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/ ___| ___   __| |  / _ \ / _| \ \      / /_ _ _ __
| |  _ / _ \ / _` | | | | | |_   \ \ /\ / / _` | '__|
| |_| | (_) | (_| | | |_| |  _|   \ V  V / (_| | |
\____|\___/ \__,_|  \___/|_|      \_/\_/ \__,_|_|
|No Upgrade Walkthrough|
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!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!
THIS IS NOT A SPOILER FREE WALKTHROUGH!
Table of Contents:
(use Ctrl+F and type in 00XX. to skip to the desired section)
0000. Version History
0001. Introduction
0002. The Game and The Story
0003. Your Mission
0004. Tips/Tricks
004A. Combos
004B. Blocking/Evasion
004C. Minigames
0005. Walkthrough
0005A. Rules
-------The Aegean Sea
-------The Docks of Athens/The Gates of Athens
-------The Road to Athens
-------Athens Town Square
-------The Rooftops of Athens
-------The Temple of the Oracle
-------The Sewers of Athens
-------The Desert of Lost Souls
-------The Entrance to Pandoras Temple
-------The Rings of Pandora
-------The Challenge of Atlas
-------The Inner Rings of Pandora
-------The Challenge of Poseidon
-------The Inner Rings of Pandora Revisited
-------The Challenge of Hades
-------The Rings of Pandora Revisited
-------The Crystal Chamber
-------The Cliffs of Madness
-------The Bluffs of Madness
-------The Traps of Madness
-------The Architect's Tomb
-------Zeus Mountain
-------Pandoras Box
-------The Path Over the River Styx
-------The Temple of the Oracle Revisited
-------The Final Battle
0006. FAQ's
0007. Credits and Contact Info
0008. Legal
================================================================================
0000. Version History
================================================================================
Version 1.0- March 12-24, 2006: First version. Includes all sections with a
basic walkthrough. More will be added as content arrives in my inbox.
Version 1.1- March 29, 2006: Added a few sites to the legal section and fixed
a lot of spelling/grammer mistakes.
Version 1.11- March 31, 2006: Added one more site to the Legal section
Version 1.25- April 1, 2006: Added a few Questions to the FAQ area and New
combos to the combo list. Also added a little bit more to the contact section to
clarify some things.
Version 1.5- May 13, 2006: Added quite a bit of content. This includes: A new
strategy section to start and execute in air death-bounces, More in depth battle
strategies, and a new "Rules section". Many of these have been added, by
request, from multiple users on the GameFAQS God of War message Board. I also
went through and revamped the section markers. Apparently it was hard to tell
where one sub section ended and another began. I also got rid of the "Extras"
section.
================================================================================
0001. Introduction
================================================================================
Hi. XWingMitch0 here. This is indeed my first FAQ. And what a one to start with.
This guide is meant to help you with the monumentous task of beating the Game.
But not in a normal fasion. For this walkthrough we will be doing it a unique
way. NO UPGRADES. That's right you may not upgrade any of your Weapons or Magics
at any time. However, Gorgon Eyes and Pheonix feathers are not forbidden. That
is a little too much as of now. This guide is also recommended for ONLY THE MOST
EXPERIENCED PLAYERS! It is recommended you learn all of the moves your opponents
may make and how to counter or evade them. This guide will offer some of the
tips needed but I assume you are not just the "Average player". Be warned...This
is no easy task.
================================================================================
0002. The Game and The Story
================================================================================
God of war is an action/adventure game developed by Sony. It's Director,
David Jaffe, had always wanted to make a game like this and finally succeded.
Now it our turn to make something of his Game.
Story: ****(Major Spoilers)****
Kratos is an Ex-spartan warrior who is now a servant of Ares, the God of War.
Before his "enslavement," Kratos lead the Spartans on multiple battles, winning
all of them. He then faces the Barbarians, a ruthless battle ensues and Kratos'
Army begins to fall. As Kratos lies before his enemy about to be struck down,
he calls to the God of War, "Ares, Help me defeat my enemies, and my life is
yours." Ares then destroys the barbarians and "gifts" his new servant with the
Blades of Chaos. After the battle Kratos begins to follow Ares with blinding
rage. One night he is ordered by Ares to destroy a village that had built a
temple in prayer to Athena. In the wake of battle Kratos kills his own wife and
child. He then and there vows to kill the God of War.
Kratos sets off in service to the Gods of Olympus and for ten years searches for
a way to defeat Ares. One night sailing in the Aegean sea he happens across a
wrecked vessel and discovers that it was a hydra attack. Following the orders
of Poseidon, Kratos destroys the Hydra. After he leaves the wreckage his
nightmares of the night he killed his kin come back in a wave, as they had for
past ten years. He calls for Athena and is told that his sins will be forgiven
if he saves Athens and kills the God of War. He is told to seek out the Oracle
of Athens when he arrives and does so. The Oracle is attacked by Ares' Minions
and was nearly killed had Kratos not intervened in the matter. The Oracles tells
Kratos of Pandoras Box and how it is the only weapon that will allow him to
defeat Ares.
