As we continue to try and exist in 2020, several things remain unavailable to us. Something that has been so ingrained in society over the past 15 years, the gym, has become largely inaccessible to many parts of the world and the way we work out now has become somewhat of a puzzle. You could buy your own weights sure, but that’s expensive and difficult to maintain. Your other option at the moment is trying out exercise in Virtual Reality. While there are a few titles that attempt a similar effect, none come close to the presentation and creativity that is shown here in developer Realfit VR LTD‘s Realfit.
Realfit aims to give you an entire gym inside your living room and does the best imitation of that so far in VR. How it works is you’re given a myriad of different exercise circuits to take part in as well as a bunch of different minigames to keep you occupied as well. There isn’t a ton of gameplay options here, but when you come to Realfit you likely aren’t looking for an engrossing gaming experience, you just want to have a virtual trainer get your quarantined Cheeto filled face into shape and for that purpose, Realfit comes through in spades.
When you select a circuit, you’re given a second or two to acclimate yourself and this is a great way to let you set up a workout mat to match the lineup you’ll see in the game. It’s a bit difficult to line up properly, but you can reset your headset position fairly easily to get the lineup in order. Once you’re set up, a little virtual figure will line up in front of you and start performing the exercise. While some of the exercises available rely on you being honorable in how you complete them, others will have a meter that measures your headset height to make sure you’re squatting low enough or coming up high enough on a sit up. It’s a nice way to make sure you get the most out of your time with Realfit and if you’re cheating at this there is absolutely nothing to gain and you’re only cheating yourself. Think of this as in home trainer, follow the rules and you’ll reap the benefits.
The most fun feature of the game so far though is the minigames that are incorporated into the exercise. Although there’s only a couple, standouts are things like the flappy bird sit up and squats which recreates the legendarily addictive iPhone game by having a little animated bird dodge pipes in accordance with your head moves. This is so simple yet much like the game it emulates, incredibly addicting and I have never been so focused on doing squats or sit-ups in my life. Realfit may be on to something with these types of modes in workout games.
Where Realfit falls flat is in its amount of options given to you. Yes, you can customize your workouts to your liking, but the problem is there isn’t a ton there and mixed with a pretty basic presentation, I’m not sure if this will hook people beyond the hardcore workout seekers. For them though, this is everything they could want. The music is also a nice touch as is the ability to change what environment you work out in. In games like this though, I’d love to see some more creativity injected. If I’m going to be running in place, I don’t want that to also be the case in the virtual world, I want to see amazing vistas appear as I run by them or maybe run away from a dinosaur. So much can be done within VR to turn mundane movements into thrilling ones and it feels like there isn’t being enough done here. If you’re here for the workout and the workout alone, you will find what you’re looking for. Realfit is currently in Early Access and there are more modes to come.
Preparation
This is one of those unique games in VR that will require a whole lot of room. I heavily recommend a workout mat of some kind that will line up with the one in the game as you’re going to be dropping down and rising up a lot and it’ll eventually get stressful on your knees and legs if you’re doing this on hardwood floors. You’re going to want a lot of room 360 degrees around you as well as the exercises will require a wide berth for the range of motions you’re going to be going through. It’s advised you re-center yourself so you don’t crash into any walls during your playthrough. This isn’t the best game to play for friends as you’re going to be all over the place while in VR and having a clear area is essential to limiting any chance of injury or damaging your equipment.
Intensity- 9/10
I recorded my 30-minute workout using a Fitbit with Samsung Odyssey Plus Windows Mixed Reality Headset.
Calories burned: 276
Calories burned per minute: 8.2
Average Heart Rate: 123
Max Heart Rate: 132
Active Minutes: 18
I found Realfit to be an absolute shock to the system because of the intensity it provided physically. Whether you’re going through the beginner circuit or really challenging yourself to complete the hardest ones, you’re going to be dripping sweat while navigating the different workouts. The calories will fly off you if you decide to give this one an hour of your time per day and I must say I can’t recommend anything more than that as this is essentially what it’s like to do a workout video at home or Crossfit. It’s difficult stuff that requires plenty of stamina and strength to pull off.
Arms- 9/10
This is one of the most intense arm based workouts you can find in VR. Jumping Jacks, bubble popping minigames, arm circles, push-ups, etc. You’re going to want to do a lot of stretching before you get going here as your arms will likely play into at least every other exercise that you’re trying to do. While you won’t be doing any actual weight training, most arm exercises will involve you holding the controllers so you could add hand weights if you wanted to up the ante here a bit. The mini-games also serve your arms quite a bit as well with the bubble pop game providing a pretty solid variation on a boxing workout.
