Which difficulty setting should you choose in God of War Ragnarök?

After four years, God of War Ragnarök is finally here. Similar to the long-running franchise’s 2018 reboot, players have an array of difficulty settings to choose from that all provide contrasting gameplay experiences. As the first decision players are presented with when starting God of War Ragnarök, those unfamiliar with the franchise may find the decision difficult in itself.

Though the four difficulty settings give players an indication of what gameplay experience they may receive, the options do not explicitly state how challenging enemies will be or any further difficulty limitations. If you are unsure of which setting may suit your expected gameplay experience the best, this is everything you need to know about God of War Ragnarök’s difficulty options.

All difficulty settings in God of War Ragnarök

Unlike its predecessor, God of War Ragnarök now has five distinct difficulty settings that can vastly alter the difficulty of your gameplay experience.

Give Me Story presents the easiest option and is meant for players who want to focus on the narrative of God of War Ragnarök without gameplay intruding on their experience. While you still have to square off against all the same enemies and bosses, most players should breeze by this mode with ease.

Give Me Grace is a new difficulty setting that still focuses on the game’s narrative with slightly more intense combat. Though this mode is far from challenging for most players, it does require notably more attention than purely the story option.

Give Me Balance, as its name suggests, this option strikes a balance between story and gameplay that presents players with a moderate challenge to progress through the game’s story. For those who want to truly experience both God of War’s story and combat systems, this is the mode for you.

Give Me No Mercy is for players who want a demanding, intense combat experience that gives players very little margin for failure. This option is best for players who do not mind re-starting from checkpoints and learning the specific mechanics of a boss fight. For seasoned veterans of the God of War franchise who enjoy the challenge of the title, this is your mode.

Give Me God of War is the game’s most difficult option, requiring perfect reactions, strategy, and performance from the player. This mode is only available at the start of a new game and cannot be selected again mid-game.