4. It’s All About Luck
You’ll notice pretty quickly that Kratos has 6 character stats – one of the new RPG elements added to this latest God of War iteration. Of these, it might be tempting to favor the traditional categories of Strength or Defense. That makes sense – we want our attack and defense to be high when we’re going up against the new huge, scary enemies God of War throws at us. But there’s a stat down a bit lower that you should also think about maximizing: Luck. Why? It gives you more XP when you win a battle, and it also increases the amount of Hacksilver you’ll find in the game. It might not directly help you in a particular battle, but Luck will bring the most benefit to you in the long run, so give it the attention it deserves. When you’re further along in your journey, trust me, you’ll see it pay off.
5. Don’t Forget Atreus
Atreus might seem like an afterthought in your quest to optimize Kratos’ stats, but make sure not to forget him when you’re upgrading. As you’ve probably figured out by now, Kratos’ son in God of War is far from a liability – he’s an essential fellow traveler on your journey. His archery skills start as a mere distraction to enemies at first, but he can actually become a formidable partner in battle later in the game. You can spend XP and Hacksilver to upgrade Atreus’ arrow damage and stun capacity, or craft stronger armor for him. Best of all, you can unlock special skills for Atreus, allowing him to summon powerful allies that can really turn the tide in key battles. Kratos might gruffly dismiss “the boy” a lot of the time, but the fact is, Atreus is an indispensable ally in this journey.
Well, there you have it – those are, without spoilers, 5 things I wish I knew when I first started playing God of War. Hopefully, they can help you get the most out of your journey – no matter what, though, you’re in for a bone-crunching good time, so strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. Kratos may be older and wiser this time around, but the Ghost of Sparta can still deal out some serious pain.