Legs- 9/10
If you want a leg workout in VR, you want Realfit, plain and simple. Between the jogging in place, squatting, burpees, and more, you’re going to find yourself in the midst of a surprisingly effective cardio workout that focuses on your leg strength as you go from circuit to circuit. The circuits focusing on the lower body seriously gets your legs burning with squats, jumping jacks, and more. If you really like a special form of workout hell, try out the flappy bird squatting and slowly lose your mind and strength trying to top that high score.
Core/Balance- 8/10
Most VR games find it quite difficult to get your core fully involved. That is not the case in Realfit VR as you’re going to be twisting and turning and getting those abs in great shape no matter what the workout circuit you choose is. Not many VR games have you doing sit-ups, but Realfit turns it into a very doable exercise. This is where you mat will serve you well, especially if you decide to try the flappy bird minigame with it that will provide an addiction along with a workout routine that you really just can’t find anywhere else.
Time Perception- 7/10
While you’re not going to be whisked away to a magical land full of amazing vistas and creatures to encounter, Realfit still creates an aesthetic that is quite pleasing to spend time in while burning away the calories. The problem is that it’s impossible to stay inside it for too long because of exhaustion being an actual caution to make note of while playing this. It’s incredibly challenging to complete most of the circuits and really no matter how much you’re enjoying it, an hour is the most you’re going to want to spend inside this virtual world. That’s not the fault of the developer though, because that’s how these games are meant to be played. Work it into your daily routine, but don’t go over.
Replayability- 9/10
If you’re someone who’s able to maintain a consistent routine when working out, Realfit will be an absolutely essential part of your VR workout routine right now. With gyms being closed most places or lacking the proper distancing needed at this time, VR workouts are a great alternative and Realfit may just provide the most thorough and well put together one available. There are multiple environments to work out in and more are being planned in the near future.
Fitness Scalability- 7/10
There are several different workout circuits available, but there aren’t a ton of different ways to complete them. You have your beginner circuit which will help get you acclimated to everything, but past that it all becomes the level of intensity, just introduced through different exercises. There are certainly ways to intensify your workouts though and this is especially true with the endless flappy bird modes available. These modes will amplify your workout a ton depending on how long you can last in them. You can also add hand and ankle weights if you have them to make the exercises that much tougher.
Lack of Nausea- 8/10
One thing that VR has yet to fully nail is how to deal with games that require a ton of head movement while playing. Realfit is one of those scenarios and it’s a pretty smooth experience for the most part, with exception to some exercises that really have you bobbing your head a ton like jumping jacks or front lunges. Something about the image to eye delay makes these actions a bit uneasy feeling, but generally, I thought the experience was very smooth and the visuals were calm enough during it that I wasn’t overwhelmed in that way either.
Social Competition – 0/10
There is no competition aspect to the game as of right now. There could be something of this ilk implemented in the future, but for now, it is strictly a single-player experience.
VR Fit Score- 8.2/10
Realfit checks all the boxes for an intense VR workout and shows the capability VR has in being able to give you an in-home gym that’s built on real exercises.
Game Score- 6/10
As far as a pure game goes, Realfit shows a little bit of effort but the primary focus of Realfit is to give you a good workout, not necessarily a good, fun time.
The Good
Realfit gives the best possible workout experience in VR while providing you a VR personal trainer who you can follow the actions of to do the exercises correctly. There is a lively soundtrack that will inspire you to keep going once you hit your limit and the atmosphere of the multiple environments are nice enough to look at without being too visually overwhelming while you’re playing. The mini-games give an interesting diversion from the more straightforward workouts and add some lasting appeal to people looking for more of a game than just a workout. The exercises provided actually give you an intense workout and will have you burning calories in no time while making sure to work out just about every part of your body which is rare in VR.
The Bad
There isn’t much of a game here really. Realfit was created for one purpose and that’s to give you a solid workout experience in VR with very few bells and whistles attached. If you don’t like exercising or at least don’t like doing it without some kind of game-like incentive, you’re not going to find a ton to like here. The scoring system is there at the end of each circuit to let you track how you’re improving, but the sense of progression here is very minimal and you’ll have to create your own inspiration to keep going at times. The minigames while fun, are very minimal and it feels like more could’ve been added here to differentiate from the other workout centric games available. It feels like it would be experienced best on the Oculus Quest considering the extensive movements you’ll be going through while completing the various circuits.
Realfit is available on Steam for $19.99 And playable on Oculus Rift, Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality Headsets.
