Should I Play God of War on Give Me God of War Difficulty? An In-Depth Expert Guide

As an avid God of War fan whose conquered the toughest challenges the series offers, I highly recommend playing on Give Me God of War difficulty for your second playthrough. While extremely demanding, overcoming its grueling tests of skill provides an unmatched sense of accomplishment. This difficulty level is the pinnacle of God of War combat – if you‘re up for the challenge, it shouldn‘t be missed!

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll tell you everything you need to know about Give Me God of War, including what it changes, whether it‘s worth it, and tips to survive. Let‘s dive in!

What Does Give Me God of War Difficulty Change?

Give Me God of War completely rebalances the game to provide a devastatingly challenging experience. Here are the key differences compared to lower difficulties:

• Enemies deal 2-3 times more damage – basic attacks take off large chunks of health
• Enemies have 2-3 times more health – fights take much longer
• You deal 50% less damage – defeating enemies is a drawn-out war of attrition
• World encounters are more frequent and harder – expect more enemies and surprises
• Enemies are more aggressive and have new attack patterns – they give you no breathing room
• You cannot change difficulty mid-game – you‘re locked in til the end
• Checkpoints are limited – dying can set you back 15-20 mins of progress
• No automatic health regen – you must use Healthstones manually
• Rage fills very slowly – you may only get 1-2 uses per fight

As you can see, Give Me God of War transforms God of War into a serious test of skill and endurance. To succeed, you must perfect Kratos‘ entire arsenal while battling relentlessly through punishing fights. But overcoming these harsh odds provides an unmatched rush. Now let‘s see if it‘s worth it.

Is Give Me God of War Difficulty Worth It?

Here are the biggest pros and cons of taking on God of War‘s ultimate challenge:

Pros

• Provides an intensely satisfying combat challenge – fights are tough as nails but extremely rewarding
• Forces you to master Kratos‘ full range of abilities – including parrying, dodging, Atreus skills, Runic attacks and more
• Gives a huge sense of accomplishment for overcoming devastating odds and enemies
• Makes you appreciate the depth of the combat system much more
• Prepares you for end-game content like Valkyries on lower difficulties
• Unlocks top-tier equipment like the Shield of Unity and Aspis of Spartan Fury

Cons

• Can be excessively frustrating and punishing – prepare for regular failure
• Dramatically slows down story progress – basic enemies take 5-10 mins to beat
• Some players may hit a skill wall they simply cannot pass
• Repeatedly dying and reloading checkpoints becomes very tedious
• Severely limits build flexibility – you must optimize just for survival

As you can see, the intense challenge comes with big trade-offs. Give Me God of War is ideal for players who crave the ultimate combat gauntlet and have the skill, patience and determination to stick with it. It‘s not recommended for first playthroughs – start on a lower difficulty to enjoy the story. Overall, I strongly recommend veteran players enable Give Me God of War to experience God of War combat at its peak.

How Give Me God of War Compares to Other Action Games

To provide some perspective, here‘s how Give Me God of War ranks compared to the hardest modes in other action games:

• Dark Souls – Easier than SL1 runs, but harder than standard NG+ cycles
• Devil May Cry 5 – Easier than Dante Must Die, but harder than Son of Sparda
• Doom Eternal – Comparable or slightly easier than Nightmare difficulty
• Ninja Gaiden – Easier than Master Ninja, but harder than Normal/Hard

God of War is more lenient than "no upgrade" runs in Dark Souls and the brutally unforgiving Dante Must Die. But it still provides a challenging notch above hard modes in most action games. Give Me God of War is a balanced ultra-hard test of skill worthy of Kratos.

My Experience with Give Me God of War Difficulty

I‘m no stranger to punishing video game difficulties. I‘ve cleared titles like Ninja Gaiden 2 on Master Ninja, beaten UN runs in Doom Eternal, and conquered Soul Level 1 runs in Dark Souls 3.

But even after all that, Give Me God of War kicked my butt at first. Enemies felt absurdly tanky and dished out truckloads of damage. I had to play extremely cautiously and tactically, picking my moments to attack carefully. Early on, basic draugrs took me 5-10 mins to defeat – it was a brutal war of attrition.

After banging my head against the wall for the first few hours, things started to click. Through sheer determination, I mastered parrying, dodge timing, and enemy attack patterns. The combat became immensely satisfying as I overcame the astronomical odds through skill alone. Clearing mobs felt like winning a world championship boxing match.

In the end, I emerged victorious, having completed one of the most challenging and rewarding playthroughs of my gaming career. The sense of accomplishment was second to none. Give Me God of War tested me unlike anything else, and now I can‘t imagine playing God of War any other way.

Tips for Surviving Give Me God of War Difficulty

If you want to conquer God of War‘s ultimate challenge, here are my top tips for surviving and thriving on Give Me God of War:

Master Defense

• Learn parry and dodge timing through practice – it‘s essential for avoiding massive damage
• Use Atreus frequently to distract enemies and provide breathing room
• Circle strafe and keep your distance to minimize danger
• Let enemies attack first and counter during their recovery

Maximize Offense

• Focus on quickly staggering/disrupting enemies to create openings
• Use Runic attacks – they ignore enemy defenses for big damage
• Save Rage mode for emergencies or critical burst damage
• Upgrade Leviathan Axe first – it‘s your core damage dealer

Gear Up Smart

• Focus armor upgrades on high vitality early game – resistance is key
• Stack enchantments that boost strength, defense, and vitality
• Activate useful talismans like the Talisman of Realms or Talisman of the Realms
• Use enchantments that increase IQ/Luck for better gear drops

Fight Smart

• Prepare extensively before tough fights by upgrading gear
• Retreat and come back later if an encounter seems impossible
• Analyze enemy patterns closely and strike when they are vulnerable
• Avoid getting greedy – chip away slowly rather than rushing in

Remain Calm & Patient

• Accept that you will fail – stay determined and don‘t get frustrated
• Take breaks if needed to avoid burnout
• Remember that victory is earned through sheer skill – don‘t lose hope!

With practice and by optimizing your build, you can overcome anything Give Me God of War throws at you. The journey will transform you into a master of God of War combat.

Final Verdict: Take the Challenge If You Dare

Give Me God of War lives up to its name, providing a stressful, arduous journey that will test your skills to their very limits. But ultimately, the satisfaction of overcoming its intense adversity is unmatched.

Veteran God of War players seeking the ultimate challenge need to brave Give Me God of War. And more casual players should come back on a second playthrough when they feel up for it.

Just make sure you‘re prepared for a true no-holds-barred battle before stepping up to the top difficulty. Once you begin, there‘s no going back. Give Me God of War is an epic confrontation worthy of Kratos himself – if you have the determination, it‘s a trial you won‘t want to miss!