God of War (PS2) Guide

God of War (PS2) Guide

~By tankMage (September 2021)

ContentsGod of War Home PagePS2 Game Catalog

About this Guide

When I started writing this guide, I originally intended to talk about spells, weapons, and bosses. After playing the game again for the first time in nearly 16 years, I realized that there was a lot more to God of War, so I decided to throw in hints for some of the puzzles as well as a list of upgrade locations. However detailed this guide may be, it is not a full walkthrough, because I left out a lot of puzzles that had more or less obvious solutions and glossed over almost all of the minor battles. I also focused on Normal Mode, so expect things to be a bit different if you are playing on Hard, God, or Easy Mode.

I. Weapons and Spells

Over the course of the game, Kratos will obtain a number of weapons and spells. Many of these tools can be upgraded using red orbs dropped by monsters and treasure boxes, while others come fully powered up. Learning how the weapons and spells work goes a long way in mastering this game, so take a look at the information in this section.

a. Weapons

Kratos has access to several melee weapons that can be used indefinitely. Melee will be your bread and butter throughout the game, since magic is limited by the magic meter. Weapons can also block, which comes in handy sometimes. Getting comfortable with the Blades of Chaos is extremely important, because they are easily the best weapon. However, some players may prefer the Blade of Artemis in some situations and you will have to use the Sword of the Gods (which is similar to the Blade of Artemis) in a certain battle.

1. Blades of Chaos 

Kratos begins the game with these blades. As I mentioned earlier, they are hands down the best weapon in God of War. Long reach and devastating combos from the Blades of Chaos make it easy to fend off the minions of the underworld. As with all weapons, a move list can be accessed in the game’s main menu, so I’m not going to clutter this guide up with analysis of every move. Instead, I will focus on the best moves. It’s important to note that some of these attacks are not available until the Blades of Chaos Have been upgraded.

Plume of Prometheus – This move is performed by pressing Square twice, then hitting the Triangle button. Kratos will jab a few times with the blades, then slam them into the ground causing considerable area of effect damage. This move is almost always the best choice when fighting enemies, since it deals a lot of damage and often knocks monsters off their feet.

Achilles Flip – Use the Right Analogue Stick to roll, then hit X. Kratos will perform a somersault, his blades whirling in the air with him. Use this after dodging to catch enemies and throw them into the air. Once airborne, monsters are vulnerable to aerial combos. 

Rising Helios – Kratos will have to upgrade his blades a bit to unlock this skill, but it’s worth the effort. Press L1, then Triangle to make Kratos perform a blade flip followed by a slam attack similar to Plume of Prometheus.

2. Blade of Artemis 

This weapon is found in the Rings of Pandora. While powerful in terms of raw damage, it has less reach than the Blades of Chaos, which leaves Kratos open to attacks. It’s safe to ignore this weapon, but it can also be effective if you really enjoy using it. The Blade of Artemis works well against single targets and in situations where you want to slay specific monsters quickly. Another perk of the Blade of Artemis is that it handles much like the Sword of the Gods and players who use it frequently will be comfortable using the Sword of the Gods.

Square Combo – The basic Square, Square, Square moveset for this weapon is fairly deadly. Kratos will hack away at the enemy before going into a multi-hit spin. Simply hitting Square twice then blocking or rolling, then performing the full combo when the enemy is stunned is an effective way to fight with this weapon.

Retribution of Artemis – Hold L1, then press the O Button to slam the Blade on Artemis Downward, dealing huge amounts of damage. This attack is slow, so it works best against stunned foes or as a counter.

3. Sword of the Gods

You’ll get this weapon very late in the game and only for a brief time at that. It cannot be upgraded and is very similar to the Blade of Artemis as far as fighting style goes. Kratos will have no choice but to use this weapon when he gets it, so be prepared to learn how to work with it. The Sword of the Gods has a long reach and you should try to catch your enemy with its tip whenever possible. This weapon has a very limited moveset and many of the moves require the player to hold L1, then press the Circle, Triangle, or Square button to perform a sort of counter attack. Personally I prefer to lead up with a simple Square Button attack, then complete the combo with Square or Triangle.

4. Athena’s Blades

Granted to the player upon beating the game. These are essentially a super powered version of the Blades of Chaos and have the same moveset.

b. Spells

1. Poseidon’s Rage 

You will find this aboard the second ship in the Aegean Sea just after going down a hallway. When activated, Poseidon’s Rage will zap anything within its circular area of effect. Upgraded versions of this spell get more range and can deal more damage if the player presses the Circle Button. This spell is great for interrupting enemy attacks and breaking up groups of foes while dealing damage. As an added bonus it’s relatively cheap to level up. 

2. Medusa’s Gaze 

Aphrodite will award Kratos with this spel in the Gates of Athens just after he defeats Medusa. Pressing R2 will make Kratos hold the Gorgon’s head up, emitting a ray that slowly turns the target to stone. After being upgraded, Medusa’s Gaze can perform the Gorgon Flash if the player presses Triangle while holding R2. A final upgrade will allow players to perform an AoE flash by pressing the O Button. Upgrades also make the basic ray more potent.

Enemies that have been turned to stone are incapable of defending themselves or moving and can be killed with a few melee hits. While this spell can be very powerful, I’m not a fan of it. The flash attacks cost a lot of magic in comparison to other spells and the time it takes to freeze enemies with the normal ray makes it impractical. Add in the fact that enemies have to be finished off with melee attacks or they will eventually free themselves and you have a rather lackluster spell that really isn’t worth leveling up.

