How do Combo Finishers work in God of War Ragnarok? Answered

With all the different mechanics at play in God of War Ragnarok, it’s easy enough to miss a few details along the way. It’s even easier when some of those mechanics aren’t really explained at all until they show up in an item description. This is the case for Combo Finishers, which you may see mentioned as you upgrade one of the first available armor sets in the game, and which are fairly important when it comes to maximizing your damage output.

Related: An eager player has unearthed God of War Ragnarok’s unreleased photo mode

How Combo Finishers work in God of War Ragnarok

Combos are an integral part of God of War Ragnarok’s combat system, and unlike in a series like Monster Hunter, are relatively easy to pull off, with wide input timings and simple button combinations. For instance, the Leviathan Axe’s two basic combos when you start the game are a Light Attack combo (R1 four times in a row) and a Heavy Attack combo (R2 three times in a row.) You can find these combos by pressing the button repeatedly attack until the point where there’s a break in the attack chain. If you’ve upgraded the Vidar’s armor set, though, you’ll see that its perks focus on combos, with two pieces specifically increasing the damage of Combo Finishers.

By default, Combo Finishers are just the last attack in a combo, and getting to them safely is one of the best ways to increase the speed at which you can deal damage. Your suite of Combo Finishers isn’t set in stone either, as it can be expanded as you progress through the skill tree. On the Leviathan Axe, for example, the Pride of the Frost I skill allows you to add a Heavy Attack Finisher to the end of your Light Attack Combo by replacing the final R1 with an R2.

These added finishers are more powerful than their standard counterparts, but they do usually leave you open to attack during long animations. If, for any reason, you find a certain skill changes a combo in a way you don’t like, you also have the option to deactivate that skill in the skill tree at any time.