###Path to the Mountain
After beating the Stranger, it’s time to delve inside the crack you opened.
Mountain climb
Hop down and shimmy along, up, and across the various ledges – if you get stuck look for that classic PlayStation exclusive gold highlighting to show what you can grab onto whilst climbing, and note that when you need to jump across a gap it often requires turning the camera to face the direction you need to go before the Circle button prompt appears.
Soon, you’ll reach a wooden region with platforms and another targetable cog.
To ascend up, lower the bridge using the wheel or winch to the right of the glowing cog. Throw an axe at the cog while holding the winch to freeze it, lowering the bridge. Atreus can run over and lower the chain so you can climb.
Hop up and left for a Hacksilver chest, then cross the bridge to where Atreus initially went up and leap up the rock wall. Climb to the top for a great view, then turn right and climb the wooden buildings to Wildwood’s Edge.
###The Wildwood’s Edge
This clearing has various adversaries, including those that launch fireballs that may be stopped or evaded. When you’re done, search for the glowing blue letters, known as runes, on a nearby rock. Atreus’s readings add backstory to your diary.
Continue upwards
Next to those runes is a climbable wall, and just ahead is another chilly guy that needs a few hard blows. After that adversary, to the right is an alcove with a crimson box holding Hel’s Touch, a new Runic Attack. It stuns and knocks back adjacent adversaries when triggered, allowing you breathing space in fight.
When asked, raise the fallen pillar for Atreus to reveal a bridge. Atreus will nearly fall off, so go over to assist. When you both fall and land below, ready for another battle.
This one has tons of Draugr, including some powerful ones. You’ll probably utilize Spartan Rage at some point, so use it when it feels right and attempt to take out ranged adversaries on elevated ledges when you can.
Ruins Escape
Collect the fallen Hacksilver and healing orbs, then proceed to Atreus’ inscribed stone. After he reads the runes, head right toward the brick wall for additional fighting. Kill these meatier guys, then climb the golden marks where they emerged.
###Kill the Revenant
Soon you’ll reach another room with additional statuesque foes and a Revenant. Smash them before they come to life. They dart and evade when attacked. Atreus’ arrow will stun them for a minute, allowing you to follow up. A hefty axe throw will stun them again, allowing you to do additional damage.
Killing the Revenant begins a new kill Labor, Revenant’s Ruin, and rewards Hacksilver.
Jump from the chamber’s damaged wooden platform to the cliff’s gold marks. Climb up, then choose a path.
Turn right towards Soft Svartalfheim Steel.
Turn around and leap over the gap you just climbed, killing a few opponents in front of you. Then proceed left into the next room where more frozen and live Draugr await. Kill them and admire the carved wooden doors to complete another Shrine. A neighboring ledge has a Hacksilver chest.
Backtrack to the shattered wood platform and turn left to a room with a magnificent chest.
To unlock it, you must strike three blue Seals with your axe within a brief time constraint. First, right behind and above chest. Next is left of the elevated bridge, high above. You may need to lower the bridge by destroying its support to chop it.
Third is over the bridge. After lowering the first part, climb up to the shattered wooden platform you came from, but hang left and gaze towards the bridge. You may take out the object holding it up from here with your axe.
Look to your left after crossing the bridge to observe the next seal through a rock crack. Throw your axe to open the chest and get an Idunn Apple. Three of them enhance max health permanently.
Cross the bridge again and look to your right for a Hacksilver chest.
In the next room, you’ll face another ice man, a Revenant, and a chunkier Dragur. Gather Hacksilver and healing orbs, then proceed to the bridge winch.
Again, you must lower the bridge and shoot a specified item with your axe to freeze it in place. Drop it till the highlighted disc aligns with the bridge’s railing gap. Hit the axe to freeze the bridge halfway, then dash over and hang right for Soft Svartalfheim Steel.
Reaver
Backtrack and lift the gate for another cutscene. Reavers will assault, but they’re simple to kill. After helping Atreus, kill the reanimated guys, who are now “ice dudes” (thus the name Reavers).
Go to a gold-marked wooden panel to boost Atreus so he may drop a chain for you to climb. You’ll have to nag him, since he’s understandably shaken.
###Escape the Ruins
Climb the lowered chain and shimmy over the ledge in the next chamber for another Soft Svartalfheim Steel chest and your first Faces of Magic. Step outdoors, but wait a moment before continuing.
Continue upwards
A luminous green bird sits on a mossy rock as you leave the chamber. This is one of 51 Odin’s Ravens, or The Eyes of Odin. Taking them out is another Labour, so watch for their distinctive squark and green light.
Brok, who helped manufacture your axe, will repair and upgrade it if you choose on the bridge. Check out his shop to see if there’s any stuff you want to upgrade; we’ve been great without it.
After chatting, adversaries emerge from the forest – Atreus was correct about what was blocking Brok’s mule – so kill them first.
Enter the Mountain’s gate
Before proceeding through the gate, chuck your axe at the disc holding up the nearby bridge and drop down a level for a Hacksilver chest, then slide down the chain for another chest containing Soft Svartalfheim Steel. Open the nearby gate to circle back or take Metroidvania-style shortcuts to and from the previous area before climbing back up the way you came.
Brok’s right side also has Faces of Magic.
Pull the winch, throw your axe at the highlighted disc, and go through.
Mountain
You’ll soon meet a spiked door that hurts you if you come too near. Throw your axe at the top-right golden bit to unlock it.
The next one takes a few hits, and you may find a chest via a wall gap on the left. Hit the second door with your axe again to open it further, enabling you to go behind the wall to the chest containing additional Soft Svartalfheim Steel.
Now, there’s a nasty-looking apparatus in front of you: spikes on a ceiling that has to be elevated, but might drop if you do it wrong – and that’ll hurt.
You must hurl your axe against the scratched-up golden panel on the left multiple times to elevate the spikes. Then, rapidly recall your axe and smack the luminous disc under the wood panel to freeze it in the air.
Several foes will arrive; you may either leap back, recall your axe, and let them be squashed (but raise the spikes again) or punch them. Atreus will require help on the starting platform.
Once the area is clean, open the chest on the left for more Hacksilver, then use your axe to open another spiked wooden gate.
Climb up and to the right to get Faces of Magic, then go outdoors. There’s another locked runic chest above the Hacksilver box you just unlocked. We couldn’t figure out how to obtain it at the moment, but you may need to wait for the giant spiked platform to come down again, then leap on it to go to the runic chest. We’ll check this when we have a chance.
Outside, proceed left along the cliff for a Faces of Magic, then continue for another puzzle, a large disc with shattered bits, yellow text, and illuminating gears. First, race to a left-side platform and pull a lever.
Throw your axe at a cog to freeze it, and then recall it when the symbols match up with the next one. Repeat until all three segments of the wheel line up, and the symbols will become gold.
Inside the cave, hang left for a Faces of Magic collectible. Backtrack to the exit, where you’ll see boar traces.
Atreus’s hunt
Can you predict the outcome? After Atreus, you’ll meet another massive Troll.