_____           _          __  __          __
/ ____|         | |        / _| \ \        / /
| |  __  ___   __| |   ___ | |_   \ \  /\  / /_ _ _ __         .---.
| | |_ |/ _ \ / _` |  / _ \|  _|   \ \/  \/ / _` | '__|       /  .  \
| |__| | (_) | (_| | | (_) | |      \  /\  / (_| | |         |\_/|   |
\_____|\___/ \__,_|  \___/|_|       \/  \/ \__,_|_|         |   |  /|
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------' |
/  .-.                                                                       |
|  /   \   Title    : GOD OF WAR - Common Questions and Problems              |
| |\_.  |  Purpose  : Answer the most common questions that players ask.      |
|\|  | /|  Platform : PlayStation 2                                           |
| `---' |  Author   : Chris A. (keltin_2002)                                  |
|       |  Email    : keltin_2002@yahoo.com                                   |
|       |                                                                     |
|       |  Version  : 1.5                                                     |
|       |  Updated  : 9/9/06                                                 /
|       |-------------------------------------------------------------------'
\       |
\     /
`---'
o
//
| }---------------------------------------------------\
0#############| >  SPOILER ALERT : There Are Spoilers In This Guide  )
| }---------------------------------------------------/
\\
o
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
/  .-.                                                                 .-.  \
|  /   \                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                       /   \  |
| |\_.  |                     TABLE OF CONTENTS                       |    /| |
|\|  | /|                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                      |\  | |/|
| `---' |                                                             | `---' |
|       |-------------------------------------------------------------|       |
\       |   Note: Use CTRL+F to search on each section's Search Key   |       /
\     /    Each Search Key is located in brackets to the right of     \     /
`---'     each section heading                                        `---'
I ----- HISTORY ......................................................[SCT001]
II ---- INTRODUCTION .................................................[SCT002]
III --- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ...................................[SCT003]
1. Are there glitches in this game?
2. My game just glitched so how do I recover?
3. My game just switched to EASY Mode, why?
4. Is there nudity in this game?
5. Is there "cussing" in this game?
6. Is there violence and gore in this game?
7. How long is this game?
8. How hard is God Mode?
9. Do I have to beat God Mode to unlock everything?
10. Once I beat the game, can I carry over my upgraded items to
a new game?
11. What is a "mini-game"?
12. This jump is impossible, what special thing do I need before I can
make this jump?
13. What is a "Super Jump" that the manual talks about?
14. I see some chests, but I can't reach them, how do I get them?
15. How do I beat this monster?
16. How do I get past this part?
17. How many Boss Fights are there in this game?
18. How do I beat the Hydra Boss?
19. How do I beat Medusa?
20. How do I beat the main Minotaur Boss?
21. How do I beat Challenge number x in the Challenge of the Gods?
22. What do I get if I beat the Challenge of the Gods?
23. How do I unlock the new costumes?
24. Can I use the new costumes on God Mode?
25. What are the Nyads and what do they do?
26. What are the Muse keys and what do they do?
27. I missed my chance to use the Muse Keys, can I go back and use
them later?
28. How many upgrades are there for the Blades of Chaos?
29. How many upgrades are there for the Blade of Artemis?
30. How many upgrades are there for each magic spell?
31. Which is better, the Blades of Chaos or the Blade of Artemis?
32. What's the deal with the Blades of Athena?
33. Can I use the Blades of Athena in a new game?
34. How do I get past the bladed log poles or the bladed columns in the Path
of Hades chapter?
35. How can I beat Ares?
36. The Kratos Clones during the Final Battle are insane, how can I
beat them?
37. What are the other videos and how do I unlock them?
38. What is Secret Message 1 and how do I unlock it?
39. What is Secret Message 2 and how do I unlock it?
40. Who or what is the Grave Digger?
41. Should I buy this game?
42. How many difficulty levels are there?
43. In the menus there is a "soften" option. What does it do?
44. I beat the game and have the new Blades of Athena, what do I do next?
45. What is Hades Revenge and how do I use it?
46. How do I break the golden shields that those soldiers are carrying?
47. Does the game strictly follow Greek Mythology?
48. I’m in the Conveyor Belt room just before Pandora’s Box, and I don’t
have any magic or Rage of the Gods.  How can I beat this part?
Pro Tip: You can skip this fight!
49. I’m stuck in the Maze in the Challenge of Hades.  Is there an easy way
out of this?
50. The Minotaur Boss in the Challenge of Hades is a pain.  Is there an easy
way to beat him?
51. I’ve heard there is another Easter Egg hidden in God of War, what is it?
IV ---- INFINITE RED ORBS ............................................[SCT004]
Yep, there is a way to glitch a Harpy during the Challenge of Atlas that
will give you an infinite amount of orbs.  The max you can carry is 199
full bars which is 59,700 orbs.  Enough to upgrade everything and still
have orbs left over.
