Asgard's Wrath

Asgard's Wrath is a 2019 action role-playing game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Oculus Studios for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. In the game, the player assumes control of a Norse god who must guide several mortal heroes to fulfill their destinies. The game received generally positive reviews upon release.

Asgard's Wrath
Developer(s)Sanzaru Games
Publisher(s)Oculus Studios
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseOctober 10, 2019
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

Asgard's Wrath is an action role-playing game designed for virtual reality (VR) headsets. Set in the Norse mythology, the game sees the player assuming control of a Norse god who is under the tutelage of Loki. The God must fulfill Loki's request to guide several preordained mortal heroes to fulfill their destinies.[1] The game features five different heroes, each with its own play style and special abilities. Each hero has their own weapon, though weapons can be picked up from defeated enemies. Players swing their sword to defeat enemies and parry to deflect attacks. The weapon can be thrown at enemies and magically summoned back to the player's hand. Some of these weapons have status properties such as lightning and poison. Players need to consume food to restore health. As players explore, they can complete side missions, explore dungeons and find treasure chests and crates that can be used to craft useful materials.[2] Players can also recruit various animals and transform them into humanoid companions, known as "followers", who can assist the players in solving puzzles and combat. Loki must give the player the ability to do so. [3]

Development

Development of the game started in Sanzaru Games in 2016 when the company was also working on another VR title, Marvel Powers United VR. A team of 90 developers worked on the title. The game's initial vision was similar to Lemmings, as the player assumes control of the Gods and solve puzzles by commanding various human characters.[4] Oculus Studios announced the game in February 2019 and released the title for the VR headset Oculus Rift on October 10, 2019.[5][6]

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[7] Critics praised the game's ambition and its status as a full-length title, unlike most other VR games. The game was nominated for Best VR/AR Game during The Game Awards 2019 but lost to Beat Saber.[8] Following the game's success, Facebook, the parent company of Oculus, announced their acquisition of Sanzaru Games in February 2020.[9]

Awards
YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2019 Game Critics Awards Best VR/AR Game Nominated [10]
The Game Awards 2019 Nominated [8]
2020 New York Game Awards Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game Nominated [11]
23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Immersive Reality Technical Achievement Nominated [12]
Immersive Reality Game of the Year Nominated
NAVGTR Awards Control Design, VR Nominated [13]
Sound Mixing in Virtual Reality Nominated
20th Game Developers Choice Awards Best VR/AR Game Nominated [14]

References
  1. Grea, Emily (February 5, 2019). "Norse Mythology RPG 'Asgard's Wrath' Heads to Oculus Rift in 2019". Variety. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  2. Jagneux, David (October 13, 2019). "Asgard's Wrath guide: How to dive into VR's biggest RPG". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  3. Minotti, Mike (May 21, 2019). "Asgard's Wrath is an ambitious, sometimes overwhelming action game for VR". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  4. Takahshi, Dean (May 21, 2019). "Asgard's Wrath — How Sanzaru is crafting a 30-hour Norse saga game in VR". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  5. Wilde, Tyler (February 5, 2019). "Asgard's Wrath brings fantasy melee dismemberment to VR". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  6. Minotti, Mike (September 25, 2019). "Oculus reveals release dates for Stormland and Asgard's Wrath during games showcase". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  7. "Asgard's Wrath for PC review". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  8. Goslin, Austen (December 13, 2019). "All the winners from The Game Awards 2019". Polygon. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  9. Moon, Mariella (February 26, 2020). "Facebook buys the VR game maker behind 'Asgard's Wrath'". Engadget. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  10. Nunneley, Stephany (June 27, 2019). "E3 2019 Game Critics Awards – Final Fantasy 7 Remake wins Best of Show". VG247. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  11. Meitzler, Ryan (January 22, 2020). "The New York Video Game Awards 2020 Winners Revealed; The Outer Worlds Takes Game of the Year". DualShockers. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  12. Chalk, Andy (January 13, 2020). "Control and Death Stranding get 8 nominations each for the 2020 DICE Awards". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  13. "2019 Winners". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 24, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  14. Shanley, Patrick (January 8, 2020). "'Death Stranding' Leads Game Developers Choice Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
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