Unboxing your new VR headset feels great! All the components slip out of the casing, everything new and shiny. I can still remember my first session a year ago, and how real and immersive everything felt. It was unmistakable. Fitness was changed for me forever, but I found out that discovering what kind of VR gamer I am made a huge difference.
I’ve put together a list of titles VR Fitness Insider has tested, and my personal favorites, to help anyone find the right VR fitness games for you.
First, go through the Headlines and find your “Gamer Type”, then check out the titles we recommend. Happy hunting!
What Kind of Gamer are you?
I’m In it for Story
You’re engaged with a good story and you want to see your games through to the end. You don’t mind that they demand some physical engagement, and you’re looking forward to pushing yourself for longer sessions with a more relaxed pacing.
Lighter Impact Story Experiences
Skyrim
Skyrim is everyone’s favorite RPG, set in a scenic world and brought to life in stunning VR. Coupled with mods, it’s a low impact cardio experience that will keep you hunting dragons and sneaking into castles. Heavy swordplay and archery skills will keep players alive, but magic is powerful for those who master its skill trees. How will you grow into your true self, Dragonborn?
Fallout 4
While Bethesda’s support for Fallout 4 has been lackluster, the port to VR is wonderful. It requires a bit more power to run without stutter, but all of the game’s viewpoints and scenery come to life before your eyes. Just make sure you pack a power fist and some good armor when you come face to face with Deathclaws. Opt for melee, and squat behind cover during shootouts or when using stealth. Your thighs will be burning in minutes.
I want story and a workout
The Wizards
I reviewed The Wizards and found its spellcasting mechanic to function a lot like pitching a baseball. It’s quite the arm workout when you’re facing giant ogres and trying to find weak points across massive monsters. I enjoyed The Wizards for its pacing, its horde mode and its ability selection. You’re not just all powerful, you need to learn how the game works and how best to hone your skills.
Karnage Chronicles
A ground-up RPG in VR, Karnage Chronicles recently added a multiplayer update for players to crawl the game’s dungeons and raid together. The velocity of your swing is part of the game’s damage calculator, so you need to put effort into your attacks. An intuitive menu system keeps players immersed, while a parry and block actions keep sword fights intense no matter your weaponset. Players will work up a sweat looting as either an archer or warrior with more classes to come in the future.
I’m the King of FPS Games
You’re always up for a multiplayer challenge. You want to face other players, or a challenging AI, and you want to feel like you’re under fire and fighting to take the next hill. Here are the games you’ll want to check out to get some fitness with your gunplay.
I want a Challenge
Serious Sam: The Last Hope
In Serious Sam: The Last Hope, your intergalactic heavy-metal battle for the Earth has high stakes and hundreds of enemies. At times, the background will be so dense with the onslaught it may be hard to tell what you’re even aiming at. That’s the game’s charm: frantic and explosive. Use the sword and bow to step your workout up a notch, but just pulling the triggers and dodging will get your heart pumping.
Space Pirate Trainer
(Teamcoco.com)
Space Pirate Trainer recalls the glory days of 80s arcade games, where the goal was high score and elite skills. Just like those old quarter munching games, SPT launched volleys of enemies ready for you to dispatch. Will you switch to your shotgun? The single-shot but highly powerful laser? Bat and shield? The choice is yours, all to a pumping soundtrack. It’s a full body workout by level 10. Can you survive?
Holopoint
Everything you love about SPT, but in archery format. Holopoint challenges players to accurately hit targets before they explode, launching a volley fo counter projectiles that must be dodged. Fail three times and you go back to the main menu. Simple concept with excellent execution. Holopoint’s bow physics feel great, and the challenges feel fitting to your skill. You get an arm and shoulder workout while you improve your archery skills.
In Death
You wake up in a randomly generated version of heaven, but it’s full of demons and your only escape is past the horde. Welcome to In Death, a test of skill and intensity that hardcore gamers will love as much as casuals. Its harder difficulties press players to react quickly, stay mobile (using the game’s dodge mechanic) and find clever ways to take down groups of foes. Your survival depends on your endurance and your accuracy.
Overkill
One of my favorite VR shooters. Overkill VR has everything you want from an on-rails game, including branching choice for harder difficulties, along with a nice cover system. Waist-high boxes and barriers mean you’ll be getting your squat work in between reloads, especially with more aggressive and well-armored enemies like tanks. Don’t forget to grab air support for tougher missions.
I Want Multiplayer
oVRshot
oVRshot is Halo, but VR and with archery instead of guns. I loved the game’s map design and special powers. The scout class is especially fun, but assault and defense offer unique abilities useful for locking down bombs or maintaining control of the hill. Varied game modes keep oVRshot interesting, and it’s best played with friends.
Creed: Rise to Glory
In Creed: Rise to Glory, you’ll be playing a combination of VR boxing with Sprint Vector as you fall. The combination makes it easy to work up a sweat and brings a true multiplayer boxing experience to VR. Creed multiplayer is smooth enough to make for a competitive and fun good time. The singleplayer is a bit short, even if it adds to replayability. Multiplayer will keep you coming back to this title like the arm pumping you need to get back to your body when you’re KO’d.
VFC
VFC is great fun, even in the beta phase. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it’s growing constantly. New features added include arena mode, lots of little improvements like sound effects, and multiplayer queuing options. Choose one of three characters, each with a special power to deal additional damage or enhance combos. Hitbox detection is solid, so you can dodge and attack around an opponent or beneath them. Damaging uppercuts and hooks are the keys to big damage in this pseudo boxing title.