V ----- KNOWN GLITCHES ................................................[SCT005]
1. Locks up trying to save the game
2. Locks up at the 2nd Mini-Hydra fight
3. The switch in the Challenge of Atlas gets stuck
4. Locks up during the Cerberus & Harpy fight in the Trident room
5. Locks up while loading a new section
6. Kratos knocked into a dark pool of water during last battle with Ares
7. Locks up during the sword clash during the final battle with Ares
8. Locks up at the end of the game after beating Ares
9. Unlocked the movies but they won't play
10. PS2 will not read or recognize the God of War disc (DRE)
11. The Main Hydra Boss Glitch.  You can’t break the mast.
12. Saves do not work.  Nothing happens.
VI ---- CHAPTER QUESTIONS ............................................[SCT006]
1. Beating the Main Hydra Boss
2. The Minotaur Trap room in the Road to Athens
3. Impossible Jumps
4. The door in the Saw Room Floor during the Challenge of Atlas
5. The splitting floor in the Challenge of Atlas
6. Sacrificing the caged man during the Challenge of Poseidon
7. The moving wall trap found underwater in the Challenge of Poseidon
8. Escaping the Maze in the Challenge of Hades
9. The Grave Digger
10. The Conveyor Belt Trap after the Desert of Lost Souls
VII --- CHALLENGE OF THE GODS ........................................[SCT007]
An in depth walkthrough of all 10 Challenges including strategies
VIII -- THE NEW COSTUMES .............................................[SCT008]
A close look at all five of the unlockable costumes
IX ---- THE MATURE RATING ............................................[SCT009]
Why this game got the M rating : Nudity, Sex, Violence, etc.
X ----- IN DEPTH GAME MECHANICS ......................................[SCT010]
1. Controller Buttons and Onscreen Icons
2. Using the L1 Button
3. Using the L2 Button
4. Using the R1 Button
5. Using the R2 Button
6. Using the O Button
7. Using the Square Button
8. Using the Triangle Button
9. Using the X Button
10. Using the left analog stick
11. Using the right analog stick
12. Using Rage of the Gods
13. Magic
14. Blades of Chaos
15. The Blade of Artemis
16. Mini-Games
17. Crossing Ropes
18. Swinging on Ropes
19. Climbing Walls
20. Climbing Nets on Ships
21. Balancing across beams and poles
22. Beating the Game
23. The Gorgon Eyes
24. The Phoenix Feathers
25. Green Orbs
26. Blue Orbs
27. Red Orbs
28. The Nyads
29. The Muse Keys
XI ---- ODDS AND ENDS ................................................[SCT011]
Stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else
XII --- CREDITS ......................................................[SCT012]
XIII -- MAJOR SPOILERS ...............................................[SCT013]
1. Secret Message 1
2. Secret Message 2
3. A Secret Revealed
4. Fate of the Titan
5. Grave Digger
[SCT001]
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
/  .-.                                                                 .-.  \
|  /   \                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                       /   \  |
| |\_.  |                          HISTORY                            |    /| |
|\|  | /|                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                      |\  | |/|
| `---' |                                                             | `---' |
|       |-------------------------------------------------------------|       |
\       |                                                             |       /
\     /                                                               \     /
`---'                                                                 `---'
Version 1.5 – 9/9/06
:Update the Credits section to give much deserving credit to ladyhawke2
:(msladyhawke2@yahoo.com) for her outstanding help in getting to the
:bottom of the supposed Main Hydra Glitch.  There is not glitch.
:Added the “Surrender Kratos” Easter egg (New Question #51).
:Added the new tip on how to skip the Conveyor Fight before getting Pandora’s
:Box (Updated Pro Tip: Question #48).
Version 1.4 – 3/24/05
:Added Questions 49 & 50 concerning the Maze and the Minotaur boss in the
:Challenge of Hades.
Version 1.3 – 2/6/06
:Added the text for Secret Message 1 & Secret Message 2 in the Major
:Spoilers Section.
:Added a strategy to get past the Conveyor Room before getting Pandora’s
:Box.  A big thanks to Mongoose525 (markahn@bellsouth.net) for
:contributing this strategy.  See Question # 48 for more details.
:Added to the Glitch Section concerning the rumored Hydra Boss glitch.
:There is no glitch with the Hydra, it’s a false rumor based on not
:pushing the O button fast enough.  See the Glitch Section for more info.
:Also, added a glitch fix for a save problem that some users have had.
Version 1.2 - 10/03/05
:Added the Infinite Red orbs Section.
:Added a new strategy for Challenge of the Gods # 10. Thanks to
:Myself13 (O. Hertz = boazherz@netvision.net.il) for that information.
:Added PAL version info for the Secret Messages in the Major Spoilers
:section.  Thanks to zemickeey (zemickey@yahoo.com) for that information.
Version 1.1 - 7/11/05
:Added question 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, & 47.
:Added item 10 to the Glitches section to briefly explain a DRE.
:Added alternate strategies to Challenge #10 for Challenge of the Gods.
Version 1.0 - 7/7/05
:Initial writing of this FAQ.
:Began writing this FAQ on 7/5/05 and finished it on 7/7/05.
