It should come as no surprise that the Unlocking the Mask chapter of God of War Ragnarok focuses on Atreus completing what he started and bringing together the various mark fragments. This is the final chapter in the Atreus solo story arc that has been developing throughout Ragnarok. You will be transported to the icy realm of Niflheim once you use it. However, before that can take place, you will first need to make your way back to good ol’ Asgard. Despite this, you may find that the people of Niflheim are more welcoming to you in light of the recent death of Heimdall.
Due to the fact that this is yet another chapter involving Atreus, your path will once again be relatively linear. On the other hand, just like in the previous chapters, there will be treasure to be found along the way in this one as well. This will be your only opportunity to find them in their natural habitat, as you will not be able to revisit the Atreus regions of these worlds in the future. You are in luck because we are here to direct you!
###Unlocking The Mask
The first part of this quest will involve a very, very quick detour back to Midgard. You are going to hang out with Fenrir, then you are going to hang out with Angrboda, and then you are going to head into your house. When this happens, you will find yourself back in Asgard. Your choices are going to be quite restricted from this vantage point onward. You were previously able to participate in a number of different optional interactions; however, the only one that will be accessible to you at this location is the one that takes place between Sif and Thrud. If you stick around, you might even get a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with Sif. You will not have the pleasure of listening to Heimdall scold you in the communal space for reasons that should be obvious. Oh well. Visit Odin and speak with him; he will give you a quest that takes you to Niflheim. However, first things first, you’re going to have to go and get your reliable sidekick, Thor.
###Black Thunder Tavern
You are going to meet up with Thrud at the neighbourhood watering hole. You are going to have your weapons taken away from you, and then, after a brief exchange with Thor, you are going to, as was to be expected, find yourself in the middle of a massive brawl. During the beginning of the mission, you will face off against a number of unarmed Einherjar. Because of how slowly they land each punch, it is very simple to parry one of their blows. Simply slam them with your bow and have Ingrid cut through them, and you will make quick work of them both in no time at all.
After you have completed the first batch, you will have a brief conversation with Thor, and then one of the other Einherjars will attack you. After that, you will go up against a different group, but this time they will be armed to fight back against you. On the other hand, in order to maintain a sense of equilibrium, Thrud will accompany you. You are going to have to fight your way through a wave of these celestial goons before Thor throws you to the second floor by accident.
After you have climbed to the top, you will have to engage in combat with three Einherjar. There won’t be any assistance coming from Thrud this time. However, none of them are armed, which means that you can easily parry any attack you make against them. When you have eliminated these three, you will then be given your arrows to use. Now, eliminate the Einherjar that are down below. At some point, the floor is going to give way, and a massive Einherjar is going to grab Atreus. The altercation in the tavern has been put to rest, all other considerations aside. As soon as you have assisted Thor in leaving the tavern, you will be able to continue on your journey to Niflheim.
###The Eternal Chasm
You should immediately make a U-turn as soon as you enter Niflheim, hop up to the altar, and grab a substantial Hacksilver pouch from there. Take a left when you are facing the altar, continue down the hallway, shoot a barrel that is hanging from the ceiling, grab the Hacksilver, then take a right when you reach the corner and open the chest that is to your right. Now, make your way back to the main room, but keep to the left wall the entire time. You will proceed upward until you reach a raised platform. You will find a second chest in this area. After this, you will have successfully removed all of the treasures from this area of the map. If you leave through the door on the right hand side of this area, you will find yourself standing on an ice bridge.
As soon as you cross the bridge, a band of Hel-Walkers will come after you and try to kill you. There is nothing here that you haven’t already dealt with a million times. You will have the ability to hop up onto the raised ledge on the left side of the room. There is a chest located in this area. After retrieving the chest, descend to the ground and proceed along the primary path. You will enter a wide-open room. On the opposite side of the room, there will be a collection of Hel-Walkers that are capable of hurling projectiles. Use your arrows to eliminate them as a threat. Once they are all dead, you should assist Thor in finishing off the rest of the enemies. From this vantage point, all that remains for you to do is remove the mask once you are in the appropriate section of the arena. Thor will break through the ice barrier, allowing you to proceed further.
