Sony’s biggest blockbuster game of 2022 didn’t have a New Game+ mode when it released last fall, but it does now. The God of War: Ragnarök’s NG+ update adds new bosses, perks, armour, sparring arena options, and an increased level cap. The mode also gives you the ability to skip cutscenes, in case you want to play a story-driven game as efficiently as possible (you monster).
Here’s all the new stuff that you’ll find in your future Ragnarök runs.
Harder bosses
The Hateful and the Ormstunga will have “new tricks” when you fight them again. The developers don’t get into detail about what they are. Needless to say, you probably shouldn’t run headfirst into them without figuring out what their schtick is.
The Give Me No Mercy and Give Me God of War difficulties will equip bosses with runic armour. Even the Give Me No Mercy mode will allow enemies to randomly transform into elites while you’re playing on NG+.
New armour
Every player who starts NG+ will receive Armour of the Black Bear, which gives Kratos strength and defence bonuses. It also shoots off a wave of ice shards if you manage to evade enemy attacks at the right time. If you think that you’re too tough for that, you can instead opt for the Spartan Armour, which allows Kratos out to fight his enemies without stats, perks, or any kind of shirt.
If you want to change up your play style, the Ares armour is for more conservative players who appreciate more frequent health drops. The Zeus armour both increases incoming damage while giving massive offensive bonuses. Both of these armour sets can be picked up at the Huldra Brothers’ Shop. You’ll have to pay for them with Hacksilver — so save up!
You can also dye certain armours in new tints.
Increased level cap
The strongest enemies have a higher level cap in NG+, but the game offsets the difficulty hike by buffing your max level and gear as well. You can convert your level nine equipment into stronger NG+ versions, and you’ll receive Gilded Coins for doing so. These can be spent in the shop for better enchantments.
Progression caps have also been increased for mods, Labors, and stats.
Negative Perks
Rather than empowering you with beneficial abilities, you can debuff Kratos with “burden” perks. One such burden gives him the “frost” status effect whenever he rolls, causing him to move much slower. The developers recommend combining burdens with the Spartan Armour if you want a challenging run. You can buy these burdens at the brothers’ shop.
Expanded sparring arena
The Sparring Arena is a challenge mode where Kratos fights waves of enemies for rewards. You’ll find new enemies in the ring, and you have the option to fight as Atreus. You can also have your companions fight with you. These companions include Freya, Brok, Sindri, Angrboda, Ingrid, Thor, and Thrúd.
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