Kratos then leaves Athens in search of Pandoras Box. He is directed toward the
Desert of Lost Souls where Kronos, the last of the mighty titans, is located,
with Pandoras Temple Chained to his back. Kratos locates Kronos and enters
Pandoras Temple. He is then faced with the task of besting the traps and
monsters of the Temple. As well as three challenges posed by the gods. Kratos
through much exploration and battle, finds Pandoras Box. He is the first
mortal ever to do so. However, before he can use the Box's power to defeat
Ares, he is killed by the very god he has set out to destroy. As Kratos falls
toward the River Styx, he catches a ledge and begins to traverse the expanse
of Hades. He Then finds a way to escape Hades and return to the Mortal world.
In doing so he is able to finally face the God of War. The battle, although
long sought after by Kratos, is not an easy one.
Kratos defeats Ares and is then pulled into a vortex created by the God.
This vortex transports Kratos to the site of the Temple where he slayed his
own family. Ares then summons Clones of Kratos to the battle to kill his
family. Kratos however destroys the clones and saves his family. Ares then
tells Kratos that he gave them up long ago. Kratos can not bear that
thought. Ares then Strips Kratos of the Blades of Chaos and all of his magic.
In the final battle Kratos destroys Ares with the Blade of the Gods, a sword
that was gifted to the mortal world for use by the one who unlocked
Pandoras Box. As Ares dies Kratos begins to try and heal the pain of his past.
He asks the Gods to rid him of his nightmares but is denied because of the
horridness of the acts. They say that "No man, No God can forget the terrible
things you have done." With nothing left to live for, nothing left to believe
in, Kratos casts himself from the Suicide Bluff outside of Athens. However,
as he hits the water he is brought back to the top of the mountain. Athena is
there and informs him that there is now an empty thrown in Oplympus. One that
Kratos must occupy. Kratos is Gifted the Blades of Athena, and Climbs to the
Summit of Olympus. There he takes his thrown as the God of War.
That is the Game: God of War
================================================================================
0003. Your Mission
================================================================================
In this challenge you must beat the game WITHOUT upgrading any of your equipment
Keep in mind that you can obtain all Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers in this
challenge. It is in fact encouraged. The less health and magic you have the more
difficult the game becomes. And it is an exponential increase in difficulty
because of enemy strengthening.
Simple, right. WRONG. this become extremely challenging very quickly on almost
any difficulty. The developers meant for you to upgrade. This is why later
versions of Legionnaires, Minotaurs, and Gorgons all have different colors. It
indicates their strength. There are many tricks that will aid you however.
================================================================================
0004. Tips/Tricks
================================================================================
Because of the weakness of all of your equips and Magic nearing even the Desert
of Lost souls, you must exploit many of the games mechanics in your favor. Here
is what helped me get through:
Light attacks:
Very seldomly should you use a light attack. unless it is a starter or required
for a combo, ignore this attack. It does far to little damage.
Heavy Attacks:
These will be the focus of your battle plan. They do a decent amount of damage
and have the chance of starting a juggle. More on this later.
Dash Attack:
The only way you can do this is with the Blade of Artemis. This should be the
last attack you should ever use. Except in Boss Battles. This Attack allows you
to chain up to 8 moves together (hit R1 then []) and still be able to block mid
combo.
Rage of the Gods:
You don't have it. If you do, you upgraded. Try again.
Grapple/Grab:
This is the real deal. You will do the most damage possible with this puppy.
Whenever possible do a Grapple/Grab. Especially when it will finish an
opponent. Why? When the Grab animation starts you become invincible. No
Damage = Happy Player. More on this Later.
Block:
This is the most used action in the game. You want to prevent as much damage as
possible from getting to you and this is the way to do it. More on this later.
Evasion:
Not as useful as the block button but needed versus some larger enemies. More
on this later.
Medusas Gaze:
Learn it, Love it, and always have it as the active magic. This spell is by far
the most useful in this challenge. All enemies, minus bosses, can be turned to
stone and destroyed. More on this later.
Poseidons Rage:
Another very usefull magic. It can interupt any enemy attack and does 13 hits of
decent damage to the enemy. It's a little costly in the mana department however
and can be a little unweildy. Still a very good magic. More on this later.
Army of Hades:
If not for the high mana, this would be one of the best magics. Try to stay away
from this one unless absolutely necessary.
Zues' Fury:
There are 1.5 uses for this magic.
1: Taking out Cyclops'. Theres nothing better. It kills them in about 25 hits.
.5: Archers you can't get to otherwise. If you can get close enough to them to
grab them, then don't use this magic.
could be better, could be worse.
Jumping:
You can double jump. This is a very tough skill to master because of the
parameters of some jumps. Timing and practice is key.
Minigames:
Play all minigames! It ends a battle A LOT faster. More on this later.(a list!)
================================================================================
004A. Combos
================================================================================
Combos, although powerful, are limited by a level 1 Blades of Chaos. That's
where this list comes in! But first. A review of the controls. Because well it
really is an essential.
Controls:
Left analog: Movement
Right analog: Evasion
D-Pad: Magic Selection
X Button: Jump
[] button: Light attack
/\ Button: Heavy attack
( ) Button: Grapple/Grab
L1 trigger: Block/ Combo move
L2 trigger: Activate Magic
R1 trigger: Dash attack
R2 trigger: Interact
Select: pause menu
Start: Powerup info
If you don't know these controls by heart or have trouble with them, practice
before you go any further.
This game is broken up into multiple battles that are very similar to each
other but pose different tasks, enemies, and battle issues. If you do not know
controls inside and out you will fail. Not to nay-say but it's fact. Also be
sure you know all of the available combo strings. you will need them all. Keep
in mind that these are not all of the combos but are recommended ones.
