God of Warintroduced so many new and great mechanics into the franchise that it's no surprise that it can be a bit confusing for both newcomers and series veterans alike. On my first playthrough of the game, I not only played it on the hardest difficulty but spent theentirerun unsure of how the level system worked and what it entailed. So, let's ensure that doesn't happen to you too!
What are levels?
The LVL beside "STRENGTH" is the item's level, whilst the one on the top right is Kratos'.
Unlike most games,God of Wardoesn't increase your level according to how many battles you fight; despite actually being awarded XP for these battles, it's used for the skill tree present in the game and has nothing to do with Kratos' overall level.
Kratos' level depends on his gear rather than the XP earned through combat, how many skills you have acquired through the skill tree, or how much you've upgraded your runic attacks. That means that to level up Kratos, you will need to attain a lot of hacksilver to upgrade or purchase new pieces of equipment constantly.
What do levels affect?
You see the two flying guys? Yup, lower level than me!
Levels dictate a lot in each battle. Fighting an enemy that is the same level as you, one lower or one higher, feels dramatically different due to these systems in place.
How much you can stagger an enemy heavily depends on their level in contrast to yours; staggering and launching enemies that are one level below you is significantly easier than doing the same to those equal to you. Meanwhile, whenever an enemy is at a higher level than you, staggering and launching them become nigh impossible: simple tasks such as pushing them over the abyss require far heavier attacks than it would usually take.
Aside from how much you can stagger a foe, levels also affect how much damage you deal and receive. You will deal more damage to enemies that are lower levels than you, whilst enemies that have a higher level will have significantly higher resistances and deal obscene amounts of damage.
Whether you level up through defensive stats, such as Vitality or Defense, or do it through offensive stats, like Runic or Strength, you will find that you deal significantly more damage, and battles and enemies that were once tough are easier.
The level disparity has visual cues to assist you in differentiating them easily. Green bars mean that you are a higher level, and thus you will deal more damage and have a higher staggering capability; yellow bars mean that you are equal to them, and everything is at its basics; and purple bars mean that you are a lower level, meaning you won't be able to deal much damage at all and it will requiremuchheavier attacks to stagger them.
Purple means that it's a no-no zone, and if you get hit you go bye-bye.
The bar colours are the more substantial indicator — even when taking into account the raw numbers — because how far into a level you are will affect the disparity as well, and as such, the colours will indicate this more concisely than the numbers.
For instance, having three-quarters of the way into level five will mean that level five foes will sport a yellow bar, whilst some — if not all — level four enemies will have a green one, allowing you to stagger them heavily and deal more damage despite having their same level. This information will be crucial moving forward whenever playing in the harder difficulties since it will facilitate differentiating the threat levels that each enemy possesses.
I hope this guide has come in handy. Understanding this took me a while, and it was the determining factor of many of my defeats. As such, I hope it prevents you some! Feel free to talk to me in the comments; I'm eager to speak more about the game! And don't forget to stay awesome!
FAQs
Whether you level up through defensive stats, such as Vitality or Defense, or do it through offensive stats, like Runic or Strength, you will find that you deal significantly more damage, and battles and enemies that were once tough are easier.
Do levels matter in God of War? ›
Or the overall level is just a number that doesn't do anything? Level is super important against enemies. Enemies who are higher level than you will have more unblockables, and yellow attacks. Also, they stagger way less from your own attacks, won't freeze, trip from axe throws, and can't be launched in the air.
What are the tiers in God of War? ›
Tiers. Like any other labor, Skill Labors have 3 tiers: Bronze, Silver and Gold, all of which reward the same amount of experience when completed. To complete a tier, Kratos will have to use a move from one of his weapons a certain number of times.
How do you know what level you are in God of War? ›
Your current level is the big number in the top-left corner of the screen. Make sure this number is either the same or higher than the enemies you're currently facing, otherwise you may find you're underpowered and ineffective in combat.
What do the levels mean in God of War? ›
Aside from how much you can stagger a foe, levels also affect how much damage you deal and receive. You will deal more damage to enemies that are lower levels than you, whilst enemies that have a higher level will have significantly higher resistances and deal obscene amounts of damage.
What level should I be in God Wars? ›
Reaching the dungeon itself requires level 60 in Strength or Agility (boostable) to navigate the boulder that blocks the path to the dungeon. Exploring the inside of the dungeon requires level 15 Agility regardless of Strength level. The main level of the God Wars Dungeon contains four different armies.
What are the skill ranks in God of War? ›
Many of the skills you unlock in God of War Ragnarok have associated Skill Labors - which are challenges to use that skill in combat a certain number of times. You can reach Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers for using these skills and gain some experience.
What should I level up first in God of War? ›
Best Skills To Upgrade First In God Of War
| Upgrade Name | Weapon |
|---|
| Freezing Throw | Leviathan Axe Ranged |
| Freezing Burst | Leviathan Axe Ranged |
| Executioner's Cleave | Leviathan Axe Close Combat |
| Pride of the Frost | Leviathan Axe Close Combat |
4 more rowsSo, to level up in God of War, the player must either equip weapons and armor with a higher level, forge higher level equipment, or upgrade their existing equipment.
Who can beat Kratos? ›
Kratos may be a God, but even he cannot survive a Hakai burst. Beerus is strong enough to destroy half a planet with his finger, so a full-on punch should be able to take Kratos down. If Kratos tries to use any of his godly weapons or shield, Beerus can instantly destroy them with a Ki blast.
In God of War Ragnarök, it's likely that Kratos is around 1,055 years old. He's something of an old man, but as a demigod, he is still more than young enough to hold his own and then some in battle. Unfortunately, this is based on maths and educated guesses. Kratos's age is never told in the games.
Does level matter in God of War? ›
God of War Ragnarok featuring a leveling system that will have Kratos grow in power over the course of the game to take on more difficult threats and encounters. While there are familiar elements like leveling up and skill trees, it's not the same as most other games.
Is Kratos a God level? ›
His Norse self, who is effectively his Demigod self with god-level strength, can kill Hel Creatures that can resurrect, and being able to kill parasites and remove the possession-like immortality from their hosts easily)
Should you upgrade in God of War? ›
I'd say go for an upgrade if you have more than two times the amount of resources required. There are some armors in the game that are simply better than what you find in chests, because these get more levels during upgrades, and have more of enchantment slots.
What stats should I focus on in God of War? ›
Although players will ultimately want to increase each of Kratos' stats, they only really need to focus on a couple of stats in order to upgrade the God of War's skills and usability. The first skills that players should upgrade in God of War are Strength, Luck, and Runic.
What difficulty should I choose in God of War? ›
“Balanced Experience” is obviously pretty close to how the developers intended the game to be played for most people, but I find “Give Me a Challenge” is great for those who expect to die multiple times on bosses and really want to explore some of the game's deeper upgrade mechanics.
