advertisememt

The 10 BEST Side Missions in God of War Ragnarok

The 10 BEST Side Missions in God of War Ragnarok
VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown WRITTEN BY: Aaron Brown
The side missions in "God of War: Ragnarok" are almost as incredible as the main story! For this list we'll be looking at the best optional quests that Kratos and company can take on that help flesh out the world and backstories of its many beloved characters. Our list includes Casualty of War, The Mysterious Orb, Secret & Song of the Sands, and more!

Script written by Aaron Brown

Welcome to MojoPlays! And today we’re exploring The Nine Realms and completing the 10 best side missions in God of War Ragnarok. For this list we’ll be looking at the best optional quests that Kratos and company can take on that help flesh out the world and backstories of its many beloved characters. What was your favorite side mission in God of War Ragnarok? Let us know down in the comments.

Freyr’s Gift


A quest that leads to even more quests! As you progress through the adventure in God of War Ragnarok, you learn of Freya’s brother Freyr and his time in Alfheim. Although Freyr ended up in Alfheim unintentionally, he quickly endeared himself to both the Light and Dark Elves and the two formed a fragile peace under Freyr’s guidance. After he left, both sides fell back into a civil war which has continued for ages. While exploring the Forbidden Sands, Kratos will discover an enormous statue erected in Freyr’s honor and restoring the statue illuminates stones scattered around the sands which lead Kratos to a pair of keys. When combined, they unlock an enormous door containing a drake named Grave Belly who doesn’t appreciate being disturbed. Defeating it will grant Kratos unique resources and exploring the deserts will give Mimir and Freya time to expand on Freyr’s time in Alfheim.

For Vanaheim!


After seemingly sacrificing himself, Birgir appears lost until Helka picks up on his scent revealing he’s out there somewhere. After arriving at The Crater, Kratos and company begin their search for Birgir which leads them through fairly large stretches of terrain giving a brief view of the sheer scale The Crater presents. Calling forth Skol and Hati and switching from day to night, Kratos will come face to face with one of the few remaining dragons in all the realms, The Crimson Dread. While comparably smaller than the Dragon of the Mountain, it's no less fierce and its smaller stature means it can get up close and personal to deal devastating fire attacks. After grounding the dragon for good, Kratos will find Birgir hiding in a tower and after thanking you for his rescue, Kratos sends the weary Traveler through the Mystic Gateway safe and sound.

Animal Instincts


While on the trail of the Norns, Spekki and Svanna, Kratos and Atreus’s faithful wolves become agitated and nervous. Freya quickly comments how the pair are most likely afraid of the Kol Raider camps spread across The Lake of Nine and Kratos will comment about how the father and son had rescued the pair from Kol Raiders before the events of the game. Clearing out the Raider camps will lead to a confrontation with Olaf Nautson, the leader of the Raiders, and once defeated, Kratos is discouraged to find the pups still cowering in fear. In a rare show of compassion, Kratos reassures the pair that they are safe. This is the first instance of Kratos opening his heart to their suffering and feeling empathy for the poor wolves’ plight. Plus, you get to pet the bestest girls!

Casualty of War


The Crater is the gift that keeps on giving! After rescuing Birgir, Kratos can find numerous spirits who ask for his assistance collecting the missing halves of precious items they had when they were alive. Recovering them will also help the spirits recall what caused the Crater’s existence. Reclaiming the brooch, Kratos will learn of a battle between Thor and a “woman with fair hair,” collecting the toy, the spirit will tell of how Thor entered their town swinging his hammer with reckless abandon, and retrieving the hourglass will reveal that the fair haired maiden who stood up to Thor was Kratos’s late wife and Atreus’s mother Faye. Her rage at Thor’s brazen callousness caused the destruction that created the Crater and left a lightning bolt exactly like the one Kratos and Thor created on The Lake of Nine.

