Today marks the full release of Knockout League! The VR arcade boxing game has left Early Access in Steam and is now available for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR headsets. Step into the ring and go glove to glove with some funny and ferocious fighters as you get a full body workout.
Game Mechanics
Grab Games, the studio that’s bringing you Knockout League announced on SteamVR that the game will now have 9 new opponents to fight for more variety. If you’re looking to power up your workout, there’s an additional Grudge Match mode that beefs up the characters to punch faster and harder than before to test your skill and stamina. Play this mode if you want to turn up the heat.
Don’t worry, the studio reports that the game will reward fighters that put in the effort to punch harder with combos so they can quickly earn the Golden Gloves and more damage per hit. Lightly punching won’t be as awesomely rewarded as landing a straight punch and hook combo, or blocking and then taking the rapid-fire head and body shots. This is a great motivational change for fit gamers and fitness enthusiasts like Kevin Brook, who use Knockout League for exercise.
The new release also comes with improvements in punching through an opposing fighters guard when their gloves are up. Fighters are now able to punch and break through that guard and are given extra damage to destroy them faster after earning the Golden Gloves. If you need more practice before jumping in the ring, turn on the calorie tracker and work on your punching, combos, and dodging skills in Reflex Alley or play 3 circuits and then experience a title fight to keep you punching away towards a summer bod.
Indicators and Stamina Bars
Visual indicators have been added to Knockout League to show fighters when their opponent does special movements that cue when an attack will start and if it is a special attack that’s unblockable or other special abilities. There’s also now a stamina bar for both you and your opponent that you can use to see how close you are to beating them or how close you are to being knocked out.
Blocking incoming punches is going to eat away at the new stamina bar with block fatigue but bobbing, dodging and deflecting with Golden Gloves won’t deflate it. If you throw a punch when your stamina bar is in the block fatigue phase you’ll take more damage, which means you’ll want to squat or lunge to save your butt, literally. If you do damage to the other boxer then you’ll get back some of the stamina bar that you lost.
When opposing fighters have a stamina bar that’s empty they will be stunned for an extended amount of time (no punch limit!), leaving you to punch them harder, faster and with as many punches as you can land until they get knocked out! Also, achievements that were in Early Access will get replaced with shiny spankin’ new ones, so you can kiss the old ones goodbye and begin again by putting them in the new trophy room.
VR Fitness Potential
Knockout League is a heavy hitting virtual reality boxing game that has been nominated for 3 VR Fitness Insider – VR Fitness Awards 2017. It’s been rated by the Virtual Reality Institute of Health and Exercise as equal to rowing (burning 8-10 calories per minute), making it a top exercise game in the VR fitness industry. While playing Knockout League fighters will blast their upper body during combo punches, while the lower body and the core will get activated when squatting or dodging incoming attacks.
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