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Asgard’s Wrath 2 stands out in a sea of virtual reality titles available on the market today. As the showpiece of Meta Quest 3, this sequel offers a rarely seen experience in the category, weaving together an exciting combination of action, complex puzzle design and semi-open world environments. With the intelligent use of virtual reality mechanics, you discover new surprises even after playing dozens of hours. Asgard’s Wrath 2 is a VR game that’s hard to put down, though Quest 3’s battery life often requires it. However, while it starts off strong, it hits a few roadblocks along the way.
Asgard’s Wrath 2 immediately follows the events of the first game. The god of mischief, Loki, has managed to escape, and it’s up to you to find him. The big difference now is that your journey takes you to the vast sand seas of Egypt, where you meet other deities willing to help you on your quest.
There is a huge world waiting to be explored, which amazed me as I looked around and the scope of what Sanzaru Games created. Additionally, the game’s visual style, powered solely by a standalone headset like the Quest 3, remained technically impressive as I ventured across the picturesque landscape in this lengthy action RPG.
While playing Asgard’s Wrath 2, you control different heroes with their respective story arcs. For example, you encounter the warrior Abraxas while he is robbing a tomb. Later, you control the river nymph Cyrene in her own chapter. You’ll also meet several animal companions, such as a boar that can walk through lava and a panther that can make illusory blocks solidify. These concepts, in terms of traversal and puzzle-solving, make each companion’s roles unique, though the AI dips noticeably during battles. In some cases, they won’t even attack an enemy next to them until you manually target them.
The combat mechanics push the limits of what VR gaming can be thanks to the variety of weapons each hero has. This arsenal creates truly unique and refreshing play styles. For example, I would wade into the fray as Abraxas, slashing with a whip sword in my right hand while throwing axes with my left. Meanwhile, the guard Alvilda asked me to make quick movements to shoot different magic arrows. Surprisingly, the most mechanically complex character was an undead scribe named Djehuty; I had to put both hands in front of my headphones and do a pulling motion to decapitate the character; then, he could use his head to possess enemies.
Unfortunately, I had some problems with the controls, especially when picking up weapons, as the controller has a hard time detecting the action unless I’m sitting upright. Likewise, throwing weapons or firing projectiles, even with the aim assist options enabled, became frustrating and tiring.
Still, the most fascinating feature of Asgard’s Wrath 2 is its puzzles, which show what VR gaming can really achieve in terms of immersion, creativity and engagement. Since you play as a god, you can use your god form to take control of larger structures, often switching to your hero character, who then traverses the area with the help of animal companions. The biggest compliment I can give Asgard’s Wrath 2 is that at times it feels like the Zelda VR game enthusiasts have been waiting for. The main puzzles are presented as large game pieces: moments that surprised me when I reached these sections and a sense of satisfaction when I found a solution.
Unfortunately, the abundance of puzzles leads to poor pacing during specific segments, such as escaping a dungeon’s traps, only to realize you were expecting another puzzle instead of a climactic boss battle. The final chapters of the game also feel rushed compared to the arcs of the first two heroes.
Asgard’s Wrath 2 still features an epic campaign that can take up to 70 hours to complete, filled with numerous locations, lairs, and secrets to discover. Likewise, an infinitely replayable roguelike mode awaits long after you’re done with the campaign and overworld areas. Despite some qualms, Asgard’s Wrath 2 remains a worthy offering from the gods.
Source: gameinformer.com