Everything You Need to Know About the Niflheim Realm in God of War

Escalation Hotel Screenshot
God of War: Ascension

Niflheim is filled with a constant mist that slowly reduces your health. Its hallways are filled with deadly traps and change each time. It’s the perfect place to grind endlessly for rewards.

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Niflheim is a realm that is accessible from Tyr’s Temple that you never actually have to visit as part of the main quest line in God of War. However, if you’re curious, you will no doubt be planning a visit. Turns out that Niflheim is a pretty great place to get your late game gear in order. Consider this guide your complete tourist booklet for visitors of the Niflheim realm!

Niflheim Attractions

Everything You Need to Know About the Niflheim Realm in God of War
Mist EchoesTL;DR Games • Fair Use

When you first reach Niflheim, you’ll run into Sindri, who has a shop here. You can’t be surprised at this anymore, right? He’s also got a few tasks for you to perform, but more on that later.

A quick glance at your map reveals that you can’t see much of anything at all, since everything is covered in a weird kind of mist. It turns out that the mist is deadly over time, so you will want to be quick on your feet in this realm.

Valkyrie hunters already know why they came here, and that is to take on the lone Valkyrie in this realm that needs to be dispatched sooner or later.

Sindri will fill you in on what these ruins in front of you are. Essentially, they once used to make up Ivaldi’s Workshop, where some of the best armor the world has ever seen were made. Those dedicated enough may just be able to get their hands on it.

Niflheim Things To Do

Upon speaking to Sindri about the armor that he may be able to craft for you, he’ll send you on a couple of favor quests. They will follow in each others’ footsteps, so you’ll be taking on the following:

  • Ivaldi’s Workshop: Sindri will tell you to venture into the mist and collect 500 Mist Echoes so that he can craft an Entry Stone to allow you further access into Niflheim.
  • Ivaldi’s Protection: With the Entry Stone in hand, explore more areas in Niflheim to collect the required armor pieces so that Sindri can craft you some better protection.
  • Ivaldi’s Curse: It’s now time to close three Realm Tears, all of which require large amounts of Mist Echos to unlock.

How to Survive in Niflheim

Everything You Need to Know About the Niflheim Realm in God of War Everything You Need to Know About the Niflheim Realm in God of War

As you explore Niflheim, you’ll constantly be on a timer to certain death. Once the poison gas wears you down, your health will begin to drop steadily until you die. The goal is to get in, kill enemies, loot chests, collect Mist Echoes and other materials, and get back out to Sindri’s shop or the center mound before you die. Oh, and there are traps. Deadly ones. I’ve died more to those things because of my own stupidity than anything else. These traps, the enemies you’ll face, and the location of chests will vary with each visit. If you die, you lose all the Mist Echoes you’ve currently got on you.

Here are a few tips to help you survive in Niflheim:

  • Each time you enter the mists you will end up fighting a group of similar enemies. If you’re not a fan of the enemy type in the first area, simply leave and return to roll a new type of enemy.
  • As soon as you have earned 2,500 Mist Echos, unlock one of the chests in the center area. It contains the Eye of Niflheim, an epic enchantment that will greatly increase your resistance to the Cursed Mists.
  • Once you can afford one of the epic chest armor pieces that Sindri offers, get it. It will offer a small amount of constant health generation which can be a lifesaver.
  • Don’t be afraid to leave early. Yes, the longer you stay, the better the rewards get, but if you don’t make it out in time, you get nothing.
  • Don’t get lost. Commit the map below to memory. It is basically a large loop but there are two dead ends.
  • Don’t rush the traps. Seriously, if you think you might just barely be able to make it, wait until you’re certain.
  • Keep an eye on legendary enchantments you pick up. Many of them will increase your resistance to the Cursed Mist and it’s easy to overlook them.

Niflheim Map

Everything You Need to Know About the Niflheim Realm in God of War
Niflheim MapPolygon • Fair Use

While the traps, locations of chests, and type of enemies will vary each time you return into the mists, the general structure of the map in Niflheim remains the same. The good folks at Polygon have realized that the layout basically represents that of a baseball diamond, complete with a pitcher’s mound where the various locked Legendary Chests and Realm Tears are located. Each base, field, or area is separated by a set of traps that will be different during each trip into the mists.

Here are some more details about each location:

  • Home Base: this is the first location you enter from either the area with the chests or from Sindri’s shop. A word of advice, if the type of enemies that appear here do not appeal to you – I’m looking at you, Revenants – you may leave and come back to roll a new type of enemy. They will be more or less consistent throughout all the areas.
  • Nornir Chests: Nornir Chests may spawn at the initial area as well as the next two subsequent corridors. There may be more than one at a time. Each chest has its own unique rune puzzle to solve, so we have no videos to help with unlocking them. We do, however, have videos for all the other Nornir Chests!
  • Valkyrie: If you’re trying to hunt down all eight Valkyries in the game, you’ll be making a stop at the left-most area in the mists.
  • Ogre: The area opposite of where the Valkyrie is located will typically have a large Ogre to fight alongside the usual enemies. Focus your attack him it so that you can mount the beast and use it to help you in defeating the other baddies.

That should pretty much cover everything you need to know about Niflheim. For more guides, be sure to pay a visit to our God of War Guide Hub.


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