God of War (2018): Complete Beginner's Guide

Getting Started in God of War (2018)

The game opens with a tutorial that teaches axe combat, Atreus's arrows, and the Spartan Rage ability. Choose Give Me a Balanced Experience for a first playthrough — it lets the combat system breathe without becoming punishing. Your first major destination is the Temple at the Lake of Nine; exploring the Lake shores before proceeding adds meaningful gear and context. Talk to Brok and Sindri whenever you find them — they upgrade your Axe and sell key crafting materials.

Core Mechanics to Master

Axe throw and recall is your primary offensive tool. Throw at frozen enemies for bonus shatter damage. The R3 target lock is optional but useful for precision axe throws at weak points. Atreus's arrows stagger enemies and can hold them briefly — call them with Square during boss fights for interrupt opportunities. Spartan Rage is an emergency tool, not a default — save it for situations where you're low health and surrounded.

Best Early Upgrades

Prioritize the Leviathan Axe skill tree: Whirling Storm (spinning throw) is excellent crowd control; Frost Giant's Frenzy is your highest single-target damage runic. For Atreus, upgrade to Shock Arrows as soon as possible — they stagger enemies significantly better than standard arrows. The Tyr's armor set (crafted from resources in the early areas) offers the best balance of stats for the first half of the game.

Essential Tips

1. Collect every Nornir chest — they contain Idunn Apples and Horns that permanently increase max health and rage.
2. Use Atreus actively — his shock arrows can stagger bosses and interrupt attacks at critical moments.
3. The Valkyries are optional but their armor sets are the game's best. Fight them when you feel overpowered by main story content.
4. Explore the Lake of Nine shores — hidden favours and gear make the mid-game significantly easier.

First Major Boss: The Stranger (Baldur)

Baldur is the game's first true boss — an unkillable, invulnerable god who cannot be harmed by any attack. The fight is a tutorial in the dodge and block system; survive his attacks and use Spartan Rage during his extended combos. The fight ends narratively rather than through conventional health depletion. Learn to recognize his unblockable red-ring attacks and dodge those specifically — everything else can be blocked with L1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to play the earlier God of War games?
A: No. The 2018 game is a fresh start with a brief recap of Kratos's history built into the narrative.

Q: How long is the game?
A: Main story is 20-25 hours. Full completion including all Valkyries and Niflheim/Muspelheim content runs 35+ hours.

Q: Is the PC version good?
A: Excellent — one of the best PlayStation PC ports available. Full feature support and solid performance.