Ludicrous Speed
Video credit to: vrgamecritic
This is a first-person infinite runner VR game where players will pump their arms to run along an endless obstacle course. The running, jumping, and wall-grind effects of Ludicrous Speed (Is this a Space Balls reference?) remind me of parkour, especially with spiky traps above and at the player’s feet that they’ll have to maneuver around to collect coins. This game is in early access.
Fitness Potential
Using natural motion instead of the trackpad is going to give you more of a fat burning and cardio workout. The game uses a runner’s arm motions to move in the game and is definitely going to make your arms sore when you play it for a while. To exercise your glutes, thighs, and calves players will want to run or jog in place, quickly dash, and swerve around obstacles in room scale.
Developer/Publisher: Manic Machine
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, with tracked controllers
Price: $6.99
Link: Ludicrous Speed
Club Dance Party VR
Can’t make it to the club or don’t want to make it but would like to dance like you’re in one? Club Dance Party VR is a dance game where players dance with attractive women to electronic music. With full on butt shaking moves by the dancers in the game, solo players dance alongside them by using their controllers to touch music orbs to perform dance moves. This is an early access game.
Fitness Potential
Music isn’t the only thing that’s going to get your heart racing, dancing is cardio and will elevate the heart rate when you dance with energy. Following the music orbs with controllers looks to be a light upper body workout because they don’t look like they appear quickly. While moving your entire body in reality will give you a better workout in room scale than just standing there with bricks for feet.
Developer/Publisher: Studio Odin Inc.
Release Date: June 6, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, with tracked controllers
Price: $11.99 to $14.99
Link: Club Dance Party VR
Football Nation VR Tournament
VR Football Club (VRFC) just got a makeover and it’s called Football Nation VR Tournament. Footballers and fans of the game will race up and down the stadium field as AI and up to 16 real players in a soccer/football tournament.
Fitness Potential
Soccer players move their arms to move up and down the field and use buttons to perform actions like snapping to the ball, quick turn, passing, and shooting. This is a dominant upper body game that will likely give you a mid-range upper body workout but will likely not do much for the legs when sitting. If you want to turn up the heat and feel like a real footballer on the field players can always run, jog, or high-knee in place to include cardio.
Develop/Publisher: Cherry Pop Games
Release Date: June 7, 2018
Compatible with: PSVR, with tracked controllers
Price: $9.99
Link: Football Nation VR Tournament
Gunheart
This is a single player, co-op, and multiplayer FPS and RPG game where players will become mechanical bounty hunters that shoot bug-like alien beasts large and small or each other in a PvP battle. Shoot to kill aliens and other players, get money, buy up to 10 different types of modifiable and upgradeable weapons, and unlock perks!
Fitness Potential
Shooting packs of aliens, throwing them off the side of a cliff, and using objects as weapons to destroy their infestation or in skirmishes with other players is going to keep your arms up and moving for a while when you play through 9 campaigns, 11 missions, or PvP skirmishes. The lower body will get a mid-range workout when you duck and maneuver around alien attacks that are up-close and personal or at a distance in room scale.
Developer/Publisher: Drifter Entertainment
Release Date: June 4, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, with tracked controllers
Price: $26.99 to $29.99
Link: Gunheart
Arbiter
Video credit to: vrgamecritic
Fly through the air as you launch and jump off of gridded platforms with a jetpack as you try to outshoot and outmaneuver other players. This is a first-person arena shooter with a twist, where each side has an arbitration or an issue at hand given to them by the Arbiter AI (example: video games or dogs) and has to fight for that thing to be judged as a winning result. This game is in early access.
Fitness Potential
Shooting neon polygonal laser guns at other players is going to keep your arms moving, while players have to use their legs to quickly squat or duck for cover away from oncoming blast flurries from other players in room scale. Although there are platforms please be warned that this game has flying in it that could trigger some VR gamers to have motion sickness.
Developer/Publisher: Desperado Games
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, with tracked controllers
Price: $8.99 to $9.99
Link: Arbiter