And now the combos.
_________________________________
~~~~~BLADES OF CHAOS COMBOS:~~~~~
Light Combo:    Use this against low Rank enemies (ie. harpies, Legionnaires)
[],[],[],[],[],[]- low damage increases to moderate damage and takes out a
large group of enemies at the end
yeah...just one...without an upgrade all moves will be limited.
Medium Combos:    Generally good for almost all enemies. Possible juggle starter.
[],/\,[],[],[],[],[]- low damage then high damage then increasing makes a good
hitter against all enemies
[],[],/\- Plume of Prometheus. This will be your main attack for heavier
opponents. It does a fair amount of damage and will knock enemies back or up
in the air slightly.
[],/\,[],/\- Heavy Plume. Does two more heavy hits then the Plume of Promethes.
and boy are they helpful. This combos is fairly slow to execute however.
Heavy Combos: For use against Large enemies and large groups of enemies
[],/\,[],[],[],[],/\- This is the heaviest hitting combo for a Blades of Chaos
Level 1. I call it the Super Plume because of what it is. It's a low damage fast
attack that leads to a heavy juggle starter, to four continuing juggles, to a
Plume of Prometheus. It does a sick amount of damage if every hit connects and
it appears from my playthroughs that this Plume of Prometheus does more damage
thena regualar Plume. Maybe it's because he jumps. I don't know. But it's a sick
combo.
[],/\,[],[],[],[],/\=>/\Hold- One step higher then the last because you get in
not one but 2 hits more (both blades hit) then the Super Plume. This one I call
the Plume Ascension.
__________________________________
~~~~~BLADE OF ARTEMIS COMBOS:~~~~~
All combos do Heavy amounts of Damage.
[],[],[],[]- A heavy six hit attack thats good for crowd control. you can only
block mid combo on this before Kratos starts the spinning portion.
/\,hold/\,/\- An o.k. combo but the trick with this is the timing of the second
hit. When your in the air press /\ again and you come crashing down. This final
blow although very concentrated will send multiple enemies flying. It can also
1 hit Kill some enemies.
( ),( ),( )- Avoid this at all costs. It's too slow and concentrated to be any
good.
L1+X- Great for Crowd Control but you give up the ability to block
L1+[]- Same as above
L1+/\- Choose this over the /\ combo for it's speed. very good for launching
and starting a death bounce if you can switch out the Blade of Artemis for the
Blades of Chaos Fast enough.
L1+( )- No good...why do the ( ) button moves SUCK!
R1- A good 5 hit combo that still gives you a block and can lead into a combo
with either the [], /\ or, ( ) buttons. Go with the [] follow up.
[],[],/\,( ),[]- This combo is the mother of all. Not because of the hits you
get in and the damage it does bubt because the /\,( ) portion can be repeated
INDEFINATELY.
_____________________________________________________
~~~~~BLADES OF CHAOS TO BLADE OF ARTEMIS COMBOS:~~~~~
These require a weapon switch mid combo so they can be tough to execute but
devestating to your enemies.
BoC=Blades of Chaos starts this combo (always)
L/R1=Summoning/sheathing the Blade of Artemis.
BoC[],/\,L/R1,L1+hold/\,/\-This can take a lot of practice to get right but is
so heavy hitting that it can take out an undead Legionnaire in two uses.
BoC[],[],[],[],[],L/R1,[],[],[],[]- This combo is fairly seamless and fast and
is outstanding for crowd control. As the Blades of Chaos are flailing your
moving into the range for Blade of Artemis so this allows you to follow up.
That's it for the Combos but theres one thing more that must be detailed. The
most powerful moveset in the game:   GRABS
_______________________
~~~~~Ground Grabs:~~~~~
Just press ( ) to start a grab. Only some enemies can be grabbed outright. These
include: Harpies, Wraiths, Legionnaires(Basic), Cerebus', Satyrs and all Archers
All other enemies must be weakened first. Unless you Juggle them...
___________________
~~~~~Juggling:~~~~~
Here's a list of the enemies that can be juggled to death:
Legionnaires
Legionnaire Archers
Undead Legionnaires
Legionnaire Captains
Gorgons
Minotaurs*
Cerberus
Cerberus Seeds
Wraiths
Satyrs
Sirens
Centaurs
I believe that's all of them. The Minotaurs will be discussed momentarilly
To start a juggle you must hit any of these opponents into the air. Any way
works but, a simple [],/\ or Hold/\ works best. Now while on the ground face the
airborne opponent and press ( ). Kratos should reach up with a Blade and pluck
the enemy from the air. This can be repaeted until the enemy dies because they
bounce back up. Rinse and repeat. Some of the timings are wierd (Gorgons) but it
is possible.
Minotaurs are an exception. you must use this method instead:
_______________________
~~~~~Air Juggling:~~~~~
After you have launched an opponent into the air you can jump up after them and
grab them in midair! This is the most powerful move in the game! This can also
be done indefinately except with the minotaurs. Unlike other monsters that
appear to be made out of rubber when doing this, the minotaurs bounce back up
only half of the way. Timing is crucial but you can kill a minotaur before they
are grounded most of the time.
The preferable method of doing this is [],Hold/\. it is near instintaneous and
if /\ is held long enough, Kratos will Jump up after the enemy. This puts you at
the perfect grab height. There are however different ways to get the enemy in
the air and initiate the Death-Bounce.