You will proceed along a path that is linear in nature. After passing a bucket that is suspended from the ceiling, there is not much else to do but continue moving forward. When you reach a region that has a massive ice obstruction sitting in the middle of it, you should get ready for an ambush there. As soon as you get close enough, a Hel-Walker armed with a massive axe will emerge from that ice block and attack you. There will be a few Nightmares that jump into the fray. Remove them from the way, then continue forward. You will go head-to-head with a Hel-Walker who wields a shield as well as another who wields an axe. Hook to the left after you have finished off the enemies there, and you will find another treasure chest.
You should find yourself in the far right corner of the room. Put on your mask first, then make your way to the wall of frozen debris in the corner on the right. This will cause Thor to break down the wall in question. You are about to enter a cave that is very cold. Even though a Hel-Walker will be possessed by a nightmare, this won’t even be much of a challenge because Atreus has an incredible ability to stun, and Thor is a force of nature. After you have dealt with these particular foes, you will come across yet another band of Nightmares and Hel-Walkers. After you have eliminated all of them, descend into the large open area. Now is the time to face off against a Frost Ancient.
###Boss Fight: Frost Ancient
You should expect a fight with the Frost Ancient to be very similar to the one you had with the Forest Ancient in Vanaheim. It utilises the same projectile that fires rocks, and in addition, it employs a beam-based attack that utilises projectiles. Additionally, the only time you will be able to deal damage to it is when its chest opens up, which occurs just before it attacks or when it is stunned. During the course of this conflict, you will also be engaged in combat with a number of Hel-Walkers. Concentrate the majority of your firepower on the Frost Ancient, but don’t be afraid to take a few potshots at the regular Hel-Walkers’ heads now and then to help clear the field.
The most impressive aspect of Kratos and Atreus’ confrontation with the Forest Ancient boss is the manner in which it eloquently emphasises their differences. As Kratos, you need to be pretty thoughtful with your actions when you’re fighting this massive golem, but Atreus, thanks to his greatly enhanced mobility, is able to take more risks and dash out of the way of danger more easily. In a similar vein, the projectile attacks that Atreus uses are simply a great deal quicker than Kratos’ axe throws. If you spot a gap in the opposition’s defences, you will be able to let fly with a few arrows even if your shot isn’t completely charged up.
However, on the other side of the coin, while it is much simpler for Atreus to stun the Frost Ancient, he inflicts a significantly lower amount of damage on the sentient pile of rocks. You aren’t the only one, thank goodness. You have Thor’s protection. And, you are aware of what? The bigger guy packs a powerful punch. Your objective should be to render the Frost Ancient helpless whenever Thor is in the area, at which point you should finish off any foes that Thor is currently battling. This will result in Thor firing a couple of shots into the enormous creature. It won’t take more than a few blows from Thor for this boss to be consigned to the annals of Frost’s ancient history.
###Unifying The Mask Pieces
Now that you have Thor on your side, remove the mask from its hiding place in the upper right corner of the map. For fun, Thor will destroy a wall that is unrelated to the situation. This side area has one or two lingering Hel-Walkers that need to be eliminated before you can proceed. When you have finished doing so, proceed to the chest that is located to your left. After you have done that, search the area for the nearby drop. You will find a red chest at the bottom of the screen if you hop down. Once you have that chest, you should immediately climb back to the top and make your way back to the main path. Bring out your mask once more, and Thor will bust through the appropriate wall.
Proceed straight ahead along the main path. You have the option of killing the Hel-Walker that is on your right. As a reward for your efforts, there is some Hacksilver on a body that is not far away. Now that you have returned to the primary path, you will encounter a few Hel-Walkers as well as a few Nightmares. After you have dealt with all of them, proceed along the right wall and open the chest that is nearby. Proceed to the edge of the cliff and remove your mask before continuing. From this point forward, all that is left to do is take a seat, relax, and watch the various cutscenes play out. You will have reached the end of the section of the game titled “Unlocking the Mask.”