Players can travel through each of the Nine Realms in God of War Ragnarok, but the game's largest and most engaging area is surprisingly hidden within a side quest. The highly acclaimed sequel takes Kratos and Atreus on a truly epic adventure as they fight to protect each other and the rest of the Norse world. Most of the largest areas in God of War Ragnarok are visited as part of the main story, but arguably the game's greatest region is entirely optional.
[Warning: This article contains story spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.]Towards the end of the main story in God of War Ragnarok players will journey back to Vanaheim, the lush realm of the Vanir gods, to rescue Freyr from Odin's forces. As the cast makes an escape on Freyr's flying boat one of the god's loyal followers, Birgir, sacrifices himself to fend off pursuing creatures. While this appears to be the demise of Birgir, players can later find his loyal dog Helka who will lead them away from camp. Following the hound will eventually bring the player to a cliffside in Vanaheim from which Kratos can see fireworks used as a signal by Freyr's companions. Realizing that Birgir is alive, Kratos uses Freyr's flying boat to set out in the warrior's direction. While most God of War side quests take place in small secluded areas, this entirely optional sequence of events actually unlocks a massive portion of Ragnarok that fans would otherwise miss.
God Of War Ragnarok Hides Its Greatest Region
Following Helka to Birgir's location takes Kratos to The Crater, a massive hidden region in Vanaheim that essentially acts as its own open-world environment. Players are likely to start out searching for Birgir, but they will quickly discover that this new area is both extraordinarily large and filled with its own lineup of side quests. Kratos is tasked with hunting various intrusive species to help heal the broken region, resulting in many monstrous boss fights. Speaking to various spirits also explains how The Crater became a barren wasteland, which provides fascinating lore about Kratos' otherwise mysterious wife Faye. God of War Ragnarok features Faye in the flesh, and The Crater sheds light on her life before meeting the Ghost of Sparta.
The Crater serves as God of War Ragnarok's answer to the first game's Lake of Nine, with players unblocking a dam to turn the area's ravines into rivers and unlock new areas. The Crater also features exclusive content in the form of dragon bosses, which are only found in this specific part of the game world. Boss fights against the dragons are incredibly engaging, with the flying fire-breathers soaring through the air for ranged attacks before landing on a perch or closing in for melee attacks. Many fans were likely looking forward to fighting more dragons after their appearances in the last game, but God of War Ragnarok strangely restricts these epic encounters to the easily missable Crater.
The new realms in God of War Ragnarok are loaded with interesting gameplay and fascinating story moments, but The Crater is by far the game's most impressive area. It essentially serves as its own self-contained open world, with enemies freely roaming around the environment and objectives appearing within every nook and cranny. Making The Crater entirely optional was a bold choice for Santa Monica Studio, but it certainly helps make the world of God of War Ragnarok feel bigger and more alive.
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God of War Ragnarok
- Released:
- 2022-11-09
- Developer:
- Santa Monica Studio
- Franchise:
- God of War
- Genre:
- Adventure, Action
- Platform:
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Publisher:
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Ragnarok has arrived in God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to the 2018 game of the year released on PlayStation 4. Three years have passed since Kratos and his son, Atreus, completed their quest across the realms while facing a small handful of Norse gods. However, their actions come with consequences. The Allfather, Odin, is ready for vengeance, and his son, Thor, leads the charge. Atreus, looking to find more answers about his lineage on his mother's side, embarks on another quest with his father to discover the truth while contending with the wrath of Odin's realm in this conclusion to the Norse God of War Saga.
- Prequel:
- God of War
- How Long To Beat:
- 26 Hours
