God Of War is one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time. With an amazing storyline, rich and beautiful landscapes, and some seriously fun combat and game mechanics, it's easy to see why players are still picking the game up nearly 3 years after its release. Following a slightly older Kratos than previous installments, the game follows the titular character on his quest to teach his son how to survive in a harsh and dangerous world.

Despite the game being a few years old, many players are just picking it up for the first time, and many will be struggling with deciding which skills to upgrade first to make combat go more smoothly. It can be difficult to know what skills to focus on and how to spend those hard-earned XP points, which can be somewhat hard to come by in the earlier stages of the game. With a ton to choose from, it can be daunting trying to ensure that players aren't wasting points on skills that they will hardly use.

UPDATE: 2022/12/01 13:04 EST BY GEORGE CHRYSOSTOMOU

God of War: Ragnarök has launched on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Many new players are starting at the original PS4 iteration of God of War, the soft reboot that followed the early Greek series. For those who want to get going with the title by giving Kratos an edge, it's a great time to look at more of the best God of War skills that can be upgraded extremely quickly or are worth getting first.

Executioner's Cleave

Executions are incredibly useful when in the midst of battle and are a vital way of dispatching an opponent rapidly. Executioner's Cleave in particular is an early upgrade and skill that players can grab to the Leviathan Axe, arguably Kratos' greatest weapon.

RELATED: 10 Details That Prove God Of War Ragnarok Will Be Game of The Year 2022 Over Elden Ring

By holding R2 it will deal a massive blow, but the downside of this choice is that it takes a while to load up before it can be used again. Regardless, it is very useful at getting rid of the larger opponents in battle and is especially noteworthy for handling boss situations.

Guardian Justice

As players continue to deal with the gut punches of the narrative, Kratos himself can actually use his shield for more than just defending against those attacks. In fact, he can use it offensively, and Guardian Justice is one such skill to add to the roster.

By holding R2 the shield is activated and pushes back opponents, often a group at a time. It's great for when the Axe is not in use, and the shield slam also deals damage while giving Kratos a little more space to work. It's a simple but effective maneuver in most situations.

Freezing Burst

The Leviathan Axe utilizes frost and ice as its elemental ability, and the Freezing Burst is an intricately designed move that takes advantage of these mystical principles. The Freezing Burst can be applied to the Axe as it is thrown to single or multiple enemies.

By aiming and then holding R2 to charge up the blast, when the Axe is thrown it will let out its icy burst, freezing the enemy it has hit and dealing damage to those nearby. It's perfect for crowd control and will freeze most enemies, taking them out of the melee for the moment.

Precision Throw Combo

The Precision Throw Combo is essentially a bit of an upgrade for the Leviathan Axe, although it is better suited for singular enemies. Once holding and throwing the Axe, the player can immediately recall it and then throw it again, the second of which releases an icy blast.

RELATED: 10 Most Hated Characters In God Of War, According To Reddit

This thus takes advantage of Kratos' long-range potential, has a much quicker recall, continues to play on that elemental magic, and is a surprise move to throw out when the god of war's back is up against the wall. This is one of the best skills in the game, period.

Acrobatics

In of versatility, to be more effective within the field, it's important to upgrade Atreus along the way as well. The best Atreus God of War skills includes Acrobatics, which allows the companion to be far more agile and ultimately useful in battle.

Essentially it helps to produce a combo move with Kratos in specific circumstances and keeps Atreus moving across the terrain, ensuring that he is picking his best opponents. It takes the stress off the player slightly, knowing that they have Acrobatics in use to deal further damage.

Pride Of The Frost

Kratos' axe will be what most players go to in the early stages of the game when ranged combat isn't as effective until later in the game. This makes the Pride of The Frost skill a must and should be acquired as soon as possible. Using the skill is as easy as chaining three light attacks and a heavy attack together, which results in a powerful blow to the enemies.

Besides being easy to use in the middle of tense combat situations the skill is also especially useful when taking out groups of enemies, not only dealing damage but clearing some space for the player to reset and catch their breath.

Teamwork

When compared to the massive and powerful Kratos, his son and companion Atreus may not seem like much. However, upgrading Atreus early on in the game will pay dividends down major and side quests down the road.

Aside from dealing a fair amount of damage with the best skills, Atreus is especially helpful when taking down groups of enemies as he is able to distract them from going after Kratos, allowing him to focus on a smaller amount of enemies at a time.

Countering Strike

One of the first shield combat skills that new players should unlock will quickly become one of the most used skills in the game.

Allowing players to push back an enemy after a last-second block gives the ability to create space from enemies as well as giving players the opportunity to take advantage of the brief slow-motion sequence that the skill triggers and attempt a finishing move or possibly a chain of attacks. When used correctly, the skill is wildly effective against almost any enemy.

PermaFrost

Another skill that players will find themselves using constantly once acquired, PermaFrost is useful because it allows players to deal extra damage while doing something that they are going to be doing anyway.

RELATED: 10 Best Characters In God Of War, According To Reddit

Since players don't have to specifically activate the skill during combat, it's perfect for those moments when things get a little hectic and a good ol' hack and slash is all that the player can manage.

Ferocity

Another useful skill involving Atreus, Ferocity allows Atreus to stun enemies that get a little too close. When facing multiple strong enemies, this can be especially useful, as he can pretty much keep at least one of them out of the fight at any time.

This skill also allows players to have a bit of peace of mind when focusing on a particularly difficult foe, as Atreus will be able to keep the lower-level enemies at bay for a short amount of time.