Difficulty Settings

Explore all five difficulty settings in God of War Ragnarök, from 'Give Me Story' to 'Give Me God of War', to find the perfect challenge for your gameplay style.

God of War Ragnarök offers five distinct difficulty settings, each catering to different player preferences and skill levels. From a story-focused experience to the ultimate challenge, here's a breakdown of each option:

Setting	Level	Description
Give Me Story	Very Easy	For those who want an experience with the least focus on combat.
Give Me Grace	Easy	For players who want story focused gameplay with some focus on combat.
Give Me Balance	Normal (Default)	Equally focused on combat and gameplay.
Give Me No Mercy	Hard	For those who want more demanding combat.
Give Me God of War	Very Hard	For those who want the game as difficult as possible. This mode can only be selected when starting a new game.

Give Me Story

The easiest setting, ideal for players who want to experience the narrative without significant combat challenges. Enemies have low health and deal minimal damage, allowing you to feel powerful. This is perfect for newcomers to the franchise or gaming in general, or for those who simply wish to relax and enjoy the game's world.

Give Me Grace

Recommended for players who find the default difficulty too distracting from the story. This setting reduces incoming damage and increases outgoing damage compared to the default. It offers a more engaging combat experience than 'Give Me Story' without the steep learning curve of higher difficulties, making it suitable for those with less time for repeated boss fight attempts.

Give Me Balance

The default and recommended setting for most players, offering an equal balance between combat and story. Most encounters, including boss fights, will provide a reasonable challenge, requiring some strategic thinking but generally allowing victory without excessive retries. This setting enhances the intensity and engagement of the game's combat-focused moments.

Give Me No Mercy

For veterans familiar with the God of War mechanics, this 'Hard' setting presents a more demanding combat experience. Enemies have increased health and deal more damage, necessitating the effective use of all Kratos' skills. Players should consider deeper combat mechanics, such as exploiting elemental weaknesses (e.g., using Blades of Chaos against frost enemies).

Give Me God of War

The ultimate challenge for those seeking the most difficult experience. This setting requires a deep understanding of combat mechanics for both Kratos and Atreus, emphasizing coordinated use of abilities, Runic Attacks, and strategic gear and armor builds. Effective use of Atreus's bow alongside Kratos's weapons and timely Runic Attacks is crucial for survival.

Which Difficulty Setting Is Best for You?

New players or those new to console gaming might prefer 'Give Me Story' or 'Give Me Grace' to ease into the game. However, learning through challenge is valuable, so consider starting with 'Give Me Balance'. If you struggle significantly with early bosses like Bjorn or Thor after a few hours, consider lowering the difficulty. Veterans of the series might want to avoid 'Hard' or 'Very Hard' until completing the game on 'Give Me Balance'. If you find the default setting too easy, you can always increase the difficulty. 'Give Me Balance' is suitable for the majority of players, but feel free to experiment with other settings to find your ideal challenge.