Asgard’s Wrath 2 review: epic and frustrating

Is it even possible to write about Asgard’s Wrath 2 without using the word “epic”? Early reports that Sanzaru Games’ sequel to its 2019 open-world RPG contained more than 60 hours of gameplay left me wary, wondering whether size and structure had been prioritized over playability and storyline. I was pleased to discover the first couple of hours flew by, with long context-setting scenes and set pieces that reintroduce the franchise’s mythological Norse settings and explain important mechanics, but don’t feel like straight-up tutorials—because they simultaneously advance the narrative. 

Picking up where the first game finished—though you don’t need to have played it—we embody a god who in turn embodies several different humans over the course of the game’s elephantine runtime. We’re on the hunt for Loki, who is known as the “trickster god,” with his appetite for impishness and ability to shapeshift. We learn that Loki’s whereabouts will be revealed once we’ve obtained a bunch of “Hero Stones,” making this yet another fantasy narrative involving the collection of colourful looking rocks (a popular premise in video games as well as movies—looking at you, MCU).

To progress through the game’s vast desert-like world, we must solve environment-based puzzles that require us to alternate between the default first-person perspective and “godscale mode.” The latter is a view that looks down from above, shrinking the playing area to diorama-like spaces. Certain activities can only be performed as a god (operating huge levers and rearranging structures, for instance) while others require human form. 

Diorama-esque spaces that play with size and scale are common in VR, literalizing the concept of a “god’s eye view.” Some productions provide a narrative justification for deploying this kind of perspective: in Ghost Giant, for instance, we play a humongous apparition, helping a young boy whose mother is unwell, and in Tentacular we embody a massive kraken who performs various duties to assist a fishing town. Others (such as Moss and Down the Rabbit Hole) don’t bother with an explanation; this is simply our view of the world.

Whilst I appreciate many of Asgard’s Wrath’s “god altar” moments, which are indeed narratively justified, they tend to disrupt the flow of the storyline—injecting large pregnant pauses—and there are some I found simply too difficult and cumbersome. 

I had a very frustrating experience in one temple, for instance, about eight or so hours in, requiring the adjustment of water levels and fidgeting with various structures and doodads. This set piece (and others like it) makes it clear the developers prioritized the creation of clever puzzles over enjoyable experiences. I decided that if there were many more environments like that one I’d simply stop playing; the game had ceased to be pleasurable. Ultimately this decision was made for me: roughly 25 hours into the experience, my headset malfunctioned (not because of this game!) and I arranged to be sent a replacement. My progress was lost and there was no way I was prepared to start again, and invest another 25 hours just to get back to where I was. If Asgard’s Wrath 2 had a more thrilling narrative, or a faster pace, I might’ve felt differently. 

Having said that, those first few hours in particular were a blast, and the game is injected with fresh life and oomph when you progress into a new saga and unlock a new character. This reminds us that pace is more than the speed at which storytelling details are divulged. It can come in many forms: for instance how often new abilities are introduced, and the frequency of cutscenes filled with narrative exposition. 

Not far into the game, we’re given the ability to mount a huge panther and fang it across the desert. The introduction of this method enlivens the pace, getting it singing by giving us something new to contemplate. And the actual riding of the beast, hot damn, that really increases pace, these moments feeling visceral and super-charged, the virtual wind slapping our faces.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 contains some fine examples of cutscenes built from the ground up for VR, which don’t take the easy way out by displaying visual information on two-dimensional surfaces (even top-notch VR games, like Vertigo 2, fall victim to this). At the beginning of each of its seven sagas, we mount a raven and watch a prologue by, in effect, flying through it, pushed through various trippy environments where dramatic scenes play out around us, accompanied by voice-over narration.

This works a treat, utilizing what academic Laurent Lescop identified as one of VR’s four key visual configurations, “when the audience is fixed and the virtual bubble is moving.” This configuration, which contrasts the stillness of the viewer with constant motion around them, is very popular in VR and common in physical reality too—from journeys in cars and trains to rollercoaster and riverboat rides. 

Going back to my original concern: yes, Asgard’s Wrath 2 does prioritize size and structure over playability and storyline. Part of the modus operandi was clearly to make a hugely expansive production demonstrating the capacity for untethered headsets to deliver massive AAA experiences. On those terms it’s a resounding success. So much so that the idea of re-entering this world, and going back to the point I was at before my headset carked it, feels far too intimidating to action. Maybe, some day, I’ll muster enough energy to visit that water-filled temple again.