God of War is a third-person action video game, focused on the player using melee attacks, magic abilities, and combinations of the two to defeat foes. The player controls Kratos' movements, including jumping, swimming, and climbing, as well as his attacks. Kratos' primary weapons are the Blades of Chaos, which can be used in a number of different types of attacks, varying in power, speed, and range of damage. Throughout the game, Kratos also gains the abilities of several magical artifacts, such as the head of Medusa that can be used to turn foes into stone.