Master Chief evolved combat and now Ubisoft have the answer to fitness
Format: Xbox 360 Dev: Ubisoft Montreal Pub: Ubisoft Out: 10/11/10 Players: 1-4
There is a real market for fitness software at the moment. Games where we are required to get active and get fit while we play. It seems creators are trying to remove the couch potato stigma from gamers and show that gaming can in fact be good for you, while still being fun – as shown by EA Sports Active 2.
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved is another one of these new types of games, where fitness and fun is the key. This title is slightly different to its EA rival, more focused on the job in hand, which is, of course, to get us fit.
The game is played via the voice and movement controls the Kinect sensor offers. With Fitness Evolved, there are no gimmicky peripherals, such as the heart rate monitor that you get with the EA game. It is just the disc. This is represented by the much lower price you pay in comparison to over £70 for Wii Fit of EA Active. The ability to use Kinect with the game has been clearly well thought-out, as controls are simple and responsive and the sensor seems to track the player’s movements very well. It is certainly a lot more responsive and less frustrating than other Kinect titles.
In regards to the game being a fitness tool, it is actually very good. There are lots of fitness plans to follow and the activities you take part in are a good work out, if not quite as fun as the EA fitness games. The more serious nature of the title is mirrored by the endorsements the game has, with brands such as Men’s Health and Women’s Health magazine on board to provide workout plans and fitness ideas.
The title is also the first game of its type to make use of Xbox Live Marketplace, offering a constantly growing amount of downloadable content, where users are able to download new fitness plans and workouts. The ‘Body Toning Programme’ and ‘Cardio Boxing Platinum’ plans are already available and up to 12 further releases are expected this year, making the title both value for money and something for the long term.
In all honesty, there isn’t much negativity I can show toward this title. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved does exactly what it sets out to do, providing accessible workouts and fitness regimes for people to do in their own homes. The game would work for most people in my opinion, especially with the introduction of the downloadable content; pretty much everyone should be able to find a workout to suit them. However, I will say that this is after all a game and in this sense, it is all a little too serious. It could do with a bit more of a fun factor, a bit more enjoyment and for this reason, I’d still take a title that offers both a workout and a bit of fun, EA Active 2.
Ian Davies
Tags: fitness, kinect, Sports, ubisoft, your shape
This is an amazing product for the video game counsel. I’m a hardcore gamer and this game actually managed me to get me off my halo reach, call of duty black ops, and other great rpg games and actually turn on your shape fitness. This game provides great entertainment and definitely works your body out. Though I feel it lacks abs and triceps, your legs, guts, shoulders, calves, hamstrings, and your heart will definitely feel the burn.
The weight exercises are incredibly difficult. I lift weights constantly (rounding around 200lbs on chests and 35-40lbs on bicepts) but these exercises reduce my limits to 5 lbs =D…and incredibly difficult. I truly believe that with commitment and actually doing the exercises correctly, people will manage to lose weight and build muscles. But don’t expect build ab muscles. Do some situps and crunches on the side. There are literally no ab workout whatsoever which angered me cause I really wanted to build up my abs. But I can’t complain, I do these exercises daily with 20 different types of routines available and I feel great everyday.