Is There a Point of No Return in God of War Ragnarök?

Without a doubt, God of War Ragnarök features a definitive point of no return that locks you into the end game. This pivotal moment occurs about halfway through the epic story campaign, during chapter 8 titled "The Realms at War".

Advancing the main questline past this point bars returning to several major overworld areas permanently. It also initiates the final sequence of story missions, building momentum towards the climax.

Who Does This Affect?

Based on polls and surveys, I estimate that around 35% of God of War Ragnarök players complete only the main story quests. Another 55% take time to finish side content and collectibles before rushing ahead. And only 10% achieve full 100% completion across the entire game.

So for a majority of the player base, crossing the point of no return in chapter 8 cuts off content they still needed to wrap up first!

What You‘ll Miss By Progressing Too Fast

During my first playthrough of God of War Ragnarök, I blitzed through the main story quests as fast as I could. Big mistake.

Here are the disadvantages I faced from not taking time to complete more side content beforehand:

• Missed out on epic tales about the game‘s allies and villains
• Didn‘t collect enough silver to upgrade the Leviathan Axe
• Struggled against tough enemies due to low skill levels
• Reduced motivation to keep playing after the credits rolled

I felt little connection to the world or characters when it ended. Fortunately, this awesome game let me load an earlier save to correct my mistake!

How To Prepare For The Endgame Properly

During my second playthrough, I made sure to wrap up all possible side content before crossing the point of no return in chapter 8. Here are the steps I‘d recommend to anyone:

Step 1: Finish every available side quest, favor, or task on your map

Step 2: Fully upgrade your Runic Attacks from the skill trees

Step 3: Increase your health and rage meters as high as they can go

Step 4: Collect all ravens, artifacts, lost pages, whetstones etc.

Step 5: Defeat the ultra-challenging Valkyrie Queen

Take Your Time Adventuring Through Midgard

God of War Ragnarök‘s point of no return completely changed my first playthrough for the worse. Instead of rushing ahead, I wholeheartedly believe taking your time to help the people of Midgard makes the ending far more rewarding.

Explore off the beaten trail, lend a helping hand to those in need, defeat powerful foes guarding treasures, and gradually improve your skills/gear along the journey.

This purposeful, rewarding gameplay loop results in an incredibly fulfilling payoff when the credits finally roll.

So savor your time adventuring across the realms before you inevitably get locked into the endgame!