A sequel to one of the best-looking PC VR games around, Asgard’s Wrath 2 is the blockbuster exclusive Meta Quest 3 fans have been craving for the snazzy new VR headset. Available to play on Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro headsets, the new VR hack-and-slash game is a tremendous example of the power of standalone VR, even if it sometimes feels too big.
A sequel to the 120GB PC VR behemoth, Asgard’s Wrath 2 moves the Oculus Studios and Sanzaru Games exclusive onto the much more power-restricted standalone VR platform. There are obvious cutbacks; despite the new game looking absolutely phenomenal on Quest 3, with the best sense of scale you can find on the platform, it can’t match the fidelity of its groundbreaking predecessor.
Even held to a dense 32GB install in its final incarnation, developer Sanzaru Games' sequel falls behind the sheer beauty of its original game. However, what it lacks in texture, model and shader quality, it makes up for with gameplay, offering the most satisfying VR swordplay available on the medium, at least without the haunting gore and dismemberment found in titles such as Blade and Sorcery.
Thankfully, the drop in visual quality doesn’t matter too much. Asgard’s Wrath 2 still aims to be a bigger and better adventure than its PC originator. You’ll now find vast open worlds, so large they benefit from companions that turn into rideable mounts, as well as sprawling dungeons such as a decimated pirate ship housed in a secret cove.
You don’t need to have completed (or even played) the original to enjoy AW2. After a short recap of the first game’s story, told via a stunning immersive VR cutscene, you’ll find yourself breaking out of the Tavern the Trickster God Loki trapped you in at the first game’s finale.
Senzaru’s expert flair for blockbuster VR moments immediately kicks off here as you attempt your escape, only to be kicked into a cinematic battle against a colossal eagle for stealing his Ahnk. You’ll learn the basics of combat, swiping ranged attacks back at it, dodging sweeping dive bombs and slashing at its cute-but-dangerous head. Of course, you lose against the giant cutesy eagle and are the rescued by The Weavers, multi-armed hags that control the destiny of the gods.
This kicks you into the game’s main campaign, a lengthy seven-act story that sees you possessing the bodies of mortals with their own unique skills, fighting styles and more to stop Loki’s dastardly plans from affecting both the Norse gods and the Egyptian gods.
Between main missions you’ll also fulfill side requests for a smattering of NPCs, and even go fishing, discover loot caves, solve puzzles and pet your animal companions. Asgard’s Wrath 2 is either a completionist’s dream or nightmare with over a hundred hours of gameplay for you to swing your arms at.
It helps then that Asgard’s Wrath 2 has one of the most satisfying combat systems VR has ever seen, a gameplay style that heavily relies on physicality only really seen in combat simulators like Blade and Sorcery. A swing of your sword here actually connects with the enemy, and Senzaru has designed its combat around this connection. Battles are made of last-second parries and blocks, opening up weak points to strike.
You also have access to your trusty axe, a God of War-like weapon you can launch and call back to you with a flick of the wrist. At first, it’s easy to spam the axe, throwing it over and over at pesky flying beatles and shielded foot soldiers. However, enemies have multiple ways of stopping you from exploiting cheesy combat tricks. They can start rolling away from your axe throws, catching your axe in their shields or, most terrifying, catching your axe and throwing it back at you.
That’s just basic combat: Asgard’s Wrath 2 also has whip swords, shields, harps, mines and all manner of other weapons to battle with the more you explore its world. Each of these weapons also have skill trees allowing you to cause fear paralysis, petrifaction and more. It’s so deep that you can spend hours just exploring off the beaten track, engaging in secret combat arenas just off the side from your main objective.
As you continue through the main campaign and posses the bodies of more mortals, you’ll unlock even more abilities to toy with. Alvida is a predominantly ranged character, using her Bladed Bow to attack from a distance and blast foes with AOE attacks; the mysterious Djehiuty’s most fun weapon is their own head — what other VR game is that creative?
Even with two weeks with Asgard’s Wrath 2, we haven’t seen everything. While its main campaign is lengthy in itself, the game’s large open areas also feature countless hidden dungeons to explore for extra treasure, and it’s a truly moresome experience. Every nook and cranny has something to find, from crafting resources to treasure to puzzles and dangerous battle arenas.
Alongside this, robust social features have been included, albeit in a way that does feel a tad disconnected at times. In the Uncharted Realms, a rogue-lite dungeon crawler with levelling, weapon unlocks and that ever-satisfying loot, you’ll encounter the leftover souls of other players. After a player dies, they’ll be able to leave behind their essence to either help or hinder, the latter resulting in a brutal battle.
The Uncharted Rifts take advantage of every character you unlock across the game’s main campaign, allowing you to pick a fighting style you like and go ham. As you continue fighting, you’ll be able to unlock skills and better loot at an accelerated rate, providing a condensed but thrilling version of the game’s excellent combat system.
However, Asgard’s Wrath 2 also has a system in its campaign that allows you to place a hologram of your character in the world, similar to Dark Souls’ notes. While it’s funny to open a tent and be greeted by a stranger’s hologram bending over, the frequency of these holograms in the game’s more linear stages are rather distracting. It reminds me I’m no longer in the world of gods and monsters, but a video game with live service gubbins taped on top. These holograms can be disabled if they’re too distracting, but they feel like social features for social features sake.
Asgard’s Wrath 2 is the first Meta Quest exclusive to feel like standalone VR isn’t holding it back in some way. It obviously is — the visuals, while impressive, are still a step down from the first game — but this is the first standalone VR game to feel like a true AAA experience. It’s a demonstration of the lavishness of budget on a restrictive platform, and a true showcase of what the Meta Quest 3 is capable of.
If you’re looking for a VR game that takes advantage of every aspect of the medium, Asgard’s Wrath 2’s intense sense of scale and brilliant physicality makes it an absolute treat to play, as long as you can keep up with its frenetic action for hours on end.