3. Zeus’ Fury

Found in the Athens Rooftops area. This spell allows Kratos to throw lighting at his foes. Higher spell levels allow Kratos to charge up a lightning bolt by holding the Triangle Button. Upgrades also make the bolts deal more damage and the final upgrade allows Kratos to throw them in rapid succession. This spell has great range and is good for picking off distant foes or for players who prefer to soften up larger monsters by blasting them from afar. Zeus’ Fury is also the least expensive spell to cast and requires a nominal amount of red orbs to upgrade. However, the fact that it only affects a single target makes it ill suited for many situations.

4. Army of Hades

Acquired after defeating Hades’ Minotaur and taking the Head of the Architect’s Son. This is hands down the best spell in the game. When cast, Army of Hades unleashes a pack of spirits that home in on and damage enemies. This gives the spell the dual bonus of being able to hit foes from afar and break up packs. Players can also slam enemies with melee attacks while the spell is active.

Upgrades make the spirits deal more damage and they can easily destroy most monsters when the spell is maxed out. Army of Hades is even effective in the final boss fight and can carry you through it. That said, the spell is expensive to cast and requires a large amount of red orbs to upgrade, but it is well worth it.

II. Tips 

a. Upgrade the Blades of Chaos and Army of Hades First 

You will find a number of spells early in the game and it can be hard to decide what to spend red orbs on. Spreading out your experience across several spells and weapons is not a good idea, because there are only so many red orbs in the game. Spend your orbs on the Blades of Chaos at first. They are an effective and reliable way to dispatch monsters and they only become more deadly as they gain power. Upgrading the blades will also unlock new moves that make dealing with certain monsters easier.

Save your orbs after the Blades of Chaos have been fully powered up and use them to level up Army of Hades when you get it. The wait for Army of Hades is very long, since Kratos gets it in the final quarter of the game, but being able to fully upgrade it as fast as possible is well worth the effort. Poseidon’s Rage is a good alternative to Army of Hades if you do not want to wait most of the game to level a spell up.

b. Get the Health and Magic Upgrades ASAP

Kratos will find Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers in chests over the course of his adventure. Getting six eyes will increase your health, while getting six feathers will boost your magic. Collecting 18 eyes and 18 feathers will almost fully upgrade your health/magic.* It goes without saying that having more health and magic is good, but finding as many eyes/feathers as possible early on also means that future chests that would normally hold these items will contain red orbs instead. Extra red orbs are always good, since upgrading weapons and spells gets costly.

*The final health and magic upgrades are obtained by opening the door locked by the Muse Keys.

c. Save Health and Magic Chests when Possible

Chests that contain health and magic orbs can be found all over God of War. Make sure you need the health or magic inside the chest before opening it, because there may be relatively long stretches where you have to go without healing.

d. Kill Everything

Sometimes it’s wise to bypass enemies in video games, but this is not the case in God of War. Doors are usually sealed off by magic when monsters appear, making it impossible to move forward. Bypassing monsters also opens up the possibility that you will hit a dead end only to be mobbed by all the foes you wished to leave behind. Finally, you want to get as many red orbs as possible and monsters drop red orbs. Kill enemies as soon as you see them or draw them into a comfortable place to fight to prevent the aforementioned problems from occurring.

III. Bosses and Major Enemies 

This section covers the bosses as well as some of the more lethal monsters in God of War. Not every enemy is covered here, because many of the weaker undead and other badies are easy to deal with. This section covers the more dangerous foes and bosses as they appear, but most enemies recur throughout the adventure. Sometimes these monsters have more powerful variants that are covered along with their basic form. In other cases, the variants are so different that they have their own section or so similar to the standard creature that I do not bother to mention them.

a. Hydra

You will encounter the Hydra near the beginning of the game in the Aegean Sea. Kratos will have to fight one of its heads in the hold of his ship first. This fight isn’t too difficult, because the head will simply lunge forward and try to snap Kratos. Rush in and get a few light attacks off after the head lunges, then roll away. Repeat this process until you can finish it off with the mini-game.

You will have to fight a second head on the deck of the ship. This head can pull Kratos towards it with a powerful inhale. Watch out for the Hydra’s head slam attack, which has a wide area of effect. The Hydra will wobble its head before slamming it into the deck several times, so roll away when this happens. Finally, this Hydra can quickly grab the player in its jaws. It’s difficult to avoid this move, because it comes so fast. Luckily, Kratos can break the grab if you press the O Button rapidly. After breaking free from the jaws, Kratos will hit the monster, knocking it to the deck and leaving it exposed. Use light attacks on the head and a Plume of Prometheus combo when the head is vulnerable.

You’ll have to battle the Hydra in all its might when you reach the end of the Aegean Sea area. Three heads will remain and Kratos will have to destroy each one if he wants to move on. The first two heads are sticking out of the deck, while the largest one is high above the central mast. The smaller heads will not let you climb the mast to reach the main head, so you’ll have to deal with them first. They use the same moves as before. Use Poseidon’s Rage to quickly damage the heads. Once damaged enough, they will fall to the deck for a short time before recovering. This is your chance to climb up the stack of crates near each head, then jump onto a platform with a sharp spike on the bottom. If done quickly, the spike will immobilize the head; do this for both of them.

