Much like its predecessor,God of War Ragnarokwas released without a New Game+ mode, with players having to wait a few months before being able to relivethe epic conclusion to Kratos and Atreus' Norse adventure. It was well worth the wait though, as New Game Plus mode brings with it plenty of interesting new features for fans of the long-running franchise.
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PlayStation-exclusive titles tend to have pretty decent New Game Plus modes, andGod of War Ragnarokis no exception in this regard. There’s a boatload of new content on offer, including several new armor sets and more challenging versions of some of the game’s toughest boss fights. That’s just the tip of the iceberg though, as players will quickly find out.
How to Start a New Game Plus Playthrough in God of War Ragnarok
It should perhaps go without saying, but players will need to have completed the main story before they’ll be able to start New Game+ mode. They’ll also need to haveupdated to version 4.000.000or higher if they haven’t already done so. Assuming both of these requirements have been met, players will be able to start a New Game+ playthrough by selecting the “New Game+” option from the game’s title screen.
New Game Plus save files can be easily identified by the glowing red line beneath the save file’s name and number.
Upon doing so, players will be prompted to select a completed save file and then create a new manual save. It’s important that they choose their most recent save file here, as this will determine what exactly gets carried over. After creating their new manual save, players will be asked to choose a difficulty setting. Just like in a regular playthrough,the “Give Me God of War” setting can only be chosen from this menu, although players will be able to lower the difficulty setting after they get started if it proves to be too challenging.
What Carries Over in God of War Ragnarok’s New Game Plus Mode?
The good news is that just about every piece of equipment carries over inGod of War Ragnarok’s New Game Plus mode, includingall of the player’s armorand eventhe Draupnir spear. Players won’t be able to access areas that require the Draupnir spear to enter untilunlocking it in Chapter 10though, nor will they have access to Sonic and Hex arrows right from the get-go.Skills and enchantments will carry over, as too will the player’s supply ofcrafting materialsand any progress that they’ve made towardKill Labors and Ratatasks.
What’s New in God of War Ragnarok’s New Game Plus Mode?
Much like in the lastGod of Wargame, players will be able to unlock a selection ofbrand-new armor setsinGod of War Ragnarok’s New Game+ mode. These include the returningSpartan,Ares, andZeussets, as well as theArmor of the Black Bear, which Kratos wears duringthe game’s prologue. The latter will be unlocked by default, with players able to purchase the first two sets using Hacksilver from any of the game’s workshops. to get the Zeus armor set, they’ll need to defeat Valkyrie Queen Gna and open the chests at the Remnants of Asgard in the Eastern Barri Woods and The Barrens areas.
Players will also be able to get their hands on a brand-new shield celebratingKratos' Spartan origins. Like some of the new armor,the Spartan Aspis shieldcan be purchased from the Huldra brothers using Hacksilver, as too can a selection ofnew color combinations for some of the game’s existing armor sets. Transmogging the Berserker Armor requires a bit more effort though, with players needing to defeat the Berserker King in NG+ mode.
As players will need some of the materials from Surtr’s Trials in order to fully upgrade their armor to Level 10, it’s a good idea to spend some timefarming at the Cruciblebefore beginning a New Game+ playthrough. Otherwise, players will need to wait until Chapter 10.
In addition to changing the appearance of their armor sets, players will also be able toupgrade certain equipment to Level 10. Doing so will reward players withGilded Coins, which can then be used to purchase a selection of special enchantments from the shop. These replicate the perks provided by some of Kratos' Armor and Shield Ronds, allowing players to create someincredibly powerful builds.
There’s also a new set of enchantments calledBurdens, which players can combine with the Spartan Armor to make the game even more challenging. Most will likely be looking to boost their stats rather than lower them though, in which case, they’ll want todefeat Berserker Soulsto get their hands on some of the newstat-boosting enchantmentsor find some additionalYggdrasil Dew, which can drop viaNornir Chests in NG+.
Unlike the ones found in some of Sony’s other first-party games,God of War Ragnarok’s New Game+ mode does not have its own Trophies; at least not at the time of writing, anyway.
Other than that, players can expectharder boss fights, with new attack patterns and Runic Armor amping up the challenge on the game’s two hardest difficulty settings.The arena in Niflheim has been expandedto allow players to choose betweenall ofGod of War Ragnarok’s companions, and there isa new platinum tier for Kill Labors and Ratatasks. Players also gain access to aBlack and White render modeand the ability toskip cutscenes and cinematicsby holding the X button.
God of War Ragnarokis available now for PS4 and PS5.
