Unlocking the Mask is one of the Goals in God of War Ragnarök. It is the fourteenth goal in The Path, and the fifth goal where the player assumes control of Atreus.
Synopsis[]
Happy Ragnarök, Everybody![]
Some time after driving back Odin's forces in Vanaheim, Kratos and Atreus head back to Sindri's House. There, they find Freyr being nursed back to health by Freya, although Freyr's quite out of it. Atreus can have a proper chat with the pair, until Kratos calls everyone to the dining table.
At the table, Kratos slams Gjallarhorn down, marking Heimdall's defeat. Most of the crew are either shocked or impressed (Brok sarcastically so), while Týr is silently dreading that Odin will wage war, as payback for Heimdall's murder. Freya recommends that they confront Odin head on, but Kratos disagrees. Additionally, Atreus brings up Odin's other major concern: The Mask.
Atreus suggests that he returns to Asgard, to finish The Mask's reassembly, with the hopes of using it to avert Ragnarök. Kratos initially objects to the idea, not wanting to endanger his son. But after conferring with Mimir, the group agree that returning to Asgard is their best move. It would split Odin's attention and give the group an idea of what's happening in Asgard.
But they advise the boy to be cautious, because following the Mask's completion, he loses his leverage over Odin. After a final reassurance, Kratos lets Atreus go, and Sindri adds an emergency exit spell to his Key of Yggdrasil.
Awkward Reunions[]
While Atreus is worried about what he's about to do, he understands that he's on his own for it. Back in Midgard, he checks on things at his house before heading inside. Fenrir has returned, following the earlier incident with Garm. Angrboda also arrives, and is introduced to the giant wolf, happy that Fenrir's soul found a new vessel.
She also hands Atreus his soul marble and asks him where he's going. He tries to explain that he's going back to work with Odin in Asgard, to use the Mask for himself, in hopes of averting Ragnarök and bringing back the Jötnar. While those are noble intentions, she reminds Atreus to keep Odin's nature in mind, and to be sure if his choices are truly the ones he wants to make. She also promises to care for Fenrir, while he's gone. With the conversation over, Atreus heads into the house, so Huginn can take him to Asgard.
Once there, he finds that the Aesir are investigating Heimdall's death, with speculation and gossip being the talk of the town. When Atreus enters Odin's study, the All-Father asks the boy for any details he can think of, to help with the investigation. Atreus makes something up, while Odin pretends to be convinced, and welcomes him back. The boy also figures out that he'd mistranslated the Mask's directions, with the All-Father realising that the final piece should be in Niflheim. With that, he instructs Atreus to go there, with the Mask, Ingrid, Huginn and Thor.
The only problem is that the God of Thunder isn't anywhere to be seen. Atreus asks Thrúd if she has any idea where to find him. Realising he's not in The Great Lodge, she has a sad suspicion of where her father might be. After a short walk, they arrive at the Black Thunder Mead Hall. At the entrance, they deposit their weapons, and make their way through the drunken, foul-mannered patrons, to find Thor at a table. Upset to find him drinking again, despite promising to remain sober, Thrúd tries to stop him, but he's in too deep, and declares to the entire hall that he's only good for "killing Giants and pissing mead." Having fallen on deaf ears, she walks away.
Once more, Atreus tries to get him to leave, but this starts a bar fight between the gods, the sword and all the Einherjar inside. Atreus gets his bow back, but loses his quiver, and he and Thrúd are forced to physically beat their way out of the fight. Eventually, the pair completely recover their weapons, allowing them to wrap up the fight quicker. Near the end, an Einherjar Captain nearly chokes Atreus to death, but he's barely saved by Mjölnir crushing the Captain's skull into a post. With the fight over, Thor takes one final swig of mead, before he collapses on his back with a loud, quaking thud.
The pair carry Thor outside, for fresh air. Now sober, Thor's more willing to listen. Thrúd expresses disappointment that he broke his promises and started drinking again, but tries to reassure him that she and Sif are always there for him, and that he doesn't have to struggle alone. She leaves, and Thor gets Huginn to take him and Atreus to Niflheim.
Warming Up[]
Once at Niflheim, Atreus and Thor fight their way through to the final Mask piece. Although Thor initially wants to just get the mask and leave, and doesn't care for what Atreus has to say, the boy still tries to chip away at and relate to the God of Thunder. Topics of conversation included family, divine parentage and upbringing, and one's ability to change circumstances that seem hopeless or wrong.
Soon enough, the two reach the Mist Fields, and the pieces of the Mask begin to pull towards each other. Thor holds onto Atreus, to prevent him falling off the cliff, while the boy grips the mask as tight as possible. Eventually, the final piece snaps right onto the Mask, making it whole once again.
