God of War Ragnarok The Reckoning walkthrough

In this guide, we’ll walk you through The Reckoning main path chapter in God of War Ragnarok. It takes the player to Vanaheim, a lush jungle realm, with the aim of ridding Freya of the cursed tying her to Midgard imposed on her by Odin.

In the spirit of conserving the experience for all, we’re keeping spoilers and major story elements to a minimum, but for the purpose of explaining how to progress through The Reckoning, to solve puzzles, and the like, there are a few in there. Tread carefully from here on if you don’t want anything spoiled.

To help make the most of your first visit in Vanaheim, we’ve also included all the chests, lore, and so on you can grab as you make your way through.

Meet Brok at the Mystic Gateway

Reach the mystic gateway at the front of the house and travel through to reach The Southern Wilds area of Vanaheim.

Locate the Source of Freya’s Curse, and Destroy It

Push forward until you come to a fork in the road with a large tree. Go left to find an Odin’s Raven circling a small pond.

To the right is a chest. There’s also another a little further to the right but it’s inaccessible currently. Squeeze through the gap ahead and open the gate. Shoot the plants to avoid damage and net a nice haul of hacksilver. Loot the chest on the right of the market square. On the left is a crawl space that leads to a Legendary chest with the Wrath of the Frost Ancient light runic attack inside.

Towards the back of the area is another chest. Climb up to the level above, loot the red chest, and then interact with the jump attack prompt to break the floor and grab the Kvasir’s Poem – Upon Pursuing a Place Not Marked On Maps artifact.

Return to the level above and continue on the path forward over the low ledge.

Fight off the enemies, then look on your left for a crawl space leading to a red chest. Return to the path and pass under the large bundle of roots.

Continue forward and you’ll come to a Nornir chest.

The first rune is blocked by bramble on your right. Free it with the Blades then axe the spinner twice until it’s on the N-like symbol.

The second is to the right, up high on a ledge. Hit it once to get it on the C-like symbol.

The final rune is behind you. Turn around backtrack a little and look up left for a spinner wrapped in bramble. Aim the Blades at the clump on the left – it will burn its way to the spinner. Hit it twice with the axe so that it lands on the R-like symbol. Loot the chest for a Horn of Blood Mead.

Continue across the water and down the path. Ahead are two Wulvers. Lift the rock ahead and boost Brok up to the ledge, then grapple up. Enter the crawl space where Brok was pulled into the tree to enter Freyr’s Camp.

Speak with Freyr

Before speaking with Freyr, grab the Freyr’s Lament Lore Scroll in the alcove with a fire pit to the right of the crane that held up Brok.

Take the left path leaving the camp, turn right and turn around to find the Vanaheim Lullaby Rune Read. Speak with Freyr.

Continue to Seek the source of Freya’s Binding Curse

Leave the camp through the wood gate. When exiting the cave, enter the clearing on your left. Loot the chest at the back, then shoot the Odin’s Raven perched on a tree above the water.

Push forward, climb up the two ledges, then drop down the ledge on your right to grab a chest. Grapple across the gap. Get through the crawl space then fight the Forest Ancient. The trick is to throw your axe when the ancient exposes its chest. You can also throw the projectiles it releases every so often.

Squeeze through the gap, burn the bramble in your way, and jump to the other side. There’s a Legendary chest up above but you can’t reach it yet. Kill the pack of enemies then loot the chest on the left, and press forward through the squeeze and enter the Eastern Barri Woods.

Follow the path to a fight with a Flame Gradungr and Einherjars. 

Cross the Valley to Reach the Watchtower

Climb and grapple to the other side of the water then push forward, looting the chest as you go. In the clearing, fight off the Cursed Nokken then cross the bridge. Shoot the spinner on your left and grapple across to enter The Abandoned Village.

In the entrance to the grand hall on the right is the Prayer to Freya Rune Read.

Grab the chest down the short path on the left then squeeze through into the hall. Kill all the enemies inside, then head to the back. Pull the chain and go through the gate.