Once the smaller heads are pinned, Kratos will be free to scale the central mast. The main head can knock you off the crow’s nest by roaring, so try to roll towards it when it roars. This beast will try to bite Kratos and will always chomp down on the platform you are on. This happens to be its weakness, because it rears back very obviously before biting. It’s also your chance to combo it or hit it with Poseidon’s Rage. In fact magic works great on the Hydra and you should use it whenever the head is in range. 

Damage the head enough and it will collapse briefly, which is your signal to run up to it and press O. Kratos will grapple it with his blades if you time it right. Rapidly hit the O Button to slam the head into the mast and get some life/magic orbs. Perform the grapple move about three times to break the mast, turning it into a spike. Once the mast is broken, damage the boss enough to make it collapse once more and grapple it with O again. This will initiate a button press mini-game. Press the buttons as prompted and Kratos will kill the Hydra. Jump into its mouth once it’s dead to get the key.

b. Cyclops

First Encountered: Gates of Athens

Lumbering brutes equipped with spiked balls that can extend on chains, Cyclops are durable foes. However, they are not bosses and appear regularly throughout the game. They generally prefer to attack by extending their spiked balls towards Kratos, which can do a lot of damage. That said, they may also rush him or perform a quick smash at close range. Do not try to block these enemies. Roll away from them instead. Get quick shots in on them with your chaos blades and do not be shy about using magic on Cyclops if you are getting overwhelmed. Like most enemies, Kratos can finish Cyclopic foes off by pressing the O Button if it pops up after he damages them a bit. You’ll have to complete a special button pressing mini-game to successfully kill the Cyclops, but the fast kill is well worth the effort.

You will also encounter more nimble Cyclops that wield massive jaw bones like clubs in places like the Athens Town square. These oafs perform a massive downward smash and a wide area stomp. Stick to using light attacks and rolling to fight these guys. When the O Button symbol pops up, hit Circle to jab their eye and get more red orbs.

c. Medusa/Gorgons

First Encountered: Gates of Athens

Medusa relies on quick attacks and her patented stone gaze to fight. Her quick swipes can be easily foiled by blocking and fast attacks of your own will take a heavy toll on her health. You can also roll away from her, but she has a way of catching Kratos with a swipe just after he comes out of a roll. Roll away from her stone gaze attack, which is indicated by a pair of bright green beams that emanate from her eyes. If Medusa manages to hold Kratos in her beam for a few seconds he will turn to stone and she will be able to instantly kill him. If you do happen to turn to stone, wiggle the left stick to shake out of it.

When Medusa gets weak, a big Circle will pop up above her head. Grab her with O and follow the prompts to twist the left stick to finish her.

Kratos will encounter lesser Gorgons throughout his journey. These creatures are not quite as strong as the famed Medusa, but their habit of attacking with packs of other foes make them nearly as deadly. Use the same tactics to beat them.

d. Sirens

First Encountered: Desert of Lost Souls

Kratos will have to seek the first Sirens he must fight by sound in the swirling winds of the Desert of Lost Souls. These creatures move quickly and can throw a ball of lightning that flies towards the player at high speed. Their lightning attack is preceded by a quick twirl, so be ready to roll away when you see a Siren spin. Sirens will also stagger Kratos with a shriek that is followed up by a lightning ball. Keep your distance so you can react to their tells and avoid the shriek. Quick slices from the chaos blades work well on these enemies. Magic is also an option, but Sirens seem somewhat resistant to spells.

Sirens often spawn with allies like minotaurs and you will want to separate them from their friends by drawing them away or wiping out the other creatures with powerful spells.

e. Pandora’s Temple Cyclops 

First Encountered: Pandora’s Temple

These huge Cyclops wield vicious spiked swords and are much more aggressive than those you fought earlier. Expect wide sweeping attacks from their swords as well as rather quick dash attacks. Roll away from these enemies and try to keep as far as possible from them to avoid their long reach. Use the Square, Square, Triangle combo on these monsters to stagger them, which will keep them from constantly swiping at Kratos. The symbol for the Circle Button will appear over a Cyclops’ head when you damage it enough. Be prepared to quickly respond to button cues in order to finish them off.

f. Cerberus

First Encountered: Challenge of Poseidon

Cerberus and Cerberus Pups are some of the nastiest monsters in God of War. They often start out as tiny, yet vicious puppies that will rush towards Kratos, clawing or striking him with flaming ram attacks. Kill the pups as fast as possible with light attacks from the Blades of Chaos or with the Blade of Artemis, because they can quickly grow into larger hellhounds that have much more powerful moves. Poseidon’s Rage is also good for taking these pups down.

An adult Cerberus has substantially more life and reach. Kratos will have to watch out for a triple fireball from these things as well as paw swipes. They can even pounce and maul players who get too close, so the Blade of Artemis is not a great choice unless you are really good with it. Use the Prometheus Plume combo on these beasts and keep rolling. Those who want to kill these creatures quickly may want to use Medusa’s Gaze or Zeus’ Fury.

g. Centaurs

First Encountered: Challenge of Hades

Centaurs are agile bowmen, who can use their bladed bows to block and perform three piece combos in battle. They prefer to circle Kratos, firing volleys of arrows at him, but they will also release a shockwave by stomping the ground. It’s best to use Prometheus Plume combos on these beastmen and break contact when they begin blocking to avoid their combo attacks. Magic works really well on these creatures, since it bypasses their blocking ability.

h. Hades’ Minotaur

First Encountered: Challenge of Hades

This armored Minotaur is the boss of the challenge of Hades and is one of the most complex monsters you will fight in God of War. Kratos cannot defeat him with his weapons alone and you will have to use the lever at the back of this boss’s room to fire a flaming bolt at him, which will crack his armor. However, you will have to soften him up with combos and complete a minigame where you have to rotate the Left Stick according to prompts given by the game when a Circle symbol appears above his head. Completing the minigame properly will stun him, giving you time to run to the lever and use it to fire a bolt at the Minotaur.

