God of War’s game world may not be open per se, but it is certainly expansive. As a result, there are more than a few collectibles concealed throughout it. The Faces of Magic are one such collectible set; nine carved ritual masks categorized as ‘Artefacts,’ under the Goals tab of the game’s menu.
The nine Faces of Magic can be found hidden in three of the game’s areas; the River Pass, Sanctuary Grove, and Witch’s Cave. Each mask typically appears near human remains or corpses. Fortunately, while they may be well-concealed, the masks will shine when approached. Although none of the masks are miss-able, players who fail to find them in their areas will have to wait until they can return to that region later in the game.
For every mask collected, you will be rewarded with a boon of 50 XP. Completing the set by collecting all nine will also grant a one-time reward of 350 XP. While the masks themselves offer no particular benefit, they can be sold to the game’s vendors for 1,000 Hacksilver each. Finally, of course, collecting all of the masks counts towards earning 100% completion in God of War. It is worth noting that selling the masks does not cause you to lose progress towards the completion goal.
Locations of the Nine Masks (The River Pass)
The First Mask: You can find most of God of War’s Faces of Magic in The River Pass. To find of the nine, play through the area until you leave the ruins and get ambushed by bandits. After leaving the arena, you should come across a bridge. Before crossing, look for a chest and a chain wound around a plinth. Climb down the chain to a ledge, where you will find the first Face of Magic beside a dead body.
The Second Mask: Shortly after crossing the bridge after the first mask’s location, you will have your first meeting with the dwarf vendor Brok. Following that cutscene, turn right and look for a ledge. If you drop from that ledge, you should find another corpse to your left, beside the second mask.
The Third Mask: The third mask is also located in The River Pass. Continue playing through the region until you come upon an area which requires you to freeze mechanisms by hurling Kratos’ axe. After completing the puzzle, follow Atreus in climbing up and the third mask should be beside a corpse on your right-hand side.
The Fourth Mask: Continue to progress through The River Pass until you reach a door puzzle. Before approaching the door, turn to your left and you should find another corpse and the fourth mask by the edge of a cliff.
The Fifth Mask: After completing the aforementioned door puzzle, you will be able to enter the cave. Turn left at the first opportunity and head up to a ledge. You should find the fifth Face of Magic hidden in the center of a pool of water.
The Sixth Mask: After facing and defeating Brenna Daudi, you should arrive at a ruined village. The sixth of God of War’s Faces of Magic is located beside a corpse who is lying behind a house to your right.
Locations of the Nine Masks (Witch’s Cave)
The Seventh Mask: The seventh mask is located in the Witch’s Cave. After entering the cavern, turn left and jump down. Here you should find a pool of water and a large crate. Push the crate into the water, and then use it as a stepping stone in order to jump across the pool. You should find the seventh mask beside a dead body on the far side.
Locations of the Nine Masks (Sanctuary Grove)
The Eighth & Ninth Masks: Both the eighth and ninth of God of War’s Faces of Magic are located in Sanctuary Grove. After passing through this area, it will be impossible to come back until much further on in the game, so players looking to complete the set should take care not to miss them. You can find the eighth mask on the right-hand side of the monster that lurks beneath the Witch’s House. The ninth Face of Magic is located on the left side. Climb up a chain which hangs down a cliff, and the mask should be in front of you.