Norse mythology-inspired VR roguelite Street Gods holds considerable promise, and we went hands-on during Gamescom.

If I had to pick a highlight from this month's showcase, Street Gods would be up there. We've seen great licensed superhero games across the years like Iron Man VR and Batman: Arkham Shadow, while Marvel's Deadpool VR hands-on is rather encouraging. Something different is always welcome though and by mixing familiar Norse mythology with an original premise, Street Gods strikes an engaging balance.

Best known for its work on Drop Dead: The Cabin and Just Dance VR, Soul Assembly's latest game takes us to a distorted version of New York. Swapping secretive billionaires for an ordinary girl, this superhero power fantasy sees us becoming the wielder of Mjolnir as we attempt to restore the city after the Norse realm collides with our reality.

Playing a 25-minute demo during Gamescom on Quest 3, what's immediately striking is the comic-book themed visuals as you explore this twisted take on the Big Apple. Swinging Mjolnir is all well and good, though what I’m really enjoying so far is the recall ability. Recalling items like Kratos does with his axe isn’t anything new, yet there’s a satisfying feeling to landing a double strike on enemies as your hammer hits them again on the way back.

Melee attacks can slowly charge up Mjolnir’s handle too, letting you unleash a devastating strike that makes you feel like you’ve tapped into the power of the gods. Landing three consecutive hits on enemies delivers a scaled-down version that’s still more powerful than your average strike, and clearing through each wave generally feels good.

The wave-based approach can often feel repetitive in games, but the Gamescom build mixes this up with a mini-boss followed by a not-so-mini boss with different moves. For example, fighting against an ice creature forced me to move considerably faster to avoid getting hit by area of effect (AoE) attacks. Sprinting alone isn’t enough, but by throwing Mjolnir and holding it in place with the grip button, pressing B teleports you to its location for quick traversal.

Several occasions saw me use this to jump high, slamming towards the intended target in a satisfying but motion intensive attack. Moments like this make you feel powerfully creative, and as someone who often opts to “cheese it” during fights, this made me carefully reconsider my strategy. Defeating both bosses while also fending off minions has me feeling accomplished.

It's difficult to get a better idea for progression across this demo. Soul Assembly states this takes a run-based approach across a modular city, where you create your own path by placing blocks on a mystical Tafl board. I've not fully seen this yet, though. Different relics are found in some stages, where you pick one between a choice of three for helpful buffs like a 20% defense increase.

I wasn't having the best day before my demo, so it's an encouraging sign that Street Gods had the unintended bonus of being a welcome stress reliever. I fear this might get repetitive in longer stints and, unsurprisingly for an early build, a few areas need further polish before launch. Still, compelling combat and the strong visuals mean it's a rather encouraging start.

Street Gods launches this winter on the Meta Horizon Store for Quest 3 and 3S.