_________________________
~~~~~DEATH BOUNCING:~~~~~
Legionnaires: For all legionaires the recommended launch is the [],hold/\. This
will launch them and allow for a perfect death bounce. However, the Captains
will fall to the Ground and nt bounce back up when they minigame.
Legionnaire Archers: Same as the Regular Legionnaires if they don't die on the
first hit.
Gorgons: These can be hard to launch because they are ALWAYS moving. Stick with
the hold/\ attack and you may just catch it in the hit. If it doesn't fly up,
when you jump up, hit the in air /\ and it will most likely hit and launch them
up to your level. Now grab them and wait to grab again when they come right back
up to you. This takes timing...not ( ) button mashing.
Minotaurs: As stated before the minotaurs don't bounce well. They also tend to
block the heavier hits ikn the [],hold/\ launch. So stick to just the regular
hold/\ to launch them. then just do a ( ) mash. This tends to work about 90% of
the time. It won't work when there are other enemies that are in the area if you
mash too quickly. Kratos will turn toward them instead of grabbing the minotaur
again. All minotaurs take 3 bounces to kill.
Cerberus Seeds: launch with the [], hold/\. this will always get them up because
of how light they are and they can't block. Now just jump up (or hold /\ long
enough to jump up with it) and mash the ( ).
Cerberus: More info on this when I can try it myself. Setho_O says it can be
done but did not say how.WExperiment and see...I think they may be too heavy but
I have seen them bounce. Try thr L1+/\ with the Blade of Artemis.
Wraith: See Leggionnaire
Satyr: This is extremely conditional and very hard to pull off. It also really
only works with 1 vs 1 situations. This can only be done with the Blade of
Artemis. Launch the Satyr with the L1+/\ and DO NOT follow it up. Instead wait
for it to fall far enough so you can hit it with another launch attack. This
time follow it up. now wait for it to fall a bit below you and hit /\ in mid
air. This will slam the satyr down without sending it flying forward. now
repeat. This will work a lot better if there is a ceiling that stops the satyrs
ascent.
Sirens: Good luck getting them up in the air. try everything you can but when
they do fly grab them and it acts just like the undead legionnaire Captains
death bounce. They will fall and then stop bouncing back when they minigame.
Centaur: The best way to launch them is with the L1+/\, but it takes a lot of
practice to switch back to the Blades of Chaos, jump up, and grab them. So stick
to the Bloades of Chaos and use the hold/\ to get them up. Now grab them and
just mash on the ( ) button. Contrary to poular belief Centaurs can be
death-bounced. I'll try and get a link to a video showing such a thing.
Although difficult, grabs and juggling will be your main form of combat for this
endeavor.
================================================================================
004B. Blocking/Evasion
================================================================================
Blocking and Evasion are necessities in this game. Not only will blocking at the
correct moment stop an enemy attack, it will stun the opponent and allow you to
attack! But how to do it...
___________________
~~~~~Blocking:~~~~~
This is the most challenging but beneficial mechanic of the game. David Jaffe
and his team gave us a means of near immortalness with Kratos' blocking ability.
To do this just press the L1 shoulder button. It's that easy. If easy is your
thing for this playthrough, then stick with this and move to the next section.
If your looking for an edge in the battle then read on.
For this to be effective, you MUST learn every attack of every enemy in every
area of every part of this game. If you don't, as I said earlier, you will fail.
So go practice and when you think your ready we can move one. ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
DONE!!! Good.
Now to truly get the most out of a block you must block an enemy attack at least
a half a second before it hits. You can do it later but you risk getting hit. If
done correctly, the frames will slow (intentional) and the enemy will falter in
most cases. Now attack them while you can.
The only basic enemy that can't be blocked is the Cyclops and Medusas Gaze. For
those, you must...
__________________
~~~~~Evasion:~~~~~
This should really only be used when blocking isn't effective. As mentioned
above. Cyclops' present the most danger and 3 evades will allow you to survive a
stoning from a medusa. it's very basic, just move the right analog stick and you
will evade in that direction. Evasion can also be used as a faster mode of
transportation. But that isn't something we want. more time for travel will
allow us to cool down between fights.
================================================================================
004C. Minigames
================================================================================
Minigames are another heart of this run. Without them, you would be dead, much
more often. Here's a list of all the enemies and what, if any, minigames can be
implemented. These do not include the bosses. they're minigames are based off of
the basic enemies.
________________________
~~~~~Light Enemies:~~~~~
Legionnaires
-No minigame because they can be grabbed at anytime.
Undead Legionnaires:
-When they take enough damage they will minigame. It's just a regular grab but
it is initiated as if it were a mingame.
-If you knock them down after dealing approxamitely 25% of their health they
will stand stunned and minigame!
Mystic Legionnaires:
-Knock off their shields and they become undead legionnaires. Minigames and all.
Legionnaire Archers:
-No minigame because they can be grabbed at anytime.
Legionnaire Captains:
-Minigame one happens after you have taken 50% of their health. It does a decent
amount of damage and it's animation is fairly long. This means you damage while
taking none.
-Minigame two kills them and can and can't be worth it. It looks cool and gives
a "Ruthless kill" bonus if your mid >10 combo, but you don't need that. So it
really depends on if your low on health or not. If you are, Minigame them for
the invincibility during the game. If you have health to spare then you can kill
them normally. Their that close to death anyway.