[SCT002]
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
/  .-.                                                                 .-.  \
|  /   \                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                       /   \  |
| |\_.  |                       INTRODUCTION                          |    /| |
|\|  | /|                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                      |\  | |/|
| `---' |                                                             | `---' |
|       |-------------------------------------------------------------|       |
\       |                                                             |       /
\     /                                                               \     /
`---'                                                                 `---'
First, there are lots of Spoilers in this FAQ, so you have been warned.
Well, this is my third Guide/FAQ on God of war.  I first did a God Mode
Strategy Guide to help players make it through God Mode.
I then did a Chest Guide to show reveal how to get all of the chests
that are in the game, even the hidden ones.
I had thought that was it, but after having received so many email
questions and reading the Message Boards and seeing the same
questions come up again and again, I decided there needed to be yet
another Guide/FAQ that addressed all of the player specific questions,
in one place, that either got missed in other guides or are spread out
over several guides.  I doubt I get everything, but I believe I got the
vast majority of the most commonly asked questions.
I was torn on how much info to put in here.  I couldn't decide if I should
go with long winded detailed answers or if I should be short and concise.
In the end, I opted for both.  The first section in the this guide is a
typical Q & A FAQ type section where the most common questions about this
game are presented in question form and then answered.
After that, there are several in depth sections covering small little
details such as controller configuration, how to double jump
successfully, why the game got an M rating, what are the glitches and how
can they be fixed or avoided, etc.  Everything but the kitchen sink is in
here.
This FAQ is NOT a walkthrough but it is instead an attempt to answer the
most common player specific questions about this game in one place.
Something of an encyclopedia of common questions if you will.
With that said, let's get down to business.
[SCT003]
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
/  .-.                                                                 .-.  \
|  /   \                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                   /   \  |
| |\_.  |                Frequently Asked Questions                   |    /| |
|\|  | /|               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                  |\  | |/|
| `---' |                                                             | `---' |
|       |-------------------------------------------------------------|       |
\       |                                                             |       /
\     /                                                               \     /
`---'                                                                 `---'
1. Are there glitches in this game?
Unfortunately, yes there are.  The exact cause of each is unknown, but
some of them are due to dirty or damaged discs, older PS2 systems,
and copied discs.  See the Section titled "Known Glitches" below for
more info and possible avoidance and recovery methods.
2. My game just glitched so how do I recover?
Some glitches can be recovered from in the game.  If you still have control
of the game Menu system, pull up the menu and select restart from last
checkpoint.  If the game is locked up, try ejecting the disk while the
PS2 is running, clean the disc, then re-insert the disc. See the section
titled "Known Glitches" below for more info and possible avoidance and
recovery methods.
3. My game just switched to EASY Mode, why?
If you die more than 5 times in a row on a particular part in the game
it will ask you if you want to switch to easy mode.  The screen used to
ask this question looks just like the continue game screen, so if you're
frustrated as you play and are hastily hitting buttons to get back to the
game, then you have inadvertently selected YES and instructed the game
to switch you to easy mode.
The game will NOT change to Easy Mode automatically.  It will always ask
you if you wish to do so.  If you ever do switch to Easy Mode, there is
NO WAY to switch back to a harder mode.  You will have to reload an earlier
saved game or restart completely.
4. Is there nudity in this game?
Yes there is.  Only bare breast are shown, and even that is quick.
Nothing below the waist is shown.  See the section titled "The Mature
Rating" below for more information.
5. Is there cussing in this game?
Not in the game itself.  This game takes place in ancient Greece and they
didn't have the "cuss words" back then that we have today.  However, some
of the narrations in the unlockable movies have minor cussing in them.
See the section titled "The Mature Rating" below for more information.
6. Is there violence and gore in this game?
Yes.  And lots of it. Still, it's nothing worse than many of the other
games on the Market such as Mortal Kombat.
See the section titled "The Mature Rating" below for more information.
7. How long is this game?
On your first play through on Normal Mode, it's about 8 - 10 hours of
game-play.  You can beat it in a weekend.  Spartan and God mode may take
a little longer as you adjust your strategies for the more difficult
enemies, but basically it's an 8 - 10 hour game.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information.
8. How hard is God Mode?
That depends.  If you play Easy or Normal and then switch to God Mode then
you will find it rather difficult.  If you play Spartan before going to
God Mode then it won't seem as bad.  You must be more defensive in
God Mode.  The enemies deal 5 times more damage to you, and you deal
only half as much as you usually do.  So they hit really hard, and you
don't - so block a lot!
See the God Mode Guide on www.gamefaqs.com for detailed looks at
what God Mode has to offer.
9. Do I have to beat God Mode to unlock everything?
NO. You're only required to beat God Mode in order to unlock Secret
Message 1.  The game says that you have to beat God mode, but the manual
does not. The truth is, you can unlock everything in Spartan mode except
for Secret Message 1.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information.
10. Once I beat the game, can I carry over my upgraded items to a new game?
Unfortunately, NO you can not.  In God of War, a new game is just that,
brand new.  You start from scratch and even have to watch all of the
cutscenes and FMVs again (you can't skip them).
