Street Gods VR puts the power of Thor in the palm of your hand, but with a streetpunk twist.
While at Gamescom I put on a VR headset and gave Street Gods VR a go. It’s an upcoming game for the Meta Quest 3 that wouldn’t feel out of place as an official Marvel VR game, as it gives players the power of Thor on a mission to rid the world of monsters.
After a brief tutorial I dove head-first into the combat, and despite it being an early-build it was impressively responsive. Wielding Mjölnir you’ll bash and smack your opponents with power hammer blows, and when you chain together a combo you can imbue the hammer with lightning for an explosive finisher attack.
Like every media interpretation of Thor you can also throw the hammer, even ricocheting it off multiple enemies if you throw it as if you’re skipping a stone across a lake. At the press of a button the hammer is called back to you so you can continue smashing things. I was told during my demo that further into the game you’ll be able to wield a hammer with fire and ice powers aside from the usual lightning.
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When you’ve chained enough attacks together Mjölnir will glow blue, and upon raising it to the sky you’ll enter a hyper mode where every attack is a one-shot kill, great for a large horde of enemies.
Street Gods also has roguelike elements in the form of power-ups. If you look down at your arm you’ll see it gradually decorated in runic tattoos to symbolise how many extra abilities and buffs you have, and on the other arm you can keep an eye on your health.
Tying it all together my demo was quite eventful. I fought wave after wave of undead creatures and a few mini bosses that required a more pinpoint approach to combat. Some enemies were shielded, but aside from your hammer you’re also equipped with a magical whip that can yank shields away as well as pull enemies towards you, whipping them into the air for some juggling combos.
At the end I played a dangerous game of tennis with an enormous Surtr-like monster throwing building-sized fireballs at me, until I finally delivered the finishing blow and walked away victorious.
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A VR game about becoming Thor is a great idea, especially as Mjölnir's power to be summoned back to one’s hand lends itself well to VR as it’s a quick way of re-equipping the player without forcing them to bend down and grab a weapon themselves, which can cause injury.
While I didn’t do much sightseeing in the game as there were monsters to mash, the colourful modern-day streets made for some great close-quarters arenas. Walking into the starting area and seeing a crater with Mjölnir at the bottom felt immersive, and when you finally get your hands on it you can feel the power immediately.
Street Gods VR is launching by the end of this year, and its roguelike nature promises multiple bitesize playthroughs as one of the mightiest myths around.