Harpies:
-No minigame because they can be grabbed at anytime.
Gorgon:
-Like minotaurs, get a gorgon down 80% and they minigame. This minigame is much
harder then the minotaurs however. You really should get as good at it as you
can though. To finish the minigame you must match the onscreen commands. These
are rotations of the left anolog stick. Either two or three rotations. One half
rotation and a full rotation, or two half rotations followed by a full rotation.
This will yield mana orbs. A necessity sometimes but not always. It's up to you
whether to minigame or not.
Cerberus Seeds:
-No minigame because they can be grabbed at anytime.
Wraiths:
-No minigame because they can be grabbed at anytime.
Sirens:
-They minigame twice. The first time you slam their head into the ground and
throw them. They release Magic or Health depending on what you need. The second
time you stab both blades into them and slam them into the ground, killing them.
It really shortens an already hard fight.
_____________________________
~~~~~Mid-Weight Enemies:~~~~~
Minotaurs:
-All minotaurs get a minigame when their approxamitely 80% dead. Do it
EVERYTIME! You always need more health. And Invincibility. Even with full health
you can use this game as a break from the rigors of battling minotaurs. To win
this minigame mash the ( ) button until the minotaur dies. You must press the
( ) button VERY quickly to win this. Just put the controller on your thigh and
use your index or middle finger to tap the button fast enough.
Cerberus':
-These minigame just for the heck of it. It does a regular amount of damage and
offers the invincibility of the animation. Whether or not it will kill the enemy
is a toss up. This should always be played however.
Centaurs:
-These minigame twice. The first time you throw the centaur. The second time you
chop them and kill them. These minigames are somewhat necessary. The first will
yeild a minimal but helpful amount of health or magic orbs. The second just
kills them. Plain and simple. Just do it.
Satyrs:
-No minigame because they can be grabbed at anytime. However to win this grapple
you must abuse the ( ) button to win. Keep mashing and you throw them. Not
really the best form of action against them.
________________________
~~~~~Heavy Enemies:~~~~~
Spikeball Cyclopses:
-These Cyclopses minigame once and you should take the opportunity. It kills
them very quickly and looks cool to boot. This minigame encompasses following
on screen button combinations that must be pressed very quickly to yeild a full
kill.
Curved Mallet Cyclopses:
-These will minigame anywhere from two to three times. The first one or two
just involve pressing ( ) button when the prompt appears. Kratos slams the
cyclops' head into the ground. Be sure to roll back after this because they do a
shockwave stomp directly after. After the one or two of these you get the same
prompt but it kills it outright.
Spiked Mallet Cyclopses:
-Very similar to the Spikeball Cyclops. It's minigame will start at about 70%
and you should take it. The Minigame is the same as the Spikeball Cyclopses
minus one hit. Very quick but the prompts need to be followed very quickly.
================================================================================
0005. Walkthrough
================================================================================
NOTICE:!!This Guide assumes that you have played through the game at least once
and know where to go when and how. I will only detail the fights and strategies
of each individual area. This is because of many things already stated:
THE NO UPGRADE RUN IS STRICTLY FOR THE EXPERIENCED GOD OF WAR PLAYER.
I will however detail the boss battles.
NOTICE2:!!AS OF NOW IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO PROGRESS PAST THE
CLONE BATTLE. YOU ARE TOO WEAK, THEY COME ON TOO STRONG, AND DAMAGE YOUR FAMILY
TOO MUCH TO BE BEATEN. EXCEPT ON EASY. Sorry to ruin it now but just getting to
that part is the point of this run.
NOTICE3:!!Just make sure you pick up all of the Gorgons Eye and Phoenix Feather
upgrades. This really is for your own good. I WILL  NOT BE GIVING THEIR
LOCATIONS! If you want to know all of the locations, then look at the FAQ on
Gamefaqs.com. It is very comprehensive.
NOTICE4:!!If you have played through the game on God mode at least once then
play this challenge on at least Noraml difficulty. Easy is more along the lines
of Spartan later on in the game. Before you attempt a No upgrade God mode run
however, Play through the No upgrade run on Spartan.
================================================================================
0005A. Rules
================================================================================
I have been asked by many people to fill in some blanks on the run by adding a
rules section.
________________
~~~~~RULES:~~~~~
1. You must NOT upgrade your Blades, Chaos or Artemis, or Magics.
2. Enemies can be skipped over.
3. You are NOT required to collect all Phoenix Feathers/Gorgon Eyes. But it is
not forbidden to collect them.
4. Getting to the "Final Battle" save is the finale of the run. You DO NOT have
to get to the olympus save.
_________________________
~~~~~Now lets begin:~~~~~
_________________________
~~~~~The Aegean Sea:~~~~~
The game starts out the same. Just fight through as you normally would. If you
want to avoid damage then grab the legionnaires and use a [] finisher. This
kills the enemy you grabbed and the one you hit. Very useful.
**SUB-BOSS** Hydra Head:
This is an easy fight compared to the rest of this run. The Hydra head has two
basic attacks: A double lunge and a single lunge. Both are blockable but the
double lunge does a considerate amount of damage compared to the single.
For this fight stick close to the Hydra Head and whail on it with a basic combo.
Plume of Prometheus is good. Just do a Plume of Prometheus and then block until
you get hit by the attack. If you want to finish this battle faster you can
squeeze in a [],/\ combo. Eventually you will get it to start it's minigame.