You can fight him on the lower portion of the room or on the platform where the lever is located, but I find it easier to fight the boss in the lower area. This boss uses a lot of area of effect slam attacks with his fists and will breathe flame at Kratos. Use quick attacks and roll away from the boss to avoid his AoE. Zeus’ Fury and Poseidon’s Rage work really well in this battle if you have them built up a little, but the Blades of Chaos are good enough.

The Minotaur’s move set becomes more aggressive as you crack his armor. His AoE punches get more range and his fire breath sweeps across the floor from left to right. Once again, simply stay far back and roll away from danger. If the boss starts to corner you, run to the lever and pull it prematurely to force him to jump back to avoid the bolt, giving you room to move in the process.

Hit him twice with the bolt and you can start breaking his armor completely using regular magic and weapons. Save up your Wrath of the Gods power while fighting this guy and use it when his armor is entirely gone. You should be able to get his life bar to 30% or less with Wrath of the Gods active. After that, pummel the boss with magic or normal attacks. Kratos will stun the Minotaur one last time when he gets the creature’s life to about 10%. Quickly run to the switch and hit it again to kill the boss.

Pro-Tip: Hades’ Minotaur will always drop some life and magic when you get the Circle symbol to appear over his head while he still has armor. You can use this to your advantage if you wait for him to move again without initiating the Left Stick minigame and farm as much life as you need. In fact, it’s wise to do this before hitting the boss with the second bolt, because he becomes really aggressive when his armor is destroyed.

i. Satyr

First Encountered: Cliffs of Madness

Satyrs are among the toughest fighters in the game. They move quickly and have long reach thanks to the bladed staves they wield. These creatures use their weapons to perform intricate sweeping combos and block incoming strikes. Roll away from these guys to keep them from spearing and throwing Kratos. The Blades of Chaos work best on Satyrs as weapons go, but I prefer to use the Army of Hades spell on them in conjunction with melee combos to keep them incompacitated. The Left Stick + X Button combo can flip Satyrs into the air, leaving them open to juggle attacks if you time them well.

j. Ares

The final confrontation with Ares takes place in three parts. Hopefully you took the advice provided in this guide and fully upgraded the Army of Hades and Blades of Chaos, because they make the first three phases of this battle a piece of cake. If not, you can still struggle through the first part of the battle and use the red orbs you get to power up Army of Hades to use it in the second phase. The third phase is a very straightforward fight where Kratos has a different weapon, so put everything you have into the first two battles.

Phase 1

The first part of the fight with Ares is pretty tough thanks to the long reach of Ares’ back spikes. If you upgraded Army of Hades to its max level you can simply start things off by activating it and proceed to combo Ares as aggressively as possible. Odds are he will take enough damage to drop green and blue orbs, allowing Kratos to use Army of Hades again. In fact, you should be able to cast the spell until the Circle symbol appears over Ares’ head. Pressing O will make Kratos grab hold of Ares and you will have to rapidly press the O Button until Kratos jumps on Ares’ back. Watch carefully, because you will have to successfully complete a series of button prompts to defeat Ares in this round and you can easily mess things up if you are still mashing O. Ares will throw and combo Kratos with his hammer if you make a mistake.

Players who do not have Army of Hades upgraded or those that wish to fight Ares more fairly will have to rely on the Blades of Chaos. Ares’ spikes have quite a bit of reach, so it’s not possible to rely on range alone to avoid his attacks. Instead, you should go for a couple of quick strikes, then roll away before he can counter you. Watch Ares carefully and use the Plume of Prometheus combo when he flinches. 

Ares will whip out his hammer when his health starts to get low. It has less reach, but don’t let that deceive you. The hammer can generate a tremendous shockwave when it strikes the ground and combos from it can be devastating. Rage of the Gods comes in handy at this point, so use it if you have it. As with the previous method, an O Button symbol will pop up over Ares’ head when you damage him enough and you can end the round by successfully finishing the mini-game.

Phase 2

A cutscene will play after you beat Ares and Kratos will find himself facing off against…himself. Except, there are quite a few clones of Kratos and you will have to keep them from slaying his wife and child. Pressing the O Button while close to his family will cause Kratos to transfer some of his health to them. The clones spawn incessantly, so you will have to refill Kratos’ family’s health whenever possible. 

Plume of Prometheus (Square, Square, Triangle) works well in this battle as does Army of Hades. I prefer to fight the clones until I have enough magic to cast Army of Hades, then use the lull in combat to heal Kratos’ wife and daughter. Use the Square combo while Army of Hades is active to finish the clones off even faster. 

The building will crumble and shrink as the battle progresses, leaving Kratos only a small island to fight on. Watch out for falls and use Rage of the Gods if possible. A lightning throwing clone will appear on a floating island behind the wife and kid. Ignore this enemy, because the clones will just beat up on the family if you aren’t there to fight them off. You’ll also have to deal with clones that wield the Blade of Artemis, but the aforementioned tactics work well on them too. Manage your health and magic carefully and you will eventually win once you slay enough clones.

