God of War Ragnarök masterfully builds upon the series‘ legendary legacy of intense combat, engrossing storytelling and rewarding exploration. As Kratos and Atreus journey across the Nine Realms, players can uncover new powers and gear to aid them in their fated quest. Hidden treasures like the Cliffside Ruins‘ legendary chest offer game-changing weaponry for those brave enough to solve their puzzles. This guide will help you locate and unlock the chest to claim the powerful prize within.
A Legacy of Gods and Monsters
God of War Ragnarök continues the epic saga first begun in the 2005 original game. Playersagain embody the demigod Kratos, still haunted by past sins but now determined to break the cycle of violence and forestall the prophesied end-times for the sake of his son Atreus. Their travels through the realms of Norse myth are both intimate and expansive in scale, weaving together touching stories of family and redemption against a backdrop of apocalyptic conflicts with gods, heroes and beasts.
This unique blend of close, emotional storytelling and wide-ranging adventure has defined the series and earned it high praise across the industry. God of War (2018) marked a bold new chapter, with an aged Kratos trying to turn over a new leaf in the Nordic wilds. Ragnarök picks up years later, as Fimbulwinter falls and tensions between gods and giants erupt into all-out war. Kratos and Atreus must embark on an odyssey spanning the Nine Realms to find answers and prevent catastrophic destruction.
Completing Quests and Finding Chests Powers Up Your Character
A key part of the God of War gameplay loop is taking on story-driven quests and exploratory side content to gain experience (XP), hacksilver, crafting materials and most importantly, new skills and gear. By completing major milestones and exploring off the beaten path, you can outfit Kratos and Atreus with more powerful weapons, armor, enchantments and abilities.
Legendary chests like the one in Cliffside Ruins offer rare high-level equipment not found anywhere else. The weapons, armor sets and enchantments inside represent major boosts to your strength that can give you an edge in combat. It‘s hugely rewarding to complete the environmental puzzles that seal legendary chests and unlock the treasures within.
Strategizing Your Build Around New Powers Makes You Unstoppable
The gear that comes from legendary chests can fundamentally transform your playstyle if utilized properly. For example, the Mist of Helheim runic attack you gain from the Cliffside Ruins heavily leans into frost damage. To maximize its impact, you‘ll want to boost Kratos‘s frost power whenever possible.
Equip other Leviathan Axe skills that inflict freeze – like Frost Awaken and Permafrost. Socket armor and enchantments that increase frost damage and elemental effect buildup. Use Spartan Rage to temporarily boost your frost effects even further. Combining your gear‘s synergies is key to demolishing enemies with these new powers.
You can also open up powerful new tactical options by combining status effects. For example, use Mist of Helheim to constantly chill enemies, then switch to Blades of Chaos skills like Immolation to set them ablaze. The ensuing explosion of opposing elements will shred their defenses. Mastering your entire skill set and customizing your build is crucial to maximizing the potential of legendary gear finds like those from secret chests.
Exploring the Cliffside Ruins Area of Vanaheim
Before going step-by-step into solving the chest puzzle, let‘s set the scene by looking at the environment and lore surrounding the Cliffside Ruins area. After unlocking the Bifrost and gaining access to travel between realms, head to the southern region of Vanaheim known as The Southern Wilds.
Use the Mystic Gateway to traverse west from the wilderness to a more dilapidated mountainside area. Follow the chain wrapped around a tree upwards to reach the Cliffside Ruins. Archaeologically, this area contains remnants of ancient Vanir settlements, back when the realm was more heavily populated and prosperous. Rubble and ruins still cling to the mountainsides in this dim, misty environment.
Combat-wise, you‘ll face new spectral enemies here like Ancient Slag Draugrs and Nightmare Haunts, who you‘ll need to break free from their incorporeal states to damage normally. There are also ambush spots with Revenants hiding in the rubble, waiting to snipe unaware explorers. So keep your wits about you!
Studying the cliffside architecture and ceremonial artifacts hints at the religious practices and turbulent history of Vanaheim‘s past inhabitants. Though now deserted, these ruins still guard secrets worth uncovering by the persistent.
Step-By-Step Walkthrough to Unlock the Legendary Chest
Now let‘s tackle the legendary chest hidden behind this intriguing realm‘s puzzles. Here are detailed steps to help secure your prize:
Reach the Cliffside Ruins Area
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Use the Mystic Gateway in The Southern Wilds to travel west along the coast.
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Look for a Chain wrapped around a tree and climb it to reach the Cliffside Ruins.
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Face the entrance and look right to find a balcony you can climb up to using the chain.
