Fitness Fables [Meta Quest 3] | REVIEW

There are an array of fitness-themed games available on the Meta Quest platform, but none have resonated with me quite as much as Fitness Fables, with its fantasy adventuring crossed with rigorous exercise making for a genuinely enjoyable way to get fit.

Check out some screenshots down below:

There’s a fantasy story at play in Fitness Fables, with the game taking place in the world of Alterterra. Dangerous rifts have struck the varied lands of the world, meaning players have to join a special Magic Academy to help amass the magical energy required to close each one. And, you guessed it, that magic is collected by performing a variety of exercises and vanquishing the vicious monsters that are roaming across the land. It’s a simple tale, but it adds a fun bit of context to your fitness regime.

The adventuring in Fitness Fables is level-based, with players moving through different environments and clearing different challenges as they progress through the game. These levels are broken down into a variety of different exercises, with the players performing the likes of squats, rope swings, boxing, twisting rotating levers, smashing balls with a racket, archery, and so forth, with a good selection on offer that’ll really get those calories burning as you feel the heat on every muscle in your body.

“Fitness Fables is an enjoyable fitness adventure that’ll keep players hooked in with its varied challenges, pretty visuals, and satisfying take on exercise.”

What makes each exercise all the more satisfying is how they tie into the gameplay, with your actions represented in-game as you perform different tasks that see you move through levels. Flying on a hovercraft, skiing through snowy pathways, soaring down a river on a boat… they’re all simple tasks, but made all the more satisfying given that its your performance in the exercises that pushes you forward. Admittedly, there were a few exercise manoeuvres that could feel a little finicky at first (and hitting balls with a racket can often feel a little inconsistent), but it’s something you get used to the longer you play.

My favourite instances of the game came with the boss battles, which see you utilise a variety of different exercise methods as a means to help conquer each monstrous beast in your path, all whilst carefully avoiding their attacks. It’s a clever idea that emphasises just how gamified the exercise offered in Fitness Fables really is, whilst the fact that the bosses themselves make for cool showdowns just adds to the enjoyment. It was always a treat to encounter them, and with some creatives monstrosities to face off against, it really adds to the fantasy-based nature of the experience.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The boss encounters really help emphasise how visually impressive Fitness Fables is, with the world of Alterterra always very pretty on the eyes. Every biome in the world is rich with detail and vibrant colours, ensuring each level brings with it a lovely vista to gaze upon as you perform each exercise. My personal favourite? It has to be the snowy levels where you’ll see the snow fall around you, though I’m a sucker for an underwater level too…

It’s been established that Fitness Fables is fun to play then, but how effective is the exercise? Well, I’ve been playing it almost every day for the past couple of weeks, and I’ve seen a genuine improvement in my progress in the game already. I’ve found myself performing better at exercises that were genuinely strenuous at first, whilst those next-day aches have subsided the longer I’ve spent with the game. It’s always satisfying to see the calories you burn in each session displayed too, which acts as a genuine motivator to keep playing and to push yourself that little bit harder in each exercise. There are varied difficulty settings in place to suit players of different fitness levels to add to the accessibility, whilst the in-game leaderboards will encourage players who have a competitive streak inside of them. It all comes together to make for a really enjoyable experience, so much so that I’ve found myself actually looking forward to exercising – I know, crazy, right?

Developer: Immersion Games
Publisher: Immersion Games
Platform(s): Meta Quest 3 (Reviewed), Meta Quest 2
Website: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/fitness-fables/6807522865968285/