Phase 3

The second battle with Ares is far different from the rest of the game and plays more like a fighter. Kratos will only be able to use the Sword of the Gods, which is comparable to the Blade of Artemis in this battle. Ares and Kratos start with an equal amount of health. When someone scores a hit, the other character will lose health while the successful attacker gains health. This means the battle can go sideways very quickly if Ares gets a combo in. 

Ares has several attacks which are listed below:

1. Sword combo: As the name suggests, this is a combo where Ares uses his sword and back claws. It has a lot of reach, but is fairly easy to block and dodge. Dodging this attack will present you with a good window to strike Ares.

2. Close Range Fireball: This move is really cheap in my opinion. Ares will basically launch a fireball in Kratos’ face, forcing him back, then stab him with his back spikes. There’s not a lot you can do about this move aside from positioning Kratos in such a way that he isn’t too close to Ares while attacking, which takes a bit of practice. 

3. Homing Fireballs: This ability looks a bit like Army of Hades. Ares will very obviously light his hands on fire before using this attack. Roll away and block the fireballs.

4. Exploding Spires: Ares will teleport to a spot near the central rim of the arena when performing this move. He will thrust his sword into the ground causing four rock spires to rise up and converge on each other before exploding. Ares will pause for a moment to taunt Kratos after the spires explode. Get a few hits in on Ares, then roll away before he thrusts his sword into the earth. Roll or run away from the pillars then run back to Ares as they are exploding so you can get a few more shots in on him.

This battle can be tough, but it’s manageable with a bit of practice. Let Ares make the first moves and focus on dodging, then countering him. Doing so reduces the likelihood of Ares getting to use his cheap close range fireball combo. Sometimes Ares will attempt to parry Kratos. Press L1 to block when this happens (the action will slow down as Ares parries) and start mashing the O Button as fast as you can. If you do it right, Kratos will combo Ares, taking away a big chunk of his health. Additionally, Ares will be stunned, leaving him open to further attack. Keep working on Ares and you will defeat him.

IV. Puzzles

This section is dedicated to many of the puzzles and secrets you will encounter in God of War. Please note that not every puzzle is covered below as I decided to leave out some of the more simplistic ones. The New Game + unlockables are also not mentioned here, because the game will notify players when they are unlocked and the process for getting them merely requires beating the game on the various difficulty modes.

a. Aegean Sea Box Puzzle

Kratos will encounter a group of undead archers perched on a high platform just after the first save point. It’s impossible to reach the archers by simply jumping, so Kratos will have to move a box over to the archers. Problem is, the archers can hit Kratos and potentially destroy the box with their arrows. The box respawns, so it’s not the end of the world if it gets smashed. In order to successfully move the box to the platform, you will have to grab it with R2 and kick it by holding, then releasing X. Try to kick the box behind cover to prevent the archers from shooting it. It also helps to run away from the box from time to time to distract the archers from it.

b. Road to Athens Switch

After walking into the balcony where you can see Ares battling the Athenian army, you will be forced into a room with two gates and a pair of hammer wielding minotaurs. The switch in the center of the room opens the gate with the life chest behind it, but it must be continually depressed or the gate will close. Use Medusa’s Head to freeze a minotaur while it is standing on the switch, then rush over to the open gate before the creature breaks free. Zapping the minotaurs briefly with the head will make it easier to finish turning them to stone when they finally step on the switch. There’s also an infinite supply of magic from the box on the right hand wall in this room.

c. Athens Rooftops: Getting Zeus’ Fury

You will need to solve a puzzle to get Zeus’ Fury. After finding the first save point at Athens Rooftops, you will see a bridge with some archers above it. Cross the bridge and look for a big crossbow. Pull it down the hallway to the left and open the door with the helmet symbol on it. Fight the undead that emerge from the chamber, then move the crossbow on top of the plate in front of the door. 

Enter the room and pull the lever. This will make a ladder drop down and turn the crossbow. You’ll want to turn the crossbow so it faces the wooden door at the back of the larger chamber. It will likely take two rotations, so move the crossbow off the plate after the first turn, then pull the lever again. Next, move the crossbow back on the plate and hit the lever. This should make the crossbow’s business end face the wooden door. Now you can destroy the door by firing the crossbow.

d. Athens Rooftops Cowardly Soldier 

After exploring the rooftops a bit, you will find a soldier who refuses to activate a switch for Kratos. Go get the Zeus’ Fury magic and launch a lightning bolt at the obstinate soldier to open the way forward.

e. Temple of the Oracle Harpy Room

A long flight of stairs leads from the temple entrance to a large room with a pool in its center. Harpies will emerge from cracks in the left and right sides of the hall. These harpies spawn infinitely and will prevent Kratos from safely traversing the rafters above the room. Look for two statues at the back of the room. Grab onto them and drag them to the cracks in the wall to seal them up. Make sure the shield the statue is holding is facing the crack or it will not seal the harpies away. Kill the remaining monsters and open the gate to continue.

f. Temple of the Oracle: Saving the Oracle

The Oracle will end up hanging from a rope in a huge courtyard. There’s an elevator in this area that will take you down to the bottom of the courtyard. There’s also a platform held up by four pillars with a lower ledge that has a chest. You can use this ledge to reach the platform, but you cannot simply jump to the ivy covered wall next to it. To reach the ivy wall, grab the statues at the top of the elevator and move them over to the ledge where you can talk to the Oracle. Push each statue off the ledge so they stack on top of each other, then move the stacked statues over to the ivy wall. Now you can climb over to the ivy. After that you will have to quickly navigate a gauntlet. 

g. Desert of Lost Souls: Finding the Sirens

Upon entering the Desert of Lost Souls, Athena will tell Kratos to seek out the Sirens and kill them to open the way forward. There are three Sirens in total and you can locate them by listening for their songs. However, this is not an option for everyone. The locations of the three Sirens are listed below to make finding them easier. Please note that the Sirens appear in a specific order and you will not find them out of sequence.

