Determined not to make God of War Ragnarok feel too similar to its predecessor, Sony Santa Monica has done quite a bit of work to make the realms of Midgard, Alfheim, Helheim, Muspelheim, Niflheim, and Jotunheim feel new again. Important story events occur, new enemies and locations are discovered, and more of each realm’s secrets are uncovered to make them larger and more varied than their previous counterparts. Players will no doubt have just as much fun visiting the old realms as they do the new ones.
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Midgard
The main setting of 2018’s God of War, Midgard has undergone some severe weather changes. The realm is now covered in frost thanks to Fimbulwinter - the long winter that precedes Ragnarok. The cold has changed much of the landscape, leaving most of the previous areas now inaccessible. Players do get to adventure around a great chunk of the Lake of The Nine, however, thanks to it being frozen solid and open to exploration via sled. In addition to the new frozen realm, players have to deal with raiders and Hel-Walkers that call Midgard their home. Both enemies were already present in the previous game, but they now have more variations that make fighting them more difficult. This is on top of the many mythological beasts that already roam the land.
Alfheim
While Kratos and Atreus previously explored the Tower of Light to reawaken their Bifrost, God of War Ragnarok has them exploring the dark areas below the tower as well as the area surrounding it. The Tower of Light is full of Light Elves who are now in control of the Light of Alfheim. These enemies possess a wider array of weapons and combat abilities that players must learn to get the upper hand on them. This isn’t mentioning their Dark Elf counterparts who make a comeback in the second game.
The Tower of Light may be a big linear experience, but it is the dessert area around the tower that deserves special mention. The Barrens and The Forbidden Sands are two large, open-ended areas that are teeming with all kinds of fauna that are local to Alfheim. While some creatures like the Hafgufa are friendly, most of them are hostile and serve as foes that block players’ paths to progression.
Helheim
The Realm of The Dead, Helheim was where Kratos previously killed the Keeper of the Bridge of The Damned and made a daring escape onboard a flying shipwreck alongside his son. Now returning with different agendas, Kratos and Atreus travel to the Docks of Vadgalmir to retrieve a certain piece of Odin’s mask and stop the rampage of a massive hellhound called Garm. There are quite a lot of story elements that take place in Helheim, a lot of which center around Atreus’s friendship with Thor’s daughter Thrud and his relationship with Kratos. While most of the local enemies remain largely the same as their first visit to Helheim, players will finally be able to get up close and personal with Hraesvelger - the giant eagle that presides over the realm.
Muspelheim
Muspelheim previously housed a host of combat challenge arenas where players could test their mettle and get some exclusive crafting components. This hasn’t changed much in God of War Ragnarok, save for new arena layouts and challenges. In addition to these challenge arenas, however, players also take part in a short explorable section that ends with them meeting Surtur - a fire giant and ruler of the realm. Those with a basic knowledge of Ragnarok will know that Surtur plays an important part in the world-ending war, and his story in the game is best experienced for oneself.
Niflheim
Much like Muspelheim, Niflheim played host to Ivaldi’s Workshop - a cursed location that players could explore to obtain some rare pieces of gear. The workshop is no longer present in God of War Ragnarok. In its place is a sparring area where players can practice their combat moves against previously encountered enemy types. While it is mentioned that combat experience cannot be gained in the sparring area, players can still complete the game’s many weapon challenges and earn experience this way.
Niflheim also houses the Raven Tree - a mystical tree whereupon the freed ravens of Odin gather. Players can open the chests located at the base of the tree by freeing a certain number of ravens. These chests hold powerful pieces of gear and runic attacks - some of which make a return from the previous game. There is also a small explorable area called the Mist Fields that plays an important part in Atreus’s story.
Jotunheim
The ultimate destination of the first game, the Jotunheim seen in God of War Rangnarok is teeming with life instead of death. Far from the mountain where Kratos and Atreus spread Laufey’s ashes is Angrboda’s house - a place full of local flora and fauna that Angrboda herself looks after in the absence of most of the Jotnar.
There is one other living giant in Jotunheim apart from Angrboda. Gryla is Angrboda’s grandmother and a large woman who scours the lands for souls to devour. After her son sacrificed himself to save the giants, Gryla was stricken with grief and wants nothing more than to dull the pain of her loss with animal souls. Players visit Jotunheim quite early on in the game and can return to it once the main story is complete, but it doesn’t play as big of a role as it once did.
The remaining realms of Svartalfheim, Asgard, and Vanaheim are just as varied as the aforementioned realms. Since they aren’t held back by previous iterations, these realms’ layouts and inhabitants are entirely new and just waiting to be explored. But thanks to the hard work of the developers, each realm is just as enjoyable to explore as the last.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
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