Just when you thought your latest, and potentially final, journey through the nine realms with Kratos was over, Santa Monica went ahead and added a New Game Plus update to God of War Ragnarok. The update adds all sorts of new items and abilities to the sequel, and just in case you're feeling a little lost amid a sea of bear cloaks and runic attacks, some of the people who worked on Ragnarok have been sharing their favorite builds.
A new PlayStation Blog features extensive details from Ragnarok's QA analysts regarding their favorite builds in the game now that NG+ is available. All four are incredibly varied meaning there is likely something in there that will help almost every God of War player. Whether you're ducking and dodging around Gna or attempting to fend off a large group of enemies, there's a build for that.
Speaking of ducking and dodging, Wilson Santaigo's “Can't Touch This” build is the perfect setup for those of you who think you're pretty adept at avoiding attacks in God of War. Utilizing the Gauntlets of Zeus and Cloak of the Black Bear (which can change color, by the way) added via NG+, the build requires you to keep dodging everything your opponent throws at you until you find the perfect opportunity to hit back. Doing so will deal a massive amount of damage, but there's an equally massive risk attached. Get hit and this build becomes more of a burden than a blessing.
For those of you who prefer an innovative approach to hurting our foes, Santiago has also detailed a build they have dubbed The Minefield. Not only does the new Cuirass of Ares armor increase the chance of health stone drops, but it also ups the radius of the explosions all stones make when broken. That means if you grab yourself some health by stomping on a stone and there's an enemy nearby, you'll also deal them a serious hit in the process, effectively turning the battlefield into a minefield, hence the build's name.
There are four builds in total detailed on the PlayStation blog and information on how exactly to piece them together and benefit from them as much as possible can be found there. Many of you are less interested in putting Kratos's armor on following the NG+ update and more into taking it off. NG+ finally lets you remove the top half of the God of War's armor so his nipples are on display. Okay, I get the aesthetic appeal, but come on everyone. This man is fighting his way through Fimbulwinter. At least let him pop on a cloak when he's outside.