The Unwritten Rules of God of War Sons of Sparta Explained

Everyone expected a new God of War game, so the announcement of God of War: Sons of Sparta wasn’t a shock. What was surprising was how quickly it was released after the State of Play presentation, and its new look and style. Still, like many fans, I bought it right away and have been playing it all weekend.

When I finished God of War: Chains of Olympus (it took around 15 hours, and I still had things to do), I initially thought it was easier than I’d anticipated. But that first impression changed – it’s actually cleverly designed to feel simple. The game really picks up in the second half, which is impressive, and while it’s straightforward, it still presents tough challenges that require skill and strategy, just like a true Spartan warrior.

Though you can often overcome difficult parts of the game by improving your skills or learning enemy behavior, there are also hidden strategies built into how it’s designed. Figuring these out—which the game doesn’t explicitly teach you—can make playing much more enjoyable.

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Dodge is Your Best Friend

As a fan, I’ve noticed a lot of games are including parrying lately – it feels like the popularity of Souls-like games really kicked that off. God of War: Sons of Sparta definitely has one, and honestly, when you pull it off, it feels amazing. It’s a really well-done parry system, but even though it’s great, it’s not necessarily the most powerful thing Kratos can do in a fight.

Image Credits: Santa Monica Studios, Sony

While many of Kratos’ special moves in God of War: Sons of Sparta are useful only in certain situations, his dodge is consistently excellent. It has a very forgiving window for invincibility, and players will find dodging to be the most important skill, particularly during the final boss battles. A helpful tip: instead of dodging away, try dodging into enemy attacks.

Kratos is often safer dodging into enemy attacks rather than away from them, thanks to the game’s forgiving dodge windows. While there are a few situations where dodging backward is better, leading with an into-the-attack dodge should be your go-to strategy. For instance, if you’re having trouble with the Alastor boss in God of War: Sons of Sparta, try dodging into his blood fists instead of jumping or dodging away – meet the attack head-on, like a true Spartan!

In video games, invincibility frames – often called i-frames – are short periods during animations where a character can’t be harmed by attacks.

Positioning Can Come in Clutch

Another key skill to learn is tracking Kratos’ location. During boss battles, Deimos can sometimes look similar to Kratos and cause confusion. Knowing exactly where Kratos is – and, crucially, predicting where enemy attacks will land – can dramatically change how easy or difficult the fight becomes. Boss fights in God of War: Sons of Sparta rely heavily on predictable attack patterns, and once an attack misses a certain area, it won’t hit there again. Positioning yourself strategically can give Kratos a chance to recover. While this isn’t as reliable as dodging and has exceptions, it can be a lifesaver when it works.

In God of War: Sons of Sparta, successfully exploring and playing the game relies on paying attention to your surroundings. Watch out for enemies on high ground – they can be tricky to deal with if they start attacking. Also, be aware of things in the environment that could stun you, both by themselves and in combination with enemy attacks. Ultimately, understanding your location and how it affects the fight is key.

Don’t Be Precious With Your Blood Orbs

When you first start playing God of War: Sons of Sparta, you might be hesitant to use your Blood Orbs, as they seem scarce and upgrading Kratos’ abilities is expensive. However, don’t worry too much about saving them! It’s actually best to unlock skills quickly, especially in the main Skill Trees. Doing so opens up even more powerful passive abilities for Kratos, and you’ll end up with more than enough Blood Orbs by the end of the game.

The harder the game gets, the better the rewards become. Players who actively play God of War and complete some optional content will be well-prepared to face the final boss. This means you don’t need to save your resources – feel free to use them as you see fit.

Don’t Rely on Metroidvania Conventions

Some people are calling God of War: Sons of Sparta a Metroidvania, but it might be more accurate to describe it as an action platformer with elements of that style, especially for players new to the genre. The game does involve revisiting old areas and unlocking paths with new abilities, but this isn’t the main focus, and it mostly happens towards the end of the game.

Because fast travel is limited for most of the game, going back to find upgrades can be a real hassle. It’s best to complete side quests and collect Olive Trees as soon as you can. Even if it takes you slightly off course, exploring early on will save you time later. Don’t rely on backtracking for upgrades – it’s much more frustrating than it’s worth, unless you’re quickly traveling to the Temples of Olympus.

One advantage of changing this approach is that a key boss and its associated area block players from quickly traveling to other locations to improve their gear.

We hope these tips make it a bit easier to finish the game. Even if players only use a few, the feeling of figuring them out really highlights the game’s themes, which fits perfectly with the story of God of War: Sons of Sparta.

2026-02-16 15:05