Sigrun’s Curse


Sigrun’s Curse is arguably one of the longer side quests in the game and the main reward is learning more about Sigrun and Mimir’s past and the secrets she kept from him, but for those looking to get the most lore out their playthrough of God of War Rangarok, this is one that shouldn’t be missed. Once the quest is started you’ll be sent all around The Lake of Nine to reclaim two pieces of a broken key in order to access the Treasury Door. The many enemies of Midgard aren’t going to make this an easy task for you however, as you’ll encounter plenty of resistance before the quest is complete. As you progress, you’ll discover that Mimir wasn’t Sigrun’s most important love and learn about the tragedy that led to her becoming the leader of the Valkyries, which makes their interactions before the events of Ragnarok all the more poignant.

The Mysterious Orb


Upon reaching Vanaheim for the first time, Brok introduces you to another dwarf blacksmith, Lunda, and she wastes no time asking Kratos for a favor. She requests Kratos locate her missing armor set and an unknown orb. While she is mysterious about what exactly this orb is or what it does, she’s very adamant of its importance. Upon finding the orb, Kratos is cautious of its unknown power and advises the rest of his party not to underestimate what the orb can do. Once Kratos returns the orb to Lunda, she immediately tosses it to her pet revealing the orb was its favorite squeaky toy, and as frustrated as Kratos is, at least he gets one of the best armor sets in the game. Unfortunately, the armor does nothing to protect Kratos's pride from Mimir and Freya mocking his overly cautious nature.

Lost Treasure


Sometimes the best side quests don’t need to be epic in scale but just well told and creatively resonant to the main story at hand. Such is the case with Lost Treasure which sees Kratos finding the soul of a father in Svartalfheim who asks Kratos to find his son whom he was searching for treasure with. Knowing the search was dangerous, the pair secretly went their separate ways in an attempt to protect the other. Unfortunately, this ended with both of them being killed while trying to save one another which draws deep parallels to Kratos and Atreus’s story in their attempts to avoid the prophecies associated with Ragnarok.

Secret & Song of the Sands


When Kratos and Atreus first arrive in Alfheim with Tyr, Atreus mentions he can hear something calling out for help. Only after Tyr leaves the pair are they able to investigate the Forbidden Sands and find the source of the pleas. Trapped beneath the grotesque vines of the Dark Elves is a Hafgufa, a giant sky jellyfish whose imprisonment led to the sands becoming untraversable. After freeing the Hafgufa, the sandstorms retreat but this is only the first half of the quest. Kratos and Atreus can eventually free another Hafgufa and Mimir explains the Hafgufa sacrifice themselves so that their children can be born and the next generation can continue on without them, but knowing that they did what was necessary for their children’s future. Kratos sympathizes with the Hafgufa, explaining to Atreus that no matter the cost, he would always do what is best for Atreus’s future, with or without him.

The Weight of Chains


When Kratos and Atreus first arrive in Svartalfheim, they find that Mimir is rather notorious amongst the dwarves and not in a good way. While attempting to help Mimir right some of the wrongs he committed against the realms while in service of Odin, they discover one he is most ashamed of, imprisoning a Lyngbakr and keeping it enslaved to harvest it for resources. Kratos and Atreus help to release the Lyngbakr from its restraints but much to Mimir’s dismay, the creature refuses to escape, having become complacent with its imprisonment and knowing no life outside of its chains. Kratos sympathizes with the creature having been enslaved by the gods for most of his life and comforts Mimir in that while the creature is still imprisoned in its mind, at least it now has the choice to be free.

Freya’s Missing Piece


Returning to Vanaheim had more meaning for Freya than breaking Odin’s curse trapping her in Midgard. Odin and Freya’s wedding took place in Vanaheim and is another reason why her once beloved realm now reignites her resentment of Odin and all of Asgard. Kratos helps Freya find the numerous relics and trinkets Odin gifted her on their wedding day and as each one is destroyed Freya explains its significance and the burden being lifted as they are shattered. Finally all that remains is the Asgardian Sword forged specifically for their ceremony and plunged into a stone by the two as they cemented their marriage. Stuck firmly in the stone, it’s only by being completely honest with herself and her true feelings of grief and loss over her son and her connection to both Vanaheim and Asgard does the sword finally free itself from the stone. The deepest wounds form the strongest bonds.
Comments
advertisememt