Odin wastes no time in showing up, expressing excitement for the Mask's completion and congratulating the boy, with no acknowledgement of Thor, who walks off quietly. Mere seconds later, Sif arrives, accompanied by Hrist and Mist, to arrest Atreus for Heimdall's murder, having found proof that Kratos was responsible.
Odin orders her to stand down, to which she expresses fear for the safety and wellbeing of her family, and Asgard as a whole, with Atreus' presence. Odin cruelly dismisses and shuts her down, before having a word with the two Valkyries. Seeing that Odin doesn't care, Sif approaches her husband and tries to reason with him, about what Odin is doing. Thor listens, but he turns on Atreus. He slowly walks towards the boy, intent on killing him, but before he can do so, Ingrid blocks Mjölnir, as Atreus activates his emergency exit.
He falls right onto the branches of the World Tree, where Kratos and Mimir come to collect him. Having successfully escaped with the Mask, the three head home, ready to show it to the others.
A Mask Completed, A Facade Broken[]
Back at Sindri's house, the crew are happy to see Atreus back safe. Týr also arrives, curious if Atreus learned anything about the Mask, to which he responds that he didn't get the chance. Hearing this, Týr says that all the group has done is incur Odin's wrath. In light of this, the group now has to decide what their next move is, now that both Gjallarhorn and the Mask are in their grasp.
Again, Freya suggests that they recruit Surtr, sound Gjallarhorn, and initiate Ragnarök. Týr, on the other hand, suggest that they use Gjallarhorn to infiltrate Asgard and use the Mask for themselves. The group then turn to Kratos and Atreus for input. Kratos warns the group once more to be wary of the easy benefits that the mask brings, and Atreus says that at worst, they have something Odin wants back, but at best, they can use the Mask for their own benefit, and avert Ragnarök in doing so.
With that, Mimir says that all they need now is a way into Asgard. Breaking the silence, Týr announces a sudden change in heart, and declares that he will lead everyone into Asgard. However, the group realises something is amiss, with Brok asking the Norse God of War why he withheld knowledge of an entrance to Asgard. He responds that Kratos would've gotten the group killed, and that "Loki" needed time to figure out his destiny: which culminated in the completion of the Mask. Seeing that they now have a chance, the group decides to infiltrate Asgard, to both use the Mask and kill Odin.
Before they head out, Brok stops Týr, demanding to hear more about his secret route to Asgard. Týr tries to brush off Brok's questions, but the Dwarf is having none of it. He slaps the Mask out of Týr's hand, saying Atreus worked for it, while the war god has done nothing to contribute meaningfully, during his entire stay. Atreus tries to defuse the situation, but Brok is adamant that something isn't right. He storms up to Týr, demanding an answer, only for the war god finally snap and stab the dwarf in the chest.
Atreus, in shock, is immediately taken hostage at knifepoint by Týr, finally dropping the disguise and revealing himself to be Odin, while Sindri runs towards Brok and the other gods attempt to corner the All-Father. Odin threatens Atreus' life as revenge for Heimdall, unless they give him the Mask. Freya is forced to leave the trio to tend to Brok's wound, while Freyr and Kratos still keep Odin at bay. Desperate, and without control of the situation, Odin screams for the Mask.
With Freyr, Kratos and Atreus all looking to each other, the Vanir god throws the Mask behind Odin, allowing Atreus to shapeshift into a wolf and bite the distracted All-Father, who throws the boy aside and picks up the Mask. Just as Odin is about to make his getaway, he declares war with the group. Kratos, at the last second, throws the Spear at the Mask, pinning it to the wall, and preventing the All-Father from escaping with it.
With Odin no longer in the room, the group rush to the centre. Sindri begs Freya to save Brok, who's barely holding on. Desperately, Sindri suggests he tries to revive Brok at the Lake of Souls, as he did once before, but Brok tells Sindri and Freya to stop. With what little life he has left, he tells Sindri that he knows about the attempt, and that he forgives him for lying about it. But with his final breath, he tells Sindri to let go.
Devastated that he lost his brother again, Sindri disappears from the room, with Brok's body. The rest of the group are saddened and in shock, especially Atreus, in disbelief that Odin played him from the start. Freyr hands the mask back to Atreus, and asks about their next move. Freya, whose convictions are now emboldened by what just transpired, decides that they kill Odin and everyone who tries to stop them.
Kratos slowly approaches Atreus, and tells him that they're leaving. When asked where they're going, he responds it "doesn't matter." He also hands Gjallarhorn to Freya, and tells her that they're done, before walking out. Atreus follows suit, and hands the Mask to Freyr. Freya implores them to stay and fight, but the Spartan leaves with his son, solemnly.