1. The first Siren is located in the Eastern end of the desert near a temple. Simply go right and stick to the edge of the desert after talking to Athena to find it.

2. Siren two will spawn near the statue of Athena by the entrance to the desert after you kill the first one. A pair of minotaurs assist this Siren; try to draw her away from them before trying to fight the entire group.

3. The third and final Siren can be found near the center of the desert by what appears to be a ruined forum or stage. This one is also guarded by minotaurs.

The door to the temple where you fought the first of the Sirens will open once all three are history.

Pro-Tip: Explore the desert thoroughly to find a lot of red orbs.

h. Rings of Pandora: Finding the Blade of Artemis 

Kratos will come to a huge circular room shortly after entering the Temple of Pandora. Run around this chamber until you see a break in the right hand wall that leads to a hallway with spike traps that emerge its walls. Roll past the spikes to a pool with a pond in the center and activate the switch at the back of the room. Another switch will appear at the entrance to the hallway. Turn the new switch to make the entire ring rotate. After turning it a bit you will see a hall that goes to a door with two missing statues. Turn the ring some more to find yet another passage that goes to the Blade of Artemis. Get the blade and go down the passage to enter the Challenge of Atlas.

i. Challenge of Atlas: Shield of Zeus 

You will enter the Challenge of Atlas shortly after getting the Blade of Artemis. Go down the passage on the first floor after killing the undead and Gorgons in the room with the bridge. There’s a movable crate full of rubble about halfway through the passage. Push it to the room at the other end of the passage, where you will find a switch and a door with a carving of two Greek soldiers. Drag the crate to the alcove with steps in front of it, then kick it towards the switch. Roll into the alcove immediately after kicking the crate. The alcove will rotate and take Kratos to a secret room if done properly.

Look for a ladder to the left of the rotating door that took you to the hidden room. Climb up it and use the beams to get to the Shield of Zeus. Place the shield in the carved door you saw earlier.

j. Challenge of Atlas: Shield of Hades

The Shield of Hades is the second shield you need to open the door that’s emblazoned with two Greek warriors. This one is much easier to get than the Shield of Zeus. Simply climb up the broken steps in the room with the bridge where you fought the Gorgons just after getting the Blade of Artemis. From there you must climb up to a switch that will lower a rope to a pit below. Climb down the rope and use another rope to cross a gap. You will find the Shield of Hades on the other side. A wall will start moving, threatening to crush Kratos after he gets the shield. Kill all of the enemies that spawn to make the wall stop moving and open the way back. Place the shield in the carved door.

k. Challenge of Atlas: The Atlas Statue

You will eventually arrive at a room with spinning saw blades on the floor and a pair of switches. If you hit both switches before the time limit runs out (which starts when you pull the first lever) the gate will open and you can shimmy over the ledge behind the gate to reach a room with a huge statue of Atlas. You will need the Handle of Atlas to do anything here, so it’s best to head through the hallway on the right side of the saw blade room. 

You’ll have to go through a gauntlet of spike traps and climb a cliff filled with enemies, but you will soon reach a room with a wooden floor and a strange item on a small dais. Kill the shield carrying undead in this room with the Plume of Prometheus combo (Square Square Triangle) and slay the Sirens quickly. Use magic or anything else that will help you clear this room fast, because the floor will give way after about a minute, sending Kratos to his demise. Hop onto the dais as soon as possible when the monsters are dead and grab the Handle of Atlas. The floor will still drop, so wait a few moments before leaving.

Return to the Atlas statue near the saw blade room and place the Handle of Atlas on the spoke in front of it. Turn the handle, then head upstairs. Look for a lever and pull it. The statue should smash the door at the other end of the chamber, which will open the way forward.

l. Challenge of Poseidon: The First Muse Key

The first Muse Key is hidden in a simple yet clever spot. Look for it in the Challenge of Poseidon after you defeat Cerberus and Cyclops. You will come to a cliff where you can see Chronos and the massive chains that bind him. Scale the cliff until you reach the top then shuffle to the right. A chest should be in a small alcove, open it to get the Muse Key.

m. Challenge of Poseidon Sacrifice

Shortly after getting the first Muse Key, Kratos will arrive at a hallway with caged soldiers. Get the handle from the room at the end of the hall and lower the soldier by using the lever near the start of the hall. You will need to move the cage all the way up to the room with the furnace at the end of the hall, but the cage will slide down the slope if you release it. Undead will attack while you are moving the cage, forcing Kratos to let go of it. Move the cage to the rocks positioned throughout the slope to prevent it from sliding while you are fighting. 

