Important Notes

Important Notes for God of War (2018)

Warnings

• Combat Adjustment Period: The early game lacks upgrades and abilities, making even basic encounters dangerous. Do not rush into large groups without crowd control (Atreus arrows, heavy attacks, shield blocks).


• Exploration Dangers: Some early areas (e.g., the Cliffs of the Raven, Midgard’s Lake of Nine) contain high-level enemies (Valkyries, Revenants) that will one-shot you. A skull icon above their health bar indicates they are far above your recommended level. Avoid them until you reach a higher Player Level (5+).


• Story Spoilers: Avoid reading lore tomes or optional text if you care about story surprises. The game does not lock you out of plot context, but many important reveals are found in codex entries and conversation prompts.




Pitfalls



• Resource Mismanagement: Hacksilver and materials (Hacksilver, Dust, Hardened Metal) are scarce early on. Avoid wasting Hacksilver on low-tier armor or runic attacks. Save for mid-to-late-game upgrades (e.g., Mist Armor, Zeus Armor).


• Skill Choices: Prioritize upgrades that improve combat flow: Parry (Shield), Whirlwind Sprint (Axe), Artery (Atreus skills). Do not spread skill points evenly; focus on your preferred playstyle.


• Ignoring Atreus Upgrades: Atreus’s arrows, attacks, and runic summons are crucial. Unlock his abilities early (especially Surge of Fury and Wrath of the Wolf) for crowd control and stagger.


• Selling Unique Items: Do not sell the Hacksilver Spool, Eye of the Keeper, or any quest-specific collectibles (e.g., Dust of Fates, World Serpent’s Bait). They are needed for late-game upgrades or cannot be retrieved.


• Neglecting Side Quests: Many favors (side quests) are time-sensitive. Some become permanently missable if you advance the main story past a certain point (see Missable Content).




Irreversible Choices



• Story Branch: The game has two major narrative branches based on your choice at the end of the main quest: Brok’s funeral vs. Fimbulwinter. This affects the post-game ending cutscene but does not lock out any gameplay content. Your decision is permanent for that save file.


• Favor Outcomes: Several favors allow you to give items to characters (e.g., Hacksilver to Brok). Once given, those resources are gone. No significant negative impact, but you cannot retrieve them for other uses.


• Armor Crafting: Crafted armor pieces cannot be dismantled or sold. If you craft a weak set early, you may waste materials. Check the Best Armor Sets guide before committing.

Missable Content

Difficulty Spikes

• Baldur (First Fight): Your first major boss encounter. He is aggressive and has unpredictable patterns. Use Atreus arrows to stagger, block his unblockable attacks with a well-timed dodge, and use the stun meter for a quick finisher.


• Valkyries (Mid-to-Late Game): These optional super-bosses have massive health, high damage, and unique attack patterns. Each Valkyrie has specific weaknesses (e.g., Gunnr – freeze, Rota – slow). Recommended Level 6+ with upgraded armor and runic attacks. Be prepared to learn attack tells and use the Spartan Rage as a panic button.


• Sigrun (Valkyrie Queen): The hardest boss in the game. She combines all other Valkyrie attacks. Requires perfect timing, blocking, and dodging. Use the Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist armor set for health regeneration and brute force.


• Realm Tears (Eir, etc.): Some realm tears spawn waves of weak enemies that become overwhelming. Use area-of-effect runic attacks and Atreus’s stun arrows to control crowds.


• The Mountain – Traveler Encounter: A brute enemy with a near-unblockable area attack. Use shield parry after he exhausts himself, then follow with runic attacks.




Grinding Traps



• Early Game Resources: Do not grind for Hacksilver or materials in the first few hours. The game’s economy is balanced so that you earn enough naturally. Hacksilver becomes abundant after Chapter 5 (Lakeside area).


• Upgrade Overdrive: Upgrading every piece of gear equally is inefficient. Focus on one weapon (Leviathan Axe) and one armor set (e.g., Brok’s set early, then Valkyrie later). Spreading upgrades leads to underpowered gear.


• Endless Realm Tears: Some realm tears in Muspelheim and Niflheim require repeating trials for resources. You only need enough for the armor sets you want. Once you have the necessary materials (e.g., Mist Echoes for Niflheim armor), stop farming; the rest is wasted time.


• Laboratory of the Dead (Niflheim): Keep a brisk pace. You only need to gather 1200 Mist Echoes total for the three armor sets. Use the Realm Shifter ability to skip combat in the central maze.




Online Etiquette / Anti-Cheat Notes



• No Multiplayer: God of War (2018) is a single-player only game. There is no online etiquette to follow, no team play, and no anti-cheat system. Mods are allowed on PC but may corrupt saves if improperly installed. Use mods at your own risk; always back up your save file before tinkering.


• Leaderboards: The PS4 version had photo mode leaderboards for community challenges? Not relevant. There are no competitive elements.


• Save Scumming: The game does not prevent manual saving or reloading. You can save before boss fights or important decisions to avoid negative outcomes. This is not considered cheating.




Save Management Advice



• Use Manual Saves: The game auto-saves frequently, but always make a manual save before:

- Entering a new realm (Midgard, Alfheim, Helheim, Jotunheim).
- Fighting a Valkyrie or realm tear.
- Starting a main quest that may lock previous areas.

• Multiple Save Slots: Keep at least three rotating saves. That way, if you accidentally overwrite a critical save, you can fall back to an earlier point. Especially important for the missable content window (Chapter 6).


• Cloud Save / Backup: On PC, use Steam Cloud or manually copy the save folder. On PS4/PS5, use PS+ cloud saves or a USB drive. If you lose your save, you will have to restart from scratch – no New Game+ carryover except for certain gear.


• New Game+: After completing the game, you can start New Game+ with your gear, levels, and resources. It also adds new armor sets and enchantments. Do not delete your old save unless you are done with it, as some items are only obtainable in NG+.




Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier



• Exploration Is Key: Many players stick to the critical path and miss dozens of favors, treasure, and lore. The game rewards thorough exploration of every shoreline, cave, and shipwreck.


• Atreus Can Climb Bars: Atreus can climb certain wall bars that Kratos cannot. Pay attention to ledges and gaps that only he can access – they often hide loot chests or ravens.


• Blocking vs. Dodging: Holding L1 blocks most non-unblockable attacks, but dodge rolling is essential for area-of-effect attacks. Many players block too much and take unnecessary damage.


• Runic Attacks Recharge Faster with High Runic Stat: If you focus on runic attack builds, invest in gems and armor that boost Runic and Cooldown. This makes your abilities available more often.


• You Can Change Atreus’s Tunic: His clothing provides passive buffs (e.g., increased stun, health recovery). Check the customization menu before major battles.


• The Compass Helps With Ravens: When you’re near an Odin’s Raven, the compass on the screen flashes blue. Use this to track them.


• The Game Does Not End After the Final Boss: After the credits, you return to the open world. All side content remains available (except the raven in Jotunheim). New Game+ unlocks after defeating the Valkyrie Queen and/or finishing the story.


• Use the Sparring Mat: In the workshop, you can practice combat with infinitely respawning enemies. This is the best place to test new runic attacks or learn parry timing.


• Sell Unwanted Enchantments: You can sell enchantments to Brok or Sindri, but you cannot reobtain legendary ones once sold. Check a guide before selling anything with a gold border.