Live out your martial arts fantasies as you fight your way through the tower.

Who hasn’t watched a Jackie Chan movie and wished they could be a martial arts expert?

If Jackie isn’t your thing, maybe it was Bruce Lee, or the Karate Kid series, but martial arts films through the 80s and 90s had a lot of impact on people.

These movies definitely had a lot of impact on developer Leonard Menchiari, who has created Path of Fury – Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower, a virtual reality (VR) game meant to make you feel like a kung fu master.

Path of Fury is a thrilling story about a lone fighter who has lost everything taking on Tetsuo, the leader of an illegal fortress that he himself has created to protect him from the outside world. You experience the story by fighting back with nothing but your courage and fists,” said Menchiari. “The game uses virtual reality to pull you right into its world. It’s an experience that challenges your skills, immerses you in a story, and aims to make you feel the energy of fast-paced kung fu fighting. Whether you’re young or old, experienced in gaming or just curious, Path of Fury is built to captivate and leave you with something to think about long after you’ve played.”

In the game, you must fight your way through room after room of enemies, as you work your way up to the top. Path of Fury gives you only two weapons – your fists – as you work your way through this on the rails experience.

Gameplay is simple here: you need to punch and block. Enemies will have hitboxes appear on them, some requiring quick jabs while others needing more powerful strikes. This means you’ll need an awful lot of practice if you intend to make it up the tower.

The gameplay overall is engaging and not only makes you feel a sense of accomplishment when you’re done – it leaves you with a lot of sweat.

Menchiari notes that the game also acts as a metaphor for life: having nothing and facing what looks to be an insurmountable force.

“This game kinda symbolizes just that. Having built the game from the ground up, it really did feel like I was facing Tetsuo myself, up until the very end. The struggles of finishing a project almost completely on my own I think translated into the vibe of this whole experience. One step after another, one challenge at the time, up until the very top of the tower, where defeating Tetsuo or finishing this project seemed like a goal that almost couldn’t be achieved. The hopes and the persistence were key to get to the finish line, and the idea of that was probably what inspired me to create this game.”

Stepping into the world in Path of Fury, players are treated to a world that looks ominous. You’re meant to feel small here and realize just how difficult the path before you will be to trek.

The world around you is detailed and you almost want to be drawn in to see what else it has to offer. The enemies – of which there are many – are simply obstacles in your path. Because they’re little more than living punching bags in your quest to take on Tetsuo, the enemies here are less detailed – and in some instances faceless – but honestly, it’s not really a problem.

You really only notice the enemies before you for as long as it takes for you to put them down. The only important thing about them is where they need to be hit – also how they want to hit you – so why would their hairstyles or facial expressions really matter.

The game is all about the precision of fighting in the Wing Chun style. This not only means close quarters combat but helps with explaining why kicking isn’t an option.

“We don’t incorporate kicking directly because Path of Fury is designed around the principles of Wing Chun, which emphasizes close-quarters combat with fast, efficient hand techniques. Kicking would shift the focus away from the precision and flow we’re aiming to capture. By keeping the combat grounded in these principles, the gameplay stays tightly focused and accessible within the VR medium.”

Menchiari also notes that the idea of being able to pickup objects was considered – similar to how Chan might use items in his movie fight scenes – but this was decided against because he says it takes away from the concept of the player facing the world with their fists.

“It’s purer this way, more intense. Sure, Jackie Chan’s creativity is a blast to watch, but here it’s about learning the discipline of hand-to-hand combat, forging strength through simplicity. If you can handle yourself empty-handed, that’s the truest test of skill.”

Since this is just part one, there is potentially more on the horizon – Menchiari notes this also depends on how well-received the first part will be.

“This is just the beginning, and there are so many directions Episode 2 could take. I want to see how players react to this first chapter before deciding. I’ve thought about exploring sword fighting or even something more like Time Crisis-style gunplay, but I’m also considering whether to refine and expand on the Wing Chun combat or find ways to blend these elements together… If we get the chance, I’d love to release more episodes and flesh out the narrative and setting. That could mean paid expansions, DLC, or even free updates if it makes sense. At the end of the day, I want to keep this world breathing, evolving, and challenging players to come back stronger than before.”

With the game’s release March. 13, players who are looking for a gritty adventure that’s really a workout in disguise, Path of Fury is definitely something that should be considered.

Keep in mind, this game is meant to make you feel like you’re inside a classic martial arts movie. It’s heavy on the fighting and the story revolves around revenge; but this doesn’t mean it’s glorifying violence.

Path of Fury – Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower, was reviewed on the Quest 3 after receiving pre-release access.