A game that tricks you into working out.
Fitness games have been a thing for decades.
While many people may consider the Nintendo Wii game Wii Fit as the first to encourage gamers to play and workout, this is probably because to younger generations, it’s one of the best known games out there for fitness. Of course, this wasn’t the first.
In fact, fitness games can be traced back to the 80s, and included a lot of exercise bikes. While older generations may remember these to varying degrees of fondness, it’s obvious that like the rest of technology, games in the genre have developer greatly since then.
With the continued growth of virtual reality (VR) fitness games have been taking on a new life in this medium. Now, the majority of these games offer the same thing with a different backdrop, with most featuring some form of boxing or rhythm based interactions. This is great for people who really enjoy boxing or spent many early hours in VR playing those repetitive music based rhythm games.
However, what’s really been lacking is a game that makes you interact with the world in a way that almost forces you to workout. As of Jan. 30, a game like this not only exists, it’s a pretty good example of what can be done.
Fitness Fables by Immersion Games tasks you with saving a magical world by doing various exercises to generate your own magic. Across upwards of 80 levels and hours of gameplay, you’ll find yourself rowing, doing squats, activities that require arm rotations, and many more different actions that can technically be deemed an exercise.
The game does a great job of blending your story of saving Alterterra, with the physicality that gets your sweating. Each action you make helps you to cast spells, move yourself around the world, and attack giant bosses in multi-stage battles.
Let’s talk about all that is good with this game.
First and foremost: playing Fitness Fables will ensure you get a good workout that leaves you sore the next day. In order to do the best you can in each level, performing actions the right way – the way that requires adhering to the proper completion of an exercise – nets you the most points. Whether you’re moving yourself across water, flying over dangerous landscapes, or skiing, following the on-screen examples to the letter, will burn the most calories and make sure you crush the leaderboard.
Each action is obviously a workout, but the way the game blends these actions with the rest of the game, you almost forget what you’re really doing. Compared to other fitness games, the fact that you’re working out is overtly apparent and those who aren’t fully invested will pull away quickly.
In Fitness Fables you won’t get bogged down with the monotony that other games impose on you. Even in more recent releases like Exercise your Demons the game is vastly repetitive, and follows much of the same tropes pushed by the fitness games that have been on VR for ages. But as you work to save Alterterra, you can really get drawn into the beauty of the world around you, and the tasks in front of you, while engaging in a workout that doesn’t get boring.
The game can be played in full VR or mixed reality (MR) – bringing the action to your living room. Playing in full VR will allow you to visualize the beautifully created world around you, while MR does exactly what the mode should do – it allows you to see your space while bringing the virtual action into it.
If you aren’t worried about moving around or damaging your space around you, then you should definitely go full VR for this game. Yes, MR does a good job here, and being able to see a boss battle in your home is always unique, all actions undertaken throughout a playthrough are done without moving around too much. Yes, you’ll need to punch, row, swing your arms, and a slew of other actions throughout the course of your playthrough, but you’re never going to find yourself walking around or moving in any way that could end with you being too close to something.
Plus, the graphics are stellar and you should experience the world of the game.
While this game is great and the variety of activities is vast, playing the game pre-release had its issues.
Now, there was nothing at all wrong with the graphics as everything looked great and there was never a noticeable drop in the framerate. Instead, the issues encountered were mostly small things that can made the game fall just short of being excellent.
The first thing noticed were during the instances where you have what looks to be a tennis racket in your hand. For context, you’ll come across activities in game that requires you to attack creatures and bosses, by hitting them with balls that you hit at them via a tennis racket. The problem? The tennis racket is not oriented properly, so you end up having to hold your hand at weird angles in order to be able to hit the ball.
Because of the angle, it’s difficult to effectively use a backhand swing – even forehand isn’t all too accurate – but this was found to be the most difficult activity because of the racket issues.
Another thing discovered – and this is less of a problem and more of something odd that was encountered – is the weird actions that you’ll perform when you do come across boxing-esque activities. Yes, there is no escaping that tired old trope, and it’s pretty much the same as all the other fitness games. Punch a coloured thing flying at you with the corresponding glove, dodge and duck out of the way of barriers.
The issue? Having to punch with both hands at the same time in an uppercut fashion. Weird right? Like, when are you EVER going to need to do that? But it’s done here, and it’s kinda weird.
Other than that – at least so far – Fitness Fables has set itself up as a shining example of what all future fitness games should emulate.
If you’re looking for a workout game that sets itself apart from the rest – a game that allows you to focus on the story and gameplay while being forced into working out – then this game, priced at just $16.99, is one you should not skip.
Fitness Fables, was reviewed on the Quest 3 after receiving a pre-release key.
