Spoilers for God of War Ragnarok ahead.

Being the former Greek god of war, Kratos is well-versed in multiple types of weaponry. From the Blades of Chaos of his homeland to the Leviathan Axe that was forged for his Norse wife Laufey, Kratos wields each weapon as if it were an extension of his own body. Considering the number of things that want him dead, especially in God of War Ragnarok, it's a good thing Kratos is good at fighting.

But Kratos has proven a capable warrior even without a weapon in his hands. God of War Ragnarok reinforces the fact that Kratos' strongest weapon isn't his fiery blades or a hand-me-down axe, but his ability to keep calm and think strategically under pressure. With a similar mindset, players can beat God of War Ragnarok's toughest enemies with nothing but Kratos' bare fists. Unarmed attacks in this context will pertain to Kratos' default moveset rather than his Spartan Rage attacks.

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Kratos Has Hidden Skills to Pay The Bills

God Of War Ragnarok Weapon-Skill-Labors

When looking at the Skills tab in Ragnarok's menus, players will find multiple abilities for Kratos to unlock. Various submenus house skills for the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, the new Draupnir Spear, as well as a special submenu for Kratos' companions, provided they are currently with him. What players will not find, however, is a detailed moveset for Kratos when he is unarmed. This is a shame, as 2018's God of War included a few tutorials and purchasable moves for Kratos's fists (though a lot of these moves can also be performed in the sequel).

When players stow Kratos' weapons or throw the Leviathan Axe away, they gain access to a unique unarmed moveset. Kratos hits fast and hard with his fists, shield, and occasionally with his legs. These attacks don't do a lot of normal damage, but the benefit is that they can rapidly fill an enemy's stun meter. Once filled, an opponent will not only be temporarily dazed, but also open to grab moves that deal a lot of damage.

Stunning is a Powerful Tool Against Ragnarok's Tougher Opponents

god of war ragnarok shield punch

Many players would rather forgo Kratos' unarmed attacks in favor of using his other weapons. Unarmed attacks deal less damage and generally cannot apply elemental effects like frost, fire, or wind. Still, unarmed attacks can bypass a lot of enemy defenses. For starters, enemies that are blocking cannot completely prevent stun build-up from Kratos' fists. The same can be said for enemies with high armor and health bars.

The ability for stun attacks to essentially "bleed" through enemy status bars is invaluable against tough enemies like Berserkers, and is great on God of War Ragnarok's higher difficulties - especially during the earlier stages. Players won't be able to get by on sheer strength alone, and thus have to rely on elemental effects and grab attacks to dish out the most damage possible.

Another advantage of grab attacks performed after stunning enemies is that they render players invulnerable. This makes them good for dealing with multiple enemies, as it helps save on healing resources and gives players some breathing space to think when fighting in God of War Ragnarok's intense combat arenas. Uninterruptible animations also ensure that grab attacks won't be cut off, and thus deal their full damage once the R3 button is pressed. This doesn't even count the fact that it can be extremely satisfying to defeat the nine Norse realms' toughest enemies with nothing but Kratos' fists.

God of War Ragnarok might not have as in-depth an unarmed combat system as its predecessor, but it still lets players get a kick out of fighting enemies bare-handed. The game's combat system is robust and provides a ton of options when it comes to dealing with multiple Norse enemies. Should players feel like they've hit a wall, they can try putting away the sharp weapons and building up stun meters with their fists of fury.

God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.

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