Press ( ) to start the minigame and then press /\ each time after until the head
is all sorts of Dead.
**END SUB-BOSS BATTLE**
Continue through the level to the second Hydra Head battle:
**SUB-BOSS** Hydra Head:
This battle is a little different from the last. You can block all of the
attacks except one. When the Hydra Head begins to hit it's head on the deck
dodge to left and then dodge back to the fight after the third hit. If it scoops
you into it's mouth mash the ( ) button to escape and deal a sick amount of
damage to the head. It's final two attacks are blockable. These are a simple
bite and a whirling attack. very easy to block both when you can read the
attack.
Also unlike the last battle, you fight this one to the "death." when the Hydra
Heads health depletes to zero, you've won.
**END SUB-BOSS BATLLE**
Now continue to the room where you get Poseidons Rage. You can either skip this
room after you get the attack or you can take out the legionnaires as you did
throughout the past parts of the level.
Now for the final Hydra Battle
**SUB-BOSS 3/4** Hydra Head Left/Right
You can use the same tactics as in the Hydra Head 2 battle. Just realize after
about eight hits the other hydra will suck you toward it.
Once you have exhuasted a hydras health, climb the boxes to the side and jump
onto the platform at the top. This will finish the corresponding head.
Once both mini Hydras are finished I suggest climbing back down to the save
point and saving... ... ... ... ... ...ok. Now that that's done, we can move to
the big battle.
**END SUB-BOSS BATTLE**
***MAIN BOSS*** Hydra
This Battle can be fought quickly and dangerously or Slowly but very safe.
I am only going to outline the quick and dangerous one because if you can't
beat the hydra this way, then there is little chance that you will get much
further.
In this battle you will be right up front going toe to toe with the Hydra. First
just start attacking, and attacking, and attacking, until the hydra goes to bite
down on you. When it does this, right before it does bite you, use Poseidons
Rage to do damage while not taking any. After the Rage is done do a full light
attack combo. This is one of the few times it is useful against a boss. After
all of this it should begin to repeat this process. Rinse and repeat until it's
Minigame appears.
Now there is much controvery over this minigame. Once it starts you must lay on
the ( ) button as fast as possible. When done right the Hydra will be pulled
into the mast by Kratos and the mast will crack. If done incorrectly the Hydra
will hit the mast but the mast will not break.
Repeat the mast hit 3 times to make a point on the mast. After this, the next
minigame will impale the Hydra on the mast and end the battle.
***END BOSS BATTLE***
__________________________________________________
~~~~~The Docks Of Athens/The Gates of Athens:~~~~~
As Much as you want to play it, ignore the sex minigame. It's pointless.
Save here and get ready to face harder and harder challenges. The first battles
can be avoided by swimming around your boat. Just don't forget the Phoenix
Feather. After this ride the elevator to the Minotaurs and begin the battle.
*Minotaur Battle* 3 Minotaurs. Two to start one spawns when one is killed.
This should be Very easy. just use a [],hold/\ to launch a minotaur and follow
it up. Then grab it mid-air and follow up with another mid-air grab after it
bounces back up. Rinse and repeat with the remaining Minotaurs.
*End Minotaur Battle*
See easy. Now Ride the elevator to the next battle. 3 cyclopses.
*Cyclops Battle* 3 Spikeball Cyclopses. One then two at a time.
Not as easy. Plume of Prometheus is your main attack here. If ever you see any
of the cyclopses getting ready to attack, use the right analogue stick to dodge
to te left or right. continue to Plume them until they minigame. Finish the
battle with minigames and you should be no worse for the wear.
*End Cyclopse Battle*
Now continue through the door to the medusa room. As you know, this is where you
get medusas gaze. And this is a VERY easy battle because of the parameters.
**SUB-BOSS** Medusa
Ok just start the battle with a block, if she attacks then use a [],/\ and
death bounce her to get her to a minigame state. You must then do her minigame
to end the battle. Use the minigame strat for this and get your new magic.
If she does her gaze first then evade once and use a [],[],/\ Plume of
Prometheus and death bounce her. Then minigame her and get your new magic.
**END SUB-BOSS BATTLE**
Now you must stone and kill 9 minotaurs. Just stone them and break them up and
move one.
Bypass the next group of undead legionnaires by climbing the ladder.
Follow the game to wall climbing. For this just use you light attack or if the
undead legionnaires get to close a grab.
Now push over the statue and head to the THIRD floor of the building you just
got access to. You should be skipping the gorgon and minotaur battles and going
straight to the undead legionnaire battle.
After the legionnaire battle is the rope crossing
*ROPE CROSS*
for this light attack once to stop a legionnaires attack then grab them to get
them off. It's slow but more effecient. Just keep moving until more come and
battle as is said. It's one of the safer methods too. If you get swamped stick
to one attack left, one attack right, one attack left, one attack right...etc.
*END ROPE CROSS*
Now open the gate and use the balissta to destroy the reinforced door and
minotaurs. That's the end of this level! Now on to:
_____________________________
~~~~~The Road To Athens:~~~~~
First Save. The next room is tricky because of the weakness of medusas gaze.
*PUZZLE* Minotaur Switch
Luckily they give you an infinite magic chest.
First kill both minotaurs then prepare for a multi-try solution.
