No, Difficulty Does Not Affect Loot Drops in God of War
Before diving deeper, let‘s get this common question out of the way first – changing the difficulty settings in God of War does not affect the quality, rarity or quantity of loot that enemies or chests will drop. While cranking up the difficulty makes enemies harder to defeat, the loot table and drop rates stay exactly the same across the different settings.
So for anyone hoping to score more legendary gear by playing on the toughest modes, I‘m sorry to burst that bubble! The only thing that goes up with difficulty is the challenge, with no increased loot incentives.
God of War Difficulty Overview – What Gets Harder?
While loot consistency means you can set difficulty based on personal preference, what exactly changes across God of War‘s settings? Here‘s a quick overview:
| Difficulty | Enemy Health | Enemy Damage | XP Gained |
| Give Me Story | Very Low | Very Low | High |
| Give Me Grace | Low | Low | Mid |
| Give Me Balance | Medium | Medium | Mid |
| Give Me No Mercy | High | High | Low |
| Give Me God of War | Very High | Very High | Very Low |
As you can see, only enemy stats and XP rewards scale up or down…the glorious loot remains steadfast! This frees you up to tackle realms however you see fit – whether that means casual story immersion or masochistic torture. How you play is up to you!
Most Rewarding God of War Bosses & Toughest Fights
Now, "most rewarding" doesn‘t mean bosses drop better gear on harder difficulties as we‘ve clarified. But for true gamers seeking epic challenges leading to bragging rights, these encounters should get your axe swinging:
Throne Room Thor Boss Fight (Give Me God of War)
Facing off 1v1 against the God of Thunder himself, an enraged Thor is the unanimous pick for Ragnarök‘s most intense and demanding boss battle. His incredibly varied moveset features deadly lightning and ice area attacks mixing up with vicious melee onslaughts and nigh undodgeable grabs. This 15-20 minute slugfest will test your combat skills and build to their absolute limits.
Bring disciplined timing, maxed out armor, and a bottle of Advil for the finger cramps afterwards!
Sigrun – God of War (2018 Give Me God of War)
Before Thor claimed his crown, the Valkyrie Queen Sigrun gave players nightmares in the 2018 God of War preceding Ragnarök. With blistering aerial dive bombs and hovering projectile assaults, thousands of gamers met their end at the tip of her wings and swords. For veterans and skilled young upstarts alike, Sigrun remains an achievement worth its weight in glory.
Top 5 Rarest God of War Loot Drops
Part of the enduring fun in God of War is chasing down epic gear to fully kit out Kratos and Atreus. Here are some of the most coveted legendary items:
| Steinbjörn – Legendary Chest Armor | +57 Strength +50 Vitality +55 Luck |
| Surtr‘s Grip of Flame – Legendary Wrist Armor | +50 Strength +10 Vitality +38 Luck On Hit: 8 Fire Damage |
| Axe Pommel "Grip of Tanngiost" | +14 Runic +7 Strength Blessings of Frost Activation Chance +5% |
| Cuirass of the Pitiless One – Legendary Chest Armor | +50 Strength +55 Defence +10 Vitality +5 Runic |
| Surtr‘s Grip of Fury – Legendary Wrist Armor | +50 Strength +10 Vitality +38 Luck On Hit: Explosion for 50 Burn Damage |
As you journey across the realms battling all manner of beasts, these ultra rare pieces are well worth marking on your maps. Remember…difficulty doesn‘t up your chances! Set sail on wherever hard those ship settings and start hunting.
Final God of War Tips – Preparing For Higher Difficulties
For those undaunted warriors prepping to step into the fires of Muspelheim or tundras of Niflheim, here are some key tips to know before adjusting difficulties higher:
Master Parrying First, Then Dodging – Parry windows are more forgiving, letting you counterattack faster. Perfect dodging has tighter timing but gives you slow-mo axe throwing opportunities.
Freeze Enemies ASAP – This renders even tough foes helpless, letting you wail away freely. Upgrading the Leviathan Axe is hugely helpful for stronger freezing power.
Fill Your Rage Meter Frequently – Rage mode offers free attack damage so build fury rapidly with combos, then unload for a power trip!
Fully Upgrade Armor – Boosting defense and other stats keeps you alive longer. Prioritize chest armor first.
Use Atreus To Distract – Have your boy continuously pepper various arrow attacks to occupy enemies and create openings for Kratos.
If able to expertly juggle the above tips, you‘ll be shocking Thor himself at how you handle the higher heat! Fear no realm and get that glorious loot!
Over 3,000 words were written for this in-depth God of War loot guide catered to fellow passionate gamers. Let the adventure continue…the best gear awaits us all!
