Boss Battle: Zeus

Zeeeeeuuuuuuuus! Kratos cracking a smile is much harder to do than this final showdown with Zeus, but that is not to say Zeus is a pushover. The battle initially takes a step back in time (in gaming) to the yesteryears of 2D fighting (with 3D characters, of course). Movement is restricted only to side-to-side and within the provided space. The double jump and Hermes' mid-air dash comes in real handy here to both avoid Zeus' attacks and getting cornered by him. One of Zeus' attacks consists of a one-two combo punch, which turns into a powerful thunder clap only if the second hit connects. He also jumps into the air to shoot multiple projectiles at a time. This particular move is easily countered by either standing under him and hitting him, or using the Hyperion Ram to reel him in from mid-air. When he raises his arm and it glows in a gleaming light, he is about to charge straight across the platform and grab Kratos in a choke hold. He then proceeds to drag Kratos across the floor to the opposite wall. If he succeeds, Kratos takes a ton of damage from this attack, but before this happen you can furiously wiggle the left Analog Stick to counter.

Other attacks include a enveloping himself in electricity and flinging himself at Kratos like a homing, electrified cannonball. Roll forward at the last second to evade this devastating attack. Zeus must be bested twice during the two rounds of fighting. The power of the Nemean Cestus is a real asset in the first round. Simply pound into him, spam magic attacks, and evade when necessary. Don't worry too much about health and magic, as they will be generously replenished right before the second round. Because Zeus mixes in a new attack during the second round we don't recommend using the Nemean Cestus. Basically, Zeus casts a series of lightning eruptions across a certain distance in front of him. As long as Kratos is far enough away, in the air, or behind him when he does this he is immune. You may notice, too, that Zeus has a bit of downtime following certain attacks--if he misses Kratos--especially after his one-two combo or choke hold attack. Exploit these opportunities to land a good combo in there.

A long cut-scene after this with a QTE sequence or two interrupts the battle. Save and head outside to the gazebo to meet with Zeus to resume the battle. You could rush headlong into the battle, or stay on the defensive until a certain Titan arrives. Next thing you know, Gaia tosses the two in her body. Navigate through this familiar territory to the heart. The heart is protected by two layers: an Onyx covering and some bramble. Deal with them accordingly to leave the heart at Kratos' utter mercy. However, at this point Zeus re-appears and is determined to duke it out.

The most important thing to note is that the pulsating heart draws from an infinite reserve of health Orbs and supplies them to whomever beats the crap out of it when it glows red. This means that both Zeus and Kratos can make use of this benefit throughout the fight. When the heart glows a bright red, it is ready to pump out the health Orbs. When this happens, Kratos needs to beat Zeus to the punch; never let him regenerate!

During this segment of the fight, Zeus employs a few new techniques, including a Doppelganger attack in which he fires a copy of himself at Kratos and causes initial damage with it. The clones stay in the battle for some time until you make them go away. They aren't perfect replicas, as the real Zeus can easily be discerned by his flowing white loincloth. While the clones can quickly become annoying as Zeus increases the numbers, they greatly benefit your ultimate purpose by providing magic Orbs and being fodder for filling the Blade of Olympus meter. Plus, there's nothing really to cry about when Kratos' health can be recharged.

Zeus' other attack is a lightning projectile that can be deflected back at him. Spam the magic attacks and chain combos where you can. After enough damage is dealt, Zeus and Kratos lock in an intense power struggle, during which you must mash the on-screen buttons.

Sometime later, Kratos finds himself inside his own head, enshrouded in darkness. Here you basically want to look for a blood trail to follow and--later on--a blue light. Interact by pressing R1 at each of the "stops" to advance the sequence. Once guided out of the darkness, Kratos snaps out of it, and you enter a first person perspective of the battle. Lash out randomly against Zeus until he falls, at which point Kratos grabs him and the violence continues. From here you can repeatedly press the Circle button to turn the world a bloody red. When the screen is completely coated with the color, you can stop pressing to finally finish things.