Draw a single minotaur toward the switch by standing at the south end of the
room. When the minotaur closes in on the switch go stand right next to the
minotaur with the switch between you and it. back up a little and allow the
minotaur to step onto the switch. right when you here the switch start to move
you must begin to freeze the minotaur. it will try and attack you but don't turn
off medusas gaze. If all goes well you will have frozen the minotaur right as it
was about to hit you and opened the door at the same time. Now move quickly
through the door. Viola!
*END PUZZLE*
No continue down the path. You should have collected the 6th gorgon eye and
expanded your health meter by one at the end of this stretch of road.
the next area is:
_____________________________
~~~~~Athens Town Square:~~~~~
You start off by immediatey going into a cyclops battle
*Cyclops Battle* 3 Curved mallet Cyclopses. One then two at a time
Plume of Prometheus these until their minigames come up. This is a straight on
battle royale. The minigames won't kill it faster...they just look cool. If you
need health kill the Athenians. Each one will yeild anywhere from 1-3 small
health orbs.
*End Cyclops Battle*
Now continue up and obtain the key. The next battle introduces a new legionnaire
The Mystic Legionnaire.
*Miscelleneous Battle* Mystic Legionnaires, Gorgons, Legionnaire Archers
Just Plume the mystic legionnaires in any way to get rid of the shields then
take care of them like any other undead legionnaire. another strategy is to get
behind them (no easy task) and grab them. Just plume and kill works better
though.
For the Gorgons we introduce a new concept. Arena effect. this means an enemy
cannot leave a set area but Kratos can still hit the enemy. This means the enemy
takes the hurt and you take the prize. If you have full magic, 2 Poseidons Rages
should get them to minigame or very close.
As for the archers, do as always, grab and throw ([]).
*End Misc. Battle*
Now unlock the door and work your way to...
_________________________________
~~~~~The Rooftops of Athens:~~~~~
Climb the ivy, refill on health and magic and get ready for the second easiest
enemies in the game. Wriaths.
*Miscelleneous Battle* Wraiths, Undead legionnaires, Legionnaire archers and
Spikeball Cyclopses.
First off...Wraiths can be grabbed outright. So we're going to use a unified
method to kill them. Do this combo.
( ) => X => ( ) => L1
The ( ) will throw them up, the X will make Kratos rise up to their height and
the ( ) will throw them back down. The L1 is there because after the throw a
wraith will go underground and attack you.
Now just rinse and repeat to dispatch with them quickly.
As for the undead legionnaires, dispatch them in your favorite matter and then
go after the archers.
Now go up to the second floor and stay on the right side of the debris. Use
Plume of Prometheus to hit the enemies on the other side and avoid all damage to
yourself. The cyclopses can be minigamed and I suggest you doing it.
Now that all of yor enemies are gone, the path will open up.
*End Misc. Battle*
Continue on your path and jump to the pillar covered in ivy, if you want to try,
you can skip killing the legionnaire archers but it's easier to take them out.
You'll have to face two wraiths before the legionnaire archers but you should
know what to do by now.
Now press on and take the balissta to the "rotator" room. Before you can rotate
the contraption you must take out 4 waves of undead legionnaires.
*Undead Legionnair Battle* 4 waves of 5 undead legionnaires
it's actually better to stay in the confines of the lever room where the undead
legionnaires spawn. You get better weapon hits per swing. But you must know how
and when to block. A fairly easy battle made easier by being able to bring them
into the larger area. Just kill the 20 or so legionnaires just about any way and
you can progress further.
*End Undead Legionnaire Battle*
Now go get Zeus' Fury.
Now go to the rooftops and skip all of these battles or fight them to get more
experienced. It's a total of 4 minotaurs and ... ... ... well a lot of harpies.
next kill the man holding the bridge and fight through the 7 wriaths. If you
like to death bounce then wraiths can be good targets for this since the
initial grab sends them flying! ^_^
Now just finish out this part of the level by taking the elevator down.
After the cutscene progress through some undead legionnaires to get to...
___________________________________
~~~~~The Temple of the Oracle:~~~~~
The first battle here is fairly easy. just stick to light attacks for now and
evade when necessary. if you see a harpy going for a fireball attack, just evade
before it plunges. If the gorgon tries to stone you go for a quick [],[],/\ to
stop the gaze. Be careful and relentless and you should come out of this just
fine.
Progress to the inner part of the temple and just block off the harpies. If you
heal or replenish lost magic use the chests behind the statues. the others come
in handy later. Now finish the last of the harpies collect the Gorgon Eye, cross
the rafters and SAVE! The next legionnaire groups can be grabbed outright so
just grab and /\ them or have fun launching and death bouncing them. either way
works.
Now to save the oracle...but first we need to get a Gorgon Eye. To save you the
hastle of opening red orb chests just go to the left cracked wall, smash it and
claim your new Gorgon eye.
Save the oracle as usual but be sure to grab the phoenix feather during or after
just to get it out of the way.
Now progress to...
_______________________________
~~~~~The Sewers Of Athens:~~~~~
This is your mantra in here: **ARCHERS FIRST**
That's right. Ignore all others until the archers are gone. they use exploding
arrows which interrupt combos. Something we do not want. Now continue on until
you get to the Minotaurs. Use their "arena complex" by bringing them to the
ledge jumping down and doing your basic /\ attack. only if you need to. If you
have Minotaur combat down...then do it regular. By the way...Death bounces are
great here because the minotaurs tend to cooperate with the tight confines.