Access the Puzzle Room
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After climbing up the chain, turn left and squeeze under the collapsed pillar in front of the doorway.
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Inside, step on the pressure plate to open the gate and give Atreus a boost to reach the handhold above.
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Throw the Leviathan Axe at the red sap container to lower the spiked bridge.
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Cross the bridge and have Atreus read the runes to summon blue platforms up the wall.
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Ride the platforms up and exit through the doorway to enter The Veiled Passage.
Set Up the Orb Puzzle
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Follow the linear path until you reach a gap too far to jump across.
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Look right for a chain you can slide down to reach a lower level.
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After sliding down, turn left and look for a wooden drawbridge with a counterweight.
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Hit the counterweight with your axe to lower the bridge, then cross it.
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Turn around and look at the wall on the other side of the bridge, opposite the counterweight. You‘ll see four red glowing markings.
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Switch to the Leviathan Axe and throw it at each marker to lodge a Hex Bubble that freezes the wall.
Detonate the Orbs to Uncover the Chest
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With all four orbs placed, recross the bridge back to the side with the counterweight.
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Press L1 and R1 together to switch to the Blades of Chaos.
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Aim at the frozen wall and hold R2 to channel the Blazing Surge ability. Release it to trigger an explosion that destroys the rock wall.
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Drop down into the newly opened crevice and look for a metal pot you can destroy.
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Hit the pot with your axe to reveal a tunnel with the legendary chest inside!
And that‘s it! Follow these steps carefully and the coveted Cliffside Ruins legendary chest is yours. Keep reading to learn more about the powerful prize inside.
What You‘ll Find Inside the Cliffside Ruins Legendary Chest
After clearing the orb puzzle blocking it, the Cliffside Ruins legendary chest bestows you with a new Leviathan Axe heavy runic attack called Mist of Helheim. This gifts Kratos with a potent new frost-based area of effect skill.
Upon activation, Kratos swings his axe in a circle while summoning a spreading green mist. Any enemies caught within the mist‘s wide radius are continually damaged by freezing frost elemental damage over time. The chill also dramatically slows their movements, limiting their ability to escape or attack.
This runic attack excels at crowd control, as it can freeze large groups in place, allowing you to pick off key threats. The lingering cold zoning causes steady damage, while preventing melee enemies from swarming you. It also grounds flying foes and reaches distant archers, pulling them into the fray.
When fully upgraded at the Huldra Brothers‘ shop, Mist of Helheim increases its frost damage and area of effect substantially. As an epic-rarity skill, it has access to a third charge that reduces the cooldown further. Overall, this immensely powerful runic attack can carry you through much of the late game thanks to its excellent utility.
Further Exploration Uncovers More Legendary Gear
While Mist of Helheim is a stellar find, the Cliffside Ruins chest is just one among many hidden treasures tucked away across the realms. You‘ll need to vigorously explore, complete side content and solve environmental puzzles to acquire the full legendary set needed to take on the apocalyptic challenges ahead.
For example, high-level gear like the Blightbringer axe pommel, Death‘s Harbinger wrist armor, and Surtr‘s Grip of Flame axe grips offer comparable boosts. To even the odds against epic foes like the Aesir god Odin, you‘ll need to uncover legendary equipment from all available sources.
Embracing the spirit of discovery and mastery over your powers is key to standing against the coming Ragnarok. Kratos and Atreus‘s journey takes them through incredibly varied landscapes, from the deep mines of Svartalfheim to the anarchic wastes of Vanaheim. Each realm holds special chests for those brave enough to search.
Father and Son United Against Fate
At its core, God of War Ragnarök is a heartfelt story of parents and children. Kratos sees too much of his old flawed self in Atreus and struggles to steer the headstrong boy towards wisdom. Together they endure painful losses, reexamine deeply-rooted assumptions, and eventually learn to see from each other‘s perspectives.
As their world stands perched on the brink of annihilation, they must rely on their bond to navigate the chaos. While the story is framed against the epic backdrop of Norse end-times, its most affecting moments are quiet conversations nestled between the grand events. In the simple act of teaching his son, Kratos finds a measure of redemption.
The legendary weapons and upgrades earned along the journey symbolize their strengthening resolve and unity in the face of overwhelming forces. Through trust and vulnerability, their once fractured relationship reforms into an unbreakable bond – the only hope to defy fate and carve a new future.
Ragnarök concludes Kratos and Atreus‘s saga in spectacular fashion, tying up core themes and delivering heartfelt character moments fans have come to expect from God of War. The addition of incredible new powers and gear like the Cliffside Ruins‘ Mist of Helheim runic attack makes conquering the Nine Realms on this fabled quest all the more satisfying.
