God of War Ragnarok features a lot of challenges and side quests scattered throughout its world, many of which can be experienced before the end of the story. That said, a lot of the game's optional content can be quite difficult to complete if the player hasn't been upgrading Kratos' equipment.
Smoldering Embers are extremely hard to obtain in God of War Ragnarok due to how and where they are found, but Kratos will need to acquire them if he hopes to reach his maximum potential. Though the challenges guarding them can be tough, figuring out how to begin them can be equally difficult.
Find The Muspelheim Seeds
Kratos will need to venture to Muspelheim if he hopes to obtain some Smoldering Embers. The process itself seems relatively straightforward, but the player will soon learn exactly how demanding it is when they hit the first barrier: gaining access to The Crucible.
Returning to Muspelheim requires Kratos to locate the two Muspelheim Seeds. The first one can be found on Modvitnir's Rig in Svartalfheim inside a Legendary Chest, while the second can be found in Alberich Hollow in the same realm, but only if Kratos has obtained the Draupnir Spear. Only once they have both been found can the real hunt for the Smoldering Embers begin.
The Crucible Favor
Upon arriving at The Crucible in Muspelheim, Kratos will spot a Nornir Chest in the center of the arena below. Though it doesn't contain Smoldering Embers, it needs to be opened for Kratos to find the real means of obtaining them.
Opening it requires Kratos to climb into the structure to the east, locate and interact with the corresponding runes, and defeat the enemies guarding them. These are known as the Muspelheim Trials, and though the rewards gained from beating them are very good, none of them offer Smoldering Embers.
To gain access to the challenges that do, Kratos must best six of the Muspelheim Challenges, found throughout The Crucible. These battles can take some getting used to due to the gimmicks at play, so the player will need to take note of the hints that pop up during each battle. Once all six challenges have been completed, Kratos can open the Nornir Chest he passed earlier to begin the Final Challenges.
The Final Challenges
As if the previous challenges weren't tough enough, the Final Challenges make them seem easy. Interacting with the sword at the center of the arena next to the Nornir Chest will grant Kratos access to six of the Final Challenges; the remaining three can be found by returning to the previously activated runes. The player should save the game before activating them, as they can be quite unforgiving.
Surviving the onslaught of the Final Challenges can be hard to do, but there's no shame in changing God of War Ragnarok's difficulty level if the player is struggling. The higher the rank earned per battle, the more Smoldering Embers Kratos receives.
Kratos won't need too many Smoldering Embers to fully upgrade all of his equipment, so the Final Challenges will only need to be conquered a few times before the player can leave Muspelheim behind for good. Those searching for Blazing Embers and Glowing Embers will obtain plenty upon completing these trials, which is nice considering the effort required to beat them.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
