The wait is over. Gaming’s favorite father-son duo is back for more in God of War Ragnarok. Picking up from where God of War (2018) left off, Ragnarok is an epic second act (even if it does have a bit too many laughs). One thing that still feels great is the combat, and this time around Kratos starts off with more than just the Leviathan Axe. With so many skills and upgrade paths to choose from, here are the best abilities to unlock ASAP in God of War Ragnarok.
The best Leviathan Axe upgrades in God of War Ragnarok
Perhaps the standout element of God of War (2018), the Leviathan Axe makes its return to help slay any enemies Kratos and Atreus encounter. The skill tree for the Leviathan Axe will look very familiar to those who played God of War (2018) as many of the same skills have returned.
Unlocking Freezing Thow II is a great investment as adding a Frost explosion on impact when the axe is thrown can help take down more than one enemy as well as take advantage of the elemental aspect.
When you have achieved Axe Upgrade 2, then it is worth unlocking the Serpent’s Snare ability. This lets you throw enemies across combat arenas, damaging them on impact. Weaker foes are thrown and create a frost explosion on impact that launches other nearby enemies.
The best Blades of Chaos upgrades in God of War Ragnarok
The return of the Blades of Chaos in God of War (2018) is an unforgettable moment that helps tie the Nordic Saga to the original games. Ragnarok brings back Kratos’s iconic weapons, this time giving you access to the blades early on. While the Leviathan Axe’s boomerang ability and weighty hits feel great (especially with the DualSense) the arcade hack-n-slash fun of the Blades of Chaos offers something different for players to enjoy.
The Blades make for a great crowd management weapon, as they can spin around you and hit multiple enemies. Be sure to focus on abilities like Chaotic Rampage (and its upgrades) which are simple button presses that release a flurry of attacks. This can help get out of tough situations.
The greatest new abilities for the Blades of Chaos allow you to either pull the enemy close to Kratos or launch Kratos toward the current enemy. These allow for greater mobility in combat and can be useful when facing enemies that prefer to keep a distance. All of these skills are essential and make up the bulk of the ranged path for the Blades of Chaos.
Technique skills in God of War Ragnarok
Beyond the familiar ranged and melee skill trees that are available to Kratos in God of War Ragnarok, there is also the new Technique tree. Techniques focus on the elemental aspects of a weapon and how it affects combat. The Leviathan Axe inflicts ice effects and the Blades of Chaos inflict fire.
Both weapons have new abilities related to the Technique tree. The most basic skill that you begin with allows you to press the triangle button to charge the elemental power of your weapon, releasing a more dangerous attack when next used.
Each weapon has a special short-ranged elemental attack bound to L1 + triangle that can be used to stop enemies from getting too close, especially those that fly. All of these skills can be upgraded with abilities like Permafrost for the Leviathan Axe, which increases the elemental damage.
Switching between the Blades of Chaos and the Leviathan Axe is greatly encouraged as each inflicts greater damage when attacking enemies inflicted with elemental status effects of the other weapon. For example, an enemy frozen by the Leviathan Axe will take greater damage when hit by the Blades of Chaos. Remember this and be sure to switch up what weapons you are using.
Upgrading Rage in God of War Ragnarok
A completely new addition to Ragnarok is the expansion of the Rage ability. In God of War (2018) the special move from Kratos never changed throughout the game, however, in Ragnarok you can now choose variations on the skill.
Out of the three paths for Spartan Rage, the most useful is the Valor option. It can be helpful for those who have difficulty with parries as well as giving a health boost. With shields being more important in Ragnarok this is an added benefit.