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information.
11. What is a "mini-game"?
Basically, its a part in the game where icons representing controller
buttons or analog stick movements are briefly displayed on the screen.
In order to succeed, you must press the button that matches the icon
that is displayed.  Kind of like Simon Says.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Mini-Games" for more information.
12. This jump is impossible, what special thing do I need before I can
make this jump?
There are no impossible jumps in the game.  There ARE jumps that require a
well timed Double Jump.  For the Double Jump to work, do NOT quickly tap
the X Button.  Tapping it twice in rapid succession will only result in a
very short jump. The longer you hold down X, the farther the Jump.  So, the
key is to press and HOLD X for a second, then release and quickly press
and HOLD X again for the double jump.
See the section titled "Chapter Questions" and its sub-section titled
"Impossible Jumps" for more information.
Also, see the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Using the X Button" for more information on jumping.
13.What is a "Super Jump" that the manual talks about?
Basically, it's just a jump where Kratos jumps into the air to clash with
an enemy that he has just launched into the air.  It has no use in regular
jumping and is only accomplished during a fight when an enemy has been
launched into the air.
See the section titled "Chapter Questions" and its sub-section titled
"Impossible Jumps" for more information.
14. I see some chests, but I can't reach them, how do I get them?
There are over 300 chest in the game.  Some of them hidden.  I wrote a
Chest Guide that shows where every chest in the game is found. The
Chest Guide is at www.gamefaqs.com.  Check it for all you ever wanted
to know about the chests that are in the game.
15. How do I beat this monster?
I wrote a God Mode strategy Guide that is hosted at www.gamefaqs.com
which lists in detail every enemy and the best strategy for fighting
them.  Check out that guide and see the section on Enemies.
16. How do I get past this part?
See the section titled "Chapter Questions" for answers about a few tough
jumps and some timed traps.  Included are:
- Beating the Main Hydra Boss
- The Minotaur Trap room in the Road to Athens
- Impossible Jumps
- Jumping the vined walls in the Road to Athens
- Jumping across the pillars in the Road to Athens
- Jumping across the lava pit trap floor in Challenge of Hades
- The door in the Saw Room Floor during the challenge of Atlas
- The splitting floor in the Challenge of Atlas
- Sacrificing the caged man during the Challenge of Poseidon
- The moving wall trap found underwater in the Challenge of Poseidon
- Escaping the Maze in the Challenge of Hades
- Beating the Satyrs in the Path to Hades to make the platforms rise
- The Conveyor Belt Trap after the Desert of Lost Souls
If these topics do not address your question, check my God Mode guide
for more info, plus check the many complete FAQs/Walkthroughs.  All
of these can be found at www.gamfaqs.com
17. How many Boss Fights are there in this game?
Technically, only three.  The Main Hydra, the Main Minotaur (also known
as Pandora's Guardian), and the Final Battle with Ares which is divided
into 3 parts - Part 1 is Ares, Part 2 is the Kratos Clones, and Part 3
is Ares again.
There are 2 "mini-boss fights".  One is with Medusa the Main Gorgon, and
the other is in the Desert of Lost Souls where you fight the three Main
Sirens and the Minotaurs that guard them.
18. How do I beat the Hydra Boss?
See the section titled "Chapter Questions" and its sub-section titled
"Beating the Main Hydra Boss".  Also refer to my God Mode guide for
more strategies for this Boss.
19. How do I beat Medusa?
Basically, just fight her!  Block when she attacks, use Poseidon's Rage
until its gone, and then hit her with your best combos: Square, Square,
Triangle works rather well.  The key to Medusa is, she can only be killed
in ONE WAY and that's her mini-game finishing move.  Once you have damaged
her enough, the O Button icon appears over her head and you must get close
to her and hit the O Button to grab her.  Once done, the game instructs
you on how to do the mini-game.  In the mini-game, you will have to match two
or three left analog stick movements to win.
20. How do I beat the main Minotaur Boss?
There is an EASY way and a Straight up Fight way.  The easy way is to get
the shelf at the back of the room where the witch is.  Once on the shelf
all the way to your right till you hit the wall and then push up a bit
and you'll be standing in an area where the Minotaur can NOT reach you,
but you can hit him.  This is SLOW but it works.
For a straight up fight, Have your Blades of Chaos up to Level 5 and then
on the same shelf mentioned above except this time you will stand dead
center in front of him on the small grate area where the logs are shot
from.  With Level 5 blades, you can block all of his attacks except for
the left hand sweep - double jump to your left to avoid that.  Also, by
standing dead center and NOT drifting near one of his hands you will not
trigger the special attack that each hand does.  So, stand dead center,
block all attacks except for the left hand sweep which must be avoided.
When you aren't blocking, wail on him with your best combos.
I wrote a God Mode strategy Guide that is hosted at www.gamefaqs.com
which listed more details on this fight.  Check it out for more info.
