Go on…
Asgard’s Wrath, a Norse-centric adventure game from Marvel Powers United VR creator Sanzaru and Oculus Studios, seems to have the right stuff. Energetic melee combat lends itself amazingly well to virtual reality. Mythology doesn’t really get old as a subject matter. And the game’s double-digit hour count addresses one of the most common complaints about VR experiences: they’re too short-lived.
Not to bury the lede or anything, but uh, you can pluck a hawk out of the air as a god.
“One of my favorite things to do in-game is to use a shield to ‘catch’ thrown enemy weapons like daggers, yank them out, and throw them right back,” said Oculus Studios’ Mike Doran.
“Another great moment is swinging your weapon to knock decapitated monster heads through the air. Physics, time dilation, dismemberment, ragdoll, and a ton of tuning and polish come together to complete the core foundation of our combat. […] We also have metagame loops that augment combat, such as crafting, disposable weapons, elemental traits, and other things yet to be revealed.”
Aside from hack and slashing as a mortal, you’ll also swap to a literal god mode. Bouncing between the two forms will help you “solve puzzles and overcome challenges to advance through the world.” As for the tease at the end of the trailer, the game will only support asynchronous multiplayer.
All told, Asgard’s Wrath looks promising. It’s coming to Oculus Rift later this year and I will try my absolute best not to accidentally call it Asura’s Wrath. I can already feel a slip-up coming on.
Announcing ‘Asgard’s Wrath’, the Latest from Oculus Studios [Oculus]