Now move on to the Cyclopses. Just keep spamming the Plume of Prometheus and
they'll go down allright. But immediately following the Cyclopses are Minotaurs
Undead Legionnaires and Archers. Just deal with them as normal(archers>the rest)
and continue to...
___________________________________
~~~~~The Desert of Lost Souls:~~~~~
Now here's where things start to get tricky. You will now start to feel the
weakness of the Blades of Chaos. The sirens are also very quick so light attacks
are really the only attacks that are usefull. Sometimes a [],/\ will connect
completely so spam that.
The first siren is the easy one so keep cool, attack when you can, and block.
ALL THE TIME. When the minigame appears, do it. it's the only way to kill the
siren and progress. Now for the other two.
Just find them and whip on them. Try to get some distance between yourself and
the Minotaurs for safety, or keep them in the fray and stay even more cautious.
It still takes a while to wear down the siren. If you want to, use a Poseidons
Rage to draw in the siren and wail on it with some heavy attacks. sometimes this
will get it to minigame the first time. Be frugal however.
Once the door is open press forward to the conveyer belt.
To make this part easier, hit the spiked wheel on the right with Plume of
Prometheus until it breaks. Now pull out the Box and push it to the left. Take
care of the undead legionnaires as necessary.
Now for more Sirens!!! but this time its just sirens...thanks god. Ok just stick
to a basic [],[]=>dodge=>[],[] if you have trouble with this fight. It's easy,
safe, takes a while but it's a near gaurantee that you'll get through relatively
unscathed. If you wanted to do it the fun way, then get them into the air and
death bounce them. This is also very effective.  Just be sure to minigame them!
No summon Kronos and Climb your way to...
__________________________________________
~~~~~The Entrance to Pandoras Temple:~~~~~
*Cyclopse Battle* 3 Spiked Club Cyclopses
Two cyclopses start this battle and one more spawns after one of the two is
killed.
Plume of Prometheus your way through these bad boys. When they rear back dodge
to the left or the right so you don't get shoulder rammed. when their minigame
comes up, play it. follow the prompts and finish it off. rinse and repeat!
*End Cyclopse Battle*
Now climb your way up to the foyer and take out the Archers and Wraiths as you
did back on the rooftops. Just remember to block when the Wraith goes into the
floor.
Now go get the Blade of Artemis...I'll wait here for you in...
_______________________________
~~~~~The Rings of Pandora:~~~~~
this is easy so we're going to go directly to...
_________________________________
~~~~~The Challenge of Atlas:~~~~~
The Blade of Artemis will be your friend in some areas now. It kills three times
faster then the Blades of Chaos and has better close range crowd control. Learn
How to best use this weapon...it comes in quite handy.
This first room choose whichever weapon you feel comfortable with. For the
Legionnaires I suggest either but for the Gorgons go with the blades. It opens
the Gorgons up to death bounces. The Blade of Artemis does kill them in five
hits though so it a 50-50.
I suggest the Shield of Hades first because then you don't have to backtrack. So
head downstairs and get ready for the wave after wave of Legionnaires and Undead
Legionnaires.
*Legionnaire Battle* ?? Legionnaires and Undead Legionnaires
For easy and normal I'd just stick with the Blade of Artemis and Poseidons Rage.
Just keep spamming the [],[],[] attack with the Blade of Artemis and a few
Poseidons Rages should get you through.
For Spartan and God. Go with Medusas Gaze and the Blades of Chaos. Line up the
Legionnaires and freeze them. Then Smash away. When you run out of magic grab
the regular legionnairs and use the [] finisher. In the tight confines you'll
take out quite a few legionnaires at once.
*End Legionnaire battle*
Now for the Shield of Zeus.
Skip over these undead Legionnaires and just grab the shield. Now move on to the
save spot and SAVE!!!! The upcoming room is a "toughy..."
But first a wall climb. If your faced with one or two enemies, stick to a grab
attack. If it's three or more enemies against you, corale them together and
hit away with light attacks. It takes a few hits but they fall like nice little
undead should.
*Misc. Battle* 5 mystic Legionnaires, 4 Sirens
For Easy and Normal this battle is a pain. Plume of Prometheus the Mystic
Legionnaires and then pull out the Blade of Artemis. Whatever you do DO NOT
death bounce any of the enemies. It takes far too long. when your down to just
the Sirens, use a Poseidons Rage to draw them in close and then hack away with
the Blade of Artemis.
For Spartan and God this battle is going to take at least fifty tries. Stick to
the same battle plan but this time get closer and more personal with the Mystic
Legionnaires. That way you get them dead more quickly and have the time to go
after the Sirens. This is no easy room.
*End Misc. battle*
Now grab the Handle of Atlas and backtrack to the saw-blade room. Open the
"door" and move into the Hallway of Atlas. take out the Undead Archers first and
then the Minotaurs. remember that with the Archers you can grab them outright
and use a [] finisher to damage the Minotaurs.
Now insert the handle, ready the statue, collect your muse key and move your way
up to the trigger. Take care with these Undead Legionnaires. If one is going to
attack, then at least one more will as well. Just try to keep them in front of
you and slam away with the heaviest combo ([],/\,[],[],[],[],/\). Now finish the
last of the Archers and claim your Architect's Son's Head.
Now we go to...
_____________________________________
~~~~~The Inner Rings of Pandora:~~~~~