir Chests usually hold very good stuff, so they're always worth opening. You won't always be able to do that the first time you find them though as they can require late-game God of War Ragnarok new weapons and abilities. Atreus or Mimir will usually tell you as much when you find them if that's the case, so just make a mental note and come back later.
10. Make regular visits to the Huldra Brothers and see what's available
Upgrade materials are pretty common in God of War Ragnarok, and with a fairly expansive selection of gear and resources at the Huldra Brothers' shop, it's worth dropping in whenever you get the chance to see what's there, whether it's upgrades to your weapons, new armor sets, or the chance to replenish resurrection stones. They'll also have a chest that fills with any rare loot dropped by an enemy that you missed, so if it's glowing blue, pop it open and see what's inside.
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