The undead will keep spawning, so you will have to do your best to get the cage to the top of the slope with them around. Medusa’s Gaze can help with this and you can also put some distance between them and Kratos by running to the far side of the hall, then running back to the cage. Simply take the cage to the furnace and activate the lever to finish the puzzle after you finish pushing it up the slope. 

n. Challenge of Poseidon: The Second Muse Key

Kratos will get the second Muse Key after obtaining Poseidon’s Trident. Activate the underwater switch in the tunnel beneath the room where you got the trident and climb the blocks up to a long hallway. Follow the submerged path until you see a carving of the Nyads, then swim left to a room where you will find the Muse Key hidden behind some pots.

o. Challenge of Poseidon: Amphitrite’s Chamber

A large chamber dominated by a statue of Poseidon’s wife, Amphitrite, is located deep within the Challenge of Poseidon. Kratos will find a switch that raises a series of platforms leading to the statue on one end of the chamber. The platforms retract after a few moments, but you can get a few treasure boxes and a hint about the room if you cross them swiftly. To actually leave the chamber, pull the lever, then quickly dive into the water left of the platforms. Swim all the way to the pillar directly below the statue and look for a niche in its bottom. Wait in the niche until the pillars lower to find a hidden cave that will take you back to the Rings of Pandora.

p. Challenge of Hades: Fireball Hallway

Kratos will have to traverse a dangerous hallway where flaming balls roll towards him after using the Hades statue to light the area up. Run left or right to dodge the balls and pop into a small room in a crevice at the end of the hall to find some chests and a clue to the puzzle. You will have to open the doors on the side of the hall to find the exit, but only one door leads to safety. Look for the third door on the left from the hint chamber and wait for a gap in the balls to open it.

q. Rings of Pandora: Using the Muse Keys

Return to the Rings of Pandora after getting the Muse Keys and use the lever in the outer ring to rotate the room until you see the Muse Door. Insert the keys into it to open it and collect the life and magic upgrades from the fountains. Hop onto the pedestal in the center to collect a lot of red orbs.

r. Rings of Pandora: The Architect’s Statue

Place the Head of the Architect’s Second Son in the underwater skull door in the Rings of Pandora. Open up the door to the central ring after the water drains and run back to the outer ring. Start rotating the ring until you see the hallway that is lined with spike traps. Next, use the crank in the second ring to line it up with the outer ring. Finally, go inside the statue of the Architect and line it up with the first two rings.

With all of the rings aligned, you can run straight through the doors to the hallway. Grab the handles on the crystal eye statue at the end of the hall and use it to push the eye together. This will make the statue of the Architect rise up. Run to the base of the statue and pull the lever to ascend to the upper portion of the temple.

s. Cliffs of Madness Block Puzzle (Hera’s Necklace)

After looking at the busts of Aphrodite and Hera, you will find a cave with Hera’s Necklace inside of it. A gate will pop up to seal the necklace away and Kratos will have to arrange the huge blocks in the room in the pattern shown in the image above to get the gate to open. The blocks are scattered around the room and some of them are not facing the right direction, so push the ones that need to be turned onto the circular plate and use the crank near it to rotate them. 

t. Cliffs of Madness Spike Room (Aphrodite’s Necklace)

The spike chamber is in the room by the save point and elevator. You can get to this area by climbing the rope that lowers after you get the first necklace. Activating the lever in this room will initiate a countdown for the spikes in the floor to extend and open the gate that was obstructing a block. You will have to quickly pull the block out and move it to the other end of the chamber so Kratos can hop onto it and grab the ledge that leads to the necklace. 

The small amount of time you have to do this before the spikes activate and kill Kratos requires you to move the block quickly. Kick the block as far as you can and start running towards it while you are moving it to the platform. Make sure the block is close to the platform before mounting it, because you will not be able to grab onto the edge if you are too far away. Jump over to the vines and grab Aphrodite’s Necklace when you are done. Take the necklaces to the statues from earlier to move onward.

u. Architect’s Tomb: Opening the Front Door

The door to the Architect’s Tomb is blocked by a gate and heavy door. A timed switch near the start of the area opens the first gate, but you will have to open the other two doors, which are activated by pressure switches before opening the timed door. Cross the saw blade pit and look for a door to the right of the main entrance. Open it and follow the hall while killing the enemies that spawn. Going through the hall will take you to the balcony above the front door. Look for a crane on the balcony and turn it so it is right over the cracked floor below. Run along the crane and activate the switch to drop a block on the floor to shatter it.

Go back to the crank and turn the crane so that it’s over the pressure switch, then drop the block on the switch. This will open one of the gates. Drop down to ground level and search for a movable statue left of the main door. Move the statue to the hole made by the block and kick the statue into the pit. Go down after it to make sure it’s on the pressure switch in the pit.

Finally hop back to the timed switch near the save point and activate it, then quickly cross the sawblade chasm to get to the door. Once inside the tomb you can take the head of the Architect’s Wife and use it to open the way to Pandora’s Box.

V. Upgrades 

Kratos can increase his life and magic meters by collecting Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers respectively. There are plenty of these items hidden throughout the game, but you only need 18 of each to fully max out the health and magic bars. It’s wise to collect the first 18 of these items you come across, because having extra life/magic is really helpful. As an added bonus, any boxes that would contain an eye or feather will give you some red orbs if you have already found all eighteen of the upgrades. 

a. Gorgon’s Eyes

1. On the second wrecked ship in the Aegean Sea in a box hidden behind some planks. Look for it just after sliding along the rope hanging from the mast.

2. The second eye is also in the Aegean Sea area. You will find this one in a chest just after beating the Hydra. Look for it on a mast above the slain monster.

3. The third eye can be found in a room just before the first Gorgon Kratos meets. You will see a series of columns supported by wooden boxes. Smash the boxes so Kratos can climb up to the highest column. From there you will see the box that contains the eye on a ledge next to a box full of magic orbs.

4. This eye is in the Gates of Athens area. Use the rotating crossbow machine near the save point to smash the door, then go through the newly opened door. From there you will see a ladder on the left that leads down to the Gorgon’s eye.

