You’re standing in the Barrens, the wind is howling, and Kratos looks like he’s about to have a literal aneurysm from the sand hitting his face. We've all been there. Most players hit this specific Favor early on because, honestly, the constant screaming of the desert is incredibly annoying. It’s loud. It’s messy. It makes exploring for legendary chests a total nightmare.
God of War Ragnarok Secret of the Sands isn't just some filler side quest. It is the moment where the game basically tells you, "Hey, stop rushing the main story and look at how cool these puzzles are." If you’re trying to clear the storm in Alfheim, you’re looking for a Hafgufa. That’s a giant, glowing, jellyfish-looking creature trapped underground. Freeing it is the only way to get some peace and quiet.
The quest kicks off at Sindri’s shop in The Barrens. You’ll hear about a "painful cry" coming from the desert. Kratos, being the softie he secretly is (don't tell him I said that), decides he can't just leave a creature suffering like that. Plus, Atreus won't stop talking about it until you agree to help.
Getting Into the Below
To start, you need to head south/southeast of the Barrens to a location called The Below. It’s a cave system that feels like a classic Zelda dungeon but with more axe-throwing. Once you drop down, the first thing you’ll notice is the Hive Matter. Those red, pulsating veins are everywhere.
Here is the thing people mess up: you have to hit multiple nodes at once. If you hit one and wait, nothing happens. You’ve got to line up your shot so the Leviathan Axe passes through all the glowing cores in one go. Sometimes it’s two, sometimes it’s three. It’s all about the angles. I spent ten minutes on one of these just because I was standing three inches too far to the left.
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As you descend deeper, you’ll encounter Dark Elves. Lots of them. They are aggressive, they love to blind you with light bombs, and they move way faster than the Draugr you fought in Midgard. Keep your shield up. Use Atreus’s sonic arrows to stun them when they’re mid-air. It makes life much easier.
Solving the Reflector Puzzles
The core mechanic of God of War Ragnarok Secret of the Sands involves Twilight Stone. These are those purple, crystalline surfaces that bounce your axe. It’s not just for show. The physics in this game are actually pretty precise.
When you reach the main chamber where the Hafgufa is tied up, you’ll see the massive creature wrapped in Hive Matter. To free it, you have to bounce the axe off the Twilight Stone at specific angles to hit the nodes behind the beast.
- First, look for the hanging Twilight Stone panels.
- You can often rotate these by hitting the wooden paddles attached to them.
- Aim your axe so the blue trajectory line turns white—this indicates a successful hit on a target you might not even be able to see directly.
The trickiest part of the Below is the verticality. You’ll be climbing, swinging from your Blades of Chaos, and then immediately needing to aim a perfect throw. Don't rush it. The game doesn't time you on these puzzles, so take a second to breathe.
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Breaking the Hafgufa Free
Once you’ve cut the three main bindings inside the cave, you aren't done. This is where a lot of people get confused and start wandering back the way they came. You have to go back to the surface. The creature is still technically trapped under the sand; you've just loosened the "roots."
Follow the path out—there’s a legendary chest on the way out you definitely don't want to miss—and use the grapple points to reach the desert level again. You’ll see a large circular structure in the sand that looks like a giant plug.
Go over to it. Interact. Kratos will do his "strong man" thing, the sand will erupt, and the Hafgufa will fly into the sky. It is honestly one of the most beautiful visual moments in the entire game. The red, dusty haze of the Barrens instantly vanishes, replaced by a clear, starry sky.
Why This Quest Actually Matters for Your Build
If you’re wondering why you should bother with the God of War Ragnarok Secret of the Sands Favor instead of just hunting down Odin’s Ravens, it’s the loot. Clearing the storm opens up the rest of the Barrens.
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- Legendary Chests: You’ll find the Belt of Radiance and the Gauntlets of Radiance here. These are part of the "Realm Shift" armor set. If you like slowing down time after a last-second dodge, you need these.
- Lore Markers: There is a ton of Alfheim history hidden under the sand that you literally cannot see while the storm is active.
- Yggdrasil Dew: There are stat-boosting items scattered around the now-clear desert.
Also, clearing the storm makes the "Song of the Sands" quest in the Forbidden Sands (the next area) much easier to understand because it uses the same mechanics. Think of this as the tutorial for the harder version later on.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The most frustrating part of this quest is the "Triple Node" puzzles. You’ll see three red glowing blobs, and they’ll regrow almost instantly if you don't hit them all together.
I’ve seen players try to hit one, then quickly aim at the second. That doesn't work. The timing is too tight. You have to find the "one-shot" line. If you’re struggling, move Kratos. Usually, the solution involves standing on a higher ledge or behind a piece of debris. The game design is very deliberate; if a shot feels impossible, you’re likely standing in the wrong spot.
Another thing: don't ignore the exploding pots. Often, a wall of gold ore is blocking your path or a Twilight Stone. Throw your axe at a nearby red jar. It seems basic, but in the heat of a Dark Elf ambush, it’s easy to forget the environment is your best weapon.
Actionable Next Steps for Completionists
If you just finished the quest and the sky is clear, don't leave Alfheim yet. Now is the time to reap the rewards.
- Grab the Spoils of War: There are several artifact collectibles now visible on the ground. They look like small glowing purple items. Sell these to Lunda or Sindri for a decent chunk of Hacksilver.
- Hunt the Berserker Gravestone: Now that you can see where you’re going, you might notice a gravestone in the northern part of the Barrens. Be warned: it’s a tough fight. Don't touch it unless you’re at least Level 4 or 5.
- Check the Map for "Undiscovered": If your map still says 60% completion for the Barrens, look for small caves on the outskirts. Many of them were hidden by the sandstorm's "fog of war."
God of War Ragnarok Secret of the Sands is essentially a lesson in patience. It forces you to slow down, look at the geometry of the room, and appreciate the scale of the world Santa Monica Studio built. Once the storm is gone, the Barrens becomes one of the best spots for early-game grinding and lore hunting. Just make sure you grab that Radiance armor—it’s a game-changer for the boss fights coming up in the main story.