Difficulties
There are four difficulties available in God of War, which you select at the start. You can change to any difficulty at any time from the Settings Menu, except for “Give Me God of War” difficulty. The toughest difficulty must be selected at the start and cannot be lowered.
Give Me a Story
Experience the story without too much of a gameplay challenge.
- Enemies deliver less damage and take more damage
- Enemies have reduced resistance to hit reactions
- Enemies are much easier to Stun
- Enemies are much less aggressive
- Enemies are weaker to Leviathan’s ranged attacks
- Kratos is more resistant to status effects
Give Me a Balanced Experience
An adventure that’s reasonably challenging.
Give Me a Challenge
A more demanding combat experience.
- Enemies gain a small Power Level advantage, improving many Stats
- Many enemies gain 50 health bonus
- Enemies deliver more damage and status effect damage
- Enemies have an 8 boost to Defense, forcing the player to get 8 more Strength to deliver bonus damage
- Enemies are harder to Stun in general, with slight bonus resistance to axe and bare-handed attacks
- Enemies are more resilient to Leviathan’s ranged attacks
- Enemies are more resistant to Atreus’ Runic Summons
- Enemies are more aggressive
- Enemies absorb impact from basic attacks
- Building up Permafrost/Immolation takes more time
Give Me God of War
As difficult as possible, requiring god-like reflexes and strategy. This difficulty cannot be changed mid-game, so a new game must be started to lower the difficulty.
- All previous attributes (Give Me a Challenge)
- Most enemies power up and turn Elite after taking damage. Elite enemies are stronger and more aggressive, so preventing the turn is key to success
- Enemies take slightly less damage
- Enemies deliver much more status damage
- Harmful status effects last longer and are more potent
- Enemies have a defense boostSlight increase in damage delivered to enemies in midair
- Enemies can only be wall-pinned in the air
- Enemies can counterattack quickly after taking hit reactions or blocking an attack
- Kratos motion during attacks is more precise
- Fewer advantages when the hero has a greater Power Level than an enemy
- Frost status effect reduces Kratos’ invincibility frames on evades
- Poison status effect reduces Kratos’ Power Level
- Burn status effect does much more damage
- Spartan Rage gain rate significantly reduced
- Health pickups reduce status damage and can clear active status effects
- Enemies are more resistant to status effects
- Parry attacks are less effective
- Elite enemies do not take ledge reactions and take significantly reduced reactions to Spartan Rage