God of War: Unlocking the Ultimate Experience with New Game Plus

So, you’ve conquered the realms, faced down gods, and guided Kratos and Atreus through their epic journey in God of War (2018) or God of War Ragnarök. But the saga doesn’t have to end there. Enter New Game Plus (NG+), a transformative mode that breathes new life into the game, offering a plethora of bonuses and challenges for seasoned players. The core bonus of New Game Plus in God of War is the ability to replay the entire game with all the skills, weapons, armor, and equipment you acquired during your previous playthrough. This allows for a vastly different experience, empowering you from the start and opening up strategic possibilities you couldn’t explore before. In essence, it lets you become the ultimate God of War from the very first encounter.

Diving Deep into the New Game Plus Experience

New Game Plus isn’t just about replaying the story with your old gear. It’s a meticulously crafted system that introduces several compelling additions:

• Retained Progression: The most significant bonus is carrying over your armor, weapons (including upgrades), skills, runic attacks, talismans, enchantments, and resources. This allows you to immediately engage with advanced combat strategies and access areas that were previously restricted by your level or abilities.
• New Armor Sets: New Game Plus unlocks access to exclusive armor sets, often inspired by iconic characters or events within the God of War universe. These sets aren’t merely cosmetic; they come with unique perks and stat distributions that can significantly alter your playstyle. This includes returning sets like the Spartan, Ares, and Zeus sets.
• Enhanced Equipment: Expect to find more powerful versions of existing armor, talismans, and enchantments. These enhanced items offer superior stats and unique effects, allowing you to further refine your build and optimize your combat prowess.
• Perfect Rarity Gear: A new resource called Skap Slag enables you to forge “perfect rarity” gear. This top-tier equipment boasts exceptional stats and unique properties, pushing the limits of Kratos’ power.
• Increased Difficulty: New Game Plus doesn’t just give you more power; it also presents a greater challenge. Enemies are tougher, hit harder, and feature new attack patterns. This forces you to adapt your strategies and make the most of your enhanced abilities.
• New Enhancements: The New Game Plus update adds new enhancements to beef up your armor, according to the PlayStation blog. To access the new content, you will need to complete the base game. Once finished, you can start a New Game Plus save with additional features accessible from the start.
• Upgradeable Elemental Weapons: Primal Flames are the key to upgrading Kratos’ Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and Draupnir Spear.

The Allure of Replayability

The beauty of New Game Plus lies in its replayability. You can experiment with different builds, master challenging combat encounters, and uncover hidden secrets that you might have missed during your initial playthrough. The mode also incentivizes exploration, as the enhanced gear and resources encourage you to revisit previously explored areas.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About God of War New Game Plus

To further clarify the intricacies of God of War’s New Game Plus mode, here’s a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions:

1. Does New Game Plus delete my old save?

   No, starting a New Game Plus run won’t overwrite your manual save files from your previous adventure. However, auto-saves will be overwritten. It’s always a good idea to create a manual save before starting NG+.

2. Can I play New Game Plus multiple times?

   Yes, you can technically play NG+ multiple times, but with a caveat. You can only initiate NG+ from a save file that is a completed base game save. You cannot use an NG+ save file to start another NG+ run. As long as you have a base game save untouched, you can keep starting new NG+ playthroughs with it.

3. Is God of War harder in New Game Plus?

   Yes, enemies in New Game Plus are significantly tougher than in the base game. They have increased health, deal more damage, and may even possess new attack patterns.

4. What happens after I finish New Game Plus?

   After completing NG+, you can start a new game on NG++, if you will, using the save from the NG+ run, thus increasing the difficulty.

5. Do I keep all my items in New Game Plus?

   Yes, you retain the vast majority of your armor, weapons, skills, runic attacks, talismans, enchantments, and resources when starting New Game Plus. This is the primary appeal of the mode.

6. Can I upgrade the Leviathan Axe in New Game Plus?

   Yes, you can upgrade the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and Draupnir Spear in New Game Plus using Primal Flames, a rare resource obtained by defeating major bosses.

7. What is the best armor in God of War New Game Plus?

   The Zeus Armor Set is often considered the best armor set in New Game Plus, but it comes with a significant drawback: it greatly increases your damage output but also makes you much more vulnerable. Other excellent choices include the Ares and Spartan armor sets, each offering unique advantages.

8. How do I get the Zeus armor in God of War?

   The three pieces of the Zeus Armor are obtained by:

   • War Belt of Zeus: Clear your fourth Remnant of Asgard.
   • Gauntlets of Zeus: Clear your sixth Remnant of Asgard.
   • Cuirass of Zeus: Defeat Valkyrie Queen Gna.

9. How do I get the Armor of the Black Bear in God of War Ragnarok New Game Plus?

   You receive the Armor of the Black Bear immediately upon starting a New Game Plus playthrough in God of War Ragnarök.

10. What is Skap Slag used for?

    Skap Slag is a new resource introduced in New Game Plus that allows you to forge “perfect rarity” gear, which offers exceptional stats and unique properties.

11. Is there a secret ending in God of War Ragnarök that requires New Game Plus?

    While the secret ending in God of War Ragnarök doesn’t specifically require New Game Plus, it is something you may want to do when tackling New Game Plus, just to experience it with all of your existing gear. To trigger it, you must return to Sindri’s House after the final battle.

12. How do New Game Plus modes affect learning in games?

    NG+ modes enhance replayability, enabling players to master game mechanics and strategies through repeated play. This offers opportunities for deeper engagement and learning by allowing players to explore different playstyles and challenges. For more information on learning through games, visit Games Learning Society.

13. Do Great Runes carry over into NG+

    In Elden Ring, Great Runes do not carry over into New Game Plus. You will need to re-obtain them during your NG+ playthrough. God of War does allow you to carry your items into the NG+.

14. What is ng7?

    In FromSoftware games like Elden Ring, NG+7 refers to the seventh playthrough of the game on New Game Plus. The difficulty increases with each NG+ cycle, capping at NG+7.

15. Is there DLC planned for God of War Ragnarök?

    As of now, Sony has not officially announced any DLC for God of War Ragnarök. However, given the game’s critical acclaim and commercial success, DLC remains a possibility.

By offering a fresh perspective on the familiar world and challenges of God of War, New Game Plus transforms a great game into an unforgettable experience. It’s a testament to the developers’ commitment to rewarding players and encouraging continued engagement with their masterpiece. So, dust off your Leviathan Axe, prepare your Blades of Chaos, and embark on a new journey through the realms. The gods await, and this time, you’re ready for them. Be sure to visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more about the educational benefits of gaming.