God of War's New Game Plus Mode Coming This Month

God of War is one of the most critically acclaimed games this year, and Sony Santa Monica is working on a reason to revisit the frigid environs of Norse mythology. A New Game Plus mode, originally announced at E3 2018, is coming on August 20. That date also marks the game's four-month anniversary.

The feature will come as part of a free patch. To start a New Game Plus, you'll need to have finished the story. You'll start the journey over with all of your previous armors, enchantments, talismans, resources, and abilities. You can set it to the same difficulty or choose a new one. You'll also be able to skip through cinematic scenes in both normal and New Game Plus games once the patch has gone live, as long as you've finished the story once.

The New Game Plus mode introduces a few new features and challenges as well. You can use new customization options to upgrade your gear, and use it to take on tougher enemies. Only within a New Game Plus playthrough, you'll be able to access a new rarity level and upgrade your armor by collecting a new resource called "Skap Slag."

God of War was praised for its impeccable presentation and a more relatable story. In GameSpot's God of War review, Peter Brown said, "God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come."