How to complete Scent of Survival Vanaheim Favour in God of War Ragnarok - Guide, rewards, and more explained

There are multiple Favours in God of War Ragnarok, and while many are optional, they are also important. In particular, the Scent of Survival Favour leads Kratos and Atreus to a hidden area of Vanaheim - The Crater. You’ll get there via your Flying Boat, so you must first complete the Creatures of Prophecy quest.

It’s an easy enough quest but will lead players to unlock several other Favours and make certain unlocks in the game significantly easier later down the line. While optional, it’s a very important Favour in God of War Ragnarok, and players should take the time to get this done after the Creatures of Prophecy main story quest.

This means you'll need to defeat Heimdall first, so put the boots to him, get back to Freyr's Camp, and take care of this Favour before moving on with the main story.

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The Scent of Survival Favour in God of War Ragnarok leads to the Crater

Scent of Survival Rewards:

• Kratos EXP: 1,000
• Atreus EXP: 250

This Favour unlocks pretty swiftly while in Freyr’s Camp. You’ll see the boar Helka, and if you follow her, the quest will unlock. Helka has found something important, and it’s up to Kratos to follow her in God of War Ragnarok.

After swinging across a few Draupnir spears while following Helka, you will ultimately wind up near your canoe. Notice the glowing blue tracks and hop into the canoe. You’ll sail north into the Northern Wilds. You’ll see a beach to dock at before long, and Atreus will suggest getting off and following Helka.

You’ll quickly spot more blue tracks, so interact with them and move on. This will lead you to a place you can’t reach because branches and vines block the way. Thankfully, there’s a nearby Celestial Altar. Trigger it to change the time to day and return to the spot you were in. Now you can grapple up to the ledge.

Keep following the path, and eventually, you’ll reach a cliff where you can go no further. You’re going to summon the paper boat that Freyr gifted you during the end of Creatures of Prophecy.

After receiving the paper boat, you might be disappointed that you can’t just fly around Vanaheim on it at your leisure. However, you can use it here. This God of War Ragnarok Favour will end while you’re soaring through the air.

Getting to the Crater unlocks three areas for God of War Ragnarok’s Vanaheim Realm: The Plains, The Sinkholes, and The Jungle. There is so much to do here, so don’t neglect exploring this region. You can also do at least two more Favours here.

Return of the River is next, followed by In The Dead of The Night. You can also unlock a Mystic Gateway here, so you don’t have to go on this long trek every time you want to journey to the Crater, thankfully.

This adds a lot more to explore in God of War Ragnarok, with tons of collectibles, challenges, and Favours that require access to these areas. Completing this will be incredibly important for those who want to 100% the game.