Asgard's Wrath 2

Asgard's Wrath 2 is an action role-playing game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Oculus Studios for the Meta Quest series of virtual reality headsets. 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 who possesses mortals who have important destinies. After being betrayed by Loki in Asgard's Wrath, the protagonist is freed from bondage and sent to Egypt. There, players interact with gods from Egyptian mythology 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; talk to non-player characters; play minigames; 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-based studio Sanzaru Games began development on Asgard's Wrath 2 shortly after Asgard's Wrath's release in late 2019. As a result of Meta's commitment to its standalone devices and its discontinuation of the non-standalone Oculus Rift family of heasets, the sequel shifted platforms, no longer requiring a headset connected to a Microsoft Windows computer and instead becoming exclusive to standalone Meta headsets.

Following the original's success, developer Sanzaru Games was acquired by Meta's Oculus Studios 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 Pro, 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. IGN 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 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 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 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.