5. Gorgon Eye 5 is in a chest near the entrance to the Temple of the Oracle. It’s possible to get this eye just after entering the Road to Athens by going right at the huge balcony where Ares is visible.

6. Enter the fourth house on the right on the Road to Athens to find the 6th eye.

7. This eye is hidden in a house on the Road to Athens. It’s the 9th house on the left and you will find a feather along with it.

8. Look for a breakable painted panel in the hall after you fight a Cyclops in the Athens Town square.

9. Kratos will have to chase down a woman with a key when he reaches Athens Town square. While chasing the woman, you will come across a broken balcony. Look for a ledge near the balcony before jumping to the one across from it. Jumping as if you were trying to reach the balcony, but moving left a bit will allow you to grab onto the ledge with your hands. Keep going left on the ledge until you have a building at your back, then double jump up the building to reach a breakable door that will reveal the Gorgon Eye.

10. Look for a breakable wooden door in the Athens Rooftops in the room where you fight the wraiths.

11. You’ll find this eye in a room that opens up behind a smashable wall just after you get Zeus’ Fury.

12. Enter the save point room at the Athens Rooftops, then climb up the second ladder to the right to find a few boxes. One of them contains the 12th eye.

13. The next to last eye that’s located in the Athens Rooftops area takes some work to find. When you see the cowardly soldier by the switch, return to the vines and jump back to the roof with the wooden arch. Go to the left side of the roof and stand by the edge. Jump straight up and the camera should reveal some torches. Use this to line up a jump off the roof that will take you to a narrow balcony with the eye.

14. Eye number 14 is located in the room that opens up after you get Zeus’ Fury. Break the brick wall in the room to find the box.

15. You will find this one just after killing the cowardly soldier at the Athens Rooftops. A Phoenix feather is just next to it.

16. This eye is found in the Temple of the Oracle, just after the oracle is abducted. Run over the broken bridge by the save point and look for a ledge with two chests on it below the save point. You will have to drop down from the bridge and turn to grab the ledge, then shuffle over to where the chests are located.

17. Check the chests near the save point at the entrance to the Temple of the Oracle.

18. After fighting some harpies, Kratos will have to balance on some beams. Search for a ledge with a window near it. Jump to the window and break it to find a box that has the eye inside.

19. Go to the wall to the right just after you rescue the Oracle to find a breakable wall. Bust the wall down to reveal a hidden chest with the final eye.

b. Phoenix Feathers

1. The first of the Phoenix Feathers is located in the starting area of the Gates of Athens. Leave the ship and search for a lever that raises a gate lift. There’s a hole in the wall near the lever, go in the hole and swim through the hall to find the feather.

2. You’ll find the second Phoenix feather by a huge crossbow. Turn the machine left a couple of times, then fire it at the cracked wall to break it, revealing a box that contains your prize.

3. Enter the fourth house on the left on the Road to Athens to find another feather.

4. Yet another Phoenix Feather is hidden on the Road to Athens, this time it’s in the ninth house on the left.

5. The fifth feather is stashed away in the Athens Town Square. Look for a save point after the woman who owns the key dies and jump to the balcony below the save to get the feather.

6. After getting to the Rooftops of Athens, you will fight a Cyclops and a few Wraiths. Look for a chest with green orbs and head right from it to find a narrow ledge behind a broken wall. Move forward to the edge of the roof from the broken wall, then keep going right to find a pair of boxes. One of the boxes has your feather.

7. This one can be obtained on the Rooftops of Athens just after you get Zeus’ Fury. A room will open up after you get the spell and you can smash a wall in the room to reach the 7th feather.

8. The eighth Phoenix feather is stashed away in a chest in a small chamber at the end of the Athens Rooftops area. Incidentally, there’s also a Gorgon Eye in the box across from it.

9. This feather is in the Temple of the Oracle. You will find it on a ledge by the broken bridge just after the Oracle is kidnapped.

10. Look for the tenth feather just left of the entrance to the Temple of the Oracle.

11. Bactrack to the timed area with the balance beams after you rescue the oracle to find a chest that occupies a ledge.

12. Look for the Statue of Athena near the end of the Temple of the Oracle just after you rescue her. Jump to the right of the statue to find the chest.

13. This feather is hidden behind the stairs that lead down to the Sewers at the end of the Temple of the Oracle.

14. Look to the right of the cliff’s edge after leaving the Temple of the Oracle. It will be near an emblem and a small statue of Athena at the top of the mountain.

15. This one is hidden in the Challenge of Atlas. Locate the bridge that goes to the Challenge of Atlas, then jump to the ledge near the middle of the bridge and go right to find the chest with the feather inside of it.

16. Look for this feather to the left of the statue of Atlas in the Challenge of Atlas.

17. Feather 17 is hidden in the challenge of Poseidon. Dive into the water in the room where you get the trident and climb the ladder to get to the box.

18. Look for a Nyad behind a breakable wall near a statue of Poseidon in the Challenge of Poseidon. Press the O Button to kiss the Nyad, who will give you the last feather in return. 

VI. References

I used the pages below to gather info on the Phoenix Feathers and Gorgon Eyes.

Gorgon Eyes

https://strategywiki.org/wiki/God_of_War/Gorgon_Eyes

Phoenix Feathers

https://strategywiki.org/wiki/God_of_War/Phoenix_Feathers

VII. PDF Download 

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https://retromaggedon.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/God-of-War-Guide.pdf

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