Beginner tips in God of War Ragnarok: What you should know before playing

If you’re just jumping into God of War Ragnarok and looking for the most important tips to get your playthrough going on the right foot, here’s what we recommend above all else.

Whether you’re an experienced God of War in your own right or just dipping your toes in the franchise for the first time, Ragnarok is accessible for players of all skill levels. Regardless of whether you’ve taken down Sigrun or not, everyone starts back at square one in the sequel, meaning you have to fight your way to success once again.

While you may find some challenges easier than others, there are still plenty of threats across the realms that will push you to your limits. So if you’re looking to optimize your early hours and ensure you’re set up for success as the game progresses, look no further than our beginners tips below.

From making the most of your earned currencies to extremely beneficial options tucked away in the settings menus, here’s what we recommend in God of War Ragnarok.

Take your time in the settings

Before you even load into Ragnarok for the first time, it’s well worth taking a moment to sift through the game’s industry-leading slate of accessibility settings. While some might not be all that beneficial for you in particular, there is one specific option that everyone can toggle to improve their experience.

Under the Accessibility menu is the Navigation & Puzzles section. Here, you’ll find a setting labeled ‘Puzzle Timing.’ By bumping the duration on these timed puzzles to either Extended or Extended+, it gives you a bigger window in which to trigger the necessary steps. While not game-changing per se, this slight tweak can certainly help avoid some frustrations with a handful of the more challenging puzzles throughout the game. Better yet, increasing this time doesn’t impact Trophy hunting in any way, so there’s no downside to giving yourself an assist here.

Don’t waste resources early

Next up, it’s crucial you keep in mind the scarcity of resources early on. With limited materials at your disposal and only a few ways of farming more, we strongly recommend you avoid burning them on early game equipment.

There’s no need to use an entire supply of one resource just to upgrade a chest piece when you’ll be finding new, and often better, armor at a rapid pace. Even if you find certain loot that matches your playstyle perfectly, it’s still worth keeping it at the base level for a few hours. There’s every chance you find something even better to replace it soon, without having wasted all of your materials upgrading the previous component.

Grind XP in the opening hours

It’s ultimately your decision in how you approach an open-world game like Ragnarok. But if you’re looking to make the most of the experience and ensure you’re in top fighting shape early on, it’s crucial you take some time to explore side content. That means finding hidden collectibles, completing missions for strangers along the way, and generally veering from the main path.

You never know what secret might be hiding just around the corner that could drastically improve your build. Be it a new heavy Runic attack for your weapon, a stunning piece of armor, or even just a surplus of Hacksilver, it’s always worth exploring where possible. This is even more essential in the early hours where supplies are limited and every upgrade makes all the difference. So once you’re out in the open, be sure not to rush straight to the main objective.

Upgrade your Skills before anything else

During your time in the opening hours of Ragnarok, you’ll quickly amass a good amount of experience. It’s entirely your call how you spend this XP, but to truly get the most bang for your buck, we advise upgrading your Skills ahead of anything else.

While you can upgrade the power of attacks and even help improve Atreus’ arsenal just like in God of War (2018), the best way to spend your XP early is on Skills. By unlocking as many powerful maneuvers as possible, Kratos will be far more versatile in combat. Not only that, but using a wide range of Skills frequently soon provides even more of a benefit.

Just by engaging with your favorite attack patterns or special combos, you’ll eventually have access to unique upgrades. So it’s vital for long-term success that you look to unlock a wide range of Skills in the short-term when starting your run in Ragnarok.