God of War (2018) was a fresh start for the God of War series and the game changed the franchise forever. The game not only changed the entire gameplay formula, but also humanized Kratos in ways we could’ve never imagined. The new beginning for the series was critically acclaimed and it went on to win the Game of the Year Award in 2018.
God of War (2018) has content to engage players and fans of the series engaged for a long time. The game is slower than the previous games due to the gameplay taking a more souls-like approach rather than just being hack and slash. The game is not open-world but also not fully linear too.
If you play through the main story of God of War (2018) without doing any side quests, you’ll take 20-25 hours to complete the game. If you play the story and balance the side quests, you can complete it in around 30 hours. Completing the game 100% will take around 50-60 hours.
But the completion time also depends on factors like difficulty as if you select a harder difficulty, you’re bound to get stuck at some part of the game which you have to play over and over again.
1. Difficulty
God of War (2018) has 4 difficulty levels which are:
- Give Me a Story
- Give Me a Balanced Experience
- Give Me a Challenge
- Give Me God of War
“Give Me a Story” is the easiest difficulty while “Give Me God of War” is the hardest. Playing on the hardest difficulty will considerably increase your playtime if you’re not familiar with the game’s mechanics. We suggest completing the game first on a balanced difficulty and then replay the game through New Game+ on a harder difficulty.
2. Are there any rewards for beating God of War (2018) 100%?
There are no rewards for beating God of War (2018) per se but the more you play, the stronger you’ll get and you can also start a New Game+ playthrough of the game in order to test your skills and armor.
There are rewards for completing the main story on “Give Me God of War” difficulty. Completing the game on the hardest difficulty will grant you two new Shield skins of Epic rarity and it’s the only way you can get Shield skins in the game if you didn’t pre-order.
3. How hard is God of War (2018)?
God of War (2018) can be pretty challenging even on the balanced difficulty as the game has a way different formula than the previous God of War games. Previously, the games had simple hack-and-slash combat mechanics while 2018 has souls-like combat mechanics which is a bit more complex.
Being familiar with the previous games’ mechanics won’t do you any good as this game has a totally different formula. So, you have to practice and get used to the mechanics. Some players have also stated that God of War (2018) on the hardest difficulty is harder than God of War: Ragnarok, so it’s safe to say that God of War (2018) can be pretty challenging.
4. Who is the hardest boss in God of War (2018)?
The hardest boss in God of War (2018) is undoubtedly the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun. The Valkyries themselves are a pain to beat but Sigrun is just on another level. Sigrun is an endgame boss and she makes some of the story boss fights seem easy, even on the hardest difficulty.
To beat Sigurn, you’ll need to observe her moves and read her in order to know her attack patterns. You’ll have both the Axe and the Blades at your disposal so use them accordingly, and use everything you have on her. Also time your dodges perfectly, since she has such a wide range of attacks, you’ll need to dodge half of them and block the other ones.
5. Does God of War (2018) have multiple endings?
God of War (2018) doesn’t have multiple endings. The game ends with Kratos and Atreus spreading Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in all the realms in Jotunheim. After that cutscene, the credits pop up in the gameplay itself while Kratos and Atreus talk about why he named him Atreus.
But it’s worth noting that there is a true ending to the game. That ending sets up the sequel to God of War (2018) which is God of War: Ragnarok. The secret ending is very easy to get and is accessible to all the players so you don’t have to replay the game to get the true/secret ending. Read on to know what the secret ending is.
6. Does God of War (2018) have a secret ending?
There is a secret ending in God of War (2018) and every player can access it. To initiate the secret ending, all you need to do is just complete the campaign. After Kratos and Atreus spread Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in Jotunheim, all you’ll need to do is go back home in order to trigger the secret ending.
As soon as you enter your house and go near the bed, a rest option will be available. A cutscene will trigger showing Kratos and Atreus going to sleep. A time skip of 3 years will occur after which the cutscene will show Kratos and Atreus waking up to lightning outside their house.
Kratos and Atreus are shown staring at a mysterious figure outside his house, who is then revealed to be none other than Thor, hence setting up their eventual battle in God of War: Ragnarok. This same cutscene is also featured in God of War: Ragnarok with little changes.
7. 100% Completion
If you want to complete the game 100%, not just trophies, but the game itself, then you have to put a lot of hours into it but no doubt the experience is worth it.
Fortunately, none of the side quests, collectibles and optional content in God of War (2018) can be missed as you can still go back to do the side missions and the side content after the story ends. To complete the game 100%, you’ll need to complete all Favors, collect all Collectibles, and unlock all chests among other things.
Here’s a list of all the things that you’ll need to do in order to 100% complete the game:
- Complete the main story (all 17 chapters)
- Complete All Side Quests and Favors
- Collect 45 Artefacts
- Kill 51 of Odin’s Ravens
- Unlock 21 Nornir Chests
- Unlock 34 Legendary Chests
- Seal 18 Realm Tears
- Open 11 Jotnar Shrines
- Collect 12 Treasure Maps
- Unlock 13 Cipher Chests
8. Main Missions List
- The Marked Trees
- Path to the Mountain
- A Realm Beyond
- The Light of Alfheim
- Inside the Mountain
- A New Destination
- The Magic Chisel
- Behind the Lock
- The Sickness
- The Black Rune
- Return to the Summit
- Escape from Helheim
- A Path To Jötunheim
- Between The Realms
- Jötunheim in Reach
- Mother’s Ashes
- The Journey Home
9. All Side Quests List
These are all the side quests you need to complete in order to obtain 100% completion:
I. Midgard – Dwarven Favors
- Second-Hand Soul
- Deus Ex Malachite
- Fafnir’s Hoard
- Family Business
- Hail to the King
II. Midgard – Wayward Spirit Favors
- Unfinished Business
- Hammer Fall
- Time Heals All
- The Anatomy of Hope
- Dead Freight
III. Midgard – Dragon Favors
- Otr’s Imprisonment
- The Flight of Fafnir
- The Fire of Reginn
IV. Niflheim – Dwarven Favors
- Ivaldi’s Workshop
- Ivaldi’s Protection
- Ivaldi’s Curse
V. Miscellaneous Favors
- The Realm of Fire
- The Realm of Fog
- Prove Your Valour
- The High Council
- God vs. Queen
10. About God of War(2018)
Developed by Santa Monica Studios, God of War is a single-player action-adventure game. Unlike the previous installments of the franchise that deals with Greek mythology, this installment is set in Norse lore.
Before dying, Kratos’ second wife’s last wish is for her to be cremated at the highest peak of the nine realms. Therefore, with his son, Atreus, Kratos embarks on a difficult journey teeming with monsters and gods to fulfill his wife’s final request.
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