Gaming and exercise. These two words tend to collide a lot – gaming is usually associated with the opposite of fitness, as fitness tends to be seen as physical, outdoor activity. With the outdoors being very limited this year, alternatives are sought, and fitness games have seen a rise in popularity. In the past, fitness games have been seen as a sort of ‘gimmick’. They’re the types of games you play for a couple of months and then drop off once you’ve seen everything the game has to offer.
Virtual reality has brought a whole host of sport-inspired gaming experiences. From pinball, table tennis, boxing, to racing, virtual reality has allowed people inside the home to experience these thrilling and fun sports. This is something I’ve admired about VR, and with experiences such as Topgolf, the real-life arcade-styled golf park, being temporarily shut down due to obvious pandemic reasons, Pro Putt delivers a fun, immersive take on the driving-range-focused gameplay with a variety of easy-to-play hard-to-master content.
By far the most popular genre of VR game at the moment is rhythm. Beatsaber has absolutely dominated the VR scene with games such as Oh-Shape and Tetris Effect attempting to ride the success wave of VR rhythm titles. One of these games that takes inspiration with a twist is Synth Riders. Its electronic heavy style blends with full body movement in a game that has you dancing along to the rhythm at every beat.