God of War 3 Remastered is a great reminder of what can be accomplished with the right development team handling magnificent material. The game has been wonderfully recreated for the PlayStation 4, complete with a slew of new Trophies to earn, beautiful 1080p 60 FPS visuals and, of course, the exciting gameplay we’ve come to expect from Kratos’ adventures.
We’ve already covered the beginners‘ tips for the game, but now it’s time to move on to weapons and magic, which you’ll be using quite often when it comes to conquering enemies big and small. Here’s a general guide that covers Kratos’ tools of the trade.
Weapons
First up, there’s the Blades of Athena. These are the two swords that Kratos starts out with over the course of his adventure, given to him by Athena. If you’ve played previous God of War games, you know how these work, as you can chain together weak and strong hits into powerful combos. You can also grab enemies and rip them to shreds with a well-timed stab, provided you aren’t immediately surrounded by them.
These soon become upgraded by the Blades of Exile, which you’ll receive from Athena’s specter in the Underworld. They provide most of the same combos as the previous Blades, but with enhanced new abilities through upgrades that she provides, including more powerful strikes.
If you played God of War II, the Blade of Olympus will be quite familiar. This glowing sword is often used whenever Kratos activates his Rage mode (left and right analog buttons pressed together when the meter is full). With it, he can rip through foes with ease, but the power eventually runs out, and you’ll have to wait for it to refill before you can unsheathe the sword again.
Once you beat Hades in the Underworld, you’ll be able to acquire the Claws of Hades. These work in a similar fashion to Kratos’ Blades, as you carry around two of them connected with chains. However, they react very differently, as they can drag along the ground for more connected hits, and also have a slight bit more range than previous weapons. You’ll get to use these right away once you knock Hades into the pit, right before he becomes gargantuan.
Also known as the lion gauntlets, the Nemean Cestus are a pair of animal head shaped gloves that you’ll acquire from Hercules once you beat him to a bloody pulp. While they’re not the greatest when they come to range, they pack quite a punch, and are useful against later bosses in the game. They work very similarly to the Gauntlet of Zeus, so if you’re familiar with that weapon, you’ll dig right in here.
Finally, in terms of powerful weapons, there’s the Nemesis Whip. A pair of blades put together by three swords crafted from the Omphalos Stone, they’re given to you by Hephaestus right before you have to kill him. These are the best of the bunch, mainly because they carry an electrical charge that can stun most enemies. In addition, they can also power specific mechanical devices that Kratos will run across later in his journey.
As for other weapons used for secondary purposes, there’s the Bow of Apollo, which allows you to shoot a limited range of arrows at foes; the Head of Helios, which lights up areas, blinds enemies long enough to hit them effectively; and finds hidden secrets; and the Boots of Hermes, which speeds up Kratos’ style of attack, and also gives him access to areas he can’t reach at normal speed. You’ll earn each of these over the course of the game, so don’t worry about finding them.
Magic
Each type of magic is tied in with a specific weapon that Kratos will use over the course of the game. You’ll have to be careful with its use, as there’s only enough energy to use it a few times until it’s replenished. However, it’s worth it if you’re in a jam, or surrounded by enemies.
With the Blades of Athena, there’s the Divine Reckoning, which enables Kratos to charge the ground in a surrounding area, hitting anything that might be nearby him. Its range is limited, but it’s powerful enough to knock these enemies into the middle of next week.
Once you acquire the Blades of Exile, you’ll unlock the Army of Sparta. Summoning these guys will allow them to surround Kratos, stabbing outward at any nearby enemies. Think of it as temporary shielding, to even the playing field if there are too many baddies.
After getting the Claws of Hades, you’ll earn Soul Summon, which summons spirits of foes to attack their allies temporarily. Simply select this ability in the weapons menu, and let the dead do your dirty work for you.
The Nemean Cestus packs a punch with the Nemean Roar, which slams the ground surrounding Kratos, creating shockwaves that affect anyone within them. This is a splendid range attack, so make sure to use it when it counts.
Finally, once the Nemesis Whip is in your possession, let loose with the Nemesis Rage, which shocks surrounding enemies with a sudden blast of electric energy. If you’re trying to fend off adversaries charging at you, this is perfect.
Good luck, and get to ripping Zeus’ army apart!
God of War 3 Remastered is available now for PlayStation 4.
