Basics

Combat & Combos

A large part of success in God of War 2 is determined by your combat skills. Different enemies require different strategies—we'll summarize those strategies here.

Ground Strings

Some weak enemies, like the puny undead soldiers encountered early in the game, are very vulnerable to simple ground chain combos. Kratos can unload attacks and, as long as they're connecting, not worry about a counter attack from the enemy. In our experience, the most effective ground chain is the Plume of Prometheus, executed by pressing SQUARE SQUARE TRIANGLE. The combo comes out quickly and the final hit causes splash damage, knocking any opponent in the area down and on his keester.

For weak enemies, the Plume of Prometheus is all you need, though the Cyclone of Chaos (L1 + SQUARE) is also very effective at hitting opponents in all directions. This is a great attack if Kratos gets surrounded as you can slow down any offenses coming at you from behind.

Launching & Air Combos

Other enemies are more resilient, and simple ground attacks will not faze them. Because these stronger enemies are not stunned by most ground attacks, you're better off fighting them in the air. Launch these opponents into the air using one of Kratos's many strong attacks, then follow up with air attacks.

Good launchers include the most basic. Simply press and hold the TRIANGLE button to execute a good—but slow—launcher. In most instances, you're better off with a SQUARE SQUARE TRIANGLE combo, charging the final button press to lead into an air combo. However, you can also use the basic Plume of Prometheus attack (SQUARE SQUARE TRIANGLE) to knock these resilient enemies down. The final smashing blow from the combo has enough force to knock many tougher enemies on the ground.

With some enemies, it's easy to jump into the air and follow with typical combos. Others drop more quickly, and by the time Kratos leaps into the air after the launched opponent, the enemy has already dropped back down to the ground. Experiment by following with simple grapples instead of jumping into the air (press CIRCLE as soon as the opponent is launched).

Strike & Run

Even more powerful enemies are unfazed by launchers. These enemies, including behemoths like the cyclopes and boss enemies, will have to be fought very defensively. For these guys, we suggest short combos like SQUARE SQUARE canceled into evasive rolls. Using this simple technique, you can slowly drain the opponent's health without putting Kratos in much danger. You should always be able to cancel the SQUARE SQUARE combo with a roll or a guard to avoid any incoming attacks.

Another useful strategy against unshakable enemies is to launch attacks from the air. Though typical air combos won't work since you can't launch these big opponents, you can often avoid attacks targeted at the ground by double jumping and countering with attacks like the Rampage of the Furies (L1 + CIRCLE). It doesn't always work, but for those enemies against whom it does (cyclopes especially), this is a useful way to safely attack.

Building Kratos's Skills

Throughout the game, you will collect loads of red orbs that can—and should—be spent on upgrading Kratos's skill. You have lots of options for upgrading, with multiple weapons and magical attacks that all have room for growth. And while the option is ultimately up to you, we have recommendations for growth.

First and foremost, we suggest you upgrade the Blades of Athena. Not only do you unlock new attacks and combos, but you'll also power up the strength of the blades. If you spend your red orbs upgrading magical attacks like Typhon's Bane, you'll only see the benefit of the upgrade when you consume magic energy. By focusing upgrades on Athena's Blades, you'll power up a skill that is always in use. No need for magic energy to feel the new benefits.

As well, we suggest not upgrading new weapons acquired, such as the Barbarian Hammer. While the new weapons have some use, they're not as versatile as Athena's Blades and, as a result, will not be used nearly as often.