God of War Ragnarok early game tips & tricks

You may need some tips and tricks to truly get the most out of God of War Ragnarok and its massive journey through the nine realms.

Whether it's making combat a little easier for yourself or just uncovering more of what's hidden in the corners of the world, we've got everything you need to know.

Explore everywhere

Our first tip is a simple one - explore everywhere you can. God of War Ragnarok is not a game that punishes curiosity, hiding all sorts of secrets and rewards around every corner. If there is a split path with one way clearly being the main objective, it's always worth your time to see what's down the alternative path.

You might uncover an intriguing side quest, or an area stashed with high-level crafting resources. You won't know unless you explore and find out.

One thing to keep in mind while exploring is to keep an eye out both above and below. While in a boat, look out for glimmering areas of water. Passing over these will reward you with some small resources.

In addition, keep an eye out for buckets suspended above the path while wandering through each realm. Knocking these down with your axe can also reward you with small amounts of crafting resources and Hacksilver.

Turn on Auto Pick Up

There are plenty of items to pick up in God of War Ragnarok, which means you'll likely be pressing that Circle button a whole lot. However, there's an accessibility option that can make this process much easier. If you turn on the Auto Pickup setting, then Kratos will automatically pick up items as he walks over them.

Not only does this relieve some of the tedium of pressing Circle all the time, but it also means you're less likely to miss items that you might have walked right over previously.

In addition, it's an especially handy feature to have enabled during combat. With Auto Pickup enabled, Kratos will pick up Health and Rage boost items instantly when he passes by them.

Especially when you're in a tricky fight and on the verge of defeat, those precious saved seconds can make all the difference.

Upgrade regularly

If you're exploring everywhere that you can, then you'll likely be able to upgrade your items and skills at a fair pace. The game will give you hints if you have unspent skill points and crafting items, but it's very easy to forget when you're felling foes at a rate of knots.

It's a good idea to check in regularly with Brok and Sindri to spend any crafting items and Hacksilver you have spare. There will always be more items to find, so don't worry about saving it all for the endgame.

Upgrading your weapons and armour will unlock new skills and passive buffs that will seriously help you in combat, especially as the enemies begin to get tougher.

Also, remember that Kratos and Atreus now earn XP separately. Don't forget to check in regularly with both of their skill trees to keep their abilities up to date.

Speak with companions

This tip won't necessarily help you with combat, but it will certainly elevate your appreciation for the writing and character-building in God of War Ragnarok.

Whenever you return home to Sindri's house, be sure to check in with each of the characters milling around. More often than not, they'll have some unique dialogue to give regarding the current state of your journey.

There's so much heart and comedy to be had with these minor character interactions, and they'll only make you love the game more.

Keep an ear out for ravens

We'd be lying if we didn't say that destroying all of Odin's Ravens was a bit of a chore in the first God of War - especially when they didn't actually reward you with anything besides a trophy. However, there is now a great incentive to destroy all of these Ravens in this one.

Shortly into the game, you'll gain access to the realm of Niflheim. It looks far different to how it did in the last game because this is now home to an ethereal tree where all of the freed Ravens come to gather.

As you destroy more of them throughout the Nine Realms, you'll gain access to a bunch of high-level chests at the base of this tree. Be sure to check back in with Niflheim regularly to see if you've unlocked any new loot - who doesn't love free goodies?

If you're having trouble locating Odin's Ravens out in the wild, the best advice we can give is to keep an ear out for them. When one is nearby, it will emit a high-pitched screeching sound that's easily identifiable. All you need to do then is look around for the bright green glow they give off.

Some of them can be quite difficult to hit with the axe, so make sure that you have the best angle possible and keep practising with the timing of your throw.