Alexis Kestler
Looking to uncover all the secrets hidden within the sprawling Abandoned Village region of Vanaheim in God of War Ragnarok? Then you‘ll want to unlock the Mystic Gateway for fast travel access first. This will allow you to easily explore every nook and cranny of the village, defeat its powerful enemies, and complete side content without constant backtracking.
In this comprehensive 2800+ word guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to unlock the Abandoned Village Mystic Gateway. I‘ll explain how gateways and fast travel work, give step-by-step instructions to unlock this specific one, provide tips for exploring the village, and even discuss other Vanaheim gateways.
Consider me your Mystic Gateway guru! By the end, unlocking the Abandoned Village will be a breeze and you‘ll be well on your way to 100% completion in God of War Ragnarok. So sit back, relax, and let me guide you on this mystical journey.
An Overview of Mystic Gateways and How They Work
Before jumping into the specifics of the Abandoned Village gateway, let‘s first discuss mystic gateways and how fast travel functions in God of War Ragnarok.
What are Mystic Gateways?
Mystic gateways are the glowing blue and gold portals located throughout the realms. They serve as fast travel points, allowing Kratos to instantly transport between gateways he has unlocked. This means no more cumbersome paddling across the Lake of Nine or climbing mountains when backtracking. Gateways are a huge time saver!
Types of Gateways
There are two main types of mystic gateways:
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Realm Gateways – These allow travel between the Nine Realms. One Yggdrasil seed is needed to unlock each realm gateway.
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Area Gateways – These are located within specific regions of each realm, like the Abandoned Village. It costs two seeds to unlock each area gateway.
Unlocking Gateways
Early in the game, realm travel is limited until certain main story quests are finished. But after completing God of War Ragnarok‘s main story campaign, all gateways become available provided you have the necessary Yggdrasil seeds.
These seeds are obtained from Ratatoskr after the final quest. He can always be summoned at Sindri‘s house to grab more. So gateway unlocking is unlimited!
Benefits of Unlocking Gateways
There are many benefits to unlocking mystic gateways:
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Fast travel between realms and areas significantly reduces travel time.
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Gateways serve as respawn points if Kratos dies, avoiding long treks from checkpoints.
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Unlocking an area gateway reveals surrounding points of interest on the map.
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It allows easy access to complete side quests and fully explore regions.
Now that you understand how gateways work, let‘s get into unlocking the specific Abandoned Village one.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Unlock the Abandoned Village Gateway
Follow these steps to unlock the mystic gateway for the Abandoned Village:
Step 1: Complete God of War Ragnarok‘s Main Story
The first requirement is finishing the main story campaign by completing the quest "The Realms at War". This unlocks Niflheim and Vanaheim for travel. Watch the credits and cutscenes after the final boss fight.
Tip: Make sure to craft the best armor like the Cerberus Claws and upgrade your Amulet of Kvasir before the final battle.
Step 2: Collect Yggdrasil Seeds from Ratatoskr
After the credits, go to Sindri‘s house in Nidavellir. Look for the bell hanging outside and hit it with your Leviathan Axe to call Ratatoskr. He will give Kratos a pouch filled with Yggdrasil Seeds that are used to unlock gateways.
Note: You can return to the bell at any time to collect more seeds from Ratatoskr. They are essentially unlimited, so don‘t worry about conserving them!
Step 3: Open the Mystic Gateway in Sindri‘s House
With seeds in hand, head inside Sindri‘s house and interact with the mystic gateway next to the shop counter. This will bring up the gateway map.
Step 4: Select Vanaheim and the Abandoned Village Gateway
Use the left stick to highlight "Vanaheim" on the gateway map, then select it with X. This will open the Vanaheim realm map.
Next, locate the icon for the "Abandoned Village" on the Vanaheim map. It will be locked at first. Press X to select the Abandoned Village gateway, then press X again to spend 2 seeds unlocking it.
Step 5: Travel to the Abandoned Village!
After unlocking the gateway, step into the portal to be instantly transported to the Abandoned Village region. The gateway you unlocked is right at the entrance, allowing fast travel back at any time.
And that‘s it! Following these steps unlocks the Abandoned Village gateway for fast traveling. Next I‘ll give some tips for exploring the village.
Gameplay Tips For Exploring the Abandoned Village
Here some tips to make the most of the Abandoned Village after unlocking the mystic gateway:
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Stop by the gateway frequently to cash in collectibles or change equipment.
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The village is sprawling with many houses and optional areas, so take your time exploring.
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Use Odin‘s Raven and son arrows to scout high vantage points for secrets.
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Light braziers and burn bushes to reveal hidden chests and rooms.
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Defeat the powerful enemies like Revenants lurking in the region.
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Complete the "In Service of Asgard" side quest that starts at the northwest house.
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Find artifacts, treasure maps, and 10 lost pages from the village‘s missing book.
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Search for the 6 sealed rifts that Atreus can translate using the Cipher Ring.
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Acquire the loot from the legendary chest inside the central Yggdrasil Rift.
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Uncover the lore at the mystical mural behind Goddess Falls.
Take advantage of the Abandoned Village gateway to regularly return and gradually explore this massive area. Next I‘ll discuss key places you‘ll want to visit.
Major Points of Interest in the Abandoned Village
Here are some of the major landmarks and locations to check out within the Abandoned Village:
The Watchtower
There‘s a tall watchtower along the northwest wall. Climb it for a high vantage point and you‘ll find chests with crafting resources at the top. You can also drop down into a hidden room.
Yggdrasil Rift
At the center of the village is a sealed rift that contains a lore marker stone and a legendary chest with the Shattered Runes pommel.
Reaver Camp
A group of deadly Reaver enemies have a camp along the southwest cliffs. Defeat them to get items from their corpses and chests.
