God of War guide: The Wildwoods walkthrough and collectibles (2024)

The Wildwoods is the first area you’ll explore in God of War. In this guide, we’ll take you through the snowy woods and the story mission, picking up everything you can — chests, hacksilver, artifacts and more — along the way.

After the introductory cutscenes, Kratos will take Atreus hunting — and this is where you can start finding collectibles and hidden chests.

As soon as the hunt begins — before you even go through the gate — turn right. Directly across the front yard, you’ll find Lost and Found artifact 1.

Follow Atreus along until you come to a stone bridge. Turn left before the bridge to find Lost and Found artifact 2. Continue around under the bridge to find a chest.

When Atreus first spots the deer you’re hunting, keep to the right to find some loose hacksilver and another chest.

A little later — across the wooden bridge and after a botched shot by Atreus — you’ll come to your first fight. After you’ve handled the enemies, check to the left of where you first entered the area for some more loose hacksilver.

Follow Atreus to the ruins where he’ll want to go left toward the deer. Turn right instead. Watch for a chest on your left as you follow the path along.

When you reach the waterfall, climb up the ledges. There’s some loose hacksilver at the top, then keep following the path until you come to a chain.

Climb down the chain and fight the two wolves at the bottom. Lost and Found artifact 3 is right next to the chain. There’s also a coffin to open while you’re down here.

Backtrack all the way to the ruins. Turn right again — this would’ve been straight ahead of you when you first came here — and smash through the planks to find your first Nornir chest. The first seal is to the right of the chest. The second is in a coffin on your left. The third is behind and above you on your right. Open the chest for a Idunn apple.

Now you can follow the boy to the temple. Go through the blue doors, then follow him down to the temple floor. You’ll have to fight a few more draugr here. Once they’re handled, turn around (away from the puzzle) and look for a pair of doors behind you.

The doors lead out to a frozen pond next to the bridge you just crossed. Handle the three wolves and the draugr you find here, then sweep the area for loot. You’ll find Lost and Found artifact 4 — which completes the set and gives you 360 XP — some loose hacksilver and a coffin. Once you’ve grabbed everything, head back inside.

Pull the chain to open the gate ahead of you, then freeze the gear. Before you go through the gate, though, turn to your right. There’s a coffin in an alcove that opened along with the gate.

After you get through the pair of gates, bear left. There’s some hacksilver and a coffin ahead of you. Continue to the left until you come to a chain. At the top, turn right. You can throw your axe at the flaming pot on your right — this will blow up some rocks, but it won’t really accomplish anything.

Look above you on the left for a glowing disc — throw your axe at it to knock down some hacksilver. Back up a little, then look for another glowing disc above the gate ahead of you. When you throw your axe at this one, it’ll drop the flaming pot and destroy the rocks blocking the gate. Go inside for some hacksilver and a chest.

Before you go back down the chain, climb the stairs on your right (when you come out of the alcove with the chest). Break the planks to find the first (of 11) More than a Myth shrine. After the boy reads it, backtrack to the chain and continue following him.

After the boss fight — you’ll know it when it happens — there’s only one thing left to find. Climb out of the arena and continue along until you fight a few more draugr. On the left side of this arena, you’ll find a Hidden Chamber — you won’t be able to open this until much later in the game.

Now you can finish out this first story mission.

You can’t find everything on your first trip through Wildwoods. Many hours later, you can return and collect what’s missing.

After you finished the campaign, you can return to your home in The Wildwoods and find things you couldn’t before. Everything we’ve found is below.

As soon as you arrive back in The Wildwoods, walk in the front door of your house. Trust us on this one.

In the area behind your house, you’ll see a ladder covered in bramble. Hit it with your Blades of Chaos to remove the branches and create a shortcut to the end of the level. (The Wildwoods is a circle. To get there without this shortcut, you have t travel through the whole level.)

Climb the ladder, and you’ll find a group of endgame enemies. Defeat them for hacksilver, XP and some items.

Inside the hidden chamber, walk down the stairs and turn right. You’ll find a knight’s corpse to loot for hacksilver.

Keep making you way through the chamber, and you’ll find a new Mystic Gateway, so you can warp back here at your leisure.

Walk up one of the staircases on the left or right, and open the red tomb chest for a Sharp Relic of Bounty. (See the gallery above for this Legendary enchantment’s details.)

Before entering the main room, look to your left. Walk down the staircase, defeat the enemy there and smash the two wooden chests for hacksilver.

Jump over the gap and head toward the main room ahead. Stop in the doorway and look up at the tree branches. Flying in a circle among branches on your right will be an Odin’s raven.

Head back up, enter the main room and look along the walls for a scroll for Atreus to read.

Interact with the Realm Tear, and defeat the enemies here. For your victory, you’ll receive a Perfect Brand of the Realm, Pure Essence of Realms, Dust of Realms and a Heart of Svartalfheim. Browse the gallery above for the details on your loot.