''Asgard's Wrath 2'' is an

action role-playing game An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...

developed by

Sanzaru Games Sanzaru Games, Inc. is an American video game development company that was founded in Foster City, California in 2006. Sanzaru also has a satellite studio based in Ottawa, Ontario called Kitazaru, as well as an office in Dublin, California. Th ...

and published by

Oculus Studios Reality Labs is a business of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook Inc.) that produces virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware and software, including virtual reality headsets such as Quest, and online platforms such as Horizon Wo ...

for the

Meta Quest The Oculus Quest is a virtual reality (VR) headset developed by Oculus, a division of Meta, Inc., released on May 21, 2019. Similar to its predecessor, Oculus Go, it is a standalone device that can run games and software wirelessly under an ...

series of

virtual reality headset A virtual reality headset (or VR headset) is a head-mounted device that provides virtual reality for the wearer. VR headsets are widely used with VR video games but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. VR ...

s. It is the sequel to '' Asgard's Wrath'' (2019). The game was released worldwide in December 2023 and was included for free as a launch game for the Meta Quest 3.

Gameplay

Players control a

Norse god In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature, ...

who possesses mortals who have important destinies. After being betrayed by

Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...

in '' Asgard's Wrath'', the protagonist is freed from bondage and sent to Egypt. There, players interact with gods from

Egyptian mythology Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyptia ...

and seek a way to get revenge on Loki. Players can explore the open world; possess four characters, each of whom has their own story and

skill tree This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players. 0–9 A ...

; talk to

non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...

s; play

minigame A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...

s; solve puzzles; and engage in combat with enemies and bosses. Players are assisted in combat by followers, who also have their own stories.

Development

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

-based studio

began development on Asgard's Wrath 2 shortly after Asgard's Wrath's release in late 2019. As a result of

Meta Meta (from the Greek μετά, '' meta'', meaning "after" or "beyond") is a prefix meaning "more comprehensive" or "transcending". In modern nomenclature, ''meta''- can also serve as a prefix meaning self-referential, as a field of study or ende ...

's commitment to its standalone devices and its discontinuation of the non-standalone

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family of heasets, the sequel shifted platforms, no longer requiring a headset connected to a

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computer and instead becoming exclusive to standalone Meta headsets. Following the original's success, developer

was acquired by Meta's

in 2020. Asgard's Wrath 2 was announced alongside the Meta Quest 3 during the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase on June 1, 2023, as a launch game for the new headset. Oculus Studios released ''Asgard's Wrath 2'' for the

Meta Quest 2 Meta Quest 2 (initially sold as Oculus Quest 2) is a virtual reality (VR) headset developed by Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.). It was unveiled on September 16, 2020 and released on October 13. As with its predecessor, the Oculus Que ...

Meta Quest Pro The Meta Quest Pro is a mixed reality (MR) headset developed by Reality Labs, a division of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.). Unveiled on October 11, 2022, it is a high-end headset designed for mixed reality and virtual reality applica ...

, and Meta Quest 3 on December 15, 2023, to be bundled with all Meta Quest 3 purchases until January 27, 2024.

Reception

''Asgard's Wrath 2'' received "universal acclaim" on

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

. ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' gave it a perfect score and made it their editors' choice, writing that it "sets a new gold standard for VR" and competes with the best role-playing games on any platform. ''

UploadVR UVR Media, LLC (formerly UploadVR, Inc. and Upload, Inc.) is an American media company that operates ''UploadVR'', a virtual reality-focused trade publication website. The company was founded as UploadVR in 2014 by Taylor Freeman, Will Mason, ...

'' said it "offers Quest players more than ever, on an uncharted scale". In their review, they praised what they felt was epic gameplay but said the game was let down by adopting the conventions of non-VR role-playing games. ''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

'' reviewer said ''Asgard's Wrath 2'' had become his new favorite VR game and wrote that "the gameplay, pacing, and story are a gift from the gods". ''

Siliconera The GAMURS Group, simply known as Gamurs, is an esports media and entertainment publisher. Established in December 2014, the group operates multiple brands focusing on the esports and entertainment news markets, including the websites: ''Dot Espo ...

'' called it "a genuinely cool, well-crafted endeavor" and said the only drawback was that the graphics were limited by the Meta Quest 3 compared to non-VR platforms.

Awards and Nominations

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://sanzaru.com/games/asgards-wrath-2/ 2023 video games Action role-playing video games Meta Quest games New York Game Award winners Open-world video games Sanzaru Games games Single-player video games Video games based on Egyptian mythology Video games based on Norse mythology Video games developed in the United States Virtual reality games