10/10! Writing for Asgard’s Wrath 2, now on Meta Quest 3!

Blown away by the amazing reviews! Asgard’s Wrath 2, the VR open-world RPG that I wrote for, comes out today! It has already raked in the accolades, including a 10/10 on IGN. In this fantasy adventure, you play in a mythological Ancient Egypt as a fledgling Norse god, who possesses mortals fulfilling their destiny, all the while chasing after your betrayer, Loki. From the Norse realms to the Egyptian underworld, you will find plenty of adventures, enemies, and mysteries. I had a ton of fun writing on this game, and once you play, you’ll be able to see the dev team over at Sanzaru Games had a blast as well. You can buy Asgard’s Wrath 2 now, or get it free when you buy the Meta Quest 3!

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DETAILS!

The award-winning creators of Asgard’s Wrath return with their most immersive VR experience yet in Asgard’s Wrath 2.

60+ hour narrative-driven campaign

Godscale puzzles & physics-based combat

Free-roaming, living worlds

Rogue-lite dungeon mode

Playable on: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 2

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FEATURING!

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REVIEWS!

IGN

NPR

“Virtual reality enthusiasts have been begging for a longform AAA title made specifically for VR headsets like the Meta Quest, and here it is.”

GameRant – 4.5/5

“Asgard’s Wrath 2 is without a doubt one of the best VR games and a surefire system seller for Quest 3.” “If there is a game to showcase how VR can match the scope and the scale of games like God of War and Zelda, Asgard’s Wrath 2 makes the strongest case yet.”

Mirror – 5/5

“If you’re seeking a Skyrim-level RPG primed to keep you busy in VR, look no further than Asgard’s Wrath 2.”

The Escapist

“The world is wonderful, the story is great, and the gameplay is exquisite.”

Siliconera – 9/10

“It’s a genuinely cool, well-crafted endeavor”

Android Central

“This isn’t just the best VR game of the year; it’s in the top 3 best games of the year on all platforms. Only Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fit in the same category of content-packed RPGs.”

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I hope you have as much fun playing Asgard’s Wrath 2 as I had fun writing it!

Devcom panel on the characters we need right now

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a devcom panel! I’ll be speaking today about writing characters and narrative in games at the devcom Developer Conference (sic). It’s been awhile since I had the opportunity to speak at devcom in person, so it’ll be great to return virtually along with a host of other great speakers. If you’ll be attending, let me know!

Panel: The Stories & Characters We Need Right Now

When: Monday, August 23, 2021, 11:00am PST
Where: Online! Purple Stage at devcom
Narrative and character design have evolved massively in recent years. But while the importance of well-designed and inclusive stories and characters has taken a solid step forward, there’s still a long way to go. This conversation will explore the recent evolution of storytelling and take a look at what the future holds. Join Writers Guild Award-winning writer Anne Toole (Horizon: Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, AC Origins), writer & actress Ashly Burch (Aloy/Horizon: Zero Dawn, Tiny Tina/Borderlands, Chloe/Life is Strange), DONTNOD Montréal’s Lead Narrative Designer Macha Lopez (Life is Strange 2, Tell Me Why), Carlos Rocha Silva (Cris Tales), plus another special guest in this mega panel, hosted by John Gaudiosi.

“See” you soon!

Talking video games at Comic-con 2021!

Every year, we make the pilgrimage down to San Diego. Okay, every year, we gather in spirit if not in flesh to celebrate the popular arts for Comic-con International. This year is no different. The Narrative Design for the Computer Gaming Industry panel kicks off tomorrow for Comic-con@Home with an awesome line-up of game writers, plus me. Come one, come all — no lines to get in and no camping out required!

Narrative Design for the Computer Gaming Industry

When: July 25, 2021, 11am PST
Where: Online!

Computer games have become the dominant narrative art form of the 21st century, and studies show that this trend will likely accelerate in the decades to come. With games like The Witcher and The Last of Us increasingly being adapted into other mediums, the writers behind these worlds are paving the way for the future universes of pop culture. Learn what it takes to become a narrative designer from Anne Toole (Horizon Zero Dawn), John Zuur Platten (Jurassic World Evolution 2), Leanne Taylor–Giles (Broken Roads), Lauren Stone (Tom Clancy’s The Division), and Neal Hallford (Dungeon Siege) in a panel moderated by Jana Hallford (Swords & Circuitry: A Designer’s Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games).

Look forward to “seeing” you!

Speaking on narrative in games at SDCC Comic-Con@Home

Today as part of Comic-Con@Home, I’ll be speaking on a virtual panel on Narrative Design for Computer Games. I spoke earlier this week on a panel for Horizon Zero Dawn Comes to Comics, which has reached nearly 2,000 views, all of them me 😉 .

Narrative Design for Computer Games
When: July 25, 2020 at 10am PST
Where: Online
Industry vets Neal Hallford (Betrayal at Krondor), Haris Orkin (Call of Juarez), Anne Toole (Horizon Zero Dawn), and Xalavier Nelson Jr. (We Are the Caretakers) break down how narratives are crafted and executed in the gaming industry. Moderated by Jana Hallford (Swords & Circuitry: A Designer’s Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games).

Join us!

Later, I’ll be heading over to Golden Apple Comics for some Free Comic Book Day/Summer comics, including the free Horizon Zero Dawn comic I wrote! For more details, check it here.