21. How do I unlock the new costumes?
Beat Challenge of the Gods. In order to access Challenge of the Gods
you have to beat the game at least once on any mode of difficulty.
See the section below titled "The New Costumes" for detailed information
on each new costume
22. How do I beat Challenge number X in the Challenge of the Gods?
See the section below titled "Challenge of the Gods" for a complete
mini-walkthrough with strategies.
23. What do I get if I beat the Challenge of the Gods?
You will unlock five new playable costumes for Kratos.  Each costume
changes the way Kratos looks and also a certain aspect of his fighting
ability and defense.  That's it.  This challenge ONLY unlocks the five
new costumes and nothing else.
24. Can I use the new costumes on God Mode?
NO.  The costumes can only be used on Easy, Normal, and Hard modes.  You
are NOT allowed to use the costumes on God Mode.  There simply is no break in
getting past God mode.
NOTE - in order to use a Costume, you have to start a NEW GAME.  You can not
transfer a costume to a saved game, and you can not carry over items from a
previous saved game to a new game.  A new game is a new game and it begins
from scratch.
25. What are the Nyads and what do they do?
They are Poseidon's Daughters and they are located in the underwater
portion of The Challenge of Poseidon.  There are FOUR Nyads in all.  Three
of them are hidden.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section titled
"The Nyads".
Also, my Chest Guide which is hosted at www.gamefaqs.com has detailed info
on the Nyads as well.
26. What are the Muse keys and what do they do?
There are two Muse keys in the game.  With both Muse keys, you can open a
door in the rings of Pandora.  When you grab the handle that rotates the rings
to the various doors (such as when you did so to get to the Challenge of Atlas
and got the Blade of Artemis), one of the openings leads to a black and gold
door that is adorned with carvings of the Muses.  Use the keys there to open
the door.  Once inside you will be granted a Health and Magic Bar upgrade as
well as a bunch of red orbs.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section titled
"The Muse Keys".
Also, my Chest Guide which is hosted at www.gamefaqs.com has detailed
on the Muse Keys as well.
27. I missed my chance to use the Muse Keys, can I go back and use
them later?
NO. The Muse Keys MUST be used BEFORE you ascend the tower and reach the
Cliffs of Madness.  Once you leave Pandora's Temple and reach the Cliffs
of Madness, you can NEVER go back to the Temple of Pandora.  That is why you
hear a voice warning you about this as you attempt to ascend the tower to the
Cliffs of Madness.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section titled
"The Muse Keys".
28. How many upgrades are there for the Blades of Chaos?
There are five levels for the Blades of Chaos.  Level 5 is the highest
meaning you can upgrade the Blades of Chaos four times.  Each upgrade
increases the attack power of the Blades and also Grants you new attack moves.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section titled
"The Blades of Chaos"
29. How many upgrades are there for the Blade of Artemis?
There are three levels for the Blade of Artemis.  Level 3 is the highest
meaning you can upgrade the Blade of Artemis twice.  Each upgrade increases
the attack power of the Blade and that's it.  No new moves are gained from
an upgrade.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section titled
"The Blade of Artemis"
30. How many upgrades are there for each magic spell?
There are three levels for each spell.  Each upgrade increase the attack
power of the spell and often grants you a new magical ability.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section titled
"Magic"
31. Which is better, the Blades of Chaos or the Blade of Artemis?
It's kind of personal choice, but the Blade of Artemis, while strong, is
very slow and has a tendency of getting in the way of your O Button
mini-games. Plus, it's hard to get any decent combos in with the Blade of
Artemis.
The Blades of Chaos on the other hand are very fast, and at level 5 are
just as strong as the Blade of Artemis.
Technically, due to the speed, flexibility, multiple combo attacks, and power
of the Blades of Chaos, one would have to say the Blades of Chaos is the
superior weapon.
32. What's the deal with the Blades of Athena?
Just before the final fight with Ares he takes away your Blades of Chaos.
But, since Kratos becomes the new God of War, he needed a new God type
blade, thus Athena gave him the Blades of Athena.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information.
33. Can I use the Blades of Athena in a new game?
No.  You can use the Blades of Athena to break the statues in the throne
room and you can use them for the Challenge of the Gods, but that is it.
You can not carry anything over to a new game.  A new game is just that, it
is new and starts from scratch.
34. How do I get past the bladed log poles or the bladed columns in the Path
of Hades chapter?
I wrote a God Mode strategy Guide that is hosted at www.gamefaqs.com
which lists more details on this section.  Check it out for more info.
35. How can I beat Ares?
I wrote a God Mode strategy Guide that is hosted at www.gamefaqs.com
which lists more details on this fight.  Check it out for more info.
36. The Kratos Clones during the Final Battle are insane, how can I
beat them?
A quick note about this before I refer you to the God Mode Guide.
NOTE : A quick tip on hugging your family during the Kratos Clone Battle.
To hug them successfully, approach them and then press and HOLD DOWN the O
button.  If you let go of the O Button, Kratos will let go of his family.
I wrote a God Mode strategy Guide that is hosted at www.gamefaqs.com
which lists more details on this fight.  Check it out for more info.
