GOD OF WAR's 'New Game Plus' Mode Is Out Today And It Adds A Lot Of Replay Value

God of War is the gift that keeps on giving. Released exactly four months ago, on the 20th of April, the game became an instant hit—getting a lot of well-deserved praise from critics. 

The game managed to completely change the hack and slash gameplay God of War titles were known for, while still keeping the essence of the series intact. Not only that, it even gave Kratos—the series' main character—a more relatable personality; he isn't just a brute looking for vengeance but a man trying to come to terms with what he's done in the past.

The story in God of War games has always been interesting, but the new game managed to make its characters the interesting aspect of it—leaving players wanting more after they completed the game. Needless to say, God of War is a game that deserves the attention from gamers.

Back in May, Creative Director for God of War Cory Barlog teased the idea of a New Game Plus mode and today it is finally a reality as this new mode has just become available today. The God of War New Game Plus mode is not just any NG+, as it is also adding a lot of extra options that will make the game even more interesting this time around.

In God of War's New Game Plus, players will be able to replay the game, obviously, with new sets of armours—which will come in very handy given that enemies will even have different attack patterns. On top of this, as any proper New Game Plus, players get to keep all of their hard-earned armours, and skills from the Normal playthrough. This mode is also friendly towards less experienced players as it offers different difficulties—in which enemies will be levelled up accordingly.

Here's what the God of War's New Game Plus mode is adding:

1. Relive the adventure of Kratos and Atreus, while keeping all of your earned equipment and abilities. Start a new game with all of your armors, talismans, enchantments, Runic Attacks, skills, and yes, even weapons. [NG+ ONLY]
2. NG+ is for everyone! Upon starting a NG+ game, you will be able to select your desired difficulty – no matter which difficulty you picked for your previous playthrough. Enemies will be levelled up accordingly, so choose the amount of challenge which suits you best. [NG+ ONLY]
3. Explore new customization options with more powerful versions of existing armors, talismans and enchantments. Collect Skap Slag, a new resource used by our blacksmithing duo to craft Perfect rarity-level gear. [NG+ ONLY]
4. Forge a handful of new armor sets for both Kratos and Atreus, including some with exciting new gameplay abilities, such as a chest piece which creates massive explosions whenever Health or Rage stones are stomped on. [NG+ ONLY]
5. Push the boundaries of combat by converting certain talismans and armor sets into enchantments, creating combinations which are not possible in a standard playthrough. [NG+ ONLY]
6. Enemies can now turn elite even on “Give Me a Challenge+” difficulty. Add a new dimension to combat, even if you don’t want the ultimate challenge on “Give Me God of War+”. [NG+ ONLY]
7. Some enemies have new behaviors and attack patterns. Maybe you should see how you hold up against the Valkyries this time around? [NG+ ONLY]
8. Test your skills on timed Realm Tears. Running away won’t help you against Hel-Vikens and Revenants (once you open a rift) anymore. [NG+ ONLY]
9. Receive a new shield skin when starting a game on NG+. Unlock an additional one by completing NG+ on “Give Me God of War+” difficulty. [NG+ ONLY]
10. Repeat the New Game Plus experience as much as you’d like by starting another NG+ game from one you’ve just completed. [NG+ ONLY]
11. Engage the story the way you want to. Skip cinematics as you please on both standard and NG+ playthroughs by completing the story at least once. Experience the scenes again to catch secrets you might have missed, or simply jump right back into the action.
12. Switch out your armor pieces as much as you like without worrying. Easily transfer all enchantments from one piece of gear to another in the menu with the push of a button.
13. Many bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, such as ensuring that Parry Attacks keep Kratos safe at all times, improving the Wrath of the Frost Ancient Runic Attack, fixing inconsistencies with how enemy attacks can be parried, and much more.

His vengeance against the Gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse Gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive…And teach his son to do the same. This startling reimagining of God of War deconstructs the core elements that defined the series—satisfying combat; breathtaking scale; and a powerful narrative—and fuses them anew.