Should you go to Niflheim or Alfheim first in God of War Ragnarok?

In God of War Ragnarok, after you complete the Old Friends goal and return to Sindri’s House, you decide your next move should be to go to Alfheim, the realm of the elves. However, as you approach the Mystic Gateway, you are approached by Ratatoskr, the squirrel who acts as a kind of custodian of Yggdrasil, the world tree. After speaking to Ratatoskr, you’re presented with a choice. You can continue to Alfheim as planned, or you can instead go to Niflheim. You can also go back to Svartalfheim if you want, but you already know all about that.

Related: How to complete Nine Realms in Bloom in God of War Ragnarok

Which realm first? Niflheim or Alfheim?

This choice isn’t actually quite as big of a deal as the in-game characters are making it seem. The thing is that Niflheim is not a full-sized realm. It’s actually more like an extension of the hub world that is Sindri’s House. In Niflheim  there’s a shop, much like the one at Sindri’s House, a training area where you can practice your combat skills, and the Raven Tree, where all of Odin’s Ravens that you’ve destroyed so far will be roosting. So, if you’re already happy with your combat skills, and you haven’t killed many of Odin’s Ravens yet, there’s not a lot of point going to Niflheim at this point. If you’re curious, then by all means check it out. It won’t take long.

But for most players, it’s going to make more sense to go to Alfheim and not Niflheim at this point. Traveling to Niflheim starts the Groa’s Secret goal, which is a long quest that progresses the story forward. Your first goal when you reach Alfheim will be to reach Groa’s shrine at the very top of the temple at The Strond. You can always visit Niflheim later on if you feel like you need some combat training, or if you’ve destroyed some more of Odin’s Ravens and want to collect your reward from one of the chests beneath the Raven Tree.