37. What are the other videos and how do I unlock them?
When you beat the game on Easy or Normal, you unlock about half of the
treasures found in the "Treasures" menu.
To unlock the remaining videos you have to beat the Game on Spartan or God
Mode.  If you choose Spartan, you might want to beat the Challenge of
the Gods first so that you can go through Spartan with one of the new
costumes.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information.
38. What is Secret Message 1 and how do I unlock it?
You HAVE to beat God Mode to unlock this.  This is the ONLY treasure
item that requires God Mode.  All other items can be unlocked on Spartan
Mode.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information.  If you want to know what
the message is, then see the section titled "Major Spoilers".
39. What is Secret Message 2 and how do I unlock it?
At the end of the game you will be in the Throne Room of the God of War.
There are two Statues which you must break to unlock Secret Message 2.
Use the L1+O attack to do this since this attack will display the hit
counter for you.  It takes around 200 hits each.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information. If you want to know what
the message is, then see the section titled "Major Spoilers".
40. Who or what is the Grave Digger?
Most people believe he is Zeus, and there are strong arguments for this
opinion.
Go to the section titled "Chapter Questions" and its sub-section titled
"The Grave Digger".
41. Should I buy this game?
If you like action and adventure games, you won't be disappointed in this
one. The voice acting is some of the best ever put into a video game,
the graphics are simply stunning and have taken the PS2 to new heights,
the fighting is fast and furious, but not ridiculously hard.  The puzzles
are very unique and if you start playing this game, you're liable to find
(like so many others have) that this game is VERY addictive. The game offers
about 10 hours of game play which is typical of an Action/Adventure game.
This game also has quite a bit of replay value, so you can easily get more
than 10 hours of enjoyment out of it.
Read some of the reviews at www.gamefaqs.com for more info.
42. How many difficulty levels are there?
There are four difficulty levels.  Three of them are immediately available:
Mortal = Easy
Hero = Normal
Spartan = Hard
Beat them game on any of these settings and you unlock the special difficulty
level:
God Mode = Very Hard.
43. In the menus there is a "soften" option. What does it do?
It's a video option that basically "blurs" the edge of everything in the
game making things look "softer".  Nearly every one agrees that you should
turn this option OFF as the game looks better with crisp, clear edges.
44. I beat the game and have the new Blades of Athena, what do I do next?
Once you beat it the first time through, you've unlocked a few new movies,
the God Mode Difficulty, and the Challenge of the Gods.
If you destroyed the Statues in the throne room then you also unlocked Secret
Message 2.  So, go to the Treasures Menu to see your newly unlocked
treasures.
The Blades of Athena are a story element but they can be used for the
Challenge of the Gods and they can be used to break the Statues in the
throne room.
Now that you've finished the game, you can beat the Challenge of the Gods to
unlock the 5 new costumes or restart a new game on a different difficulty
level.
If you play again on either easy, normal, or hard, you can use the new
costumes (IF you have already beat the Challenge of the Gods).
If you play through on Spartan you will unlock the rest of the unlockables
except for secret message 1.  If you play through on God Mode, you will
unlock the rest of the unlockables including secret message 1.
You can NOT use the costumes on God Mode, and you can NOT carry over any
thing to a new game.  A new game begins from scratch.
See the section titled "In Depth Game Mechanics" and its sub-section
titled "Beating the Game" for more information.
45. What is Hades Revenge and how do I use it?
Hades Revenge is gained at Level 3 for the Blades of Chaos.  Once you
level up the Blades of Chaos to level three you will be able to use this
technique which is also known as "parrying" an enemy attack.  Basically,
this allows you to counter attack an enemy if you successfully block his
attack.
As an enemy is attacking you, hit and Hold L1 just before the enemy attack
strikes you.  If done correctly, you will see a slight pause in the animation
meaning you can now parry with a special counter attack of your own. To parry,
immediately LET GO of the L1 button and then hit one of the following buttons:
Square - Kratos does a double chain sweep that hits every enemy in front of
him which sends them flying and knocks them to the ground (or off a ledge if
you are near a ledge)
Triangle - Kratos does a double chain ground slam which will actually hit and
damage every enemy around him, even those that are behind him. This causes
the enemy to be knocked off their feet and stuns them for a second, but it
won't push them back or knock them off of ledges.
R1 - Kratos does a rapid stabbing attack against the one enemy that he is
facing. This is the weakest of the counter attacks, but its fun to watch
at least once.
46. How do I break the golden shields that those soldiers are carrying?
You have to use an attack that ends with a double chain ground slam.
The ground slam will break the chains.  The very first attack available to
you that has this chain slam is Square, Square, Triangle.
NOTE: to get Square, Square, Triangle to work, you must TAP Triangle at
the end of this button sequence.  If you HOLD Triangle at the end of this
button sequence, even for a second, Kratos will NOT do the chain slam but
will instead do an uppercut attack in an attempt to launch the enemy into
the air.
