When Should You Start Exploring In God of War Ragnarok?

God of War Ragnarok may not be a traditional open-world game, but it offers numerous expansive areas for players to explore. Across the Nine Realms, several regions can take up to ten hours to fully complete, and completing some of these areas in a single visit without having access to certain abilities is not possible.

The world design in God of War Ragnarok frequently halts your progress until you acquire specific abilities, encouraging you to revisit areas later. This blend of open-world map and Metroidvania-style exploration sets Ragnarok apart from its peers.

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When to Start Exploring in God of War Ragnarok

Exploring the world in God of War Ragnarok

Many gamers love diving into exploration as soon as they gain access to the open-world section of a game, and while there’s nothing wrong with that approach, it can often be time-consuming and repetitive. You'll frequently encounter obstacles that you’re not yet equipped to handle, forcing you to backtrack. This can lead to frustration and disappointment for some players. So, when is the best time to start exploring in God of War Ragnarok?

There are two ideal times to explore the realms of God of War Ragnarok without frequent interruptions: after completing a specific mission and after finishing the main campaign.

Exploring After Specific Missions in God of War Ragnarok

All the abilities needed to traverse the God of War Ragnarok map are unlocked as you progress through the main story. By the time you complete the tenth main mission, “Forging Destiny” — where you venture to Svartalfheim with Brok — you’ll have nearly all the tools required to navigate the Nine Realms.

However, one exception remains. A significant portion of Vanaheim only becomes accessible after finishing the fourteenth main mission, “Creatures of Prophecy.”

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To streamline exploration, it’s recommended that God of War Ragnarok players fully explore all other realms and the unlocked areas of Vanaheim after completing “Forging Destiny.” Save the remaining portion of Vanaheim for after completing “Creatures of Prophecy.” This approach will ensure a smoother and more rewarding exploration experience, as you won’t need to lump all the exploration in the game after the 14th mission.

Exploring After Completing the Main Campaign of God of War Ragnarok

If you think you’ll be able to 100% complete every realm after finishing the fourteenth mission, you’d be mistaken. God of War Ragnarok features a substantial amount of content that only becomes available after completing the main story. These include:

Exploring a new area in Niflheim.
Killing all of Odin’s Ravens and defeating a hidden boss in Niflheim.
Completing the “Nine Realms in Bloom” side quest.
Completing the “Remnants of Asgard” side quest.
Defeating Berserker King Hrolf Kraki and Valkyrie Queen Gna.

To fully explore everything the game has to offer without interruptions, it’s best to start exploring after completing the main campaign. However, this approach can lead to burnout for some players. A more balanced strategy is to focus on significant exploration after the tenth (“Forging Destiny”) and fourteenth (“Creatures of Prophecy”) main missions, leaving the remaining content for the endgame.

Several areas in the game are accessible only when playing as Atreus. Since you won’t have the opportunity to play as Atreus after completing the main story, it’s highly recommended to explore these areas during the missions where he is playable.

That said, these sections rarely contain anything significant or essential, so missing any of them won’t have a major impact on your overall exploration or completion progress.

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