Game Writing Interview from the Level Up Conference

If you want to learn more about my game writing process, check out this interview that was just posted from the Level Up Conference in 2019. Over the course of two minutes, I solve all of game writing and also discuss the IGDA Women in Games SIG. It’s amazing. Check it out.

It may be some time before I’ll be speaking in person at a conference, but videos live forever! For better or worse.

Days Gone wins Best Storytelling Award

DAYS GONE, the survival horror game I wrote for, won for Best Storytelling at the Golden Joystick Awards last month. As a PS4 exclusive, DAYS GONE also won Playstation Game of the Year.

I contributed some early development writing, including developing the lore and jargon of the Ripper cult. Check out images from the book (art by various — I can’t draw) below.

From the Playstation website: “At its core, Days Gone is about survivors and what makes them human: desperation, loss, madness, betrayal, friendship, brotherhood, regret, love—and hope. It’s about how, even when confronted with such enormous tragedy, hope never dies.”

If you haven’t played DAYS GONE yet, maybe now’s the time. Nothing says the holidays like fighting for your life!

 

Heroes of Game Narrative at Reboot Develop

If you didn’t get your game narrative yayas out at GDC and you’ll be at Reboot Develop Blue today, check out the Heroes of Narrative panel. I’ll join the esteemed Chris Avellone and Charles Cecil as we discuss the trials and tribulations of crafting in-game narrative. All attendees will walk away with an idea of where game narrative is, and where it’s going!

Heroes of the Narrative panel
When: Saturday April 13, 2019, 3pm (15:00)
Where: Reboot Develop Blue
Sheraton Dubrovnik, Croatia
Zeuz Stage

I also had the opportunity to speak at a panel this Thursday on another panel.

Interactive Empathy – Citizenship and Storytelling in Video Games
Goethe Institute Panel: Hendrik Lesser (remote control productions/EGDF), Renaud
Charpentier (Tower Five), Anne Toole, Andrej Kovacevic (Exordium Games), moderated by Srdan Laterza
Description: Games that tackle serious social issues have the power to inspire players’ empathy by letting them feel the world from the outsider’s standpoint. As the most immersive medium, games also change our everyday lives by impacting economy, storytelling, and culture. Do games have the power to change the world by enhancing empathy amongst the worldwide audience?
*** The round table panel is a part of Interactive Empathy, a project by Goethe-Institut Kroatien and Institut français de Croatie, within the framework of the Franco-German Cultural Fund***

There mayyyy be write-ups of it online soon!

Released! Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a Narrative-Adventure game about traveling, sharing stories, and surviving manifest destiny. I was one of the writers, and now you can buy it and play it right now on Steam! It’s perfect for the you-shaped person reading this post right now!

Although it’s finally available for all to enjoy, it’s already been picking up some steam (sorry for the pun) on the indie scene. It won the Developer’s Choice Award at Indiecade:

It’s also been nominated for Excellence in Narrative in the Independent Game Festival (IGF), along with some other awesome indies:

It’s also picked up a lot of great reviews and ratings from players on the Steam page. Once you buy Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, don’t forget to leave your own rating!

 

Horizon Zero Dawn wins Writers Guild Award!

It happened! Horizon Zero Dawn won OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIDEOGAME WRITING at the Writers Guild of America awards ceremony on Sunday. Congrats to all the nominees, winners, and the HZD writing team:

Horizon Zero Dawn, Narrative Director John Gonzalez; Lead Writer Benjamin McCaw; Writing by Ben Schroder, Anne Toole; Additional Writing by Dee Warrick, Meg Jayanth; Guerrilla Games

Check out the acceptance speech and some photos from the event, but be warned, there is a clown.

Next up are the DICE awards next week in Vegas and the GDC awards next month in San Francisco. Fingers crossed for the Guerrilla team, who are nominated in multiple categories!

Horizon Zero Dawn nominated for Writers Guild Award!

Horizon Zero Dawn‘s writing team earned a Writers Guild Award nomination! The announcement marks my second nomination; the first was for THE WITCHER. HZD has made quite a splash, winning Best Narrative at the Golden Joystick Awards and the Golden Calf at the Netherlands Film Festival, among others. Horizon joins nominees from such projects as HANDMAID’S TALE, GLOW, and GET OUT. Read on to see all the Videogame Writing nominees!

Can I get a hell yeah? https://t.co/FfXkewTuJE #HorizonZeroDawn #WGA2018 @amely @deeeeewarrick @betterthemask pic.twitter.com/7TQrQ75eTq

— Jess Wyeth 👩🏼‍💻💙 (@shethulhu) January 11, 2018

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, External Writers Anna Megill, Hazel Monforton; Lead Narrative Designer Sachka Duval; Arkane Studios-Bethesda Softworks

Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, Written by Cas Ruffin, Patric M. Verrone; TinyCo

Horizon Zero Dawn, Narrative Director John Gonzalez; Lead Writer Benjamin McCaw; Writing by Ben Schroder, Anne Toole; Additional Writing by Dee Warrick, Meg Jayanth; Guerrilla Games

Madden NFL 18: Longshot, Written by Michael Young, Adrian Todd Zuniga; Story by Michael Young; Tiburon/Electronic Arts

For a full list of nominees and other awards info, check out the list here.