Later, you will gain other moves as you level up the Blades of Chaos that
will also break the soldiers shields such as Triangle, Triangle, Triangle.
As well as L1 + O Button (hold the O Button during this attack to fully
charge the attack - this can also be done in mid air after a jump).
47. Does the game strictly follow Greek Mythology?
No.  Elements from Greek Mythology are used in the game, but the game is
not bound by the Mythology and instead takes certain liberties.  For example,
in Greek Mythology there was only 1 Minotaur but in the game you fight a LOT
of them.
In Greek Mythology there were only three sirens that lived on a rocky island
in the ocean, but in the game there are more than three sirens located
throughout the game (none of them on a rock island).
Also in Greek Mythology, there is rather obscure reference to a Cratus, and
Cratus is often transliterated to Kratos.  The Myth of Cratus/Kratos is that
he was the son of Styx and Pallas.  As such, he was the personification of
strength, and was an attendant to Zeus - not exactly the Kratos of the game!
There are more examples of this, but the point is that the game borrows aspects
from Greek Mythology, but it in no way attempts to remain true to the myths.
The game is for fun and never intended to teach anyone Greek Mythology.
48. I’m in the Conveyor Belt room just before Pandora’s Box, and I don’t
have any magic or Rage of the Gods.  How can I beat this part?
This seems to happen to many gamers out there.  but have no fear, it
is possible to beat this part without magic or Rage of the Gods.  it will
take some time, patience, and practice, but you can do it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Updated Pro Tip: You can skip this fight all together.
This is actually something of a glitch that works to your
Advantage.  Once you get to this part, you’ll notice there is a small landing
(like a door mat) at the base of the entrance to the conveyor belt.
You can stand on this without triggering the fight.  Now, carefully hug the
wall behind Kratos and make your way to the right (or left, it is up to you)
and make sure you don’t stray to far forward away from the wall.  If you get
too far away from the wall, you will hit the trigger point and the fight
starts.  If that happens, simply Retry From Last Checkpoint.
Continue to hug the wall and make your way to the spiked wheels at the end of
the conveyor.  This is the tricky part, stay as close as possible to the
spiked wheel without getting hit and make your way forward.  If you stray too
far away from the spiked wheel, you will trigger the fight.
Once past the spiked wheel, hug the wall and make your way around to the first
ledge (these are the ledges/platforms that have the fire jet traps on them).
Once you get on the paltform, you are home free and can continue forward
without ever having triggered this rather difficult fight.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you choose to fight, then Here is a strategy written up by Mongoose525
(markahn@bellsouth.net) that shows you how this can be done.
The Conveyor Room
Run/jump to the back door of the room and kill the archers. The other archers
on the rest of the platforms cannot shoot you back there. I used Lance of the
Furies to take out the first two archers, rolled back and did a square,
square, (hold) square on the harpy's coming in then jumped back and did a LoF
on the archers again repeating this till the archers quit re-spawning.
Then I started roll left and square, square, hold square combos on the last
conveyor till I took out all the harpies. When one dive-bombs, be ready to
roll out of its way. Once the harpies quit following you to the back conveyor
kill the other archers on the next platform jumping back and to between the
platforms and killing the archers as they re-spawn. Kill the last two archers
on the first platforms in the room and your home free.
Anyway, all I can tell you is I did it but it wasn't a cakewalk. I died a lot
trying to do it without using Rage or magic.
A note on square, hold square, and square, square hold square (you get this
at Level 5 on your Blades of Chaos). You can hit towards one or two harpies
and then at the last second as you hold re-direct your hit in a different
direction. You can take out 4 to 6 at a time. After a while you will have
them bottled up at the last platform and as long as you don't go past it,
the archers there can't shoot you.
The harpy's will also stop dive-bombing you if you are killing them fast
enough. If you haven't rolled far enough left when you do a roll and square,
square, hold square, jump back to the left hand far corner and then come back
towards the platforms with square, square hold square. It takes a while, but
eventually the harpy’s stop coming. You can do a square, square, hold square
right in between the platforms too but you need to be mindful of the archers,
and if you go to kill an archer to early a harpy will dive bomb you.
If you don't have Lance of the Furies use square, square, hold square on the
archers at the exit or grab and throw them, then roll backwards out of the
way of the flame and come up with a square, square, hold square on the harpies
and square, square, hold square again on the archers till they stop
re-spawning. (It was a technique that was working for me but not as effective
as LoF).
It takes a lot of luck as well as skill. Work at it and see what works best
for you. When you find some technique that makes you live a little longer
stick with it and eventually you'll get through. Otherwise, the only other
alternative is to start over if you don't have a backup save somewhere.
Did you use all the magic chests on the cliffs of madness? You can backtrack
all the way back to the entrance to grab a chest before you enter the
conveyors.
49. I’m stuck in the Maze in the Challenge of Hades.  Is there an easy way
out of this?
There is a glitch that will allow you to leave the maze even though you
haven’t killed everyone.  In fact, you don’t have to kill anyone at all, but
can instead simply run for the maze exit.
