Disclaimer: spoilers for God of War (2018).

Welcome back to Platted That! This week we’re going to do a quick rundown of the biggest hit (so far) of 2018, and one of the best console exclusives ever made. While we would have preferred a more unique title to distinguish this sequel from its predecessors, one that didn’t force us to refer to the game as “God of War (2018),” we loved returning to the saga of Kratos and enjoyed the challenging but very doable Platinum Trophy it came with.

God of War debuted on the PlayStation 2 in the Spring of 2005. The story of a revenge-bent Spartan with blades chained to his hands brought Greek mythology to life for an entire generation, and spawned one of PlayStation’s most iconic franchises. When God of War III launched on the PlayStation 3, I was an Xbox 360 player. One of my fondest memories from that era was crushing through the main campaign at a friend’s house in an epic all-nighter fueled by Monster energy drinks and Giant Eagle frozen pizza. The director of God of War II, Cory Barlog, returned to the series with God of War (2018), and rejuvenated what many considered a dead franchise. Below is a broad walk-through of God of War‘s Platinum Trophy.

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Organic

For starters, God of War has no missable trophies. Here is an appropriate time for a sigh of relief. Missable trophies aren’t inherently terrible, but it can be annoying to burn through longer titles and come out the other end with only one story-related, missable trophy unaccounted for. This is the case in Mass Effect: Andromeda and I’m still very bitter about it. Not so for God of War. So, trophy-hunters can play through this masterpiece with much less anxiety.

That being said, explore as much as possible. The health and rage increases found in chests make a huge difference in the endgame and post-game. Doing so, however, won’t significantly reduce the amount of backtracking required to achieve the Platinum trophy. These upgrade chests start appearing very early in the game, so start exploring as soon as possible. Most likely only one or two of these upgrades will stay out of reach.

During the initial play-through, don’t shy away from upgrading Atreus as much as possible, maybe even prioritizing his upgrade’s over some of Kratos’. Atreus’ abilities can quickly turn the tide in difficult fights. His ability to summon a storm of birds is particularly useful, and remember his blue arrows stun and the yellow arrows do damage. Atreus’ damage contribution is minimal at the start of the game, but crucial to success in the post-game.

As far as upgrading Kratos goes, find an armor set that compliments your abilities and runic attacks that are useful and fun to use. Kratos’ runic attacks can be upgraded, and a handful are noticeably over-powered. Use these. You’re playing as a god, don’t be afraid to fight like one.

Mop up

Post campaign you may want to prioritize finishing the challenges on Muspelheim and Niflheim, to obtain high quality gear and to fully upgrade weapons. These two realms will soak up most of player’s time during the mop up phase.

Backtracking can feel like a chore at times, but it’s relatively low effort compared to other games. Wrap up might feel like a chore, especially while completing the combat trails on Muspelheim, and the grind required to complete the misty realm of Niflheim. The grind is worth it to fully upgrade weapons and to complete two of the best, and most visually pleasing, armor sets in the game. Mop up will also include looking for buried treasure, wrapping up any sidequests, and reading the Jotnar shrines littered throughout the realms. Take a moment to relish in your accomplishments so far, because the final stage of this platinum will involve the hardest fights in the game.

Ride of the Valkyries

Every Valkyrie is special, and their difficulties can range wildly. As you approach battle with them, be prepared to fail. The key to victory is learning their move set and a willingness to experiment. You might want to gather the shattered pieces of the infinity gauntlet. This untracked and unmarked side quest leads to a very powerful talisman that will be especially useful against Sigrun, the Valkyrie queen and the true final boss of the game.

Sigrun is tough as nails and combines versions of almost all the other attacks used by the Valkyries. The previous fights will hopefully familiarize players with the most difficult moves to counter. Nothing Sigrun does should be entirely shocking or new, but the combinations will vary. It’s a difficult boss fight, but don’t let it get in the way of getting the Platinum trophy. Drawing the difficulty down for this fight may hurt your ego, but the win will still be satisfying. For the few players who beat Sigrun on the most challenging difficulty, you unsung heroes with no special trophy to show for your efforts – we salute you.

Handsome Phantom can’t recommend this game enough, and the Platinum trophy to go with it. As of right now, there is no post-launch content planned for God of War (2018), so the challenging post-game and trophy hunt will help players wring a few more incredible hours out of this title. Added bonus, at the end you can triumphantly shout to the heavens: “ZEUS!!! I PLATTED THAT!!!”

P.S. Make sure you finish the game. Go home, and rest. Kratos and Atreus have earned it.

As always, let us know what you think! What trophies are holding you back from the plat? Which Valkyrie gave you the most trouble? Should Odin be quaking in his little fur boots with fear? Can I pull off a red face tattoo? Let Handsome Phantom know your thoughts! Be sure to check out our recent review of Guacamelee 2!