The prophecy that will end all wars in Ragnarok comes upon Kratos and Atreus. In the world of God of War Ragnarok, our heroes will stop the prophecy and look for a way to survive. It will not be an easy task, but we believe you are ready for it. Before embarking on the highly anticipated latest installment in the series, be sure to prepare yourself with this guide for the journey ahead. After decades, here are our God of War Ragnarok tips for players just starting their adventures in the nine realms.
This article does not contain any spoilers regarding the game's story!
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Explore the map thoroughly
As you explore the realms, you will quickly realize that there are many secrets to find in each one. (secret chests, scrolls of lore, buried treasure, and countless events linked to side quests that unlock as you progress.) Most of these are unorthodox and require extreme care when navigating a realm. If something looks interactive, it's very likely it is, and the rewards you earn for discovering these details can make a huge difference in battle and beyond. If you want to level up your equipment and take on the toughest challenges in the game, don't miss any opportunity to earn extra loot.
However, you must accept that not every puzzle can be solved immediately. Fortunately, fellow characters like Atreus and Mimir will point this out to you often.
Make use of Atreus' arrows during battle
While playing God of War Ragnarok, your battles can be quite hectic, so you'll need all the help you can get. By pressing the square button, Atreus can deal some damage to your enemies with fire arrows for you, helping you fill an enemy's stun bar more quickly. Arrows also recharge pretty quickly, so constantly combine them with your own melee attacks and then fill up their stamina bars to finish off your enemies. Additionally, Atreus' ranged attacks are very useful against small creatures and flying enemies, which Kratos can find difficult to melee with.
Check the lost and found chest often
No matter how good you are at picking up what enemies drop after battles, it's almost guaranteed to miss something valuable. Early in the game, Brock will introduce you to a chest next to his forge, where he stores all the items you left behind on your travels. Every time you approach a forge throughout the game, the chest will close and glow blue whenever there's something to snag inside (Processing materials you don't usually see after a battle.) Be sure to check this chest regularly to make sure you don't miss anything that might be useful to you on your journey.
Don't worry too much about skills
As you find weapon upgrades while exploring, you can use them in the forge to gain a new weapon level and unlock new skills for each weapon. Because you'll be leveling up your weapons multiple times using Frozen Flame and Chaos Flame, there's a plethora of skills Kratos and Atreus can unlock throughout the game's long story, and you're really free to develop them in any order. As long as you complete at least some side quests and research thoroughly, you'll have a steady stream of XP that will allow you to purchase most of the skills available at any point in the story. So spend your XP freely and don't worry too much.
Don't skip upgrades
The armor, talismans, and weapon hilts you choose will largely depend on your preferred playstyle, and you have the option to upgrade them using materials gained as you explore, complete quests, and defeat enemies. The further you progress in the game, the higher the level of the enemies will be, so if you forget to level up your equipment, you may sometimes find yourself against enemies that can kill you very quickly, even with one hit. Visit Brock and Sindri regularly to upgrade anything you decide.
Nornir chests are always worth the effort
You'll find Nornir Chests that require you to interact with or destroy three nearby runes to open. Finding these runes often takes some ingenuity and may require you to position yourself in a certain place, burn branches or engage in other mechanics that you can use later in your journey. Finding them and unlocking the chest is always worth the effort, as doing so will provide you with the items you need to permanently upgrade your health and rage. If you don't routinely open these chests, you won't be able to build up enough power to take on the next challenges of the game.
Complete the Muspelheim quests
After obtaining and combining two half Muspelheim seeds, you will be able to travel to Muspelheim. Like the first game, this kingdom features a series of battle challenges that reward you with loot upon completion. This will be a necessary part of your adventure if you want to maximize your armor level and gain new ways to customize your build. You'll have to spend quite a few hours solving everything here, as you'll need to complete the challenge rooms in certain sequences to unlock the last six challenges.
buy artifacts
As you progress through each of the game's realms, you'll find artifacts, often in the form of books and poems, that can be sold to Brock and Sindri for a nice trade. Don't worry, selling them won't affect your progress in a game and the extra Hacksilver in your pocket can help you with upgrades and more.
Listen to the ravens
Just like in the first game, Odin sent ravens to the nine realms to watch over you. These green ghost birds fly or land around objects in all realms and often (though not always) create a pretty good awareness for you to find the important stuff. However, you can also identify when someone is nearby due to the unique high-pitched sounds they emit. When you hear one, start looking up and around to see if you can find it and destroy it with your axe. As you destroy more and more of these, be sure to visit Niflheim and head to the crow tree to unlock chests with some really cool gear. If you can't find a specific crow, your map will list what area they are in (even if you missed them yourself)
Practice in Niflheim
Speaking of Niflheim, you will access this area relatively early in your adventure. If you're someone who likes to train and improve your moves, this could be a useful place to hang out. Besides hosting the aforementioned crow tree, it also has a training arena where you can practice combos and learn the best ways to use your recently unlocked skills. With multiple types of enemies you can fight endlessly, you can master any goal you set your mind to here. (but note that you won't gain XP for any of these.)
Watch out for loot in the water
There are several chapters in God of War Ragnarok that have Kratos and Atreus navigating the water in a canoe. In these sections, pay attention to the barrels and the shimmering gold fields, as both will contain Hacksilver or crafting materials. Hitting a barrel will instantly clear things up, while you'll have to press a button to pick up loot from glowing places. Additionally, you may periodically notice dewdrops hanging from tree branches in the water, and interacting with them will grant you permanent attribute boosts, so never cross them.
Check out accessibility features
There are numerous accessibility features that allow you to customize your experience to meet your needs, including options for low vision, hearing, motor, movement options and much more. Even if you don't need some of the more elaborate features, you can use the menu to customize things like auto-pick up and whether you need to tap or hold a button during certain actions.