Once you get to the exit door, stand before it and press forward so that
Kratos is walking into the door.  Press R2 to read what it says.
Now, hold L1 and then hit X.  This will perform Apollo’s Ascension in which
Kratos leaps in to the air with an uppercut strike.  Now, as you rise into
the air, continue to hold down L1 and keep pressing X like mad.
As you continually hold L1 and press X, ALSO begin tapping R2 again.
As you’re doing this, Kratos will slowly rise in the air with each press of
the X button.  Just above the door in the center is an indention that almost
looks like a vent of some kind.  “Aim” for that as you hold L1 and
continually press X.  Kratos will slowly rise toward that spot above the
the door and eventually he will actually warp THROUGH the door.
You will now be on the other side of the door and can continue own with your
journey.  If you do this and decide you want to get back into the Maze, simply
do this process again from the other side and you can warp back through the
door and get back into the maze.
50. The Minotaur Boss in the Challenge of Hades is a pain.  Is there an easy
way to beat him?
In Question 20, the fight with the Minotaur Boss was covered, and you were
referred to the God Mode Guide.  However, there is a trick I recently
discovered that makes this fight much easier.
During the fight, you will break his armor and will have to pull the switch
in order to fire a log arrow at him.  Now, here is the trick.  Stay as close
as possible to that switch, and keep tapping the button in order to pull the
switch again!  The cut-scene will play out as usual, but the game will see
that you are trying to pull the switch again, and it will actually register.
Once the cut-scene with the Minotaur ends, the camera will turn back to
Kratos and show that he is actually HALFWAY through pulling the switch again!
The Minotaur will still charge the platform, he will still strike it, and fire
will still erupt and damage Kratos, BUT a second log will be launched at the
Minotaur and this shot will completely break his armor allowing you to skip
the third armor stage of this fight.  So, if you’re fed up with this beast,
use this trick to shave of at least 1/4 of the normal battle time.
51. I’ve heard there is another Easter Egg hidden in God of War, what is it?
When you arrive at the Temple of the Oracle for the first time, you have a
chance to see a deeply hidden Easter Egg.  To trigger it, go to the far left
hand side of the temple.  Jump up on the ledge where a chest is waiting.
To the right of the chest you will see a small glowing light or firefly.
Walk into the firefly and press R1 (if you wish, press R1 a few times to
make sure).
Now, quickly make your way back to where the Grave Digger is digging the
grave.  Behind him are three piles of dirt.  Stand on the tallest one and
press R1 once.
Now quickly make your way back across the bridge at the beginning of the
area to where the chests are located.  Stand between the two columns at the
beginning of the bridge and hit R1 again.
If you’ve done it correctly, you will see a message written in cursive
script in the sky over Kratos’ shoulder.  It says: “Surrender Kratos”.
[SCT004]
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
/  .-.                                                                 .-.  \
|  /   \                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                        /   \  |
| |\_.  |                    Infinite Red Orbs                        |    /| |
|\|  | /|                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                       |\  | |/|
| `---' |                                                             | `---' |
|       |-------------------------------------------------------------|       |
\       |                                                             |       /
\     /                                                               \     /
`---'                                                                 `---'
Here is a trick that you can pull off during the Challenge of Atlas to get
infinite Red Orbs.  Note: This trick HAS been confirmed to also work on the
PAL version.
In the Challenge of Atlas, once you cross the bridge after the saw floor room,
there will be a harpy at the base of the tower. Your progress is to go around
the tower to the ladder and start the wall climbing. Instead of just killing
the harpy here, walk over to the ladder on the wall. Get the harpy to be
between you and the ladder and then start beating on the harpy. Use Plume of
Prometheus (Square, Square, Triangle) to kill it. The Triangle hit knocks it
up in the air, and usually kills it. The trick is to kill the harpy above the
top of the ladder. When it dies, it screams and falls down and hits the top of
the ladder and then bounces back up and gets stuck in this bounce. The whole
while it is bouncing, it showers you in red orbs.
Alternatively, if the Square, Square, Triangle combo isn’t working for you,
Then use a light square hit to knock the Harpy to the ground so that it falls
To the foot of the ladder.  Now rush the Harpy and basically push it into the
Ladder.  As you do this, Kratos will start trying to climb the ladder. Once
You start climbing the ladder, sit still and wait for the Harpy to revive and
Try to fly away.  As soon as it revives, press up on the left control stick
And hit X so that Kratos swings upward and hits the Harpy.  Do this till the
Harpy dies and the glitch should start.  When the glitch starts, back down
Off the ladder and simply stand there.
Once the glitch is running, just let Kratos stand there, put your controller
down, and walk away. Come back in a few minutes to see your massive amount
of orbs. Max amount of orbs is 199 full red bars which is 59,700 orbs.
It takes about 10 minutes to get the max 199 full bars.
----------------------IMPORTANT-----------------------
ONCE YOU GET THIS TO WORK, BACKTRACK AND FIND A SAVE
----------------------IMPORTANT-----------------------
If you die during the next part, you will lose your orbs since that glitch