To make Kratos feel as powerful as possible early in God of War (2018) , focus on upgrades that raise his overall Power Level first: weapon upgrades, armor upgrades, and the best early skills. Kratos’ level comes mostly from upgraded gear and weapons, not from experience alone.

Best early priorities

  1. Upgrade the Leviathan Axe as soon as you can.
    Weapon upgrades raise Kratos’ power more than most other equipment upgrades.
  1. Upgrade chest armor first, then wrists and waist.
    Chest armor has a bigger impact on level than the other armor slots.

  1. Spend XP on skills that improve crowd control and combo safety.
    Early damage and control matter more than flashy late-game moves.

  2. Keep Atreus useful, but don’t rely on his upgrades for Kratos’ level.
    Atreus upgrades do not increase Kratos’ overall power.

Good early skills

A strong early build usually favors skills that help you survive and clear groups fast. For God of War (2018), that means leaning into basic axe combat, launcher skills, and abilities that let you control enemies before they overwhelm you. A practical early-game guide from 2018-era build advice also points toward simple, efficient setups rather than expensive niche upgrades.

Gear approach

  • Use your best available armor, even if it is not a perfect set yet.
  • Upgrade the set you actually wear instead of spreading materials too thin.
  • Prioritize gear with stats that match how you fight, especially Strength, Defense, Runic, or Cooldown depending on your playstyle.
  • If a new region gives you stronger materials, push story progress so you can keep upgrading.

Early power route

A simple route looks like this:

  1. Upgrade axe and armor whenever a shop makes it possible.
  2. Unlock the most useful early combat skills first.
  3. Use runic attacks to burst tougher enemies.
  4. Keep moving through the main story to access better materials and gear.
  5. Later, New Game Plus can push Kratos even further by letting you keep upgrades and unlock stronger gear.

Practical build style

If you want Kratos to feel strongest early, play a safe aggressive style: heavy axe attacks, lots of enemy staggering, and frequent use of runic attacks when enemies cluster. Early advice for the series consistently emphasizes skills and setups that give reliable damage without needing endgame gear. That makes Kratos feel powerful sooner because he survives longer, controls fights better, and hits harder with every upgrade.

TL;DR

Upgrade the axe, then your armor, then the best early skills. In God of War (2018), those upgrades raise Kratos’ power far more than XP alone.