The news that God of War included more difficulty levels met the favors of all those interested in a challenge worthy of the name. Interestingly, there is a 4th level of difficulty called Give Me God of War mode that even most experienced gamers find it very difficult to play.
In this guide, we will confine ourselves to the merits of what players should expect during this trip, as well as provide some tips that can help in the initial approach to the brutal fighting offered by the modality.
Give Me God of War Mode:
The latest effort by Sony Santa Monica, with a virtually unanimous consensus in the whole specialized press, is presented as a valid title under many points of view. On the combat system front, words have been spent on the depth, dynamism, and variety of adoptable approaches to get the better of the countless battles.
As is the case in many titles that offer this type of choice, it is obvious that to fully appreciate each detail, each fineness of the combat system is advisable to play at a medium/high level of difficulty. The latter God of War, however, does not stop at the simple “difficulty mode”; on the contrary, it proposes a further (fourth) level of difficulty: Give Me God of War. In this mode, the enemies will not just hit harder: their artificial intelligence, in fact, will be considerably more responsive to the player’s actions, and will allow them to perform more complex and unpredictable attack patterns – thus making the fights significantly more complex also from a tactical point of view.
Not only that: once you have decided to start the game on this difficulty, the player will not be given the chance to rethink again. In short, it will be impossible to change this difficulty level in the middle of the gameplay, when we may have realized that the maximum difficulty is, indeed, too difficult.
In light of this, we would like to underline it: think about it, especially in light of the advice and references that we will give below; having to start over, moreover, it never pleases.
Tips to tackle the game on maximum difficulty:
In dealing with the maximum difficulty of God of War, each element of the combat system must be understood and studied to perfection: whether it is skill trees, runes, possibilities offered by Atreus’ control; before rushing headfirst into combat, try to understand each of these elements as well as possible. The extreme difficulty offered by Give Me God of War mode, moreover, will require a knowledge and an extreme mastery of each aspect not only of the pure combat system, but also of the whole infrastructure of management and enhancement of the character who, in this last incarnation of the ghost of Sparta, has assumed considerable importance.
Even those clashes that might seem simple at first glance will have the potential to put you in trouble and, consequently, give you precious insights about which actions are most effective at a given moment and for a particular enemy. In this sense, it is perhaps not an exaggeration to say that every clash, at maximum difficulty, will appear as a sort of puzzle to be deciphered: since most enemies will be able to knock us down in one or two shots, it will be vital to determine who breaks down first, who to keep at a distance, who to hit with the ax and how to behave Atreus.
Weapons and Skill Trees:
Of course, the basic weapons of Kratos will be your best friends. The possibilities offered by the ax and the shield (normal and perfect parades) are numerous, and becoming familiar with each one of them will be at least fundamental. Since there is also the possibility to upgrade the skill trees of the weapons, you will have to pay close attention to the exploration: you might regret not having missed even the smallest opportunity to gain silver or experience.
As for priorities in spending your resources, try to increase the level of weapons as early as possible: remember that the most advanced skills of the skill trees will be blocked behind the progress of these levels.
The approach to combat:
As expected, throwing blindly in combat without the slightest idea of what the dangers we are facing is absolutely out of the question. Fundamentally, rather, you will master the loop of dodging, parrying and attacking and knowing how to adapt to different situations. As is the case for many other games in which the attacks of the enemies have an important weight, familiarize yourself with the patterns of each enemy (in this sense, remember that the bestiary can help you too) and know when it is wiser to parry, dodging and attacking proves vital to success in combat.
Not only that: depending on the enemy you are facing, you may need to put your ax aside and rely on your fists and, above all, make sure that Atreus helps you in the accumulation of the stun bar. Finally, it is important to underline how God of War, from time to time, also offers the player the opportunity to exploit elements of the arena to his advantage. When this happens, be sure to take full advantage of this possibility.
If all these considerations, rather than scaring you, have done nothing but reinforced your conviction to face God of War at its utmost difficulty, we can not help but wish you: good luck!
