After a good few hours of testing, I've come to give my verdict on LES MILLS BODYCOMBATBut first I'd like to thank LES MILLS themselves, who responded to our request for a code very quickly. And I want to say that, for me, this game is more than just a game.
This is because this game has been the most comfortable and practical way I've found to exercise, something that has been very difficult for various reasons, especially time. I've played a lot of virtual reality games lately, and many of them have given me good experiences, which have always made me think that there might be a way to escape from a sedentary lifestyle through virtual reality.
I've had some very challenging experiences in games like Horizon Call of the Mountain, Toss and Kaiak VR, but none of these were enough to keep me hooked like LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT, and even more so in terms of the exercises themselves. And this game, as well as being challenged by the content, brought me a desire I hadn't felt until then, the desire to challenge myself and how far I was capable of going.
BODYCOMBAT
But before we actually get into the game, I want to talk about what bodycombat is. Like you, I had no idea what bodycombat was all about. As I said, I lived a very sedentary life, from which I went (and still go) to work, maintained a study routine and still have this second job (privilege) of testing games and writing informative posts on our website.
Time for the gym has always been short, because as well as being able to find a time in all this routine, there was still the whole journey to get there. And going to the gym isn't the solution either because, unfortunately, I suffer from a chronic disability which, at the same time as hampering my ability to exercise, also forces me to maintain a weight that doesn't harm me even more.
And how can I maintain a healthy weight when I'm sedentary, don't have time and have a problem that prevents me from exercising without heavy supervision? Well, this was one of the reasons that made me invest a good amount of money in the PSVR2 and get to know LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT.
As I was saying, bodycombat wasn't a term I was familiar with, and when I did a bit of research, I found out that it was a form of gymnastics that combines elements from different disciplines. "martial arts, such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay-thai. With exercises of varying intensities, training helps build cardiovascular endurance and burn calories. A complete, dynamic workout - and one that's good for your health." - According to Smart Fit lol. But enough about me and let's get down to business...
How does the game work?
For those of you who are interested in virtual reality games, you probably know something about the game called Beat Saber. For those who don't know, this game is literally a mixture of Guitar Hero and Star Wars. In it, you use two laser swords to cut squares that are coming towards you, always in the direction indicated by the laser.
E LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT follows more or less the same line, but using martial arts moves. In the case of Beat Saber, we have the music (which even costs a lot) to guide our rhythm, and in BODYCOMBAT too, but we also have the help of some instructors who do an exceptional job of getting us up.
One negative point in this regard, which is unfortunately very common, is the fact that the game is entirely in English. The instructors are very good, but for those who don't understand English, it's just a few people talking to each other. At least the music is entirely instrumental, so you don't miss anything in that sense, but the instructions are a very strong point that won't suit those who don't understand the language, unfortunately.
I've always seen instructors giving their "lessons" in videos and movies, but I never really understood the difference it made. BODYCOMBAT managed to prove to me how important it is to improve the vibe of the exercise and, of course, to motivate us even more. I really enjoyed that part!
Because of the PSVR2 Sense, you can perform various moves during the exercises. Most of the moves will be with your hands, but it also allows you to use your legs, which are very important in the gameplay. But let's start with the hand movements.
As I said, the bodycombat uses some martial arts to work its "magic", so expect a lot of punches in the air. Towards us come some objects with a kind of crosshair on them, with purple and green colors. When you see the purple one, you have to hit it with your left hand, and the green one you hit with your right hand.
These objects also come in a few different angles, which changes the way you have to hit them. When they come towards us, we have to throw front punches (the famous "jab" and "cross"), but they can also be turned upwards and sideways. When they're facing diagonally downwards, we need to throw a "hook" or "uppercut" and when they're facing sideways, we throw a "hook". See the image below for an idea (taken from the internet).
But don't expect to just stand still while the targets come at you, because at various times walls come at you, which you have to dodge. Sometimes they come from above, forcing us to crouch down (sometimes for a long time or doing several squats).
When she comes from above, in addition to crouching down, targets come towards us and we have to hit them while staying below the walls. There are also blows that require you to take a knee, and the game calculates the hit by tapping the controls.
And well, that said, the game has 3 difficulty levels, which change mainly in terms of exercise time, target speeds and the variations in which they come your way. As you complete the challenges, you can always see the scores of other players, which motivates you to always do your best to get the best possible position.
At the end of the exercises we also have some very nice statistics such as the percentage of our state when performing the exercises, as well as the amount of calories burned, the record of hits and the XP obtained in the exercise, which allows us to level up. In the main menu we also have information about the week, such as the number of exercises done each day and how many calories were burned in each one.
More than just a game
Each of the levels has several stages, and as the stages go on, the challenges get greater and greater. At the end of each level, there's an ultimate stage that pushes you to the limit, and these were the ones that made me suffer the most. And despite the term suffering, playing them and overcoming them was extremely rewarding, knowing that I had managed to complete them.
But not only that, I can go back and beat my own score, or beat my physical state in each of the phases, beat the scores of several other players, beat the amount of exercise and calories burned in the previous days. No matter what kind of gamer you are, LES MILLS BODYCOMBAT will probably reach you.
Not only that, it will keep you exercising while having fun, and that in itself is quite an achievement, not just for the game, but also for the player. This game showed me that I can get out of a sedentary lifestyle without having to leave my comfort zone, and if I wanted to, it gave me the experience I needed to have more strength to exercise in other environments.
Once again, I'd like to thank LES MILLS for sending me the game key, and I'm grateful for the experience I've had and plan to have for a long time to come. Of course, because of the VR goggles, this isn't an accessible experience for everyone, but for those who have the opportunity, I couldn't recommend it more highly.
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