Head left. Approach the blue mist and shoot the plant up above on the right. This freezes it, so don’t recall until you’ve grabbed the chest at the back and passed through. Burn the bramble with the Blades and climb the chain to the ledge above.

There’s a Legendary chest on the right with the Shatter Star Shield inside. Shoot the plant first to clear the blue mist. Pull the chain and slide down the rope.

Hop across the water then grapple and climb to the top of the village. Grab the chest on the left, then go forward.

Find a Way to Cross the Broken Bridge

Burn the Bramble and shoot the crane to move it.

Grapple across to the bridge on the left, then shoot the crane again so that the bucket lines up with the other brambles. Interact with the bucket and swing it backwards to burn the brambles. Hit the crane spinner again, and grapple back to where you were a moment ago. Hit the spinner again and grapple across to the other side.

Turn right and take the path down to the shore to find a Nornir chest containing an Idunn Apple. The first rune brazier is just opposite the chest. The second is back at the crane, you’ll spot it just across the water on the right. To light it move the crane so that the fire bucket is close, then swing it towards the brazier. The third is to the right of the side platform and involves the crane as well. Grapple to platform on the side. Swing the fire bucket left so that it moves towards the brazier.

Press forward and squeeze through the gap. Defeat Fiske, one of Odin’s champions, to get the Glaive of Dodher relic. Break through the door with the Blades.

There’s a chest through the crawl space on the left. Continue forward until you come to another crane.

Jump down. To the left is a chest to loot. Go right and look for a cave with a yellow line shining from it. Go inside, loot the chest, then go to the back and use your Blades to topple the stone plinth. 

Climb back to where you first came into the area and shoot the crane spinner. Grapple across to the other side and follow the path. Shoot the crane spinner again and grapple across to find a Legendary chest with the Helios Flare light runic attack for the Blades inside. Hop down the ledge to the left of the chest. Climb to the next area and through the doors down the right-hand path to battle Nidhogg.

Return to Freyr’s Camp

Go forward, back through the doors ahead. Instruct Freya to shoot the vines ahead then use the Blades to destroy them. Continue forward. There’s another set of vines blocking a chest on the right. Climb the ledge on the left and fight Odin’s minions, then go through the crawl space on the other side of the arena into the Western Barri Woods.

Grab the chest on the right. To clear the blue mist ahead, instruct Freya to shoot a hex sigil onto the left hand flower, then throw the axe to freeze it. Recall and throw the axe onto the other flower. Loot the chest down the path on the left, then go right to meet Wisps for the first time. Get Freya to fire a sigil at them, then take them down.

Follow the path. After it turns to day, there’s the Harmony Lore Marker on the right just beyond the vista with the waterfalls. Cross the path created by the shifting roots. Ahead is a chest to loot. Shoot the ‘Bulbous Mother’ above, as Freya explains. Move forward and fight a group of Odin’s Einherjar, then enter the crawl space.

To cross the water ahead, instruct Freya to lay down a chain of sigils starting from the circular ruin on the left to the vines on the right. Use your Blades to ignite them and clear the path to grapple across. Further along the path are some Einharjar and Wisps to fight. Defeat them, then find the climbing path leading down.

Head along the path forward to reach Freyr’s camp. There’s a chest on the left – to reach it, chain sigils then use the Blades to destroy the Bulbous Mother a little further along the bridge.

Retrieve Mimir

Grab Mimir’s head on the table at Brok’s shops.

Depart Freyr’s Camp When Ready

Talk to Lunda to trigger the start of The Mysterious Orb Favor and the Luna’s Lost Armor Labor. Talk to Beyla and Byggvir by the water to trigger The Elven Sanctum Favor in The Forbidden Lands, Alfheim. Squeeze through the crawl space to complete The Reckoning.

Be sure to check out our dedicated God of War Ragnarok guides hub for more walkthroughs, 100% realm completion, and collectibles.