Goddess Falls
A large scenic waterfall near the village‘s southern exit. There‘s a mystic gateway behind it that leads deeper into The Jungle. A mystical mural can also be found here.
The Barrens
This open area outside the village‘s east gate holds many collectibles and a mystic gateway leading to The Plains.
Freya‘s House
The northeast house once belonged to Freya. Burning plants reveals her secret basement and a story about her missing warrior lover.
With the Abandoned Village gateway unlocked, you‘re free to fast travel as you methodically explore everywhere above. Next I‘ll compare it to other endgame regions.
How the Abandoned Village Compares to The Crater and Other Endgame Areas
The Abandoned Village stands as one of the largest and most content-dense regions available to explore after completing God of War Ragnarok‘s main story. But how does it compare against other endgame areas like The Crater?
The Crater
This fiery realm in Muspelheim offers unique challenges in The Trials of Muspelheim. But it‘s smaller in scale than the village with fewer standard enemies and secrets.
The Plains
As another optional Vanaheim area, The Plains has lots of content but is smaller and more straightforward than the sprawling village.
The Jungle
The Jungle extends south from the village and features dense, maze-like environments to navigate with secrets. But the village is larger.
The Sinkholes
This optional southeast Vanaheim area again has fun exploration and secrets. Yet in terms of pure scope and density of content, the Abandoned Village reigns supreme in the endgame.
Now let‘s examine how the experience of exploring the village changes depending on story progress.
Revisiting the Village After Completing the Story
The Abandoned Village can be accessed before finishing God of War Ragnarok‘s main story quests. But the experience is quite different aftercompletion when the Mystic Gateway is unlocked.
Before Main Story Completion
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No fast travel access – must boat across Lake of Nine each visit.
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Many paths and chests unavailable, gated behind story progress.
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Visits limited due to quest linearly – can‘t fully explore yet.
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Mystic Gateway not yet reachable to warp around the village freely.
After Main Story Completion
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Gateways unlocked for easy fast travel between the village, Lake of Nine, and other realms.
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All previously gated areas and chests now accessible.
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Further side content like "In Service of Asgard" is now available.
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Can complete collections and search for secrets without quest time limits.
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Can repeatedly return to cash in collectibles and change gear as needed.
Unlocking the Mystic Gateway vastly improves the experience of uncovering the Abandoned Village‘s many hidden secrets and treasures.
History and Lore Behind the Abandoned Village Area
The village was originally built and inhabited by the Vanir gods who later migrated to Vanaheim. After the Aesir-Vanir War, it was abandoned and eventually occupied by enemies like dark elves and revenants.
The legendary mystic Freya herself once lived in the village according to lore tablets found in her former house. Her missing warrior lover is said to have one day ventured through the Mystic Gateway at Goddess Falls and never returned.
There are also connections to the alchemist Groa, a key figure in the main story, who inhabited the village centuries ago and inscribed some of its mystical murals.
Uncovering all of the village‘s sealed rifts, artifacts, and lost pages fills in this rich history and lore behind this once lively home of the Vanir that now lies abandoned.
Other Mystic Gateways You Can Unlock in Vanaheim
The Abandoned Village is just one of many gateways that can be unlocked across the expansive Vanaheim realm. Here are some other major Vanaheim gateways to consider unlocking:
Freyr‘s Camp
This southern coastal camp is Freyr‘s base in Vanaheim. The gateway unlocks after the main story quest "Creatures of Prophecy".
The Plains
Complete the story quest "The Quest for Tyr" to unlock The Plains gateway, located east of the village. Leads to a large open area.
The Sinkholes
Found in southeast Vanaheim. Unlocked by finishing the "Across the Realms" side quest. Features mining area and rivers.
The Jungle
Complete the "Return of the River" favor to unlock this southern gateway near Goddess Falls. Dense, maze-like tropical areas.
Goddess Falls
Automatically unlocked during the main quest "Groa‘s Secret". Beautiful waterfall leading deeper south.
I‘d recommend unlocking them all to see everything Vanaheim has to offer! Fast travel between them to complete all favors, artifacts, and secrets.
Getting Even More Yggdrasil Seeds for Unlocking Gateways
As mentioned earlier, you can collect unlimited Yggdrasil Seeds by returning to the bell outside Sindri‘s house and calling Ratatoskr using your Leviathan Axe.
But what if you need a surplus of seeds right away for unlocking realms before exploring the Lake of Nine? Here are a few tips:
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Before completing the main story, you can find 5-10 seeds naturally throughout the realms.
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After the story, harvest seeds from the Yggdrasil root behind Sindri‘s house. These respawn!
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Complete Muspelheim trials to earn Yggdrasil seeds from treasure chests.
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Upgrade the Amulet of Yggdrasil fully to double the seeds you find.
So don‘t stress about trying to conserve seeds. Just upgrade your amulet, harvest from the root, and grab more from Ratatoskr whenever needed.
In Summary – Unlocking the Gateway is Your Key to Exploring the Abandoned Village
Hopefully this extensive guide has given you all the necessary knowledge to easily unlock the Abandoned Village‘s mystic gateway in God of War Ragnarok.
This mystical portal is your key to fully exploring one of the game‘s largest and most fascinating optional realms. Fast travel makes uncovering all its hidden lore, legendary armor, and treasures a breeze.
Just follow the steps, grab those Yggdrasil seeds from Ratatoskr, and the gateway will be unlocked in no time. Then brace yourself for dangerous enemies, secret passages, and stunning discoveries within the village ruins.
Your journey through the realms has led you to this abandoned relic. Now watch it spring back to life through the power of exploration!
Let me know if you have any other questions. And happy gateway unlocking!
