How has Spartan Rage changed in God of War Ragnarok? Increasing meter, different forms, and more explained

Kratos
Kratos' rage has some powerful, fun new options going into God of War Ragnarok (Screenshot via game)

Spartan Rage is way more flexible in God of War Ragnarok. Unlike previous entries of Kratos' adventure, he will unlock other forms of Spartan Rage that the player can activate at will throughout the game.

This will occur naturally as the game progresses and does not have to be sought after. Each form varies and can be improved. As in previous games, Kratos can increase the amount of rage he has access to if players seek the right items.

The following dives into what God of War Ragnarok fans need to know about the various new options for the Spartan Rage activations for Kratos.

Note: Video clips feature boss battles from the game.


Kratos' Spartan Rage has some powerful new options in God of War Ragnarok

At the start of the game, players cannot access any form of Rage. Upon fighting the bear, known as Bjorn, Rage will be activated for the first time.

Fury is the first form of Spartan Rage. It hasn't been revealed that he will have other forms until they begin to occur. When this happens, you can head into the Weapons section of the status screen and select which form of Spartan Rage you wish to have. Like in God of War 2018, you need to find Horns of Blood Mead to increase your maximum rage.

You can also spend Kratos' EXP in God of War Ragnarok to level these Rage forms up, and each has three tiers. Each form has its benefits of leveling it up, so juggle these as you feel the need to, between these and weapon skills.


The first use of Rage

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Fury comes first, and upon entering a state of rage, you can use R1, R2, L1, and L2 to attack enemies with potent attacks. Each of these attacks also heals the player for a small amount. You can deactivate it early if that's what you wish to do.

This might be important when juggling Rage states because they drain abilities over time. Upgrading Fury decreases the Spartan Rage cost of each attack. It's a great idea to invest a little XP into this early.

The next option will be Valour in God of War Ragnarok. This was my favorite, as someone who isn't excellent at games like this. Activating this particular Rage power will consume a chunk of Spartan Rage and gain a moderate health burst.


Using Valour in the Nidhogg battle

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If Kratos times this activation right before being hit, you can negate incoming attacks. You can pop this right before a powerful hit lands, interrupting the damage. This also gains an additional burst of healing, and grants a temporary Melee Attack bonus.

Kratos can use Valour to be more tactically minded in God of War Ragnarok, for when you don't want to swing away at a powerful foe. It does use a decent chunk of your rage meter, but you can see how much it will deplete.

Ragnarok's Wrath form is the final form of rage for Kratos in God of War. This, like Valour, consumes a chunk of your Spartan Rage. However, it charges at an enemy with whatever weapon you currently have equipped and deals a large amount of damage to them with additional weapon effects.


Using Wrath versus Garm

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If you upgrade it, it increases the damage as well. If you kill an enemy with this effect, it also offers a bit of a heal. All of these have good uses as well, depending on your situation. Generally, if you're too low on Health, Fury is great for getting a few heals in a while, not stopping the onslaught.

Valour is for lengthy, drawn-out fits where you can quickly die in one hit if you aren't paying attention. That would undoubtedly be great in the more complex difficulties of God of War Ragnarok. Wrath is when one foe has to be brought down. It offers substantial damage and can be used as a bit of a gap closer.


While there is no wrong answer on which Rage form to use for Kratos, they're all excellent. They all have several potential tactical uses while ripping and tearing through opponents across the Nine Realms.