Much like its predecessor, God of War Ragnarok was released without a New Game+ mode, with players having to wait a few months before being able to relive the epic conclusion to Kratos and Atreus' Norse adventure. It was well worth the wait though, as New Game Plus mode brings with it plenty of interesting new features for fans of the long-running franchise.
PlayStation-exclusive titles tend to have pretty decent New Game Plus modes, and God of War Ragnarok is no exception in this regard. There's a boatload of new content on offer, including several new armor sets and more challenging versions of some of the game's toughest boss fights. That's just the tip of the iceberg though, as players will quickly find out.
How to Start a New Game Plus Playthrough in God of War Ragnarok
It should perhaps go without saying, but players will need to have completed the main story before they'll be able to start New Game+ mode. They'll also need to have updated to version 4.000.000 or higher if they haven't already done so. Assuming both of these requirements have been met, players will be able to start a New Game+ playthrough by selecting the "New Game+" option from the game's title screen.
New Game Plus save files can be easily identified by the glowing red line beneath the save file's name and number.
Upon doing so, players will be prompted to select a completed save file and then create a new manual save. It's important that they choose their most recent save file here, as this will determine what exactly gets carried over. After creating their new manual save, players will be asked to choose a difficulty setting. Just like in a regular playthrough, the "Give Me God of War" setting can only be chosen from this menu, although players will be able to lower the difficulty setting after they get started if it proves to be too challenging.
What Carries Over in God of War Ragnarok's New Game Plus Mode?
The good news is that just about every piece of equipment carries over in God of War Ragnarok's New Game Plus mode, including all of the player's armor and even the Draupnir spear. Players won't be able to access areas that require the Draupnir spear to enter until unlocking it in Chapter 10 though, nor will they have access to Sonic and Hex arrows right from the get-go. Skills and enchantments will carry over, as too will the player's supply of crafting materials and any progress that they've made toward Kill Labors and Ratatasks.
What's New in God of War Ragnarok's New Game Plus Mode?
Much like in the last God of War game, players will be able to unlock a selection of brand-new armor sets in God of War Ragnarok's New Game+ mode. These include the returning Spartan, Ares, and Zeus sets, as well as the Armor of the Black Bear, which Kratos wears during the game's prologue. The latter will be unlocked by default, with players able to purchase the first two sets using Hacksilver from any of the game's workshops. In order to get the Zeus armor set, they'll need to defeat Valkyrie Queen Gna and open the chests at the Remnants of Asgard in the Eastern Barri Woods and The Barrens areas.
Players will also be able to get their hands on a brand-new shield celebrating Kratos' Spartan origins. Like some of the new armor, the Spartan Aspis shield can be purchased from the Huldra brothers using Hacksilver, as too can a selection of new color combinations for some of the game's existing armor sets. Transmogging the Berserker Armor requires a bit more effort though, with players needing to defeat the Berserker King in NG+ mode.
As players will need some of the materials from Surtr's Trials in order to fully upgrade their armor to Level 10, it's a good idea to spend some time farming at the Crucible before beginning a New Game+ playthrough. Otherwise, players will need to wait until Chapter 10.
In addition to changing the appearance of their armor sets, players will also be able to upgrade certain equipment to Level 10. Doing so will reward players with Gilded Coins, which can then be used to purchase a selection of special enchantments from the shop. These replicate the perks provided by some of Kratos' Armor and Shield Ronds, allowing players to create some incredibly powerful builds.
There's also a new set of enchantments called Burdens, which players can combine with the Spartan Armor to make the game even more challenging. Most will likely be looking to boost their stats rather than lower them though, in which case, they'll want to defeat Berserker Souls to get their hands on some of the new stat-boosting enchantments or find some additional Yggdrasil Dew, which can drop via Nornir Chests in NG+.
Unlike the ones found in some of Sony's other first-party games, God of War Ragnarok 's New Game+ mode does not have its own Trophies; at least not at the time of writing, anyway.
Other than that, players can expect harder boss fights, with new attack patterns and Runic Armor amping up the challenge on the game's two hardest difficulty settings. The arena in Niflheim has been expanded to allow players to choose between all of God of War Ragnarok's companions, and there is a new platinum tier for Kill Labors and Ratatasks. Players also gain access to a Black and White render mode and the ability to skip cutscenes and cinematics by holding the X button.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.